Aunty Felicia Goes to Church (Aunty Felicia Series Book 6)

Although Stan Lee and many other early Spider-Man writers shied away from directly addressing Peter Parker's religious beliefs and religious identity, other aspects of the character have been dealt with concretely. The character of Peter Parker has always exhibited a strong interest in science. Indeed, Parker's ability to think logically and rationally has often saved him from predicaments and dangers when his amazing spider-derived powers alone would have been insufficient.

What do you think accounts for the dearth of monotheistic heroes? Do you think we'll be seeing the topic of religion explored in the Marvel Universe anytime soon? I don't know if dearth is the right word to use, especially when traditionally there was no expression of religious beliefs by comic characters in the past. Like so many of the characters we create, ethnicity, religious beliefs For us to sit around a table and say, "hey, we need a dozen new Hispanic characters," seems forced and not the way we go about our creative business.

The characters that have religion play into their stories are that way because their religion played an important part in who they are as a character and it effects their decisions and their stories, no one more so than Matt Murdock. Peter Parker, Spider-Man 48 is another issue which depicts Peter Parker in prayer, or having a "conversation with God.

It is probably not the intent of this scene to suggest that God is speaking directly to Peter Parker, but clearly Parker is thinking about God and pondering why God would allow terrible things to happen to him. Peter seems to find at least partial answers to his questions both in this scene and in the coming story arc.

Peter Parker, Spider-Man Vol. Trials and Tribulations trade paperback, Marvel Entertainment Group: New York City And the Lord said: Throughout the history of Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man" franchise, little clues have been dropped that Peter Parker is a believer specifically, a Protestant, although what denomination isn't clear. There's the "God Bless Our Home" stitching on the kitchen wall, for example, and then there was the night he thanked God for bringing Mary Jane into his life.

Critics have long found Christian themes in Peter Parker's struggle to determine what's right. In fact, most superheroes have religious backgrounds, according to adherents. Spiderman is vaguely Protestant. Rogue of the X-Men grew up Southern Baptist. Barry Caine, "If a superhero lands in the forest, does anyone hear it? Superman's pending resurrection is inspiring super conjecture.

For instance, Newsweek 's "With Beliefnet. With or without overt references to religion, superhero stories resonate for people of faith, says Greg Garrett, author of "Holy Superheroes! Batman can be seen as "an avatar of God's justice. Religious imagery plentiful; local leaders worry about Superman's morals", published 8 July in Deseret Morning News http: The June 19, , issue of Newsweek contained a list of the "suspected" religions of superheroes This is the woman who has had the most influence on Parker, and who raised him during most of his life.

The gospel according to Nightcrawler", on Thunderstruck. David Wade, "Culture Watch: Holy Warrior Nuns, Batman! Comic books take on the world of faith and spirituality", published in Sojourner Magazine , July http: When you think about it, there aren't that many in film, or on TV either. Who are the Justice League going to fight this month? How will Spider-Man deal with the latest menace? What will Batman do about the Joker? That kind of thing. At its heart, most religion tends to be about harmony.

From a comics script writer's point of view, harmony is pretty dull. When you think about it, religion only makes it onto the news when there's a problem. It's not real, and unless it claims to be speaking directly about reality which is what got Rushdie into trouble all those years ago it needn't cause offence.

Ordinary, what for want of a better word I'll call normal religious behaviour doesn't tend to make an impact in comics because, to be honest it doesn't make itself all that visible in real life either. Religion is much like sexuality in that sense - both are huge parts of an individual's life, but neither tend to be immediately obvious to the naked eye. In my view, it makes sense that niether should surface in the foreground of a story unless they become relevent to the narrative. This is a profoundly realistic approach when you think about it. Although not religious myself, I know a good many religious people.

My Atheism, or their faith, tend not to come up unless we happen to be talking specifically about religion. None of my friends introduce themselves to people with the words "Hello, I'm a Christian" or "Hello I'm a Muslim" any more than I introduce myself by saying "Hello, I'm an atheist". The subject just doesn't come up.

So why should it come up when the characters in our comics speak to us? Considering her age and social background I think Aunt May is probably a Christian. Why would she constantly tell us that? My Grandma who is a little older than May, but of a similar background is a deeply committed Christian, but she doesn't quote bible passages at people in the supermarket or anything, it's just the way she lives her life.

Along with prayer during times of great need, another way that Peter Parker has manifest faith in God is through expressions of gratitude. What Parker is most grateful for is the people in his life - his close friends and family. Mary Jane Watson has been a close friend of Peter Parker's nearly since the creation of the character, and has been his most significant love interest. In mainstream Marvel continuity, Peter Parker and Mary Jane were finally married -- after many years of on-again, off-again romance -- in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21 Peter and Mary Jane love each other deeply and their marriage is, for the most part, a strong one.

In and The Amazing Spider-Man depicted a period of great strain in their marriage, and the couple was separated for a time. After they decided to reconcile, Mary Jane was still staying in a hotel in New York while Parker was living in an apartment. Mary Jane was visiting Peter's apartment during the evening and Peter suggested it was getting late and that he should get her back to her hotel.

Mary Jane insisted on staying, rejecting Peter's concern that he was distracted by a case and tired and that he wanted the first night they spent together after their reconciliation to be just right. Michael Straczynski, penciled by John Romita Jr. Reminiscent of other examples of Peter Parker's "talks with God," there are some notable, powerful scenes in Amazing Spider-Man 33 vol. In this story, Spider-Man appears to argue with God about to why these things have happened. Steven Waldman and Michael Kress, "Beliefwatch: Good Fight", published in Newsweek , 19 June issue posted online on 12 June Although the purpose of this page is to identify Peter Parker's religious background as Protestant, and to point out that the character occasionally expresses religious faith at times sincere, at times casual , it would be a mistake to give the impression that any overt form of Protestant Christianity is a major aspect of his character.

Spider-Man's religious background is most evident simply through his character and day-to-day actions. Prayer for Peter Parker occurs mostly during times of extreme crisis, and sometimes as an expression of overwhelming gratitude. Science particularly physics and chemistry has been one of Peter Parker's most consistent passions. He is both extremely talented as a scientist and very interested in science in general.

Parker's bedroom decor in Ultimate Spider-Man 21 -- with a picture of physicist Albert Einstein, a diagram depicting evolution, and models of the space shuttle and the U. Enterprise -- was an overt method of illustrating his interest in science. Like most American scientists 1 , Peter Parker believes in God, but his overall outlook is on life is as a scientist. As noted above, Parker has frequently utilized his scientific abilities and his rational mind to overcome challenges and villains he has encountered as Spider-Man. Peter Parker's passion for science, however, has never become the socially debilitating form of mania that one sees in some other scientist characters, notably Reed Richards Mr.

Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Parker has always tried to squeeze in an active social life, and although he has had many opportunities to work purely in science, he has usually chosen to do other things as a vocation photographer, teacher, etc. It is also worth noting that Parker's scientific outlook and interest has been manifest as "scientism," which is the belief that the methods and theories of the physical sciences are suitable for all fields and endeavors, and the belief that science has primacy over religious, humanistic, social, spiritual and other aspects of life.

In many ways, Peter Parker actually represents a fairly balanced "everyman" or "typical American" in his outlook on life. He combines a modernistic rationalism with a practical American spirituality and humanitarian altruism. Interestingly enough, although he has long worked as a photographer or web designer in Ultimate Spider-Man , Peter Parker has rarely seemed particularly interested in art which along with science and religion, is another potential major lens a person might view life through. Peter Parker has been depicted as having grown tremendously in his abilities as a photographer over the course of many years, but he has simply never been as passionate about photography as an art as he has about other interests.

Peter Parker even has an entire photography book published featuring his photographs, titled Webs: It reveals something about Parker's lack of motivation as an artist that this book was not even his idea. Jonah Jameson worked with a publisher to create a book of the Spider-Man photographs which Parker had taken, but which were the property of the Daily Bugle. Parker was perturbed that he was left out of the loop on the creation of a book featuring his photography, but he had no legal recourse. He agreed to go on a book tour in exchange for a portion of the royalties from the book.

Did this experience prompt Parker to conceive of his own book idea and take artistic photos specifically for such a purpose? No, not at all. Peter Parker's accidental and seemingly unmotivated talent as a photographer was even the subject of a storyline in which another photographer at the Bugle , one who was extremely motivated by artistic concerns, experiences such intense jealousy of Parker that he collaborates with Doctor Octopus in an effort to best Parker.

The storyline mirrors the story from the movie Amadeus , with the jealous photographer in the Antonio Salieri role, and Peter Parker in the place of the naturally and nonchalantly talented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Where this parallel breaks down is that although music apparently came easily to Mozart, it was nonetheless a great passion for him and he considered himself first and foremost an artist and musician. Parker, on the other hand, seems to completely lack strong self-identification as an artist. Written by Brian K. Pencil art by Staz Johnson. Inks by Danny Miki. Published by Marvel Entertainment Group: Reprints material originally published in magazine form as: Perhaps in answer to Peter Parker's prayers both on- and off-panel , J.

Michael Straczynski even used a little divine intervention to help save the marriage of Peter and Mary Jane in issue 49 of The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2. In what was certainly one of the most moving and most mature stories of Straczynski run on the series, this issue, titled "Bad Connections," features no physical battles and no villains.

Peter Parker never even dons his Spider-Man mask. The story is about Peter and Mary Jane trying to come to terms with the emotional distance that has come between them as they've been living such separate lives, one as a super-hero, the other as a successful model and fledgling actress. The issue begins with Peter in Africa, where Ezekiel has brought him so that he could survive his confrontation with Shathra. Rather than returning directly to New York City, Peter trades the first-class ticket Ezekiel purchased for him for a coach class ticket all the way to Los Angeles, where Mary Jane was filming a movie.

We see Peter in Mary Jane's hotel room and Mary Jane in Peter's New York apartment at exactly the same time, as they both contemplate their marriage and their recent past. Of course, both encounter empty rooms, assume the worst about the state of their relationship, and decide that their marriage is over - that it's time to move on. As the marriage of Peter and Mary Jane seems to shattering, a bolt of lightning grazes the airplane that Peter is on, doing no real damage, but forcing the pilot to land in Denver to check the electrical system. Miraculously, this the very airport that Mary Jane is at, while her plane is making a scheduled stop on its way to L.

Peter does indeed meet up with Mary Jane at the Denver airport, and they begin the steps toward full reconciliation and saving their marriage, chronicled in further excellent stories that take place over subsequent issues. Using lightning - perhaps the most common symbol of direct action by deity, whether by Zeus, Jove, or Whomever - in this way seems almost like an intentionally un-subtle way of saying that Peter's continuing altruism and heroism has earned him a break, and that God wants Peter's marriage to last.

Note, in particular, how in the last panel of the scene it is finally revealed, against a backdrop of billowy - heavenly - clouds, that Peter's "bad luck" at having to make an unscheduled landing will actually put him in Denver. Straczynski, a self-described atheist although one fascinated with religion , can hardly be accused of proselytizing by including a little divine intervention in this story.

This positive turn of events can be viewed as one of God's "tender mercies," and mirrors the themes of countless acclaimed and beloved works of fiction depicting miraculous events which signal the lovingkindness of the Lord spoken of in Psalms. Bednar's sermon "The Tender Mercies of the Lord" April General Conference for other examples and explanations of what Straczynski does in this story. Of course, in a world where a spider-bite can give a person super-strength, speed, agility, wall-crawling powers and spider-sense limited precognitive abilities , it might be possible that the lightning strike which allowed Peter to meet up with Mary Jane was just a coincidence.

But that seems like a stretch of the imagination, even in the Marvel Universe. Below is the text from this scene, pages 16 and 19, in The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 , issue 49, written by J. Ultimate Spider-Man is the name of a comic book series started in as part of the new "Ultimate" line of comics published by Marvel Entertainment Group. This new line of comics utilizes characters that were introduced in Marvel's main line of comics launched in , but with origins reset to take place in contemporary times.

Peter Parker is, once again, feeling considerably put upon because of the many problems in his life. His girlfriend Mary Jane Watson recently broke up with him, and at about the same time he met Felicia Hardy, a cat burglar known as the "Black Cat. Although very much in love with Mary Jane, Parker wondered what it would be like to be romantically involved with the Black Cat.

Later, Mary Jane runs away because of the constant verbal abuse from her manifestly atheist father. Peter Parker is very worried about Mary Jane. Among the many thoughts that go through his head while he worries about her, he wonders if God is punishing him for entertaining the idea of being with the Black Cat. Peter Parker's thoughts as he goes to Mary Jane Watson's bedroom and sees for himself that she has run away are as follows:.

After these thoughts go through Peter Parker's mind, suddenly inspiration hits him and he realizes where Mary Jane must be. He heads straight to the abandoned warehouse which they think of as their "little private hiding place" and sure enough, Mary Jane is there. She is cold and despondent, but Peter is relieved that he found her. Among his many troubled thoughts is the question: Is this a sign from God that he should quit being a super hero?

Text from Peter's thoughts in this scene is below. On a number of occasions, Spider-Man has been chosen as a servent of various religious figures and deities. An example of this took place in Peter Parker: In this two-issue story, the Buddhist deity Tara or at least a woman with a connection to Tara, or who sees herself as Tara's representative enlists Spider-Man's help. In one scene during this story, Spider-Man contemplates the relative frequency with which he is enlisted as an agent of "metaphysical" beings. Peter's visit with the spirit of Uncle Ben is an incredible moving scene, but is best appreciated after having read the entire issue.

Dialogue from this visit is shown below, from: Michael Straczynski, pencilled by John Romita Jr. Happy Birthday trade paperback, Marvel Entertainment Group: While no one at Marvel comics would admit it - at least publicly - the webs that our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man weaves are laced with stories and lessons taken right out of Jewish culture - so much so that one borough rabbi believes that Peter Parker is actually a child of Abraham.

Speaking from the Pratt Institute campus in Clinton Hill, Weinstein can spend all day spinning similarities between the Stan Lee character and Jewish history and culture, even though the eight legged creatures aren't kosher. According to the passage, David was in the wilderness being chased by King Saul's guards when he ducked into a cave.

As he hid, a spider spun a web at the mouth of the cave. When a guard went to inspect the opening, he saw the web and determined that David couldn't be in there. In his book, Weinstein writes about his belief that "Old Web Head's" story is fueled by a deep, post-Holocaust sense of Jewish guilt. He's also been called a Jerry Seinfeld with webbing.

But yet he rips off his clothes and he's a superhuman being. Weinstein's suspicions about Spider-Man were confirmed when he came across golden age comic book illustrator Patti Cochran, who told him that the Marvel Comics editorial staff always worked off the belief that Peter Parker was Jewish. Superman, Captain America, the Spirit, Batman and the Incredible Hulk who Weinstein calls a gamma-radiated golem all have Jewish themes woven into their masks, capes and cowls and - in the Hulk's case - loincloths.

Leah Finkelshteyn, " Thwak! Today, there may be fewer Jewish comics creators than in the past, but they are still making their mark in what has become an American institution struggling for legitimacy. The hot list - talents whose names on the cover are likely to ensure a title's popularity - includes writer Peter Allan David Supergirl , DC, and The Incredible Hulk , among others ; British import Neil Gaiman, writer of the award-winning The Sandman Vertigo, a DC imprint , a series subtly peppered with midrashim ; and author-illustrator Brian Michael Bendis, who in an article on his Web site, www.

In the late 's and 's, comics' Silver Age, conformist heroes gave way to a more diverse comic world.

King Omatosan (Naija Tales Series Book 1)

Stan Lee and Marvel introduced a new type of "real-life" hero with the wall-crawling teenage Spider-Man who worried about money and social acceptance as well as how to defeat the many-limbed Doctor Octopus. In the 70's and 80's, Jews started appearing, sometimes with a beard and a hat in a crowd scene, sometimes as minor heroes. Shadowcat showed up around that time, too The Amazing Spider-Man August , page So if I were you, I'd start praying right about now to try and convince God to give her every possible second of life. But to tell you the truth, in your position, I wouldn't count too much on God if I were you.

See you around, Mr. In this story, Peter Parker is afraid that his beloved Aunt May who was shot by a sniper might die. Aunt May lies in a coma in a hospital and does not appear to be getting better. Peter Parker contacts an associate of his, Madame Web, a clairvoyant medium. I'd like to discuss what religious beliefs are favorite costumed hero's belong to. Everyone knows Daredevil is Catholic.

But beyond that, what do we know of superhero's beliefs? I'm thinking of mostly the Marvel Universe, but you DC fans feel free to contribute as well America are New York Protestants born and raised. Peter may be a lapsed church goer, but I always got the feeling that if Steve Rogers could find more time, he'd be in church every Sunday This is a discussion I've had several times with my friends, and usually I step out of it when it turns offensive.

Which with my friends, it always does! Thing to remember though that until recently, like the past decade, religion and talks of such were verboten in most main stream comic books. Someone has WAY too much time on their hands. Peter Parker would be less relatable to if they gave him one religion. Wolsfbane, Rahne Sinclair is another [Catholic]. She was orphaned and raised by strict Catholic preacher named, Reverend Craig Actually, Wolfsbane has always been a Presbyterian, and is overtly identified as such.

There's definitely a strong Christian influence there anyway. Superman also had a strong Christian upbringing, Johnathan and Martha Kent were praying for a child around the time Kal-El landed on Earth. Martha is always praying for Johnathan during the 'Death of Superman' saga, as Johnathan is venturing on his 'spiritual search' for Clark.

Spider-Man and Superman I'm not sure about being Catholic, but they're definitely Christian influenced. Nightcrawler, Daredevil, Aurora and Huntress definitely [are Catholic]. Superman I agree is probably one of the Protestant denominations. Spider-Man I don't think there's enough evidence really. The Our Father is pretty well universal among all Christian faiths - it's taken straight out of the Bible May Parker's maiden name is Reiley, and given her age and region of the country that she grew up in it could be assumed that she is Catholic.

Just because someone is "raised" in a certain religion does not mean that they choose to be a member of said religion once they are on their own. I would argue that Spiderman and Batman definitely have no strong religious beliefs at this time. Peter being a very science oriented individual tends to dismiss the religious angle many times though he has been known to pray in some way but it's typically prayed with a "if you're real" or "we don't get along well, God" or some such comment. He may have some Catholic roots, however But not a bad one.

I just never expected to see it. I wouldn't use the "Our Father" as a sign of being Catholic. Many denominations use this. The same is true with the ideas of confession and alter boys. Eastern Orthodoxy has both And also don't look at funerals too hard. I've been to Lutheran funeral that look a lot like Catholic, as do Orthodox. Given that Uncle Ben's of Irish descent based on his last name it would stand to reason that he's Catholic.

There's a very large presence of Irish Catholics in New York. Peter's probably 'too cool' to go to church, but I'd say he'd follow in his uncle's footsteps if he does go to church. Spider-man, just to throw a wrench into the works, may believe in reincarnation, having in one issue prayed to, in his next life, be bitten by a radioactive Jennifer Lopez: Spider-man is the ultimate Catholic. He fights against the forces of evil because he is trying to make up for his original sin of letting the burglar go that killed Uncle Ben.

I always believed that Spidey was Jewish. He sort of talks like those old Jewish guys you often see in the park playing chess. So I doubt it. However thinking about it more and more, I have seen him celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a lot like Saint Patrick's Day, in that most people celebrate it for the celebration itself, and not so much for its meaning.

Not to say that there aren't lots of peple that celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, but there are undoubtedly lots more who celebrate the giving of gifts, and the racking up of credit card debt. Although somebody had best point out to some of the people on this board that just because someone believes in God and Jesus, that does not make them Catholic. Expecially beause most all born-again Protestants I know hate Catholics almost as much as they hate Muslims.

I think it's a language barrier thing ;. I started this thread so long ago - surprised its still kicking and hasn't fallen apart either. The concept of "original sin" is not that one's personal sin comes back to haunt you, but that sin entered the world through the choice of our first parents.

I see they have Spider-Man listed as "Protestant. Michael Straczynski] run on Spider-Man has done interesting things with religion, mostly in terms of Peter's running inner monologue? Recently when he "died" fighting Morlun, Peter's final thoughts were taken from Psalm 23 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me". Also, when Tracer made a comment to Aunt May about hmans creating their own gods, Aunt May replied, "God created people, Tommy, not the other way around.

This site [link to this site] compiled an extremely detailed and well researched list of comic book super-heroes and their associated religious affiliations. Fairly interesting to me that so many actually have affiliations. I'm also amazed at how well diversified the hero population seems to be. Seeing all the evidence clearly laid out was an interesting viewing. This is my take on it: When most Americans hear the word "Atheist" they think of someone who is against the values they grew up with.

They think of Madalyn O'Hair, a woman who knew how to hate. On the other hand, when people think of Christ, they think of a man who knew how to love. So they would rather have the label Christian than atheist. Perhaps one explanation is the negative depiction of atheists in comic books. Most superheroes [believe in God], with a majority being Christians: Even the Punisher is Catholic. But when it comes to villians, atheism seems to be the rule. Joel Phillips, who identifies himself as Jewish, wrote an article in which he claimed partially in jest, but with some underlying rationale that nearly all Marvel and DC superheroes are Jewish.

A Catholic reader of the article commented that he disagreed, although he did think that Aunt May seems Jewish. Phillips, the Jewish writer of the original article, responded and said that he does not think Aunt May seems Jewish. Joel Phillips, "Reeding Into Things It's my opinion, and the opinion of many others I've encountered, that everyone in Marvel or DC comics unless otherwise specified is Jewish Just about all the comic book creators from the Golden and early Silver Age were Jewish, and their characters include thick layers of Semitic behaviors, attitudes, and even speech patterns All comic book characters from the "big two" [Marvel and DC] are Jewish As a person of the Catholic faith I would say that a number of characters show parts that are Catholic for example Matt Murdock, Peter Parker, Scott Summers, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson all to me would seem to be Catholic or at least have some of the underlining principles of Catholism.

Not being Jewish, and therefore only having a limit knowledge on the subject, I can't say with accuracy what character would have underlining Jewish qualities but I would say that Superman It wasn't meant to be true, just to raise the idea that you went on to talk about creators infusing aspects of themselves into many of their characters. I didn't mean that the characters are all actually Jewish because obviously they aren't. Can't say I get that one, but OK.

Up in the Air! Religion and Pop Culture Blog" website http: A Jewish comedian claimed not long ago that he grew up thinking that all the comic-book superheroes were Jewish, because, like, say, Goldman and Federrman, all their names end in "man": The theme pops up too on Progressive U. The author portrays comics as modern pop mythologies--you know, the boogie-man stories equivalent to cave paintings that we flatter ourselves our society doesn't indulge in anymore.

I'm also pretty sure Peter Parker is Jewish [although he isn't listed on the main Jewish super-hero lists that are available online] I don't know if Peter Parker is Jewish or not. In all the years of reading Spider-Man, his religious background never came up. When he married MJ it was by a judge and he has never mentioned a Jewish background. As for Peter Parker But if he's not Jewish, no one is. Seems like a lot of Marvel's heroes are either Jewish or seem to be Jewish.

I loved when the Thing compared himself to the golem. That was a great bit of writing. Could be; I was maybe misremembering something written by a former Spidey writer about most persons living where Peter grew up would probably be Jewish. That area of Queens did have a high Jewish population in the 's Joey Ramone was Jewish and raised in Forest Hills , but is now more mixed.

You will find many ethnic backgrounds in Forest Hills nowadays. In all seriousness, I thought Peter Parker was Jewish. I think Peter Parker should come out as a closeted Jew. And Marvel should make it real melodramatic event issue like when Northstar came out. You're gonna slug me for saying this, but as far as I'm concerned, Spider-Man is Jewish. Not every Jew is like that, I must point out before I get flamed by kosher ninjas Does anyone know the typical origin of the name Parker? I always thought Aunt May would have been the type to be a little more religious than she was.

Seems that atheistic heroes are as rare in comics as in real life. If [super-heroes] are religious it's a sort Judaeo-Christian wishy washy sort of religion Any other examples of guesses? Michael Straczynski] stories I've read so he's either Jewish or a wishy-washy Christian of no particular description. It's more than that.

In a recent issue, and I don't remember which one, he has a kind of monologue to himself where he says something to the effect of: Doom Spider-man Professor X Magneto All I know is the last one [Magneto]: Most of the rest are probably various denominations of Christian. Barring any actual solid evidence in the characters' own books, you could always fall back on the Infinity Crusade and see which sides the characters were on in that conflict. Anybody feel like whipping those issues out and checking these specific characters?

Anyway, here's the list of those who "faithfully served" the Goddess: IIRC, even if you read the crossover, it's still pretty vague in what religions the heroes believed. I'm trying to think of any stories dealing with that [Spider-Man's religious affiliation], and none spring to mind. I'd assume Christian, though. It's a pretty safe default assumption for any U. Peter does seem to have very vague ideas, and from the beginning people have seen many of his characteristics as fitting certain stereotypes about Jews Aunt as the typical Yiddishe Mame, Peter being saturated in "Jewish guilt" etc.

Out of interest, are there any comic characters, mainstream or otherwise, that are unbelievers? And if so, how do they tend to be depicted? That seems a stretch. I could see a non-practicing Christian or Jew , but I can't think of anything that screams "atheist. I can't either, and the two non-practicing vs atheism can be close at times, but if I were digging for evidence to support his atheism, I'd say this: Some religious people are like that, of course, but with all the "Why oh why can't anything work out for me I'm not nearly as well versed in Spidey history as some others here, though.

Well, in "Soul of the Hunter", Peter muses on his difficulties believing in the concept of a soul, a problem that apparently recedes when he is making love to MJ: I'd give anything to believe! And when she loves me like this -- when we seem to become I really do believe. And it would seem that Peter saw the events of this story -- fighting for the salvation of Kraven's soul -- as probably real although MJ apparently saw it more as a hallucination brought on by Peter's feeling of guilt.

Well, there's Bonita "Firebird" Juarez, who's a fervent Christian and shows up occasionally in Avengers Captain America, although that's rarely touched upon DeMatteis' take on Spider-Man The more I think about it, the more religious characters don't really tend to lend themselves to comics. Turning the other cheek doesn't exactly make for a hell of a good adventure story. For the most part you don't get much of an idea as to the private lives of most comic book characters. Marvelish soap opera not withstanding. What I mean is you don't get much of an idea what their politics or religion might be.

This is sensible enough I guess as they don't want to offend any of their customers. From time to you see things, whenever DC has shown Superman or Batman being married they always seem to have someone in a white collar officiating. Are they saying they are Catholic? Or that they just wanted someone religious looking doing it?

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That also goes for some of Marvel's characters, e. Scott Summers married both his wives in what appeared to be a Catholic or Episcopalian ceremonies. Peter and MJ were a possibly notable exception in choosing a non-religious ceremony being married by a Justic of the Peace, Mary Janes's uncle Spencer. In a recent article of the latest Newsweek Magazine , http: Now I don't know what church they may attend and even if I did I would have to be discrete to protect their identity. What fascinates me is that as super as they are they still place a faith in something greater than they are.

In this week's Newsweek periscope [link to Newsweek article: According to the list, which is taken from a website called Beliefnet. The irony, if that's the right word, is that most of the early comic heroes were created by Jewish artists. They did Superman, Spiderman, the X-men and apparently Batman. If you break everything down into the Ten Commandments you pretty much cover all comic book concepts. For example "With great power comes great responsibility" is very much based in religion. How about super-heroes never killing but once Wonder Woman did? Batman trying to honor his parents by never letting something like that happen to anyone else.

I don't know if I think religion has a place in comics but, It's already there. Why do you assume he's agnostic? Non-practising, certainly, but that doesn't necessarily make him a non-believer. I'd be surprised if there aren't some vampire stories floating around somewhere that don't establish Spider-Man as being able to use Christian symbols against them. Marvel continuity has it that it's strength of faith in the symbol that makes them effective, not anything intrinsic to the symbols themselves.

Two-Fisted Comics Commentary and Criticism! The never-identified but usually heeded "they" claim that there are two topics you should never talk about: But since Mike already brought up religion [link to: Many of the religious identifications are backed up with lengthy supporting arguments, but some of the more minor characters get little or nothing in the way of explanation. Some of them are not too surprising: Spider-Man is Protestant, although a specific denomination is not identified; Captain America, like Spider-Man, nondenominationally identified Protestant I pose the question to you, my fellow Talk Ramanians: If Christianity is the most popular faith in the United States, why aren't there more openly Christian superheroes?

I'm not sure if it's an active choice in doing such for most readers to affiliate a character with their faith umbrella. Though I would argue that unless otherwise, most readers will identify a character with themselves which includes their respective faiths unless otherwise revealed. This just isn't the case, although it is possible Peter Parker could be Hindu it is extremely unlikely given his background, location, lifestyle, even though it hasn't been proven either way. This is not an ideal situation When meeting new people or characters they are a big grey area of unknown.

This includes religion and there should be no assumptions about religion. Therefore until proven otherwise they should be considered religionless, unaffiliated, or not enough information to determine. That way you wont be disappointed when he turns out to be something different than you assumed him to be.

I think assuming a character's religion fictional or otherwise is an insult A lot of people are Christian That is a logical fallacy. All characters are to be assumed religionless I think you can. But enough to celebrate Christmas every year in all those Christmas specials, occasionally mention God like Spider-man has occasionally prayed to God-recently in fact, and Uncle Ben has been shown, from time to time, having a Cross on his headstone , and occasionally get a Church scene. The vague Monotheistic God vague spirituality seems to threaten or offend no one, and I guess they would be worried a Jesus reference would offend people.

There is not a large population of white Anglo-Aaxon Hindu's in New York so it's a pretty safe bet, even if you're reading the comic in New Delhi, that Peter Parker is a Christian, practicing or not. That was my whole argument I say a [whole] lot and I am an Atheist. I realize that the term has a certain meaning not wholly tied to religious contexts. I also observe Christmas, but merely as a gift-giving holiday.

I think assuming someone's religion is asinine. I am insulted everytime someone assumes that I am Christian because they think it is law or something. I do not assume anyone's religion for the same reasons. I am not saying you or others shouldn't, but it shows a lot of ignorance and arrogance, and says a lot of negative things about your character if you do. How exactly do you work in a character being very religious without turning it into a plot point or a story arc? There are so many views and opinions, you'll end be upsetting someone. People criticize writers like Winnick for being too political, I can' t imagine a wrter being too religious would sit well either.

There are many characters that have had their religious affiliations casually mentioned, but that doesn't seem to be good enough? Why does the majority need reinforcement? Who says anything about reinforcement? We've had a lot of threads talking about making the comic verse reflect the world that surrounds them You could reflect religious characters - not just Christian - just like you can reflect politics, but you don't necessarily want characters behaving as a mouth piece for the writer.

No one would want someone spouting and trying to convert someone to a religion - which is also what they don't want from politics. Winnick isn't too political, he's preachy, and he's clumbsy about it too. But a religious character or characters or a political character is fine, as long as attempts are made to be fair and to have characters from different stripes.

Culture, Ideas and Comic Books" blog website http: The religious affiliations of your favourite comic book heroes have finally been documented in a disturbingly thorough database. This improbable cataloguing project may well define a whole new stratum of nerdish preoccupation. But, given the effort involved, it's hard not to be impressed and, dare I say it, just a little curious. I was vaguely aware that Spider-Man is sort-of Protestant, that Ben Grimm is Jewish and that Bruce Wayne seems to have that whole lapsed Catholic thing lurking in the background I read a couple of entries mostly for characters I'm familiar with and it seemed reasonably even-handed, although.

Maybe they have extra and I can steal some. I mean, borrow some. Maybe I can get the costume from the jerk who was running around dressed as me robbing banks. Maybe someone up there is telling me not to wear a costume, or not to be a super hero. Maybe I was late to class and I didn't eat lunch. Having said that, I don't disagree with their basic conclusion on Spider-Man, which is that he's not particularly religious or devout, but does seem to believe in God and have occasional "conversations" with him.

And yeah, I think they need to retitle their "Religious Affiliation" column in the tables, when they list such things as "feminist" and "hates Spider-Man. This Spider-Man question gets asked a lot and no, even though he lives in Forest Hills, Queens and seemed to have some vaguely Jewish traits in his earliest appearances, Peter Parker has always been portrayed as being vaguely Protestant.

I wasn't aware so many characters had their religions defined at any point. I hardly ever remember running into it when I was into mainstream comics. Someone spent a lot of time looking into all that. I was only aware of three or four that had religion as a big part of their character. Including those who had sold their soul or went to hell kinda thing Spawn and Ghost Rider come to mind.

I know some character's families like Spiderman have religion in their background but I don't recall many practicing any faith. Probably the best comic you could find to figure out who believes in a god or a god, or have deep faith in God or a god would be:. Infinity Crusade The Goddess uses the heroes' faith and belief in gods and such to recruit heroes. Here are a list of Avengers who are "believers" so are recruited by the Goddess: I think that it is pretty safe to assume that none of the Crusaders [i.

The other day I was thinking about religion and comic books What I'm interested in is the way religious characters are portrayed in comic books The person posting the following message seems to think that an unusually large number of characters are Jewish: Wolverine was probably raised Catholic or maybe somewhat like a Puritan. I got the gist of it in Origin.

Spider-Man should be Jewish if anything. Forest Hills, Queens in the 's is a real giveaway, though his age is obviously not consistant with this currently Also, he did get married in a church, which kinda goes against this, though it may have just been Mary Jane's faith. I also consider Juggernaut as Jewish since saying "the Jewggernaut" is really funny.

Also, thinking of such a big guy being mortally afraid of his mother is even funnier. Keiichi, "Religion, politics and super heroes", posted 13 May on "Minitokyo" blog website http: Now with the Spidey hype, I was looking for info about our friendly neighbor and I found an article about the superheroes' religions here: It was funny, but I disagree with the fact that Peter Parker is Christian I think that Parker grew up in a Christian home Only insomuch as Stan wrote him. And when you get down to it, Stan's about the Jewiest of writers this side of Woody Allen. He's given a lot of stereotypical Jewish quirks, but the character itself doesn't appear to be.

On a few occassions we've seen the character in a church, never in a temple. So I'm guessing that he's non-denominational Christian, but doesn't really practice his faith all that often. I remember Quesada saying in one of his "Joe Fridays" a while back that Peter had a bit of Irish in him. But because of how Judaism works, he could be [Jewish] even if he prays to Jesus every day of his life. It just depends on if his mother was or not. Sort of an interesting loop hole. It'd be great if he was [Jewish], if only to hear him mentioned in the next [Adam] Sandler Chanukah song.

I always imagined him [Spider-Man] as a Protestant of some sort, simply because when comics Jews are mentioned, the likes of The Thing spring to mind but Spidey Funny how most of the Catholics we see in comics are quite devout though, or maybe it's just me. Peter may not be very religious at all and that really doesnt matter. After he got his second beat down from Morlun, Aunt May forced him to go to church - temple was never mentioned.

Also just to be clear, is Aunt May related to Peter's mom like she is in Ultimate. I know Ben Parker is Peters real uncle through daddy, but i dont recall May ever being mentioned as Mary's sister. But even so, if that's the case and she is related, then obviously her going to church rules out the possibility that Mary was Jewish. Didn't they do the whole smashing a bottle thing in her wedding with Doc Ock? I'm sure it was on the cover. This was after the movie version of the character said the Lords Prayer. I see him as an enormously busy guy, who probably doesn't vote much either although he probably is more liberal than conservative.

I hold that yes, Spider-Man is Jewish. Of course, he's Jewisher when Bendis has the pens, but it works. He grew up in Forest Hills. Given the cost of rent, and the fact that the primary provider in the family died, money troubles isn't really an uncommon thing. I know you were joking, but seriously, he's never been the poorest kid in the world, and nobody is immune to money troubles. Anyway, I do believe it may have been Stan's intention, being a nice Jewish boy from NY himself, and knowing the ethnic makeup of where Spidey grew up, plus the whole "science geek loser" thing that was a common origin for many of Stan's colleagues in the comic world at the time, who many of which were happily Jewish, Pete might've been intended to be a Jew.

But, in order to make Pete more relatable, and not get into issues of race or ethnicity if it wasn't the point of the story, he made it more vague. Since then, Pete has had Christmas Specials and things like that, so he's probably part Irish Catholic, and part whatever Uncle Ben is. Plus, Ben is a veeeeery common name, but especially common for Jews. Sam, Max, Ben, we like those 3 letter nicknames for some reason. Oh, and Mary was a Jewish name dating back to well, the one that gave birth to Jesus and earlier.

They're not gonna go around saying "omg, my people killed Indians" but for Catholics, especially with characters with immigrant roots or a working class boxer father involved in organized crime being Catholic is a bigger deal. Historically in the last years, maybe more, I'm not a historian religion is more of a community than anything once you reach American shores.

I don't think Peter's Catholic. I just believe there would have been more references to that. Hell, we'd probably have seen Peter go to confession. If Peter were Jewish, we'd probably have met people he knows from the Jewish-American community i. I always assumed he was raised in as a Protestant of one denomination or another. If he has Irish roots, that's conceivable, and those times I've seen him in a church his wedding, for example the decor looked more Protestant than Catholic, to me. Spidey is not Jewish that I'm aware of. Never knew the Thing was Jewish or Moonknight for that matter. I'm surprised no one took the easy hit on us Catholics by suggesting that since Pete's so wracked with guilt, he must be Catholic.

Seriously, I don't think this issue's ever been addressed. And very likely, that's the way it should stay, for various reasons. Spider-Man, like the other comic book icons, can't be tied to one religious entity. He's the Everyman, he's an Archetype, he has to be relatable to anyone who wants to put themself in his place. First off, Parker isn't a Jewish name. Maybe it he was "Ira Parkerman" then there would be a case that he's Jewish He's just like most Catholics I know It was changed at Ellis Island. His granpda changed the name during the war to avoid persecution.

His dad was a fricken spy and had more aliases than, umm, Spiderman during identity crisis. Again, you have to look at the mother's side. Judaism is passed that way. That's why when a nice Jewish boy marries someone who isn't Jewish the fan gets so pissed off in all the movies and such Mary is with variants, like Maria, Maryam, Marianne, etc. One of the most common names in the world It's no "Cheng" or "Muhammed", but it's up there. That reminds me of that bit on The Daily Show. And the most common first name in the world is Mohammed.

But there are no Mohammed Wong's. The webpages say [Spider-Man is] Protestant, but Catholic seems far more likely to me, although very, very lapsed. It's very interesting that Jewish writers create heroes of other faiths more than their own. Even if Peter's mother's mother were Jewish, that wouldn't make him Jewish by faith. There's been nothing in the comics to indicate he's a practicing Jew, or active in the Jewish community. He had a Jewish friend in "Soul of the Hunter" but I don't believe that scene contained deeper religious meaning.

I'd guess that the truth really is that Marvel doesn't give him a religion because as they always say, Peter's an "everyman. Most Jews aren't Jews by that standard. His faith is Christian and if not, defintely Judeo-Christian, but he's probably got some of a few things in his background. And given the number and percentage of Jewish creators, especially at the real start of comics, and into the creation of a lot of these characters, if every creator made their character the same ethnicity as themselves, the Marvel Universe would have to accept that being Jewish is linked to being a mutant.

Instead, we get lots of diversity, with the traditional hero being a WASP with some ethnically scattered friends. Not saying he would be practicing. But if his mother's mother is Jewish than so is he.

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Judaism is inherited, an interesting facet of the whole thing. It's like those hunters in Logan's Run , you can't escape them. I think Stan, in attempting to create a character that was easily relatable to, he may have envisioned a character he could relate to. A son of working-class Jews growing up in New York, winding up prematurely working in a Manhattan press office for daily publications The same feeling he had walking into Timely or Atlas or whatever it was at the time, is felt by Peter Parker taking his first steps toward becoming a vital addition to the Daily Bugle staff.

From that point of reference though, the character has gone 40 years, so changes in ethnicity, religion, job, and marital status are not only understandable, but necessary for the growth of the character. You're close, but you're slightly off. Because the whole thing about the son of working-class Jews growing up in New York winding up prematurely working in a Manhattan Press office pretty much describes Stan himself to a tee.

Substite in magazine publisher for press office, and that's Stan's life in a nutshell. Now on the other hand, Stan was never very religious. And he generally created characters to appeal to as wide a mainstream as possible. So you have Peter, whose creation is heavily influenced by Stan's own life, but whose religious affiliation doesn't have that much importance Rubin injected a total of 1, units of Botox into Tracy hands, wrists, forearms, upper arms, and jaw to help with teeth grinding.

He did not inject Tracy's neck SCMs or salivary glands this time, in hopes that Tracy will be able to swallow better and have more head control without it. The good news is she is not vomiting anymore, since we put her back on Zelnorm. Apparently there is a compassionate use waiver, which allows Tracy to continue on Zelnorm. She really needs this drug to help her gastrointestinal system to digest food. Otherwise, it pools in her stomach. Tracy has an appointment with a gastroenterologist next week for evaluation.

The Message Of Pain! This is the most intense workout Mom has ever experienced! She is definitely hooked. The problem seems to be the results of Zelnorm being removed from the market by the FDA. Tracy desperately needs this drug to help with her gastroparesis slow emptying of her stomach. Without Zelnorm, Tracy's stomach does not empty and she vomits! She was only able to tolerate three cans of Jevity 1. Her usual daily amount is 5 cans! Tania decided to give her a break from therapy and Felicia did not even want to bother her with a manicure and pedicure.

Tania massaged and ranged Tracy's hands and wrists with scented lotion later in the day when she seemed to be feeling better. He looks so cute when he is clean and smells good too! He is much sweeter since his neuter surgery! Look out Dad, you might be next! She seemed to be feeling a lot better and even laughed a few times.

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Luca walked for 2 minutes and then wanted Mom to carry him! He is such a spoiled puppy! It is such a fun class! Dad, Tania and Luca stayed with Tracy. She started to vomit again, but Dad emptied her stomach with a syringe before she vomited. How The Body Clears Energy! She seemed to be feeling much better this morning. Uncle Johnny joined us this evening for dinner. It is so nice to have family close by!

We sure do miss the rest of the family! Everyone ate in the dining room and had a very nice visit! Your Most Vital Commitment: Finding Time For You! It had been two weeks since Mom and Aunt Diane had been to Jason's class. Dad spent the morning doing much-needed maintenance on Tracy's wheel chair. Dad also connected Tracy's switch mount to her wheelchair and Tracy practiced hitting the switch to turn on the radio!

Tracy tolerated a degree incline for 10 minutes with stable vital signs. It was a little too windy to go kayaking or out on the boat. Mom, Dad and Tracy Go To 5: Ambrose Church in Deerfield Beach. It was a beautiful Mass! She then vomited a second time, resulting in an additional 8 ounces. Williams both agreed that the Zelnorm may be related to Tracy's vomiting.

Zelnorm was taken off the market a week ago when studies showed a relationship between Zelnorm and cardiac issues. Tidwell at Baptist Miami for 6 month follow-up. He was very pleased with her progress since her last appointment December 23rd. He x-rayed her right hip and it looked good, although Tracy has some osteoarthritis in the joint. The staff at Dr. Tidwell's office were looking for Luca and want Tracy to bring him to her next appointment in October!

Dad is trying to convert Mom to Stargate and Stargate Atlantis! All of her tests were normal. Williams think that she is vomiting because we had to discontinue her Zelnorm. The FDA took Zelnorm off the market several weeks ago because it was related to cardiac arrhythmnias. Tracy needed Zelnorm to help her digestion. There is currently no other drug on the market that provides the same results.

Williams is going to consult with a gastroenterologist. First, they put her on the peanut ball and worked with her balance and vestibular system. Tracy tolerated the peanut well. Then they massaged and stretched her in supine on the mat. After that, Dee and Tania got Tracy over the peanut on her knees! Tracy tolerated almost ten minutes in this position. This is the first time Tracy was able to tolerate kneeling over the peanut since her hip surgery!

Dad stretched and ranged Tracy while she was relaxing in the bed. We are about a week away from getting her french doors installed in her room and the outside pavers and ramps put in. We are hoping to move Tracy to her own room when all of the construction is finished. Williams, Tracy's internist, and we plan to take her to the hospital for tests tomorrow.

It was a beautiful sunny day with a light, cool breeze. Tracy was pretty sleepy and relaxed in her chair for most of the day. We still have our money on Apollo Anton Ono as the winner! He is so cute! Allowing Our Children To Be: She and Tiffany had a great visit and were able to relax a little and enjoy beautiful Las Vegas. She is already missing Tiffany! Emil picked Mom up at the Ft. It was Tracy's last Speech Therapy session for the semester!

She maintained stable vital signs and tolerated 60 degrees for 6 minutes. This exercise assists Tracy with weight bearing through her hips and feet. Tracy was very awake and engaged throughout the session. Kristin said it was Tracy's best session with her yet! Kristin worked on Tracy following one-step directions. For example, she asked Tracy to look to the right, look up, etc. Tracy did a good job following Kristins's directions. She also smiled at Kristin and vocalized on command, several times during the session. It was really delicious.

It was a warm sunny day, and the wind finally died down. Tracy and Luca love going for long afternoon walks! We are so glad that he was able to visit us and spend some time with Dad and Tracy! Emil returned this evening to stay with Dad to help with Tracy while Mom is out of town. Hearing The One Voice: Taking Counsel In A Circle! Everyone really missed her and look forward to her coming next week. He and Dad got Tracy prone on the massage table so that he could work on her shoulders, neck and back. These areas are very tight and Emil was able to really work on getting the muscles loosened up.

Emil also positioned Tracy on her right and then her left sides to work her hips and lower back. He is really enjoying Bikram yoga and it is a great stress reliever and tough work out. The guys and Tracy ordered pizza and watched old NFL football reruns. Not exactly what makes a sister goddess go AHH! Leaving A Positive Footprint: Tracy and Luca sure do love being outside in the fresh air! He was speaking on behalf of Senator John McCain, promoting his presidential campaign.

Emil and Uncle Mike stayed with Tracy. They have the best ribs in town! Letting Your Light Shine! Friday, April 13th, She is really enjoying the story about a grandfather's loving letters to his autistic grandson. Tracy really likes to be outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine. It is already starting to feel like summer in south Florida! His incision is completely healed and he was very happy to have the stitches removed! After his appointment, Mom took Luca to Lake Worth with her for her hair appointment. He was a good puppy and sat very still in her lap the entire time!

He, Emil, and Dad are going to hold down the fort this weekend while Mom meets Tiffany in Las Vegas for a long weekend! You know what they say: It is Uncle Mike's first visit to Lighthouse Point and we are really glad that he is here! T racy Vomited 12 to 14 ozs. Thank goodness Tracy was sitting up in her chair and Tania was right next to her.

She yelled Help Mom and Dad responded in a split second. Connecting With The Divine: Her fingers are getting a little tight, as the Botox wears off. She is scheduled to get another round of Botox on Tuesday, April 24th by Dr. He really massaged her joints, especially her hips and feet, shoulders, and neck. Tracy really enjoys her massages. She was actually laughing and smiling at various points during her massage. Tracy's right hamstring range of motion has improved since her surgery last October.

Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Tidwell next Friday, October 20th at It really felt good! Wednesday, April 11th, Tracy is really enjoying the story about a grandfather's loving letters to his grandson. Tracy is trying hard to stick out her tongue. She made some sounds too: Tracy did a good job holding her head up for about 2 seconds. While she was in straddle position, Tania stretched Tracy's scapulas and shoulders, massaging under her scapulas.

She was able to stretch Tracy's pecs, which are very tight, while in this position. It is a gruling workout, in a room heated to degrees! This class develops patience as if Mom and Dad need to develop more patience! Did I say flexibility? Mom described the various links on Tracy's Home page as well as the weekly quote, song of the week, and the Daily Om. This is the first time that Mom shared the webpage with Tracy. Usually we read her emails to her from her guest book! Tracy seemed very interested, especially when Mom read her the excerpt from The Invitation.

Saying Good-bye To A Home! Tuesday, April 10th, She was very awake and alert throughout the session. Kristin spent the first part of the session working on Tracy's visual tracking. She held up a card of a cute guy and asked Tracy to look at it. Then she moved the card to Tracy's left and asked Tracy to look at it on her left.

Tracy struggled a bit and then turned her eyes and her head to the left. She held her head to the left and seemed to focus on the picture of the cute guy for several seconds before turning it back to the right. Kristin then asked Tracy to listen carefully and follow her requests. She asked Tracy to blink her eyes once and she followed her command. Then Kristin asked Tracy to close her eyes Tracy was able to close her eyes for a few seconds. She is trying very hard to folloe Kristin's commands. Next, Kristin worked on oral motor skills, using refreezable ice cubes to stimulate Tracy's lips.

Tracy really responded to the cold, moving her head away from the stimulus. Then Kristin applied some grape flavored lip balm to Tracy's lips and asked her to stick her tongue out to taste it. Tracy tried real hard to stick out her tongue but is not able to yet. Last, Kristin worked with Tracy's new switch, and recorded "I would like to listen to music," and "I changed my mind and would like to look at pictures of cute guys!

She wanted to listen to music!

Kristin took out the microphone and tried to get Tracy to sing along with the song! Tracy did not seem to want to vocalize into the microphone. She did, however, vocalize some at the beginning and the end of the session. Asking For What You Want: Cocreating With The Universe! Monday, April 9th, It is such a good workout! They worked on head and trunk control, and then Tania gave Tracy a neck and shoulder massage. Next, Tania and Felicia got Tracy positioned prone on the wedge so that she could weight bear through her shoulders.

Tania took advantage of Tracy being on her tummy to massage her neck, shoulders and back more deeply. Tracy tolerated about thirty minutes in this position. Then Tania and Felicia rolled Tracy over on her back supine and she relaxed for a while on the mat while Tania and Mom massaged her hands and wrists with massage cream. Tracy really seems to enjoy this book. Mom wants to read it when they are finished. They watched Dancing With The Stars together. Tracy watched it while relaxing in her bed while on the CPM machine. It was great to see them. Zion has gotten so big!

He is adorable and full of energy! Tracy slept right through their visit! Emil plans to come back later this week. Sunday, April 8th, Then it was time to pick up Nana and Aunt Diane for the one hour ride to Pahokee. The Mass was incredible, with a surprise pageant of the Passion, complete with costumes! The entire service was absolutely beautiful! After Mass, we had a light lunch prepared for us by two friends of Uncle Johnny. It was so much fun. It had been a long time since we had colored Easter eggs. They even tasted good! Anita, our good friend and practically family joined us.

Everyone had a great time. It was fun to relax after a very busy weekend. One Of A Kind: Saturday, April 7th, The BoTox is wearing off she is due for another round in two weeks and her hands and wrists are getting tight. The massage therapy really helps Tracy's joints to remain flexible. It was another great class!

Mom is really getting the itch to teach Spinning again! They found the perfect beach to take Tracy that has wheel chair access and handicapped parking. It was great to catch up on the events of the past year! She was really pleased with Tracy's progress since the last time she saw her a year ago! She was really happy to see that Tracy is now able to wear shoes!

The Reciprocal Flow Of Abundance: Friday, April 6th, Dad, Tania and Felicia transferred Tracy to the tilt table. Dad put on Tracy's right dynasplint to increase her right hamstring stretch and alignment. Then they cranked her up to 30 degrees where she remained for about 30 minutes. Tracy's vital signs remained stable during the hour she was on the tilt table. For the next ten minutes, Dad cranked Tracy up to 45 degrees where she remained for 10 minutes.

We are getting Tracy gradually back to where she is comfortable on the tilt table before we increase her angle of incline. For the remaining 20 minutes, Tracy was at a 30 degree incline. She did a good job tolerating an hour on the tilt table. It was the first time either of them had done Bikram yoga which is performed in a very hot room temperature between and degrees! It was a very intense workout and by the end of the class, Mom and Dad were like two wet noodles.

They really enjoyed it and plan to return next week. Letters to Sam , which was given to Tracy by Tania's cousin. They sat out on the patio while Mom and Dad went to Costco to shop for Easter dinner.

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Thursday, April 5th, She tolerated an hour and a half with Tania seated behind her. Tania massaged Tracy's neck, shoulders and back while in this position. She really seemed to enjoy her massage, especially since her neck is always so tight! Sitting on the ball with assistance is good for strengthening Tracy's trunk and head control, as well as developing vestibular control and balance. It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and a cool breeze! Mass was really beautiful, with a procession into and out of the main church to the chapel where the blessed sacrament was being held in adoration.

During Mass, Tracy made some new sounds which were pretty loud! She is moving her tongue over her teeth more frequently and is trying so hard to talk to us. Wednesday, April 4th, Easter egg purple was the color she chose! Felicia and Tania took Tracy outside on the patio while her nails dried. While on the patio, Tania waxed her eyebrows!

Tracy really enjoys her Spa Days! Mom had to run errands and took Luca shopping with her. He seems to be feeling much better and was a big hit in the stores. Everyone thinks he is sooooo cute! When Mom returned, Tania had recorded the cutest script for Tracy to say using her sequential switch. She said she missed Mom and wanted to know if Luca behaved! It will look so cute in the Bohemian room! Mom Spins Under the Stars! It was such a beautiful night with a light breeze!

She organized the Media Luncheon which was a tremendous success! She will spend Easter with Mamaw and Papaw and the family in Independence! Tuesday, April 3rd, He is literally bouncing around the house and Mom has to slow him down so he won't reinjure anything! He is such a good puppy!