Posted by earthworm Born-again Bokononist Now I will destroy the whole world.

So it goes.

Posted by Dresden So it goes.

Busy busy busy.

Posted by earthworm Born-again Bokononist

Bokono/Bokonon. (male/female) Priest of Afa/Vodoun


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If%C3%A1

look under vocabulary.

Was raised in a Baptist Church, and as that is only a denomination, I am a Born Again Christian.

Posted by tekriter The earth was flat and then it wasn't.

Isaiah 40:22 records that God sits above the circle (curve) of the earth.

Now Isaiah was written in 698 B.C.E almost 2300 years before Galileo.

Posted by Cerealx59 Isaiah 40:22 records that God sits above the circle (curve) of the earth.

Did you really just yank that passage out of the air, as if by magic? Is your general knowledge of Scripture so advanced that you can, as though by some miracle, pluck a relevant and meaningful response to another's question/argument?

Here's a test. I'm going to make a random statement about nothing of any serious relevance. You see if you can match it with an appropriate Biblical quotation and/or reference.

Here we go:

• My three legged cat capped a rat, and then left it on the back porch.

Good luck.

Now Isaiah was written in 698 B.C.E almost 2300 years before Galileo.

Q: How did the Church miss that? What did it think Isaiah meant?

Posted by Cerealx59 Isaiah 40:22 records that God sits above the circle (curve) of the earth. Now Isaiah was written in 698 B.C.E almost 2300 years before Galileo.

The Greeks KNEW that the earth was round and could calculate the just-abouts of its size. You can push it back a few years. Pythagoras anyone?

Speaking of which, that will be my new stated religion:

Pythagorean Mystery Cult. We do math and shit.

Posted by earthworm Speaking of which, that will be my new stated religion: Pythagorean Mystery Cult. We do math and shit.

What a dreadfully boring religion. No Chicken slaughter, sex magic rituals, or consumption of copious amounts of narcotics and/or alcohol?

Posted by dirt What a dreadfully boring religion. No Chicken slaughter, sex magic rituals, or consumption of copious amounts of narcotics and/or alcohol?

Right, but he is a member of UER, so he gets his fair share.

I don't affiliate with any religion. I went to church for a while when I was a kid, but I was never baptized and my parents were pretty apathetic about the whole thing. Now I'm a monistic, materialistic, rationalistic agnostic-bordering-on-atheist.

Posted by dirt What a dreadfully boring religion. No Chicken slaughter, sex magic rituals, or consumption of copious amounts of narcotics and/or alcohol?

Typo. We do METH and shit. My bad.

The only religion that has appealed to me thus far is unnamed, but I can tell you that it involved brutally murdering extremists of all religions.



The only reason I didn't join, was because within a week I would've had to turn on myself.

Posted by ActionSatisfaction Esq. The only religion that has appealed to me thus far is unnamed, but I can tell you that it involved brutally murdering extremists of all religions.

Oh! Oh! I know the answer!

All of the above!

What do I win?

Raised a half-assed catholic. In other words, we went to church for funerals, weddings, and occasionally christmas. Went along with communion and confirmation for the hell of it. I never really cared whether there was or wasn't a "god" so I guess you could say I was an Apathiest.

Right now... hmm. Not sure really. Being Pawnee and Seminole Indian, I tend to lead towards "earthy" spiritualities. When I was a kid I was always outside. I felt a stronger connection to plants and animals than people. Still do. I actually didn't find out I was Native 'till I was about 14.

I'm fascinated by anything spiritual or occult related. My library of such things has grown exponentially within the past 5 or so years. From Crowley to Blavatsky, to Cunningham to other obscure, medieval texts.

I think I'm more of a philosopher than anything. I believe certain things to be true, but I'm always open to learning more or being proven wrong.

I am a P. H. Jew.

Like McDonald's... I'm lovin it!

Posted by Valiant Dancer Garnerian Eclectic Wiccan, was raised Presbyterian

Wait, what now? Eclectic Wicca is an oxymoron by itself, "Gardnerian Eclectic" is even worse. You can be an eclectic neopagan, but Wicca has some very specific requirements, at the VERY LEAST:
1.) There are two gods to be worshipped: the Lord and Lady of the Isles. The Lord is the God of Death and Rebirth and the Lady is the Triple Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Wisdom (some other stuff in there too but that's the gist of it).
2.) Both the Lord and Lady are gods of magic and all of their followers are both priests and witches, using ceremonial magic as a form of worship.

Gardnerian Wicca adds the following into the mix:
1.) The vast majority of the religion is oathbound, meaning that discussing oathbound material to a non-initiate (or initiate of lower level) is a damnable offense. Therefore, anyone who's not initiated knows about less than 10% of the religion. (I'm not saying that you're claiming to be Wiccan and uninitiated, but most proclaimed "Eclectic Wiccans" do. That's like claiming to be a Christian and never having read the Bible.)
2.) Covens are lineaged, meaning they can trace their HPs back to Gardner.
3.) A whole host of other religious practices that are necessary.



That said, I'm an agnostic in the sense that I don't know which god(s) I'd like to worship. I do, however, have a very specific belief system, and going by organized religions, Wicca appears to be about as close as I can get to it. Now, if some god wanted to discuss worshipping Him/Her over a cup of tea or a flagon of mead, I'd be happy to discuss it with 'em. ^_^ Until then, though, I'll keep looking around, maybe I'll find a Gardnerian or Alexandrian coven in the area, or something that suits my belief system even more.

Posted by Cap'n Morgatz Wait, what now? Eclectic Wicca is an oxymoron by itself, "Gardnerian Eclectic" is even worse. You can be an eclectic neopagan, but Wicca has some very specific requirements, at the VERY LEAST: 1.) There are two gods to be worshipped: the Lord and Lady of the Isles. The Lord is the God of Death and Rebirth and the Lady is the Triple Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Wisdom (some other stuff in there too but that's the gist of it). 2.) Both the Lord and Lady are gods of magic and all of their followers are both priests and witches, using ceremonial magic as a form of worship. That said, ... something that suits my belief system even more.

I have to say, I'm primarily an atheist, but Wicca has a certain appeal to me. I like the idea of the sun and earth being objects a of adoration, since they are the source of all life. Plus, I like that women are on an equal footing (or slightly more important) than men.

Equal. "Dianic Wicca" isn't actually Wicca, it's a cult of Diana that used to use the name to capitalize on the rising popularity of Wicca. They don't anymore, but some of their members apparently never got the memo.

And TECHNICALLY Wicca isn't a nature religion, it's a fertility religion. The God of Death and Rebirth and the Moon Goddess/Triple Goddess are the ones that are worshipped. Though by extension the Lord is also the God of Hunting and Harvest and the Lady can (loosely) be associated with agriculture, but nature isn't the main focus of the religion. It's about fertility and ceremonial magic, but a number of traditions are also based on harvest festivals, so there is a strong natural element.

Not saying this to be antagonistic, just warning you if you get into the religion, that anyone calling it a "nature religion" without emphasis on fertility is probably what we call a "Fluffy:" they think it's all sweetness and light and pacifism (the Wiccan Rede does NOT say you can't harm anyone, it says anything that DOESN'T cause harm is explicitly permitted and you have to accept the moral repercussions of anything that does), and generally bastardize the religion, worshipping their own twisted versions of Isis, Kali and Pan while reading Silver RavenWolf. XD

Just try to find someone with their head out of the rabbit hole and ask for some information. You should be able to tell whether they're genuine or not.

Posted by Cap'n Morgatz And TECHNICALLY Wicca isn't a nature religion, it's a fertility religion. The God of Death and Rebirth and the Moon Goddess/Triple Goddess are the ones that are worshipped. Though by extension the Lord is also the God of Hunting and Harvest and the Lady can (loosely) be associated with agriculture, but nature isn't the main focus of the religion. It's about fertility and ceremonial magic, but a number of traditions are also based on harvest festivals, so there is a strong natural element.

I'd say that nature and fertility are closely linked. Yes, Wicca might not be strictly a nature religion, but I wouldn't say it is wrong to call it one. Fertility is a better description of it, though, I agree. What do you think of Ray Buckland's books?

Posted by Cerealx59 Isaiah 40:22 records that God sits above the circle (curve) of the earth. Now Isaiah was written in 698 B.C.E almost 2300 years before Galileo.

1616 CE Pope Paul V declared helicentrism to be heretical based on the following:

Chronicles 1, 16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

Psalm 93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

Psalm 96:10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

Psalm 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

Ecclesiastes 1, 1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

Note that nowhere does the "holy see" or the inquisitor mention Isaiah 40:22.

Galileo stood trial for heresy in 1633, "for holding as true the false doctrine taught by some that the sun is the center of the world," against the 1616 condemnation, since "it was decided at the Holy Congregation [...] on 25 Feb 1616 that ... the Holy Office would give you an injunction to abandon this doctrine, not to teach it to others, not to defend it, and not to treat of it; and that if you did not acquiesce in this injunction, you should be imprisoned"

The church did not vindicate Galileo until 1992. PJP II issued an apology in 2000.

oh, yeah, and the fools that wrote the bible thought that pi was 3.

Chronicles 2, 4:2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

and that the cure for leprosy was as follows:

Leviticus 14:49-53 (King James Version)

49 And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:

51 And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:

52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

53 But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.


Turns out that the cure for leprosy consists of rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine taken over 12 months - and that the earth is round and circles the sun.