Chat about a topic supported by books, TED Talks, podcasts, personal experience, philosophies of mankind mingled with humor (shout out to IOT), and maybe we’ll even do a google hangout or conference call once a month.
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“You have learned something...That always feels at first as if you have lost something.” George Bernard Shaw When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Except that Catholicism is not on that list, you would think it was put together by Jack Chick. (Unless the Bloody Mary reference was to the Catholic Queen of England, Mary Tudor).
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha
The problem here is that most things that we have been taught about stuff like witchcraft, occult, Satanism, etc. are either extensions of Christian mysticism or whole cloth fantasies created by Christians to malign others. Real witches don't have anything to do with demons, seances, etc. From what I have read about real "witchcraft," I think Jesus' beliefs would have been much more in line with that worldview, and with Native American Religion, Buddhism, Universalism, and a number of other things on that list than with modern Christianity. In fact, if you read the tenets of the Temple of Satan, it's more Christlike than the behaviors of most American Evangelical Christians.
I do find it hilarious that they take the Magic 8 Ball seriously!
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Hagoth wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 1:43 pm
The problem here is that most things that we have been taught about stuff like witchcraft, occult, Satanism, etc. are either extensions of Christian mysticism or whole cloth fantasies created by Christians to malign others. Real witches don't have anything to do with demons, seances, etc. From what I have read about real "witchcraft," I think Jesus' beliefs would have been much more in line with that worldview, and with Native American Religion, Buddhism, Universalism, and a number of other things on that list than with modern Christianity. In fact, if you read the tenets of the Temple of Satan, it's more Christlike than the behaviors of most American Evangelical Christians.
I do find it hilarious that they take the Magic 8 Ball seriously!
Yes, and hypnotism. What if it was a PhD psychologist hypnotizing you for therapy, or your psychiatrist for medical reasons. That would fall more under science than spirituality. Most of the things on that list are not evil, and some are more good than Evangelical Christians.
The early Christians just had to bad mouth the pagans, so they made up all kinds of crap. Those early Christians were the not very Christlike Christians. Christ didn’t call pagans evil. He called the self righteous hypocrites evil.
Here, let me write up my own list of evil forms of spirituality.
Trump followers
evangelicals
Born agains
Southern Baptists
See, anybody can play the “I am more righteous than you are game.
Yeah, if we have a child who is a witch, and we still love the sweet kid, do we just get to claim all of everything on the list?
alas wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:37 pm
The early Christians just had to bad mouth the pagans, so they made up all kinds of crap.
Even as they were absorbing and appropriating paganism. For example, they were killing women for honoring Diana and other manifestations of the fertility/earth goddess while at the same time reinventing her as the Virgin Mary so they could continue to worship her under their own banner.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Hey, they forgot to include loud laughter, evil speaking of the Lord's anointed, and all other unholy and impure practices (oral sex and watching Rick & Morty).
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
nibbler wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:17 am
Do you have to succeed at them or does an attempt count? Like if you tried telepathy but it never quite worked out.
wtfluff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:33 pm
"Black or white magic"
What's the difference? The color of the magician's hat?
White magic is the “good” kind and black magic is the “bad” kind. “Bad” magic is like summoning demons and the “good” kind is like sending Dorthy back to Kansas. “Bad” is done by witches with green faces and “good is done by pretty ladies in sparkly dresses. Just read the Wizard of Ozz, that should explain it pretty well.
Voodoo is considered black magic. The folk magic done by Joseph Smith was considered white magic. To me, the only difference I can see is black magic was done by pagans and white was done by the descendants of pagans who converted to Christianity in England and Europe. White, done by “us” good people. Black, done by “you” evil people.
wtfluff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:33 pm
"Black or white magic"
What's the difference? The color of the magician's hat?
White magic is the “good” kind and black magic is the “bad” kind. “Bad” magic is like summoning demons and the “good” kind is like sending Dorthy back to Kansas. “Bad” is done by witches with green faces and “good is done by pretty ladies in sparkly dresses. Just read the Wizard of Ozz, that should explain it pretty well.
Voodoo is considered black magic. The folk magic done by Joseph Smith was considered white magic. To me, the only difference I can see is black magic was done by pagans and white was done by the descendants of pagans who converted to Christianity in England and Europe. White, done by “us” good people. Black, done by “you” evil people.
Hope that clears it all up
Got it.
White Magick: Teenage boys pronouncing an incantation over Wonder Bread and tap water to change it into flesh and blood.
I'm going to go ahead and make a wild guess that the "Christians" that created this "baddie" checklist also perform the Eucharist/Communion. I'll also hazard another guess that they'll say it's not Magick... "Oh, that's different!"
Faith does not give you the answers, it just stops you asking the questions. -Frater Ravus
wtfluff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:36 pm
White Magick: Teenage boys pronouncing an incantation over Wonder Bread and tap water to change it into flesh and blood.
I'm going to go ahead and make a wild guess that the "Christians" that created this "baddie" checklist also perform the Eucharist/Communion. I'll also hazard another guess that they'll say it's not Magick... "Oh, that's different!"
How can you tell when a religious ritual is really a magic spell? The sure sign is when the words have to be spoken perfectly, and if you screw up you have to do it again until it's perfect. Just like in Harry Potter.
When you say a prayer, that's an invocation because you're asking for God's blessing, but the sacrament and temple ordinances are evocation because you are telling God what he must do. Just like when dealing with a genie from a bottle, if you make the tiniest mistake it releases the supernatural entity from their side of the contract and they an screw you over however they see fit. Like dragging the treasure deeper in the ground. Knowing secret/true names and tokens is also magic that gives you occult control over ghosts and other unseen forces. It's hobgoblins all the way down.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Are we talking about the tomato and vodka version, or the bathroom mirror version?
"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." -- Douglas Adams
Are we talking about the tomato and vodka version, or the bathroom mirror version?
Depends on the religious faith - in Russia, vodka is part of Easter. Catholics sometimes pray to Mary - not sure if it is the same Mary or not?
“You have learned something...That always feels at first as if you have lost something.” George Bernard Shaw When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson