Here are a few articles about Helen Ukapio and her “ministry”.
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Being a solitary means you will have freedom to practice without worrying about coven social dynamics, performance ritual and be limited to a coven’s traditional system. However, being a solitary also means ‘you’ have to come up with all the rituals and traditions yourself. Developing your tradition will take time. Continue reading
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When I was in school, we had our share of bullies. One of the quietest kids in school finally had enough of it one day and decked one of the beasts. He was a hero of sorts to those of us who were victims. Another reason we didn’t feel as threatened by these kids was we knew our parents were in our corner.
I don’t think anyone of my peers ever thought of suicide because we were bullied. Why do kids think they need to do that today?
Today’s victims have a lot more going on and more places to be victimized. Today, kids don’t just get shoved in the halls or get harassed in the showers, instead they can be attacked online or have their names sullied over everyone’s cell phones. Getting attacked from all sides can lead to feelings of depression and helplessness. With no end in sight, the suicide route seems the only way out.
Sure, they are told to go to adults and authority figures, but many times they are either ignored or told it is all in their head. And if they happen to be a homosexual, many times the adults in the situation will make it worse. Another problem with being gay is they may not be out to their family yet, so that avenue is totally closed to them.
From the outset, bullying needs to be discouraged. Most of the time you can tell which ones will be bullies at an early age. It is during the formative years that kids need to learn that certain behaviors will not be tolerated. I’m all for preschoolers being arrested for assault, if they show a pattern of repetitive behavior.
While there is no real answer about why the suicides are on the rise, it is up to the adults to listen and help those who are victims before it is too late. And parents, if Tommy comes home with a fat lip, you better find out why. Be open-minded, they are our kids. We should love them no matter what.
Wesley Rose begins this article with a question: Did the Bible borrow stories from pagan beliefs?
Then he goes on to set some ground rules before attempting to answer the question.
Bible (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)There is an explanation, but first a couple of points that need acceptance, if for no other reason that for the sake of discussion. Those are 1. That God does and has always existed; 2. That certain people and their worship practices are and were pagan – that is a false religion that worshiped anything except God.
If we can agree on these then a true exploration of the question is possible. If there is no agreement on these two premises then stop reading here.
via A Brief Apology on the Bible: It’s accuracy and truth – Hattiesburg Christian History | Examiner.com.
By setting up these ground rules, a TRUE exploration of the question is NOT possible.It seems that most Christians want to set these rules up before ever exploring similar questions. By setting up the conclusion before examining the evidence is not proof of anything, instead it is wishful thinking.
The hardest thing for people to grasp is that the Old Testament is based on the writings of a one-time “Pagan” tribe. Reading the Bible, we see that Abraham was the first to follow the God of the Bible and it wasn’t until Moses that the entire nation of Israel became followers of this God. In fact, it was through Moses that God, this YHVH, said (paraphrased, of course), “Tell ya what, if the people who you are leading out of the land of Egypt that I will help them set up their own nation and protect them in it if they follow me alone. They turn their backs on me and I will let their nation turn to dust.” A brief look at the stories of the Bible show that this is exactly what happened. Oh, and this God was called “El” as well, who else was known as “El”? Baal, Zeus, Osirus, you name the God and they could be called “El”.
What we have here is a Semite God that be came the only God this tribe followed, forsaking all others. But did they really? You have heard that there are many names for God, but they are all the same. Is that what was really happening? Something to think about.
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The entire field was forbidding. Loose rocks littered the dusty ground. Small tufts of grass had managed to push their way through the stale, hard earth in places, but for the most part, the area remained barren. Concrete structures a thousand years old crumbled slowly as the hateful wind howled through their vacant insides.
One animal dared to walk upon this cursed earth, an emanciated dog with dead eyes. The mongrel skirted the area nervously, fear of starvation urging him onward, terror of whatever may have lived- or may still live- in this dread realm. An inexplicable thick grey fog filled the sky, seeming to suffocate all below it.
A ring of what once had been vehicles- but now were little more than twisted metal carcasses- surrounded a lone statue of a man. The statue was carved out of solid onyx, and unlike its concrete companions, it had not worn or shown any damage from the millenium that had passed. A grin was chiseled on its face, seeming to delight in the death and waste around it. Two bright eyes peered out from sunken sockets, almost pulsating with a sickly green light. To look into them was to invite death, to merely think of them was to bring insanity.
The dog did not care for these concepts, but it knew the area was cursed, and after taking a few wary steps forward, it turned and tan with its tail between its legs, yelping. High above, vultures answered the dogs pathetic pleas with shrill screeches. Dodging in and out of the putrid fog, each would cry out in a voice more grating and horrible than the one before. Occasionally, one would dive down and sit near the statue to croak some terrible litany, as though singing the praises of this abomination. Fleeing into the dark forest, the dog did not hear this, his thoughts of starvation set aside momentarily as thoughts of escape overcame him.
The forest seemed filled with nearly as much black malice as the area it surrounded. Dead trees reached to the sky, as though to appeal to a higher power. Their hope had long since been gone.
Only the statue remained, owner and ruler of the wasteland.
Please note, Church of the Holy Spork has now been filed under Preserved Sites.
Along with the Church of Spork, you may now enjoy Theologica (dot) net and Behind the Myth of Jesus of Nazareth.
These are two of the websites that led me to investigate Paul’s influence over the Christian faith as we know it today.
Why Do Men Not Read As Much As Women? « Man Vs Books Club!
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Why Do You Think Men Don’t Read As Much As Women? We welcome your comments!
For the most part, I see reading has been something the modern male doesn’t get much out of. Set them down in front of a football game or the latest episode of Top Gear and they are happy, give them a copy of the newest Stephen King novel and they would rather have a beer. If it takes to long to get to the punch line, men tend to loose interest.
We could use the old argument that men are more visual than women, but some studies are starting to say that this is pure bunk.
In the end, I think it might have something to do with our culture. Men are encouraged at a very young age to be more physical and athletic, whereas, for the most part, women are encouraged to be more cerebral. Most guys that read are quickly labeled nerds and geeks.
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The New Complete Works of Josephus
Translated by William Whiston (1662-1752)
Commentary by Paul L. Maier
William Whiston “was an English mathematician and historian who succeeded Isaac Newton as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.[1]“ While this is the most well known translation of Antiquities of the Jews, it is not the most preferred version in academic circles. This said, it is still a good rendering of the text into English. It has been in constant print since 1737 and is the version most have encountered.
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Paul L. Maier “is the Russell H. Soibert Professor of Ancient History at Western michigan University.[1]” He is noted for his Josephus: the Essential Works, which appears to the source for much of the commentary. His illumination of the translated text provides interesting insights and clarifications that make reading this volume less cumbersome and more enjoyable. Continue reading
First of all, let me say that as a guy I don’t have much to say when it comes to abortion. I believe that is the right of the individual to make up their own mind on carrying a pregnancy to term. As far as abortion being murder, that is between the individual and their god. But if a woman is going to have an abortion, I would like to see them have the ability to go to a sanitary, fully functional, and licensed clinic with out having to resort to back alley operations that could extinguish the life of the mother due to infection or botching of the procedure.
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That being said, here is some interesting tidbits about earlier Christian views of when the soul or life begins in an unborn fetus.
My Take: Bible condemns a lot, so why focus on homosexuality? – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs
The community opposed to gay marriage has also departed from the Christian tradition on another issue at the heart of its social agenda: abortion.
Unbeknownst to most lay Christians, the vast majority of Christian theologians and saints throughout history have not believed life begins at conception. Although he admitted some uncertainty on the matter, the hugely influential 4th and 5th century Christian thinker Saint Augustine wrote, “it could not be said that there was a living soul in [a] body” if it is “not yet endowed with senses.” Continue reading
“The Spirit of Albion” Featuring music from Damh the Bard.
I feel kinda iffy about this movie. I love Damh the Bard and his music but…I Dunno guys. I dunno.
Looks interesting. Will have to see what else is out there about it. Wonder if PCP has anything on it?
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