Hookers For Christ - Free Love Among the 'Anointed'

(Cross-posted at God is for Suckers)

I just recently recalled seeing a reference to 'Hookers for Christ' in a book I read a few years back (that's how middle-age hits ya - little memory flashbacks outta the blue - I think it was a Stephen King novel), and so, armed with little more than Google and my wits (no wise cracks from the peanut gallery, puh_LEAZE!), I dredged up this little pearl:

"Children of God

"The Children of God (COG), later known as the Family of Love, the Family, and now the Family International, is a new religious movement, widely referred to as a cult by the media and some government organizations, that started in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California, United States. It was part of the Jesus movement of the late 1960s, with many of its early converts drawn from the hippie movement. It was among the movements prompting the cult controversy of the 1970s and 1980s in the United States and Europe and triggered the first organized anticult group (FREECOG)."

There's something about former stoners - they mostly seem to go religious as a rule. Maybe it's one too many rollercoaster rides on the Blue Bus, is my guess.

"As it grew and expanded around the world, so did its message—salvation, apocalypticism, spiritual "revolution" against the outside world that they called "the System"—and resultant controversy. In 1974, it began a method of evangelism called Flirty Fishing—using sex to show God's love and win converts and support. The practice was discontinued in 1987."

Obviously, they dumped the Old Testament, and cherry-picked their doctrine (no entendre intended). Why 1987? It's probably unrelated, but it may have something to do with this - but that's a guess, so don't quote me on it. As we are about to see, the Sexual Revolution has had some impact on this:

(Snip)

"The group’s liberal sexuality and its publication and distribution of writings, photographs and videos advocating and documenting adult-child sexual contact and the sexualization of children led to numerous reports of child sexual abuse. A number of judicial and academic investigations in the 1990s found the Family to be a safe environment for children, yet such investigations have also highlighted troubles in its past. Family leadership, admitting only that some children were abused from 1978 until 1986, created policies prohibiting excessive discipline or any sexual contact between adults and minors. Those found to have abused children after December 1988 are excommunicated from Family membership. The Family requires individuals who report child abuse to a law enforcement agency or pursue legal action against an alleged abuser to leave the group's communal homes and move to a lower commitment membership status until the matter is resolved, after which they must reapply for their former membership status if they wish to return."

And I gotta ask: where those excommunicated members Catholic?

"The Family International claims the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and sacred revelation. Group founder David Berg is regarded as the most important prophet of the end times. He is regarded as a prophet in that he passed on the message of God, not because he could predict the future. Though he frequently attempted to predict future events, he was for the most part inaccurate. The group believes Berg's spiritual "mantle" passed to his wife, Karen Zerby, at his death. The officially published writings of both David Berg and Karen Zerby are regarded as part of the "Word of God."

Yeesh - and they say atheism requires a lot of faith?

(Snip)

"A central tenet to their theology is the "Law of Love," which stated simply claims that if a person's actions are motivated by unselfish, sacrificial love and are not intentionally hurtful to others, such actions are in accordance with Scripture and are, thus, lawful in the eyes of God. They believe that this tenet supersedes all other Biblical laws, except those forbidding male homosexuality, which they believe is sin. Female bisexuality is sanctioned, though female homosexuality at the complete exclusion of men is not permitted. "

Three guesses who let the lesbianism slide? Obviously written by men.

"They believe that God created human sexuality, that it is a natural, emotional, and physical need, and that heterosexual relations between consenting adults is a pure and natural wonder of God's creation, and permissible according to Scripture. Teenagers from the age of 16 are allowed to have sex with other members under age 21. Since 1986, sex between minors and adults is forbidden. Adult members may have sex with any other adult member of the opposite sex, and are encouraged to do so, regardless of marital status, as a way to foster unity and combat loneliness of those "in need". This is commonly called "sharing" or "sacrificial sex". While Family policy states that members should not be pressured to have sex against their will, numerous former members have alleged being coerced to "share" and subsequently cast as selfish or unloving when they did not."

Ain't that just...charming (he said with a moue of distaste twisting his lips).

For the most part it's yada, yada, same old noise, JAY-SUS will descend from on high, wrestle down ole pesky Scratch hisself at the End of Days - but of course, some New Age spins on the old yarn surface:

"Spirit Helpers

These include angels, departed humans, and even famous mythical characters, e.g. goddess Aphrodite, who are sent to give instruction and to fight in the spiritual warfare taking place in the spiritual dimension that Family members believe is coexistent with the physical world that surrounds them. These helpers are believed to relay divine messages through prophecy and are also engaged in combat with Satan and his demons. The Family believes that referring by name to spirit helpers when calling on their help, or demons when rebuking or cursing them, affords greater power to their prayers. As a result, the Family regularly publishes names of individual, as well groups or breeds of, spirit helpers and demons, linking them with their respective areas of power within the physical world. "

Oh, and not only 'spirit helpers':

"The Keys of the Kingdom

The Family believes that the keys referred to in the Biblical passage "and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19), have assumed greater significance today. As such, Family members call on the various Keys of the Kingdom for supposed extra effect during prayer. These spiritual keys are also believed to power various UFOs and other spacecraft (known as Key Craft), and can turn into swords for the purpose of fighting demons and other negative forces. "

UFO swords?!?! I think some of these folks have been playing one-too-many first person shooter games. To paraphrase George Carlin in the film, 'Outrageous Fortune', the 60's were way too hard on these people.

But wait, there's even more! (Just when you thought it couldn't get any wonkier!) Time for the 'money shot':

"Loving Jesus

This is a term that members of the Family use to describe their intimate, sexual relationship with Jesus. The Family describes the "Loving Jesus" teachings as a radical form of bridal theology [2]. It is their understanding of the Bible that the followers of Christ are his bride, called to love and serve him with the fervor of a wife. They take bridal theology further than other Christians by encouraging members to imagine that Jesus is having sex with them during sexual intercourse and masturbation. Male members are told to visualize themselves as women, in order to avoid a homosexual relationship with Jesus. Additionally, Family publications frequently liken prophecy from Jesus to receiving Jesus' semen, or "golden seeds," as a result of spiritual oral sex."

Wow, I'm betting we won't be seeing that film on the Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, or anywhere else besides pay-per-view.

Religious porn. Yeesh, these people get their fingers into everything.

Thought I'd share that with ya.

Now, let the innuendos and entendres begin.

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Profiles in Atheism - The Undercover Atheist

This one is an intriguing oddity: a quiet, unassuming Catholic priest who said nary a word during his priesthood, but upon passing away, it was discovered that he wrote extensively on atheism.

"Jean Meslier (1664 - 1733), was a Catholic priest who was discovered, upon his death, to have written a book-length philosophical essay promoting atheism. Entitled "Common Sense" and described by the author as his "testament" to his parishioners, the text denounces all religion, and argues the superiority of atheist morality. The book was published posthumously under the title "Superstition in All Ages" with a preface, in the second edition, by Voltaire. Despite its original and published titles, the work is most commonly referred to as "Meslier's Testament".

I wonder if it was ever read aloud to his parishioners?

"Life and works

"Jean Meslier was born January 15, 1664, in Mazerny in the Ardennes. He began learning Latin from a neighborhood priest in 1678 and eventually joined the seminary; he later claimed, in the Author's Preface to his Testament, this was done to please his parents. At the end of his studies, he took Holy Orders and, on January 7, 1689, became priest at Etrépigny, in Champagne. One public disagreement with a local nobleman aside, Meslier was to all appearances generally unremarkable, and he performed his office without complaint or problem for forty years.

"When Meslier died, there were found in his house three copies of a 633-page octavo manuscript in which the village curate denounces religion as "but a castle in the air", and theology as "but ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system". A materialist, Meslier denies the existence of the soul; he also dismisses the notion of free will.

"In Chapter V, the priest writes, "If God is incomprehensible to man, it would seem rational never to think of Him at all"; Meslier does think of him, however, for several hundred pages more, in which he calls God "a chimera" and argues that the supposition of God is not prerequisite to morality. In fact, he concludes that "[w]hether there exists a God or not [...] men's moral duties will always be the same so long as they possess their own nature".

"Voltaire often mentions Meslier in his correspondence, calling the atheist "a good priest", telling his daughter to "read and read again" Meslier's only work, and saying that "every honest man should have Meslier's Testament in his pocket." Although very few copies of Superstition in All Ages were printed, several Abstracts were circulated that were both less expensive to produce and to own, and easier for the uneducated to understand (Voltaire said of two of the Abstracts that they were "in the style of a carriage-horse").

His works can be found here - and he's a little bit of all right in my book.

A few quotes, to whet the palate:

VI.—RELIGION IS FOUNDED UPON CREDULITY.

"We are told that Divine qualities are not of a nature to be grasped by limited minds. The natural consequence of this principle ought to be that the Divine qualities are not made to employ limited minds; but religion assures us that limited minds should never lose sight of this inconceivable being, whose qualities can not be grasped by them: from which we see that religion is the art of occupying limited minds with that which is impossible for them to comprehend. "

VII.—EVERY RELIGION IS AN ABSURDITY.

"Religion unites man with God or puts them in communication; but do you say that God is infinite? If God is infinite, no finite being can have communication or any relation with Him. Where there are no relations, there can be no union, no correspondence, no duties. If there are no duties between man and his God, there exists no religion for man. Thus by saying that God is infinite, you annihilate, from that moment, all religion for man, who is a finite being. The idea of infinity is for us in idea without model, without prototype, without object. "

XIII.—CONTINUATION.

"In the matter of religion, men are but overgrown children. The more absurd a religion is, and the fuller of marvels, the more power it exerts; the devotee thinks himself obliged to place no limits to his credulity; the more inconceivable things are, the more divine they appear to him; the more incredible they are, the more merit he gives himself for believing them. "

I suppose the old saying "Silent waters run deep" applies here, no?

Till the next post, then.

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RUMORS OF TRUTH – ANTI-EVOLUTIONISTS ARE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD! – AN EVOLUTIONARY TRACT (Redux)

I thank everyone for their encouragements, critiques, and suggestions on this - and the final draft is available on my Google account.

I have also received suggestions that I didn't take, not to mention a touch of flack as to the wording.

So let's recap:

1.  Yeah, yeah, I know that Intelligent Design isn't a philosophy: it's nothing more than a PR machine: yes, I do know that it's Paley's Watchmaker re-framed. Anyone familiar with my writings knows this, so gimmee a break, willya? This was an effort to be gracious: we're trying to keep it out of the science classrooms. What it does elsewhere isn't really the pivotal concern.
2. Yes, philosophy and science are in a symbiotic relationship of sorts: but the average Joe Schmoe doesn't know this, does he? (or Joann Schmoe, if you're gonna give me grief on the PC thing.) The point is, that they're usually taught in separate classes in the middle- to high-school levels, are they not? That can wait till college. What kids are learning is fundamentals. Basic cornerstones. Mixing and matching can wait.
3. Yes, there are philosophers that make a living at philosophy: I'm not slamming them, or trying to infer some pejorative about the field. Pick ten random people on the street, and ask them for a list of ten philosophers. I'm betting that most'll fum-fah, or have no answer. Maybe one will mention Socrates. Yeah, it sucks: yeah, it means our educational system is deficient. The whole point of this tract is to appeal to Everyman.
4. I received some suggestions about points we argue over here on the blogosphere - I glossed over them because

A.  I want to keep it simple,

B.  I'm operating on the premise that most of said readers haven't a clue about the ongoing debate outside a vague mention on the news,

C.   I'm trying to keep it down to one page, and

D.  Being overly pedantic will simply suck the life right out of it.

I'm still open to constructive criticism:  just please bear in mind that this is aimed at a specific demographic, one that is probably severely uninformed as to the controversy of the subject. Talking points that we're achingly familiar with are likely completely foreign to the uninformed.

Anyways, here it is:

Whether or not you as an individual appreciate or agree, or have philosophical or religious reservations over the theory of evolution – the fact remains: it’s a reality, and no amount of dispute or debate can change that.

Here are the FACTS about this so-called ‘theory’:

DID YOU KNOW - That evolution is a science, that deals with categorizations based on observation - that it is not a philosophy, religion, dogma or doctrine?

DID YOU KNOW – That evolution is the backbone of modern biology?

DID YOU KNOW – That prior to Darwin’s Origin of the Species, one hundred percent of the scientists in the 19^th century believed in the creation theory – in the 21^st century, it is now one percent?

DID YOU KNOW – Without this ‘theory’, we wouldn’t have the benefit of modern medicine: items such as antibiotics, flu shots, or a multitude of other life-saving procedures? That the constant evolution of flu viruses is why there are new flu shots every year?

DID YOU KNOW – Most modern agriculture relies heavily on evolutionary ‘theory’? This includes crops as well as animal husbandry.

DID YOU KNOW – That the ‘failure of evolutionary theory’ has been incorrectly predicted as far back as 1871?

DID YOU KNOW – That without evolutionary ‘theory’, most forensic labs would be unable to function? That’s right – forensic criminologists would be unable to do things like rebuild the bodies of victims, or use DNA to tell suspects apart.

DID YOU KNOW – That evolution has had a widespread, positive impact on our quality of life, longevity, health, as well as leading to a better understanding of the world around us?

DID YOU KNOW – That Pope John Paul II recognized the theory as correct science in 1996?

The concept of INTELLIGENT DESIGN is a fine philosophy – that is for people to decide for themselves. But a philosophy is just that – only philosophy. Science deals with facts, with reality, with the measurable impact on our daily lives. And until this philosophy contributes measurably to the way we live our lives, it must and should remain in a philosophy class, not in a scientific lab or classroom.

Because philosophy doesn’t save lives. It doesn’t vaccinate our children against the flu, or teach the surgeon to wield a scalpel. It doesn’t lead us to the perpetrator of a heinous crime, or protect our children from the ravages of disease.

Science does.

Science is not something we vote on - if it works, it works, and no amount of argument can change that.

For more information visit the following website's:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/

http://lifesciences.asu.edu/evolution/

http://www.talkorigins.org/

I'm all up for a neat graphic, but for the life of me, can't seem to find (or think of) one that's appropriate.

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In The Kingdom Of The Blind, The One-Eyed Man Gets Bling!

(Cross-posted at God is For Suckers!)

Addendum: I'm now a team member of GifS, who have welcomed me into their midst most warmly. It's always nice to be wanted.

I had a bit of fun here on receiving one of those spammer scammers, and there seems to be a lot of this horse puckey going on. There was even an episode where I exploded on a family member for forwarding one of those moronic memes that the religious like to spread, like manna on the water.

Apparently, there's real life low-lives out there stealing money. Even some who were sponsored by Pat Slobertson. Hmmm, these people seem to be all over the place. (Special note: why are the majority mostly Catholic? Hmmm...)

This is only a drop in the ocean. David Kuo has pointed out that "At the end of the day, both parties played to stereotype -- Republicans were indifferent to the poor and the Democrats were allergic to faith," in regards to the 'faith-based initiatives'. And has written a book about the manipulation of religiosity for political gain.

Of course, we see a plethora of religious leaders, from Moon to Rajneesh to L. Ron Hubbard to just about any Elmer Gantry that you can name taking advantage of the gullibility of the religious. Is this religion's fault entire? No, evolution's legacy is that we follow a leader if we're not the Alpha wolf. But the meme of religion is that one has to trust the alpha shaman to the Nth degree.

This is further reinforced by the admonitions of that users' handbook the...drum roll please...ta DAH! The bible. Matt 18:1-6 (KJV) "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Talk about mixed messages. Between 'false prophets' and 'original sin', you'd think there would be more trepidation involved. A few extra warning labels attached. Maybe a parable about background checks. A tithing disclaimer: "Warning - the cosmic babysitter may or may NOT receive your donation. Void where prohibited'. Etc, etc, et al.

All these years, I'd thought that religion was supposed to improve people. I roll my eyes now, chuckle softly, and shake my head at the baroque meritocracies of the whimsical.

So much for the higher moral ground, I say.

That dear readers, is my nickel's worth: spend it wisely, and well.

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ALLEGORIES GONE WILD - OF SAINT PADDY, SERPENTS AND SYMBOLOGY

Now, St. Patrick’s Day is here, and bein’ a partial son of the Eire, it would be me privilege to be spakin’ here again of the religion he helped to bring to the Emerald Isle.

Most folks are unaware, but Ireland has a rich tapestry of superstition and folklore. Equal in some ways to the Greeks, another folk I hold in high regard.

Indeed, there’s such a rich grab bag of said items, ‘tis enough to keep a fantasy writer (such as I flatter myself as) in material for decades.

No small wonder, then, that Christianity went through a number of variant recipes once it touched foot upon the green shores.

Now Paddy wasn’t the first. From http://en.Wikipedia.org/Wiki/Saint_Patrick - “Patrick was not the first Christian missionary to Ireland, as men such as Secundus and Palladius were active there before him.”

There were of course changes made, to retrofit (read: facilitate) the adoption of the ‘faith’, such as:

“Saint Patrick left the poets all their rights of divination by wisdom, and all their ancient rights over story-telling with the music of the harp, three hundred and fifty stories being allowed to the chief poet.” – Source unknown.

Adoption of Brigit as a saint - http://www.answers.com/topic/brigid-of-ireland?method=22 - “Brigid bore the name of one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion that Dubhthach practiced. Brigid was the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry, which the Irish considered the flame of knowledge.”

Back to our Saint Paddy. ‘Twas said that he chased all the serpents from the Isle, but seeing as there were no snakes (from the Wiki source – “Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes; one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes), or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as "serpents.", it seems quite easy to substitute the serpent from Genesis here. Also, that St. Patrick also is said to have taught the Trinity using shamrocks.

It’s been suggested that Patrick and Palladius were two legends – “A lecture entitled "The Two Patricks", published in 1942 by T. F. O'Rahilly, caused enormous controversy by proposing that there had being two "Patricks", Palladius and Patrick, and that what we now know of St. Patrick was in fact in part a conscious effort to meld the two into one hagiographic personality (see Hagiography).”

Aye, old Scratch hisself been busy, stickin’ his devilish nose into our affairs, ain’t he?

There was much adaptation on both sides, Pagan and Christian. For instance, there was the legend of the Sluagh, the spirits of the restless dead: when Christianity came to the land, it was said by some that they were fallen angels. Indeed, many of the Sidhe became fallen, both of the Seely and Unseely Courts.

Anyways, Slainte!

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself." -Shaw

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I'm Asimov!

Crap. I was hoping for Roger Zelazny or Harlan Ellison.
(Hat tip to the Amused Muse)

I am: Isaac Asimov One of the most prolific writers in history, on any imaginable subject. Cared little for art but created lasting and memorable tales.

Which science fiction writer are you?

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Why Do I Support Israel?

As a left-leaning liberal, it seems to be the unspoken rule that I should be foursquare against Israel, its existence, and weeping bitter tears over the Palestinian mistreatment by same.

I used to do this. But, as per my motto (LOOK IT UP), I checked my bias at the door, and began to look at both sides of the conflict.

The facts, as they are, are astounding.

1. Israel is by no means a theocracy. The Zionist movement was (and is) secular in nature. There are no Arab secular movements (Turkey is a secular government overall, but creationism is making inroads there).

2. Israel is by no means Apartheid:

"1. Israel is considered to be a free nation.
2. The largest is the fact that within the borders of Israel proper, there is no political or legal distinction by race, religion, or sex with regards to voting rights. Like every country Israel, does limit political participation to citizens of a certain age, and does limit immigration into their country.
3. Hospitals and public services do not discriminate based upon race, religion, or sex. It should be noted in order to cater to the ultra-religious Jewish segment of the population (12-17%, see Religion in Israel), that for limited periods of time, certain community facilities (such as swimming pools) are men, or women only.
4. In small villages, cultural groups (religious) are the norm, but in the cities, and larger communities there is a mingling of ethnic and religious backgrounds.
5. The apartheid regime had gangs/militias/police enforcing rules through violence to which there was no legal recourse. This does not exist in Israel. And random attacks of violence are persecuted through the legal system.
6. Israel did not forcibly remove, or encourage the Arab population to leave Israel to the now occupied territories.
7. Arabs in the both Israel and the disputed/occupied territories have full access to Israeli courts and its legal system. The West Bank and Gaza were Arab lands designated to be used in the creation of a Palestinian state in 1948. These areas were then conquered in that year by Jordan, and Egypt respectively. In 1967 Israel took control of these lands from the Arab occupiers."

Follow the link provided, and compare it to Saudi Arabia.

I might also add, that not only does the Knesset have Arabian members, some of them are Palestinian.

There is no 'genocide' being enacted there. Do the math. ""The Palestinian population in west bank and Gaza in 48? 500,000. The Palestinian population after 50 years under the "Nazi" Zionist regime and their "holocaust"? 8 million. That's a 1600% increase. Jews must be really inefficient at that whole ethnic cleansing thing." [update - current figures are now at 9.8 - 10.8 million]

And when the military enacts an atrocity? "In its initial statements, the Israeli government initially declared that those critics who regarded the IDF as having responsibility for the events at Sabra and Shatila were guilty of "a blood libel against the Jewish state and its Government." However, as the news of the massacre spread around the world, the controversy grew, and on September 25, 300,000 Israelis — roughly one tenth of the country's then-population — demonstrated in Tel Aviv demanding answers."

So much for ethnic cleansing, hmmm? During the Hezbollah fiasco, Israel actually dropped fliers warning of impending attacks on targets.

Let's not forget that post-1948 (the Arab-Israeli war), that "During the war, approximately 720,000 (according to the UN) Palestinian Arabs fled to neighboring states, creating a desperate refugee problem which their host states refused to relieve. Discrimination and mistreatment of Jews in Arab and Muslim countries worsened, resulting in the Jewish exodus from Arab lands. Jewish immigrants and refugees continued to pour into Israel. Temporary refugee camps called ma'abarot were set up in Israel during the state's early years to absorb Jewish refugees. They were provided for in terms of funds and homes."

So let's nutshell this:

1. Voting rights. Compare to Arabic/Muslim countries (or apartheid), and tell me who's more 'liberal'.
2. Hospital care doesn't discriminate. Compare again.
3. Diversity is the norm in metropolitan areas.
4. Full access to the legal system.
5. The citizens protest when massacres occur.
6. Israel dropped fliers when engaged in military action.
7. No genocide is being enacted.
8. Not a theocracy by any stretch of the imagination.
9. And of course, the big gun: nobody cares if you're religious or not. You can even get elected in Israel! "Shulamit Aloni (1928—): Israeli politician and left-wing activist.She served as Israel's minister of education from 1992 to 1993." (let's see THAT happen in a Muslim country!) Given the flurry of concern generated in the US by Pete Stark's admission, I'm starting to think Israel's WAY ahead of us on so many items, in its short history.

The more I look at it, the less sympathy I have for the Palestinians. I have severe doubts they would've implemented any of these items if they were in 'power'.

That dear readers is my nickel's worth: spend it as you will.

Till the next post, then.

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