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[C_A]

I had, indeed, heard of a variety of issues surrounding them.  According to India, they weren't starving till we tried to "help".  Hmmm....reminiscent of "I'm from the government and I'm here to help"?

[Khara]

I'm sorry we destroyed large portions of your country with toxic chemicals.  We were only here to help.....

[Firesong]

I'm thinking Holy Roller.....  Pentacostal.

That man there speaks in tongues if I'm not mistaken.

Speaking in tongues is nothing special... it's a manner if praying, and not what many believe.  It's gibberish, but it works a lot like chanting... you're visualizing your prayers while emitting nonsensical sounds.  Gives you one hell of a rush...  It's NOT any form of holy language...

[dark magus]

Sort of like the Hari Krishna's...

[Khara]

Speaking in tongues is nothing special... it's a manner if praying, and not what many believe.  It's gibberish, but it works a lot like chanting... you're visualizing your prayers while emitting nonsensical sounds.  Gives you one hell of a rush...  It's NOT any form of holy language...

I'm sorry did my post project the word stupid?     Because I don't think I said anything about speaking in tongues being special, what it was or wasn't, holy or otherwise.   

That may be what you have been told, or what you believe but the people I grew up with have a whole different definition.  They believe god and or the holy spirit is talking thru them in an ancient language, while they are consumed by the holy spirit.

I think it's crazy.  I don't see it being anything like chanting, chanting is usually based on specific words or sounds.  Speaking in tongues is gibberish that makes zero sense until someone is magically able to translate....  again, god is doing that, not the person according to how my parents believed.

[Firesong]

I'm sorry did my post project the word stupid?     Because I don't think I said anything about speaking in tongues being special, what it was or wasn't, holy or otherwise.   

That may be what you have been told, or what you believe but the people I grew up with have a whole different definition.  They believe god and or the holy spirit is talking thru them in an ancient language, while they are consumed by the holy spirit.

I think it's crazy.  I don't see it being anything like chanting, chanting is usually based on specific words or sounds.  Speaking in tongues is gibberish that makes zero sense until someone is magically able to translate....  again, god is doing that, not the person according to how my parents believed.

Nothing in any of your posts on our boards project the word stupid... quite the opposite, really.  Sorry if it sounded that way; speaking in tongues is a very powerful method of focusing intent. 

In the church I attend, it's used frequently for that purpose.  My perspective is probably a bit skewed by my Pagan background before conversion but I tend to look at all things that way.  My entire view of religion is filtered by my Pagan past and I wouldn't have it any other way...

Chanting is really just another tool to achieve "gnosis" or to focus intent; speaking in tongues is very similar... admittedly it sounds bizarre but in practice, it's a trip.   

[Serpentium]

Plus, what kind of a God is going to go to the trouble of getting all those people together, specifically so he can give them His. Holy. Word. And then make them say it in some stupid babbling made up nonsense language that no-one understands? Someone should have a word with their marketing dept about that. Srsly. That's why Rome wrote the Nicene Bible in Latin. A dead language that no-one had spoken for Centuries. That only Priests could read. Or write.

[Firesong]

Plus, what kind of a God is going to go to the trouble of getting all those people together, specifically so he can give them His. Holy. Word. And then make them say it in some stupid babbling made up nonsense language that no-one understands? Someone should have a word with their marketing dept about that. Srsly. That's why Rome wrote the Nicene Bible in Latin. A dead language that no-one had spoken for Centuries. That only Priests could read. Or write.

The Nicene Bible was nothing more than a religious "pax romanus".  It was designed to empower a caste of priest/kings that could be used by governing bodies to control the population... don't believe it, check out the history of Ireland.  That doesn't mean there's nothing in it of use, but it's important for anyone who subscribes to it to understand where it came from; it was done, after all, at the behest of a Pagan Emperor... 

[Khara]

The Nicene Bible was nothing more than a religious "pax romanus".  It was designed to empower a caste of priest/kings that could be used by governing bodies to control the population... don't believe it, check out the history of Ireland.  That doesn't mean there's nothing in it of use, but it's important for anyone who subscribes to it to understand where it came from; it was done, after all, at the behest of a Pagan Emperor...

BRAVO!! That is the BEST explanation for the bible I have seen in years!!  NICE!!!

[C_A]

...and then there were others.  Ghent.  V-II.  To name only a few.  We are,(and have been since 1964), in the "Novus Ordo" era.  That may change in this decade, though.

[behindstarryeyes]

Breaking news: Religion attracts charlatans and gullible people.

Religious people and their money are soon parted.


Wrap your head around this: If there were a lot of wiccans, there would be wiccan megachurches. It would look like this:



                    Blessed be!       
          /         /           |          \        \



                 An it harm none....
                       /


             
      . . . . .do what ye will       
          /         /           |          \        \

Ok, I just got a nightmare image of an arena of 40,000 fluffies catching their robes on fire with each other's ritual candles, knocking each other out with their hubcab-sized pentacle pendants and stabbing each other with their athames. 

Probably while some people from Westboro protest outside with signs that say "Burn the Witch!"

I personally find large groups of religious fanatics a bit scary.  Whatever their religion.  That whole "mob mentality" thing.

[Firesong]

Ok, I just got a nightmare image of an arena of 40,000 fluffies catching their robes on fire with each other's ritual candles, knocking each other out with their hubcab-sized pentacle pendants and stabbing each other with their athames. 

Probably while some people from Westboro protest outside with signs that say "Burn the Witch!"

I personally find large groups of religious fanatics a bit scary.  Whatever their religion.  That whole "mob mentality" thing.

Hallelujah...

[naturalpaganmomma]

Ok, I just got a nightmare image of an arena of 40,000 fluffies catching their robes on fire with each other's ritual candles, knocking each other out with their hubcab-sized pentacle pendants and stabbing each other with their athames. 

Probably while some people from Westboro protest outside with signs that say "Burn the Witch!"

I personally find large groups of religious fanatics a bit scary.  Whatever their religion.  That whole "mob mentality" thing.

For some reason the image of magickal keystone cops entered my head. LOL

On with the topic though, when it comes to the commercialism of paganism, whether it be cynical or otherwise, you see a lot in books and movies nowadays that contribute heavily. I think that's why many new and young faces find themselves on these boards, which is not necessarily bad. I'm sure that some of them are completely serious about choosing a pagan life, but it's sad to know that some fall in love with the illusion and romanticism they find in fictitious stories. They don't realize that it's a way of life--and like any life--it requires some form of dedication.

[Scorched Eartha]

Many people, both old and young, turn to any number of faiths thinking that having a  preset number of "right answers" provided will bring them fulfilment: happiness, wisdom and some kind of meaning to life.

Ludicrous really. There are no "right answers". There are just many different answers to any and all possible questions.


The only key to lifelong fulfilment, the only place a "meaning to life" can be found is in knowing that you need to keep asking the questions. If you think you've found "the answer" to any of them, then you've voluntarily switched off your intellect. And you may as well be dead.

IMHO.

(Unless of course you're anything like me and the question is "Do you want a drink or a spliff?" In which case the only correct answer is another question -



 "Does a horse have an arse?".

[Michelle]

But it is a common problem with any kind of religion (or way of life) that is considered to be outside the mainstream that is does tend to be rather on the commercial side. When I first looked into Wicca and Witchcraft I found all sorts of things that just didn't seem quite right. I wanted to know the "true way" (I hope you know what I mean by that) but time and again I was confronted by things that were seemingly just plain made up.

To complicate the whole process is the fact that hardly any written records were ever kept and traditions were handed down word of mouth. So how does one sort through it all? I've had so many arguments here about what's real and what is not, and it's only because I want to be sure. Like any one else, I hate being taken for a ride.