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I ripped this transcript off of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mineka_c I haven't been able to find the original video, however.
This whole thing was so ridiculous that I just had to tear it apart point by point.
>>>
If Your Child is a Gothic, Reform Through the Lord! Listed below are some warning signs to indicate if your child may have gone astray from the Lord. Gothic (or goth) is a very obscure and often dangerous culture that young teenagers are prone to participating in. The gothic culture leads young, susceptible minds into an imagined world of evil, darkness, and violence. Please seek immediate attention through counselling, prayer, and parental guidance to rid your child of Satan's temptations if five or more of the following are applicable to your child:
(Um. Okay. Well, really being Goth is pretty nasty from my understanding. Then again, anything that depressing would be.)
* Frequently wears black clothing. [ Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<gosh,>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] I ripped this transcript off of <lj user="mineka_c"> I haven't been able to find the original video, however. This whole thing was so ridiculous that I just had to tear it apart point by point. >>> If Your Child is a Gothic, Reform Through the Lord! Listed below are some warning signs to indicate if your child may have gone astray from the Lord. Gothic (or goth) is a very obscure and often dangerous culture that young teenagers are prone to participating in. The gothic culture leads young, susceptible minds into an imagined world of evil, darkness, and violence. Please seek immediate attention through counselling, prayer, and parental guidance to rid your child of Satan's temptations if five or more of the following are applicable to your child: (Um. Okay. Well, really being Goth is pretty nasty from my understanding. Then again, anything that depressing would be.) * Frequently wears black clothing. <Gosh, the jacket I most often wear is mostly black. Does that make me goth? Does wearing black pants to church count?> * Wears band and/or rock t-shirts. <Or maybe the kid likes those bands. *shrug*> * Wears excessive black eye makeup, lipstick or nailpolish. <Well, maybe. It certainly does indicate poor taste.> * Wears any odd, silver jewelry or symbols. Some of these include: reversed crosses, pentagrams, pentacles, ankhs or various other Satanic worshipping symbols. <Ankhs? Up until then I was halfway buying this sublist. Not that reversed crosses are necessarily Satanic. They're also the symbol for one of the saints, Paul I think, who was crucified but requested that he be hung upside down so as not to be killed in the exact same manner as Jesus.> * Shows an interest in piercings or tattoos. <... Uh, ever heard of teenagers?> * Listens to gothic or any other anti-social genres of music. (Marilyn Manson claims to be the anti-Christ, and publicly speaks against the Lord. Please discard any such albums IMMEDIATELY.)<She does? Well, I don't really know anything about her so I couldn't say. This point actually has some validity as music is a rather powerful conveyor of ideas. I wouldn't recommend freaking out, though.> * Associates with other people that dress, act or speak eccentrically. <Define eccentric. Under the dictionary definition just about everyone I know, including my parents, are eccentric. And none of us are Goth.> * Shows a declining interest in wholesome activities, such as: the Bible, prayer, church or sports. <The key word here is declining, which would seem to indicate that the kid had an interest before. Which is different from me, since I never had an interest in sports and would dispute it's inclusion as a wholesome activity. Not necessarily related to the kid being Goth, by the way. Could be the kid is experiencing religious doubts, had a change in interests (it does happen, you know), or maybe something more serious. I'd worry about drugs before Goth.> * Shows an increasing interest in death, vampires, magic, the occult, witchcraft or anything else that involves Satan. <Inquiring minds want to know. These are teenagers we're talking about, right? Their finding out just how big and strange the world is. Death, at any rate, doesn't mean the kid's gone into Satanism. Maybe some kids at school were discussing the death of someone. Maybe he/she saw something on the news. Death is scary. As for the rest... there can be dangers, but don't flip out because your kid brought home a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula.> * Takes drugs. <Get the kid help.> * Drinks alcohol. <Ditto.> * Is suicidal and/or depressed. <This is an indication of a chemical imbalance. Bring the kid to a doctor.> * Cuts, burns or partakes in any other method of self-mutilation. (This is a Satanic ritual that uses pain to detract from the light of God and His love. Please seek immediate attention for this at your local mental health center.) <Or the kid is looking for attention. Still, seeking medical advise is a good idea. Just don't rant to the doctor about how your kid sold his soul to the devil.> * Complains of boredom. <This guy never had kids, did he. I think everyone over the age of 5 complains of boredom. Frequently. Threaten to give the kid chores and they'll be busy in a heartbeat.> * Sleeps too excessively or too little. <Hello! Puberty! All kinds of crazy changes in the body that can seriously mess up the sleep cycle.> * Is excessively awake during the night. <Some people are just naturally night owls. *coughmecough*> * Dislikes sunlight or any other form of light. (This pertains to vampires promoting the idea that His light is of no use.) <Maybe. Or there could be something else going on. Like maybe the kid's sick.> * Demands an unusual amount of privacy. <One word: TEENAGER! I wasn't exactly a normal teen, but I did shut myself up in my room a lot. Hey, I'm the oldest of four. Little siblings are annoying at that age.> * Spends large amounts of time alone. <See above. Sheesh. Maybe the kid's just an introvert.> * Requests time alone and quietness. (This is so that your child may speak to evil spirits through meditation.) <Again, these are teenagers we're talking about here. Maybe the kid's introspective. Maybe the rest of the family is noisy and he just wants time to himself to relax. These kids are trying to find out who they are and it's hard to do that when there's a lot of noise. The inside of their heads is crazy enough without a lot of insanity outside.> * Insists on spending time with friends while unaccompanied by an adult. <... Do I even have to explain how that's perfectly normal?> * Disregards authority figures; teachers, priests, nuns and elders are but a few examples of this. <The rebellious teen is a stereotype for a reason.> * Misbehaves at school. <Normal, but should be dealt with for disciplinary reasons.> * Misbehaves at home. <Same. Seriously, has this guy even seen a child before?> * Eats goth-related foods. Count Dracula cereal is an example of this. <Say what??> * Drinks blood or expresses an interest in drinking blood. (Vampires believe this is how to attain Satan. This act is very dangerous and should be stopped immediately.) <Gee. I guess that African tribe that mixes cow blood with their milk are all Satanic vampires. Seriously, though, this doesn't bode well in our culture and really should be looked at.> * Watches cable television or any other corrupted media sources. (Ask your local church for proper programs that your child may watch.) <Cable is the work of the Devil? I better let EWTN know. (In case you don't know, EWTN is a cable network run by *nuns*.> * Plays videos games that contains violence or role-playing nature. <*bangs head against wall* You know, the funny thing is that kids who play video games are actually less likely to be violent in real life than kids who don't. There have been studies on this. I mean, sheesh, I've played a few first-person shooters. I stink, but I have tried. I also play AD&D and the occasional LARP (live action role-play). And for the record, I go to church every week.> * Uses the internet excessively and frequently makes time for the computer. <Well, this is an indication of something that starts with 'g', but it's not Goth. *coughgeekcough*> * Makes Satanic symbols and/or violently shakes head to music. <Satanic symbols, not good. Violently shaking head to music... Well, it's that or tapping your feet and at least in a car that isn't a good idea.> * Dances to music in a provocative or sexual manner. <Pick a tradition dance style. Any traditional dance style. Well, maybe not the polka.> * Expresses an interest in sex. <Excuse me while I die laughing.> * Masturbates <Ew. But not necessarily Goth.> * Is homosexual and/or bisexual. <Gee. You're really helping us religious sorts look tolerant and open minded. What does a sexual dysfunction have to do with Goth? Or what he really seems to be talking about, Satanism?> * Pursues dangerous cult religions. Such include: Satanism, Scientology, Philosophy, Paganism, Wicca, Hinduism and Buddhism.-Wears pins, stickers or anything else that contains these various phrases: "I'm so gothic, I'm dead", "woe is me", "I'm a goth". <Philosophy is a religion??> * Claims to be a goth. <Okay, then you can worry.> If five or more of these apply to your child, please intervene immediately. The gothic culture is dangerous and Satan thrives within it. If any of these problems persist, enlist your child into your local mental health center. <Some of the above points do warrant a visit to a mental health center, but if the kid really is involved in Satanism then I'd recommend finding an exorcist.> Current Mood:  annoyed Current Music: none at the moment |
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Look, I'm Catholic. It's against my basic beliefs to consult divination of any kind.
And, in the spirit somewhat akin to Houdini, I have difficulty resisting the urge to debunk fortunetelling.
 Lets101 - Free Online Dating
Okay, let's take this one phrase at a time.
"Caring and kind." Well, I certainly try. I can be mean, but the severity is usually unintentional. 1 point.
"Attractive personality." Depends. I guess I've got an okay personality, but I'm also socially awkward and have difficulty dealing with unfamiliar circumstances. 0 points.
"Sexy." *snort* You're kidding, right? Even disregarding how I dress, I am not the sort that'll get cat-called. -1 point.
"Center of attention." I sure would like to be. In a crowd I'm usually not because I retreat. Of course, on stage I will be because I love performing. 0.5 point.
"High appeal." How so? That people want my life? HA! Yeah right. That I'm likable? I suppose. This is just too vague. 0 points.
"Has the last word." So I try unconsciously, but it never works. In fact, I'm wrong much more often than I'd like. -1 point.
"Secretive." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah right! I have trouble keeping myself from telling people what I've gotten them for Christmas! -1 point.
"Naturally honest." Tell me how that goes with the 'Secretive' part? Anyway, that one is all me. 1 point.
"Generous and sympathetic." I'm also a bit greedy and possessive. But I'm also a bit of a soft touch and worry excessively about others. 0.5 point.
"Loves peace and serenity." Yeah. I guess. I'm also a big action manga fan and one of the biggest parts I like about Mythbusters is the explosions. So I'm also violent. 0.5 point.
"Sensitive to others." As sympathetic as I like to be, I can be extremely insensitive because I simply don't understand what's going on and miss important social cues. I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to other people, even when the person is someone very close. 0 points.
"Great kisser." No idea. I've never kissed anyone. Not even my parents or siblings. In fact, I dislike being kissed. Strongly dislike it. 0 points.
"Easily angered." Oh yeah. That's me. 1 point.
"Trustworthy." Don't they have something like this on every horoscope-type thing? Anyway, I try and I am for the most part but I'm scatterbrained and forget things easily. I'm terrible when it comes to phone messages. 0.5 point.
"Appreciative and returns kindness." I have to be reminded to write thank you letters. ^^; If I actually wanted the kindness I can be appreciative, but if it's something I didn't want I have to be reminded to be thankful. (And even then it's more going through the motions than actual thankfulness.) 0.5 point.
"Observant and assesses others." I notice things others don't and I totally miss things others find obvious. And though I'm pretty confident in being able to tell if someone is a creep or has bad intentions toward me, I'm not really the best at evaluating people. I'm just clumsy with people. 0.25 point.
So with a total possible of 16 points this has gotten a score of...
2.75
Not exactly a reliable resource, huh.Current Mood:  I'm sick Current Music: (watching Mystery Diagnosis) |
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I heard recently that our new Pope has reinstated the "Catholic Church is the one true church" policy. I imagine he's gotten a lot of flack about that, though to tell you the truth I haven't heard any more on the subject. It gets kinda depressing sometimes, hearing about religion and all in the news and I tend to tune it out.
So, bold move? I guess some people might say that. I don't, though. Vatican II might've wimped out on the subject because they wanted people to like them better, but did it really work? No. If people want to hate the Catholic Church they're going to hate it no matter what.
And really, nothing else makes sense. Religion is a system of beliefs. It's how you see the world, how it works, it's a matter of facts. Some of those 'facts' may not be provable by scientific standards and therefore not considered facts in a dictionary sense, but it's still fact.
So I say a religion, Christian or otherwise, should say, "what our religion says is true, anything else is false." Equal value of all religions makes no sense to me. Unless your religion states that the nature of the universe is unknowable and therefore any statements of fact about it are mere opinions.
I think that's the agnostic standpoint.
I am firmly Catholic, but I like people who aren't. Heck, there are only two people on my friends list who I know are Catholic, and I'm not sure if the rest are even Christian. I'd like it if the people I liked all became Catholic (this is a missionary religion, after all) but I'm not going to force it.
That was disastrous in France. Well intentioned, I hope, but disastrous. Kinda like the Inquisition before the Jesuits took over. (Those horror stories of the Inquisition? All from the early days when secular authorities were in charge without Church consent.)
Back on topic. I just want to say that I think the Pope did well in reinstating that little factoid.
And I'd probably feel much the same way if it was the Dahli Llama or ... there isn't a central leader of Shinto, is there. I'd include Islam in the list, but a lot of them are already saying their religion is the only true one, with guns as punctuation marks.
Ah. Just thought I'd let that out.Current Mood:  contemplative Current Music: none (at moment |
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Just some things that have come to mind recently.
People have a need to believe in something greater than themselves. There is no evolutionary prerogative for this. Could it be because there *is* something greater to believe in?
Perhaps even more than 'mama' or 'dada', among the first words a child learns are 'uh-oh' and 'no'.
Why do so many people join a religion without a) first learning exactly what that religion teaches and b) believing everything that religion teaches?
Why to program crashes happen in groups?
Do washers really eat socks?
If the rain forests are really being destroyed at the rate people claim, why do they still show up as huge green blobs on global satellite images?
Wind feels very good on a warm day.
We aren't born with modesty, especially boys.
Medieval thinkers didn't see the Earth as the center of the universe. They saw it as the bottom. The only thing lower than Earth was Hell.Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: occassional bird songs |
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Okay, a few days ago I ran into something really weird on Fox News. Now I understand that there are a lot of people out there who think that Fox News is the worst thing to ever hit cable news. I don't buy it, since I've actually watched the channel and found it not only entertaining, but refreshingly honest when it comes to the anchors' various socio-political leanings.
So here's the weird thing. A christian group called Commissioned II Love was banned from a Georgia college campus for excessively rigorous recruiting tactics and hazing.
Now the details of their first charge were not revealed. I don't even know if the details had been released to the media. The hazing, on the other hand...
Washing someone's feet is hazing???
Apparently someone thought the practice was demeaning and complained to the campus authorities. But that isn't hazing. Hazing has to be somehow dangerous and involuntary.
So the college said that washing feet was endangering the students involved.
...
Sooo the ancient Christian practice of washing each other's feet as Jesus did with his deciples is dangerous? And it's hazing?
Man, the lady on Fox News was having a time with that. She had two visitors, one who thought the whole thing was nuts and another who thought that foot washing was hazardous. After all, it's regulated in spas and beauty parlors. (Like everything else in this regulation-happy culture.) It was a very frustrating and yet entertaining little news bit.
But sheesh!
If I yelled 'harassment' every time some recruiter shoved a piece of paper up my nose or started jabbering away on the superb qualities of whatever club/organization/you-name-it I'd have shouted myself hoarse in my first year at college.
This is just plain stupid.Current Mood: annoyed Current Music: none |
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Gosh, Sable_cat's been the only one to comment on my journal lately. I wonder if I've been ranting too much? Or maybe it's just because of the holidays.
I hope it's the latter, because I want to be able to say what I really think, but I don't want to be a bother to people either.
Unlike some cabbies in the Saint Paul area I could mention.
I don't get it. There was some stuff on the news just yesterday about these Muslim cabbies who weren't letting people with alcohol or seeing-eye dogs into their cabs.
Now I know you aren't supposed to drink liquor in a car, even if you aren't driving, but if I had just picked up some things for a party or as a present and then couldn't get home because some over-zealous cabbie had something against drinking alcohol... Well, I'd be pretty ticked.
What ticks me off even more is that they won't serve people with seeing-eye dogs! I just don't get it. What is the big stinky deal about dogs? I've heard that Muslims don't like dogs, but this is ridiculous.
Now after it's been on the air, the story has disappeared. *Poof* It's not on the net except for a few blogs. It's a non-event as far as the media is concerned.
I wonder what the reaction would've been if some Christian cabbies pulled a stunt like that? Somehow I doubt it'd be ignored like this.
Look, I have nothing against Muslims. If that's what they want to believe, fine. I think they're wrong, but I'm not going to pass judgment on them. That's not my place.
It's just that this isn't an isolated incident. In Houston another group of Muslims bought a piece of land next to a pig farm and then ordered the farmer to get rid of the pigs because they're against eating pork.
... I guess it never occurred to them to get some land elsewhere, or just stay with the mosque they already had.
And earlier there was that big stink with the Muslim clerics on the airplane who shifted seats so they were near the doors and started praying. (Just like the terrorists did on 9/11.) Then got incensed when the plane landed and they were ordered off for a search.
Uh, yeah. I'm all for freedom of religion, but these guys were just asking for trouble.
Oh dear, I'm ranting again. *blush* Sorry. This just really gets under my skin, you know?Current Mood: aggravated Current Music: computer whiiiiirrrring |
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In a lecture Pope Benedict the 16th gave earlier in the week he quoted from a 14th century text written, it is thought, by Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and relating a dialog between him and the Persian emperor. The piece that would be familiar to those following the news is as follows:
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
That is the entire quote. What you might not know is what surrounded the quote.
In the seventh conversation (*4V8,>4H - controversy) edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that surah 2, 256 reads: "There is no compulsion in religion". According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur'an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached". The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God", he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably (F×< 8`(T) is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death...".
The decisive statement in this argument against violent conversion is this: not to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God's nature. The editor, Theodore Khoury, observes: For the emperor, as a Byzantine shaped by Greek philosophy, this statement is self-evident. But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality. Here Khoury quotes a work of the noted French Islamist R. Arnaldez, who points out that Ibn Hazn went so far as to state that God is not bound even by his own word, and that nothing would oblige him to reveal the truth to us. Were it God's will, we would even have to practice idolatry.
Long bit, I know, but I thought it important for getting the context of the remark.
And why am I going on about this faith-spread-by-sword thing? Because a lot of Muslims were (and are) tweaked off. And to demonstrate how terrible it was for the Pope to say such things they burned seven churches and may have killed a nun and some orphans.
Uh... right.
And the press, even some Christian leaders, are having a field day with this. The Pope must apologize! Well, he did say he was sorry that people did these violent things because they were angry with him.
So, when the Iranian president says that Isreal must be wiped off the map we are supposed to be understanding and try to learn why he feels this way. When a Catholic Pope quotes a rather uncomplimentary (but historically accurate) text, he is to be vilified and blamed for insuing violence be Muslims.
I suppose there's little to be done about it. Really, it's been looking more and more like the Muslim solution to all problems and disagreements is to attack something. Preferably something that won't fight back, like school buses or churches.
Cynical? Maybe. I've tried to keep an open mind and I really want to believe that most Muslims aren't like this. But even the ones who don't participate actively in terrorism seem ill-disposed toward turning the perpetrators over to authorities. There was even a cop here in the USA who knew about some plot and didn't say anything because he was a Muslim.
Besides that, who'd want to join a religion that treats women like objects or animals? I'll stick to Catholicism, thank you very much.Current Mood: annoyed Current Music: none |
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Did you know that the Bible is the number one best seller in America? But you won't find it on The New York Times' best sellers list. I suppose they could argue that it's because the Bible is *always* the best seller and people will get bored seeing it at the top of the list all the time.
But it does seem interesting.
Anyway, I'm really sick and tired of Quizilla's image hosting for quiz results. I'm constantly getting error messages and when the stupid picture finally *is* loaded it's pretty problematic whether it'll be visible or not. >.< One of the reasons I don't make new quizzes there very often.
I think it's possible to include an image from somewhere other than Quizilla in the results, though. I'll have to try that next time I make a quiz.
Speaking of which:
Bowling for Bishonen
Which is actually Kittenlark's quiz, but she doesn't have an account so I posted it on mine.Current Mood:  cheerful Current Music: (watching It Takes a Thief) |
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So next Friday is St. Patrick's Day. A day spent by many getting inebriated and totally ignorant as to what the day is supposed to be about.
I have a feeling St. Patrick would not approve of the way his feast day is spent. Though I also suspect he isn't too thrilled about having a feast day. He had humility flowing from pores. (Now there's an awful image.)
From what I've read about him he seemed like a really nice guy. A bit unconventional, possibly why his superiors sent him to Ireland (get him out from under foot), but very nice.
Two days before the mass consumption of green beer and Irish coffee (both rather disgusting) is my birthday. The Ides of March. The day of Julius Caeser's assassination. Lovely. ~.~
This will be the second time I've spent my birthday away from home. The first being while I was in Ireland.
Eh, actually, this would be the third. I did have a sleepover at my cousin's one year. As I recall I was in my early teens. Dad had to be at a convention that day, which stank royally, so as a treat I got to go to my cousin's. It was on the way to the convention, so Dad drove me there.
Still, I was surrounded by family. In Ireland I was saddle sore from bicycling from Caher to Clonmell (ouch). I saw The Passion and then had a pint of Bulmer's Cider, which comes from Clonmell. (Not necessarily a good combination, by the way. @.@ )
Here I have my sister across the street, but she's got classes and homework and all sorts of stuff so I don't know if I'll even see her.
If I sound a little down, I am. I don't like being away from my family. I guess the whole moving process has made me a little homesick.
I don't want to wait till the 25th! I wanna go home now!!
(whinning over...thank goodness)Current Mood:  home! home! Current Music: (watching Planet's Funniest Animals) |
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Long time no see, everyone. Well, except for the readers I'm related to, 'cause I just saw them this morning. ^_^
Anyway, I got to go home for Christmas. Whoopee! We went to the Candlelight Mass on Saturday, minus the candles. The little kids were so cute! A lot of the angels were rather reluctant to approach the altar. One little boy got up there, then turned around and ran away.
At the end of Mass the last song was announced, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Then the tree fell over and the little angels screamed. Father was beaned, but only on the right side of his head, so there was no damage. (He had a stroke a few years ago and most of his brain on that side no longer functions. Doesn't seem to have affected him much, though.)
I'm finally able to speak freely about the gift I've been planning to give Mom and Dad. The first plan was to give it to them on their aniversary but I got impatient.
Real honest to goodness root beer. And it was wrapped up like wine bottles. ^_^ They liked it.
I even went sledding with my brother. We had lots of fun on the hill behind the school and a big snow pile near the parking lot. Saucer sleds are the best because you can't stear them and they can spin. I ended up going down backwards a couple of times. An exciting experience multiplied by the fact that my tragectory led straight for a stand of trees. (Actually, more than a stand, there's a whole mini-forest between the hill and the river.)
Weeeeeeee!Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: (watching a real-crime type show) |
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Okay, first off this is a short article I found that was just too weird not to share.
Proof that power outages can be, ah, fun.
Fargo Forum Friday October 21, 2005 pB1
"Muncie, Ind. -- Hospital officials say a January ice storm that kept thousands in the dark and without heat for days might have led to a baby boom in eastern Indiana.
St. Vincent Randolph Hospital in Randolph County was up 40 births for early October over 2004, said Kathy Brookbank, director of patient care services.
Stephanie and Kevin Klinger's first child, J. Wesley, was born at Ball Memorial Hospital on Sept. 27 - a day when 10 babies were delivered at the hospital, compared with a daily average of less than five.
During the ice storm about nine months ago, the Klingers were without power for four days. They cooked in a cast-iron skillet over a fireplace and spent time under piles of blankets in a closed-off room filled with candles."
Apparently the romantic atmosphere was too much to resist. ^_^ Hey, I don't mind. Making babies is a good thing. (How do you think I got here?)
According to The Fargo Forum (Thursday October 20, 2005 pB1), in the spring of 1977 the producers of The Six Million Dollar Man were considering getting a new star. They passed over Harrison Ford as "unacceptable as an action hero." HA!
Now for something a little more serious. The Society of St. Pius X (I'm pretty sure that's spelled wrong, but that's how it was printed in the paper) have been concidered schismatic since their forming. That means they're divided from the church.
Don't know who these people are? They're the ones who regected the reforms of Vatacan II and decided to continue doing things the old fashioned way. Now, saying Mass in Latin is a fairly minor point, and (incidentally) the point that they are most known for. They're often called Latin Massers.
Anyway, they don't see themselves as schismatic and they say they don't want to form a "parallel Catholic church." Sorry to have to tell ya this ... okay, I'm not sorry. The fact is they are. Martin Luther didn't set out to form a new church, but that's what happened. When these people regected the reforms that came from the Pope and council of bishops they seperated themselves from the Catholic church.
Sure, a lot of very pious people have had issues with Vatican II, including J.R.R. Tolkien. I don't blame them, the local officials did a lousy job of implimenting the reforms and and even worse job explaining what was going on to their parisioners.
But that doesn't change the fact that they broke away from the church. Picking and choosing what parts of Catholic faith you believe in doesn't make you Catholic. It's a full package deal.
Sheesh. People keep thinking they can do better by removing themselves and doing it their own way. What about working with the system? If they think there's a problem in the church they should get involved, not skip out. 9_9
Oct. 21st, 2005 @ 06:44 pm
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And now to something even weirder, the spiritual department of paranormal research.
I'm refering specifically to the much talked about new movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." This is of some special interest to me since it deals with an aspect of my own faith.
That, and this movie, like "The Excorist," is based on a true story.
At least this time the film-makers got the victim's sex right. They did change the name, which doesn't bug me as much as it does with some of the critics. (It does say "based on" not "documentary of".)
The movie is particularly interesting because the case it's based on is reportedly the last time the Catholic Church officially sanctioned an exorcism. You see, the girl died during the exorcism and many people thought it was because the girl hadn't been treated medically. (They thought she was epileptic, not possessed.)
I wish I could learn more of the actual story, but there's very little out there. I've tried looking but I mainly get reviews of the movie.
Mind, I haven't seen the movie yet. Having been rather disappointed with "The Exorcist" (I partly blame poorly timed commercial breaks) I'd rather see a documentary on the real case.
But what is the real story? What I know of exorcisms one wouldn't be called without good reason. There's a rigorous verification process that's conducted before one is even considered. That's after everything else conceivable has been tried. (The boy whose story formed the basis for "The Exorcist" was in a mental hospital run by the Catholic Church during the verification process and worst parts of the exorcism.) Therefore I can only assume that she really was possessed. So did she die from the strain of having that evil spirit within her? Was there a psycho-physical condition underneath the possession?
Just thought I'd put in my own two cents on the matter.
Sep. 18th, 2005 @ 01:58 pm
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