#I mean the gods are part of the power structure yes but different faith systems exist anyway like the Ashari and the Eidolons

[danwhobrowses]

For all this Moon lore we're getting on Ruidus I do feel like the Imperium is planning on a very Early Christianity Movement route of things

"We want to live on Exandria, sure people will be welcoming but some probably won't, better to just go down there guns a'blazing going 'My god can beat up your gods in a fight' and settle in that way"

[elendsessor]

i genuinely love the qadištu both conceptually and how they play a part in vengeance but it can’t be understated how good of a faction they are franchise-wise, or at least with mainline.

most conflicts stemming from the classic smt formula isn’t just luci v god but also the dangers of placing complete and utter faith in one person/group aka cult like mentalities. while it definitely holds up and likely always will, the fact that it only goes back to the same luci v god conflict is genuinely wasted opportunity.

only real deviations came from nocturne, strange journey, and base 5/vengeance. yes in 3 and 5 that’s still technically going on in the background, but it’s not the main focus.

nocturne was a fight between ideologies that aren’t strictly aligned to the law/neutral/chaos thing. they’re flexible, hence the existence of reasons. this is probably still the best alignment system only because of that freedom and how every outcome is heavily flawed and extreme. however, this might also be due to how nocturne structures its plot aka in a parable not in a traditional storytelling way.

5’s canon of creation was also relatively flexible, plus that conflict is technically already over and done with. god is dead, lucifer won, only reason angels are involved is because they want to uphold the original order since that’s all they knew how to do. abdiel only went fucjing insane because she was living in denial. there are still technically factions but by the end with all the nahobino stuff, it was more a fight between pairs than a fight between factions.

strange journey until the third half was about the earth dying due to its inhabitants aka humanity constantly harming it, with the demons being a force of nature. unfortunately it does devolve back into the same old same old but the remnants are still there.

i think the important thing to keep in mind is the lack of a true big bad. regardless of how bad an option seems, you’re allowed to pick that side for one reason or another. 4 apocalypse was the first real instance of a definitive bad group.

the qadištu are a bit of an expansion of the divine powers in that sense. both are operating separately from the main conflict. what makes them so different is not just goals in a plot sense but execution.

the divine powers is another group that preys off people by having them put too much faith in them (and later “flynn”). they’re fulfilling this messiah complex. while they ultimately get their stupid cosmic egg, krishna and friends never truly win since he gets killed off before making a new universe.

in comparison, the qadištu not only succeed, but their means of getting what they need is a lot more fitting. they didn’t need blind faith.

with how the usual faction conflict works, they do prey upon the need for a leader like i explained, but the solution is at least a bit more simple: don’t. yeah easier said than done. however, it’s still something that can be fallen back on. broken away from.

for the qadištu to gather magatsuhi, they prey upon emotions. after all, that’s what magatsuhi comes from. it’s easier to scare people, and the solution isn’t “don’t get scared.” humans are naturally emotional. you’re in a subway and some stripper and her fucked up dog start killing everyone around you. you get kidnapped then get asked the simple question about what you don’t like about yourself then some weird lady eats that part of you—even might straight up eat you in your entirety based on the answer. everyone starts getting strangely ill out of nowhere and are in constant pain. of course you’d feel strongly about this stuff.

demons in mythology often prey upon human weakness, yes, but this does go beyond faith. it goes into basic emotions that we all recognize as negative/sinful but naturally partake in, which is why demons are often the seducers (especially female ones due to the sin of lust). we can recognize being lazy as bad, but we all end up getting lazy at some point. the issue comes from how often we decide to be lazy, or having those emotions like pride and wrath get out of control. in that sense, the qadištu are significantly more powerful and more compelling than “don’t trust cults.”

they’re constantly three steps ahead throughout the entire plot as a result, and that’s what makes them so threatening. you can’t win.

their goal was to summon tiamat, and even if aogami lived, they already had so much magatsuhi and caused so much suffering to the people of tokyo it wouldn’t truly matter. everything’s fucked beyond belief. you also can’t truly side with them, especially since that just means you die and there’d be no more game.

the final act of vengeance is the aftermath of failure, hence the vengeance part.

i’d love to see more factions in the series take up these sort of roles instead of the usual cult manipulates the masses role. it’s really interesting and feels like a natural evolution of the formula.

[agentravensong]

Sooooooo Book of Webs

alright, let's do it. let's talk about the book of webs by Jesse Kohn (yes it's not capitalized, yes that's important).

i read this book over the summer, having randomly spotted it in the fantasy/sci-fi section of a bookstore and deciding to take my chances with it. the premise, as best i can put it, is that two revolutionaries are trapped in a cave, recounting to each other the story of how they got there. their purpose in this retelling is to try and remember the contents of the book of webs: a book so powerful it can change (and thereby, in their hands, liberate) the world.

the best way to describe the book of webs is that it's Complex with a capital C. if you try to take it as a standard narrative with a solid throughline and a True version of events beneath all the tangents, perspective shifts, hypotheticals and obfuscations, then you'll find it hard to follow and potentially unsatisfying.

rather, it's a maze that you're dropped somewhere in the midst of, a labyrinth with impossible geometry that will, after a long stretch of seeming progress towards an exit, loop back in on itself — just as often as it will defy your expectation that it will loop and instead take you to an entirely new ecosystem. it's meandering. it's heavy and dense. it's absurd.

it's also, when it wants to be, genuinely funny.

the thing is, to try and describe what this book is about, to sum it up in a post, is going against its very nature. because it's a book about the tyranny of meaning.

but, of course, that's oversimplifying it.

it's a book about books, what they mean to people, and how they can change the world.

(ragad fans, this book is for you)

it's about books as doctrines and as active shapers of truth. it's about the intentions they're written with and the ways they expect you to engage with them. really, it's about narratives in the all-encompassing sense of the word, and the myriad people and entities that shape and follow them.

in particular, this book is in large part about the narratives that the state writes (or co-opts) and propagates to sustain itself and its systems, writing reality for all who exist within and beneath it. (the 'state' later being substituted by God, psychologists, an amusement park, a mall, etc.) it's about how a person's expression of even their most personal, creative thoughts is hampered and twisted by the dominant structures of communication and meaning. a book about the inherent political nature of all stories, all ideas.

it's a book about authority and alienation. about how collectives are made up of individuals and individuals are made up of collectives. it's a book that interrogates the idea of the individual. it interrogates the idealization of completeness and cohesion. it's a book where its revolutionary heroes must seek out imperfections — including their own, the rebellions of their bodies ("excretions, tics, bad hair days, and, most importantly, their dreams") — and must tear themselves into pieces in order to triumph over empire.

it's a book about the power and limits of speech, of words, and the impossibility of knowing other people.

and yes, this book is about the tyranny of meaning and truth, but it's also about the desire for meaning and truth. about the longing for understanding. for connection.

it's about how our definitions of those concepts, of our desires, and our understanding of what things we are supposed to desire, are informed and enforced by society; how it contains our very imaginations...

...and what it might take, what it might look like, to exist outside those definitions. to imagine something genuinely new, genuinely liberating, and make it real.

it's about the good that can come from letting yourself be confused. from taking a leap of faith: pulling up the anchor you've set down in safe harbors — or full-on abandoning ship.

from taking yourself apart and reconstructing those parts into something different; something nonhierarchical, noncohesive, unco-optable, ungovernable.

it's a book that interrogates all the things you've taken for granted (in stories), all the structures you've been mentally subsumed by, and posits, instead, actively losing oneself, letting oneself become lost, as a way to freedom.

it's a book that's full of and celebrates such seeming contradictions, because that's how the world is: Complex with a capital C. incomprehensible in scope; ever-changing yet so resistant to change (or so it feels), so difficult to actually fight against.

it's a book about getting caught up in things.

(ragad fans, this book is for you)

or, to put it another way: it's a book. about webs.

i'm going to cut off my rambling there, but i will still include a couple of bonus passages where, upon reading them, i couldn't help but be reminded of some other works that i love:

beginner's guide moment:

and we know the devil moment:

with all that having been said. i figure you, reader, can determine for yourself whether or not you'd be interested in this book. if it does sound like your thing: you know what to do. :)

[aeternalight]

As much as I understand, I also just disagree as much. I know I won't be able to convince you or others, nor do I really care to.

But some journeys of trauma are not about forgiving and forgetting, they're about fighting back against a system that continues to harm others and spread lies about other's faiths.

My journey is so much more about than being angry with christianity and angels, but this life, including many others, has existed in antithesis of a cruel light. That holiness has only dirtied others, that divinity is not supposed to be about what afterlife you end up in, but about your very being.

In my first life, me and my loved ones were tortured by people who sought the word of God above all else, not realizing that the people they hurt, were as much as deserving of divinity and holiness as they were. And I was treated like an abomination for existing, not created by their so-called god. And this life, I do run into people, and become hurt by people, who's cults are opposing of christianity, Scientology in particular. I want a world where people do not have to be forced into the duality that has been created by Christianity. Specifically, heaven and hell do not have to be the final goal, and people do not deserve to be punished for living.

My faith is wholly unique, and it still hurts to call it faith at all, it hurts to have religious beliefs, and I still don't worship any particular deity, only working with them.

I cannot help but be in antithesis of christianity, due to the united states being culturally christian. If I lived and grew up somewhere else, maybe I could have a different perspective. But I live here, I grew up here, my past lives are about existing despite the world not wanting you there, and to create a world that wants us to live freely. So yes, my beliefs are about dismantling structures that christianity has created, my beliefs are about living in shades of grey, rather than a black and white belief system. My beliefs are about reeducating and pushing the world towards a more safe place.

I know more than anyone, that existing in antithesis of something makes you ingrained in that history, that people will call you the devil, even though you are also in antithesis of that devil as well.

I want a world where we do not have to be in opposition to be free of it, but that's just unrealistic right now. In our current climate, we will be intrinsically linked to what stood before us. Even if you are right in some aspects, it doesn't mean that we are free of it, of being a part of christianity, regardless of that being our faith or not.

I'm accepting of my opposition, but I want to be able to keep twisting until the symbols and the identities pop right off. There is no future where I am not connected to the past. But I want to create a future where people do not have to accept tradition as the only option, that they do not have to oppose tradition to deny it. That their truth is theirs and theirs alone. But we're not there yet, and until the church stops affecting things like laws or people's lives, that their belief is just a belief, and not a position of power, I won't stop fighting against it.

Friendly reminder that if you cannot explain, discuss, or celebrate your beliefs without shitting on someone else's, you neither understand nor truly believe in your chosen path.

Yes, even if you have trauma.

And no, you don't get to claim the suffering of people who died during witch trials because those were not secret pagan witches.

Also, learn your history. Not everything was originally a pagan sex festival, the Wheel of the Year is a recent invention, Christians did not steal our holidays, and cultural development doesn't happen in a vacuum.

Don't be a pick-me witch. You're better than that. So do better.

[indulgenceweave]

Prompt #6: All Creation (Part 2)

Hayzell Darwall walks in the footsteps of the Destroyer.

Prompt: Avatar

Part 1

“Stop,” the Garlean officer muttered, placing a hand on her shoulder. Knowing his hand was there left her with an infuriating burn- but it was necessary. They were working together. Honestly, that part was even worse.

That thought was swiftly filed away as the creature crossed the hall into their sight. It didn’t look like a horrific lunar monster- it looked like a woman. Her skin was a dark shade under the moonlight, and she wore an intricately horned helmet. She was draped in a feathered cloak that wrapped around her whole body.

“That’s your monster?” Hayzell muttered. “That doesn’t look like a lunar demon to me.”

“It looks different for all of us,” the officer quietly explained, as the creature disappeared down the hall. “It seems to take the form of some great foe or threat to the person witnessing it.”

An individualized threat. A specific haunting. That was terrifying in concept, but…

“I’ve never seen that woman before.” Hayzell focused on the subtle shifts of the tower’s foundation and the echoes carried on the wind to follow the creature’s movements. “I don’t recognize her. Who do you see?”

The officer spared her a brief look. “I see you, Captain.” He muttered, before continuing down the hall. Hayzell blinked, looking at him from under her mask, before setting off to follow suit.

“What have you tried so far?”

“Our weapons are have had little effect. Some, but not much. Magitek applications have proven more fruitful, but we’ve done little more than anger the beast.”

If magitek works, then aether works. That means Hayzell will work. A plan was already forming in her head. It would be ridiculous, spectacular, and possibly the craziest thing she’d ever done.

“If there’s magitek, there’s ceruleum, right?” Hayzell posited. “Rhetorical, don’t answer that. Where there’s ceruleum, there’s aether. Where there’s aether, there’s the power to kill this thing. Ceruleum becomes gaseous when exposed to the air. We’re going to use that to our advantage.”

“Now hold on,” the officer interjects. “You don’t get to tell me how I use my…”

“Would you rather die to a demon from the moon, than let an Eorzean save your life?”

“Yes, actually,” the officer shot back. “But my men may not be so prepared. What do you have in mind?”

“Garlean structures have a central air system, right? So you can seal the place up and not all suffocate. Have your men set and open the cannisters in some of the air ducts, and we’ll let it disperse throughout the building.”

This officer, despite Hayzell’s assumptions, was not a stupid person. “You plan to bring the tower down. To bury the beast in the rubble. Are you going to use your magic to detonate the gas?”

Hayzell chuckles softly. “Don’t be so mundane. I am an avatar of destruction. I walk, and it is Rhalgr’s footsteps that fall. If you understand the mind, you can destroy your fears. If you understand your body, you can destroy your foes. If you understand the world, you can destroy all creation.”

Fifteen minutes and a handful of near-misses with the beast prowling around saw Hayzell standing back inside of the tower’s main door. The Garleans finished setting up the cannisters and retreated, kiting the beast around until they could all meet up with Hayzell again. During this time, she’d been meditating. With firm control of her sound mind and forged body, she was gathering aether. Each of her chakra flexed with their use, and the enchanted lining of her armour rose in temperature until she began to sweat. A dangerous amount of aether was running through her body, more than she’d recommend anybody use for anything other than felling gods. Unfortunately, dangerous is what she needed right now.

The officer took one look at her, the way orange lightning cracked and arced to the surrounding hallway, the way the wind threatened to tear the panels off the walls, and decided the best course of action would be to hall ass. He led his men past her and outside, placing Hayzell between them and the beast.

Hayzell could see it all as she shifted to a state of focus. The ceruleum in the vents and the walls took up most of her vision as it glowed a pale blue while spreading throughout the structure. She could see the beast, a terribly corrupted thing with some kind of aether not born of this world. She could see how it moved towards her. It wasn’t just strength and magic she was calling on here, but faith as well. Prayer, that the Destroyer would grant her his strength.

She reached out with both hands and took hold. The pressures of the world left her in that moment, as she approached her mortal limits. All was clear, all was perfect. With a titanic effort, she pulled her clenched hands back. All of the cerleum in the tower drew towards her, threatening to tear through walls and pipes. The ground shook in response to the massive power on display, and the tower itself groaned under the strain. Somewhere in the distance, there was an explosion. Then a pipe burst. Then metal tore. Then the entire superstructure of the tower buckled.

The tower fell in a violent display of wanton destruction. The metal screeched as it all fell in layers and layers, sending dust and concrete and glass flying in all directions. The Garleans dove for cover, caring not for the Eorzean beneath it all. As the ceruleum was lost in the falling of the tower, it dispersed even further, until an electrical spark caused a new explosion that shattered the very earth on which the tower sat.

Hayzell was at the center of it all, somehow still standing when all was said and done. With a wide stance and a glimmering dome of orange aether about her, the Mountainfist technique had held the tower’s rubble aloft, the monk’s aether allowing her to maintain it against the incredible weight of the tower. Only once she had climbed free did the bubble collapse, and the last of the tower rubble settled.

She spotted the Garleans quickly. The still-settling dust whipped around her as she sparked with a lightning that was now more of a green-blue. She waved a hand at them, acting as though she hadn’t just pulled down a fortified military structure with barely more than her mind.

“That’ll do it!” she called. “Nothing like a bit of…”

“Look out!” one of the Garleans shouted.

Hayzell turned just in time to be slammed with a wave of purple-black aether, sending her flying a quarter-malm into the nearby field.

[oppelyannis90]

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[tuckertales]

(via Creating a Magic System for Your Story | Tucker Tales Writing Blog)

I am so excited about this post because I love magic. It is so flexible and fun and can add such an interesting element to any story. Probably 90% of what I write has some sort of magic in it. And, yes, it can get complicated, but I think it is so fun figuring everything out and watching your world work with this awesome thing that you’ve created.

What Kind of Magic Should You Have?

This is probably the trickiest bit. Because magic can be anything. It can be elemental, physical, spiritual, mental…and it can be whatever your mind can make up. If you have a specific purpose for magic in your story, this decision becomes a bit easier. Because you have a goal, you can narrow down the possibilities.

I can’t tell you what to do here, there are so many options that there’s no way that I can cover it all, but I can ask you some questions to help you figure it out.

What are the Abilities?

Deciding on what exactly the magic can do is the core of everything. The simplest example I can share would be elemental magic, since we all know what that is. If your character has the elemental magic over water, you have to decide what that means. Can they control it? Create it? Freeze it? Can they become it? How much can they control at once?

If they have a less physical magic, there are less barriers to what one could do. So, you must put up those barriers. Or, make it known that the power is limitless (which can sometimes makes one overpowered and, therefore, boring and unrealistic).

Do different people have different powers?

Do all people have magic, or only some?

How much control do they have over it? - The Time Traveler’s Wife

What are the Limitations?

All powers have their limits and their consequences. Are these based on the magic or based on the people (ex: unforgivable curses in Harry Potter)?

In Avatar the Last Airbender, the element of earth had a ‘limit’ of not being able to bend metal (which, SPOILER, Toph then later overcomes.) *Also, if you’ve never seen Avatar the Last Airbender, watch in now. Please and thank you* In Stardust, magic makes the witches age and only consuming a falling star can restore their youth and power. Genie cannot fulfill certain wishes and also cannot use his magic to free himself unless his ‘master’ wishes it in Aladdin In Kiki’s Delivery Service, when she loses faith in herself, she loses her magic. In Star Wars, Jedi mind tricks only work on the weak minded.

What are the limits? - Invisible woman can’t make her clothes invisible - Cyclops (X-men) needs his eye mask to channel his power - Knowledge (if you don’t know the spell, you can’t cast it)

Is it draining physically or mentally? - Nosebleed (Eleven), Avatar State (ATLA)

What are the consequences? -Burn out (Throne of Glass, pain (Wolverine), physical disfigurement (Star Wars Sith)

Weaknesses -Kryptonite (Superman), fear (Frozen), silver (werewolves)

Rules - Contract (Little Mermaid), only three wishes/no falling in love (Aladdin/Genie)

How do People Acquire it?

People get magic somehow, and you need to figure out how. The easiest question to start with is: Are they born with it or not? Then you can work from there.

Born With It

Is everyone born with it? - Why or why not?

Is it dependent on race? Genetics? - Elf, fairy, dwarf, etc.

At what age does it manifest itself? - How does it manifest itself?

Not Born with It

How does one acquire it? - Gift from someone with magic or some sort of god - Bitten (werewolf, radioactive spider, vampire) - Magical object (Infinity stone, Aladdin’s lamp, the Ring, Resurrection Stone) - Test or trial to receive it - Unwillingly cursed (Beauty and the Beast, The Last Witch Hunter) - Accident (Bruce Banner/Hulk, Tighten from Megamind) - Knowledge (anyone can use it if they learn how)

How is it Used?

By this, I literally mean how. In Harry Potter, magic is used with wands and potions. Supernatural uses pentagrams. In Avatar the Last Airbender, magic is used with hand movements (and your mind).

It’s important to know how magic in your world is used because that gives it structure and limitations.

Conductor - wand, staff, crystal

Incantation

Materials - for a pentagram, potion, sacrifice, etc.

Practice - learning new forms (ATLA)

Setting/Situation - Full moon

How Does Magic Affect Your Universe?

Unless magic is a very very small part of your universe, it is going to change the way people do things in your world. They way they interact and grow as a society. I’m going to make a long and – hopefully – helpful list.

Social status/Prejudice - Are certain people looked down upon or looked up to because they do or don’t have magic? Or, perhaps, because they have a certain type of magic?

Power struggle - If certain people have magic, do they take advantage of that to control government or oppress people without magic?

How they fight - Wars and battles are going to be fought very different based upon what type of magic is in your universe and who has it. How would non-magic folk adapt to fighting those with magic?

Crime - Crime could be different or more abundant based on what kind of magic you create. Or perhaps less abundant if a certain magic-holder is in charge of law enforcement.

How they heal - Is part of their magic that they can heal faster? Or can they use their magic to heal others or themselves?

Their loyalties - Are people more loyal to blood or magic?

Relationships - Are relationships forbidden or frowned upon between certain people. Is it normal to mix magic? Or it is even sought after and arranged for people to have children based on their magic?

How they build - Physical magic could change the way that people build cities which could also rapidly grow their architecture before other parts of their culture are developed.

Conclusion

I hope this has given you a good solid start on creating magic for your universe. If this is your first time, don’t fret! It is all about trial and error and, honestly, logic. If ever I’m having trouble I just try to think logically how something would work and can usually figure it out. Trust yourself and don’t be afraid to play around. Writing is fun and writing magic is even more fun (in my opinion).

As always, feel free to subscribe or follow me on social media for updates on new posts! And take a gander at my ‘Services‘ page for prices on my editing services!

[attpcut]

we've been friends for about a decade and and we've used that time really to help each other through the issues that have come up the challenges and life challenges that have come up over there is last period of time and realized that we had very similar tools for dealing with life issues and yet at the same time still reached out to each other and needed each other and other friends in order to maintain a degree of Hannity under that the pressures that we were feeling in our own lives on a daily basis and I myself have been started therapy when I was 14 years old and pretty much every city that I've lived in I've had a therapist and and and honestly really truly don't believe that I would be alive today if I didn't start some form of self searching very early in my life a lot of what is in the book is not so many of our trials and tribulations but I guess some of the Frank admissions of the fact that we still find it hard one of the things we say in the book is that we'd like the p-word perfectionism to be banned completely because um all of us certainly I have used it as a stick with which to beat myself you know and I don't compare myself with the woman who is struggling more than I am I compare myself with the person who looks like they've got it all together and I compare how I'm feeling on the inside with how someone is feeling on the outside and then on top of that we have you know the expectations of how we should look and the pressure that's put on us to conform to the male gaze still I mean it is absolutely extraordinary that despite all our decades of feminism the levels of grooming that's expected from women before you know they in a metropolitan environment before they can go to work have got work I mean what is that about intelligent educated women and yet everywhere and we're told that that if you fit into this bikini or if your body looks like this in the summertime or refute leads it's food this particular fluidity it really cleanly or if you recycle perfectly or if you buy this gadget you will be okay you know that you will fit in and you will be okay assuming that if we don't if we don't fit up to those standards then we're therefore not okay and so the levels of self-harm in women of all ages is quite well documented in teenagers a recent for us early in 2014 they had judged that self-harm had tripled between 2007 and 2014 but they're also starting to realize that it is women of all ages who self-harm and so much of that is about lower levels of self-esteem and not knowing how to practice self-care and not feeling you know as a female feeling like our responsibility is to everybody else but ourselves and that somehow it's selfish to take care of ourselves if we're all struggling with this if we're all having these same issues new same pressures you know why aren't we turning to each other to try and find solutions for what's not working there's clearly things things in society that aren't working there are things in our own life about how we're taught we must behave that aren't working and yet we passed each other on the street and we don't reach out and try and figure out and and be friends of fellow females to try and figure out how them we can make a difference in our own lives and other people's lives and so I mentioned that to Jennifer because right and and she said well funnily enough I've been thinking about the same thing here as a feminist I've spent so much time fighting for 50% of a system but the system that I've been fighting for 50% of is broken and it's not enough that we as women just came rightful place in our rightful share because the world of work is designed around a predominantly male workforce and when we get there we're having to fit ourselves into the man shaped hole and maybe we can just feminized it a little bit but the truth is that that all of us men and women are served by the existing structure you know it's based on you know on a model it's the model that is predicated predicated on intimate growth when we have finite resources it's a model that is binary you know either you're a winner or you're a loser either you have or you have not you know and this world despite absolute levels of wealth you know being higher than ever is more unequal than ever so how can this system be working so rather than leaning into a system that's broken you know what I wanted to talk about was how do we create a new paradigm you know one that we all want to inhabit and having been involved in politics you know it was clear to me that unless we deal with our own woundedness we're just going to take our stuff out into the political arena as we can see happening all around us and act it out on those who have less power than we do so much of what we're talking about in the book is the importance of being face to face of having real human connection which so many of us don't have today you know we spend so much time on screens and in these you know these fashions these many fashions little worlds of ours that is we often don't look up and make eye contact and connect with the people around us and for me one of the reasons that I think the me culture has gained such purchases because of the withering of religion from the collective space and and you know I had a lot of problems with the word God as a child has God existed he was definitely male and definitely caused a lot of suffering that he didn't seem to be intervening in and and since then you know I've realized that that man is responsible for most things that I blame God for and that spirituality you know spirituality is for people who've been to Helen and and religion is for people who are scared of going to hell is the best explanation I've ever had you hope other women will meet face to face and because it is so much easier to try and implement these changes if you're sitting in a circle with other with other women a number of circles have sprung up and women are gathering together we've got a picture from the states and it makes me cry actually because I know you know I know for me that the power and the comfort I have of having other women that I can really really be honest with about how I'm really feeling why I don't have to pretend where I can admit how messed up I'm feeling I think I started meditating in high school and I don't know why or where that came from and so I think that in working on this book is very much strengthened my already existing faith but part of what has strengthened my faith too is is the you know over the last few years particularly a lot of personal challenges that that I've really needed to rely on my own save for and and practice you know many of the things that are in the book you know including an unbelievable degree of letting go which to me you know part of that is a letting go to what it is you know to something greater than myself and the book itself feels like it is very much that it is so it is beyond the two of us and the path that it's going to take is not up to us and it feels you know I I have another job and and would like to continue to do that job and that's probably when my focus is going to go but it felt like such a necessary thing to be a part of old person like necessary thing to be a part of that I couldn't not do it you know I couldn't not be as honest as I've been I couldn't not put the help to launch it out into the world but it's it's beyond us from this point out I think it's a great temptation when we are faced with what's happening in the world is is to move to the Garrick lightness you know we we look at and we judge those who are making political choices that we would not make but you know hate doesn't conquer hate and if we build walls of righteous indignation that's just going to deepen the chasm that's dividing our world and so yes so so ego because ego comes in many different forms it doesn't just come in the form of you know a large wounded boy who finds himself in charges you know the most powerful nation alive you know it also comes in the form of me shouting slogans of righteous indignation in the face of someone I actually need to form a connection with

Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel discuss their new book WE: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere

[a-salty-alto]

1) I’ve been re-watching the Ultron/Break Up Arc and I have decided that there are some issues with Steve in that arc. So, we all know Steve is Tony’s biggest supporter and is always trying to boost his confidence and all that jazz. So to suddenly see him so against Tony’s leadership when Tony’s been reckless and thoughtless in the past seems a bit out of character, or at least a little strange considering everything that they’ve been through and all the reckless things Tony has done in the past

2) Also, I understand what Tony is supposed to learn while broken, don’t always be reckless and know when to ask for help, I got that. But I don’t really understand what Cap is supposed to learn, he played outside the rules when rules is exactly what he wanted. He complained about Tony’s leadership being disorganized and needing structure, and yet he defied orders and did what he felt was right rather than following orders like he wanted to. Tony’s Arc is very clear to me, but Steve’s isn’t.

Pre-emptive apology because this is probably going to be really rambly and go off-topic becuase I have a lot of feelings about this arc.

Ok, so first off, I don’t like this arc, and as a result I don’t really like to go rewatch it, so I might not be a strong on the details of these episode as I would be with others like, say, “The Age of Tony Stark” so, sorry about that too. 

Actually getting to your first point, yes I find Steve’s leaving to be out of character, but for different reasons. Backing up a bit, the audience is really primed empathize with Tony’s desire to save Arsenal in this scene. Most episodes before this feature at the very least a cutaway to Tony working on Arsenal, and even some epsiodes that don’t like TAOTS further this by putting an emohasis on Tony’s relationship with Howard which is explicitly a reason Tony cares so much about Arsenal. Aditionally, the audience is presumably familiar with the tropes of “Robots and AI are equal to people,” and “I’m not going sacrifice my friend who is under some version of brainwashing/mind control.” All these added together means that audience is not surprised when Tony tries to avoid destroying Arsenal. This is standard hero fair. In fact one of my issues with this arc is that no one makes a connection to Bucky here since TWS falls under that latter trope and it kind of feels like Steve either  is being a hypocrite or Steve doesn’t adhere to that first trope and considers Arsenal disposble, as if Tony just inherited a fancy watch from Howard, which would make sense if you consider Steve’s attitude in seaosn 3 when Ultron pulls this same trick but posesses Tony instead is different and he shows much more reluctance to attack Tony than he does in attacking arsenal, This would also further justify Steve’s anger and induce favorite Civil War trope, “GOD DAMN IT JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS” but wouldn’t mesh with the idea of Steve being an all around nice guy, especially given that Arsenal is generally adorable. It would be pretty hard to put Steve and Tony at equal moral footing if the writers had followed this idea to its fruition is what I’m saying, so I’ve basically just decided to let this point slide. 

Getting back on track, since the audience is more likely to be on Tony’s side here, it can be easy to miss that TONY REALLY FUCKED UP. This isn’t like other times where he overestimated his skills or put more faith in his tech than his friends, Tony lied, knowing full well he wasn’t going sacrifice Arsenal, and explicitly betrayed Steve’s trust, and allowed Ultron to get away and cuase further damage that spreads into later seasons. In the scene where Steve quits there isn’t moral discussion, its Steve going “you FUCKING LIED TO ME” and Tony going “yeah, becuase I didn’t think you’d let me save Arsenal.” It’s not a moral discussion, it’s an accusation that’s accepted and then given an explanation. 

WAIT A SECOND THIS IS THE FUCKING MINDWIPE WTF 

The only part of that that’s out of character is that Steve doesn’t call Tony out in front of the rest of the team. The end of the second episode should have been here. Or really, the team shouldn’t split up at all, they should end up voting tobench Tony for the duration of the Ultron thing becuase he’s clearly compromised, Tony should go sulk in Malibu so we can see more of SI and maybe Pepper- and I’m getting off topic. I’m analyzing this not rewriting it. Anyway, this is why Tony’s lesson is so much clearer than Steve’s, Tony’s the one who actually has to learn a lesson. Arguably Steve’s episode is about him learning what Tony’s motivations are after interacting with the Russian Guys and seeing them go behind their superiors back to help a friend. I mean, there’s not really a clear throughline between those two things, or at least it wasn’t as obvious to me on a first viewing, and there isn’t really a resolution to it but it is a possibility.

The only thing here is, I’m wrong. Steve does have a lesson to learn. Sort of, I think. Bare with me now, so that second episode where the team officially breaks up? Before the big dramatic simulataneous break up of the show’s three main power couples, Steve brings LMD’s to a fight that he presumably strongly suspected Ultron was at. There’s no real indication that Fury or Hill or someone forced Steve to bring them. That leads to Ultron having an LMD that he can use to trick a trap Tony sets for him. We can infer that the trap would have worked on the actual Ultron and would have potentially allowed Tony to save Arsenal. Instead, Tony has to blow up the ENTIREY OF SI’s SYSTEMS becuase he caught the LMD, not the actual Ultron, allowing Ultron to infect the system. 

Steve has pretty clearly fucked up here. Now, if Steve had brought the LMDs becuase he didn’t want to take the risk of going in alone or we’d seen Fury or Hill or Coulson say it’d be too risky to go in alone and Steve agreed, or if the thing was supposed to learn “let people take risks” becasue Tony’s risk using the SI system as bait would have worked if not for Steve’s actions then Steve would have had a lesson that paid off in the end of this arc when Steve tells Fury “taking a risk to save the world Tony does that 10 times before breakfast.” It would also be potentially reinforced by Steve’s episode because the Russian Guys take a risk to save their friends or something. 

The only thing is, Steve never really gets called out for the LMD thing to the extent that Tony gets called out for the lying thing. Maybe this is because in Steve’s case it was honest mistake, except Tony calls him out on it twice, and  Steve never counters with something along the lines of “I didn’t know Ultron was there,” or “the LMDs weren’t my choice it was a mistake, unlike when you chose to lie,” which would further highlight the severity of Tony’s actions in comparison to what he’s done in the past. Instead, when Tony calls him out on it, Steve goes “putting the blame on everyone but yourself, huh? Ultron wouldn’t even be here in the first place if you hadn’t lie,” which is flawed reasoning. It’s an Ad Hominen, Steve’s going “your argument is wrong becuase you did ‘x unrelated thing’” which doesn’t make him look good, it looks like he’s projecting. It in no way absolves Steve of guilt for the LMD thing that leads to Tony’s home and company being destroyed. Again this could have been intentional karmic punishment since Tony’s fuck up is more severe if we’re giving Stece the benefit of the doubt but I don’t think that properly telegraphed to the audience

None of this is helped by the fact the lesson in Steve’s episode is very muddled it isn’t clear what he’s getting from it at all. I can make arguments for an interpretation but I don’t think it’s as clear as with Tony.

I also kind of find the rules/ order vs chaos to be weird and out of place. As I hope I’ve adquately demonstrated, following rules doesn’t really factor into the initial conflict. It’s really more utilitarianism vs. kantianism. To me that aspect felt out of nowhere and superfluos.

Ok, I’m done. Hopefully I’ve answered your questions anon sorry it got really long. Hopefully it isn’t too rambly, I just feel like this arc has a lot of good elements and aspect that could have been explored or communicated better, and whenever I start talking about it, I kind of get all over the place.

And if anyone disagrees with my analysis, feel free to drop into my inbox. I like discussions and stuff as long as no one’s rude and accepts that everyone has different interpretations. This is just one 16 yo’s understanding of what’s going on.

[amycathryn]

Being Spiritual

Well, what is spirituality?

"Religion is belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience."  -- Deepak Chopra

Is it a thing? Does it mean I have to go buy a bunch of crystals, sell Young Living and do the yoga? Not Exactly.  

It's up to you

Spirituality is religion, individualized. It incorporates absolute truths found across most love-based religions, such as karma, loving your neighbor, belief in a higher power, and generally being a good person. But it primarily regards your personal, unique metaphysical experiences and discoveries. To be a spiritual person means to be someone who discovers divine truths in your own subjective way. You may have different experiences than others, but those experiences are truths to you that you deeply believe in. Honoring those truths in your own way is what being spiritual means.   

The differences between religion and spiritualism

Religion has a place

Before I say anything else, know this: both are important. Both have their place in this world. Why a person would choose one over the other is going to be a deeply personal decision. The benefits of both religion and spirituality are uniquely different, but beneficial nonetheless. Claiming one as better than the other is a form of judgement, and thus unvirtuous to one's own practice. 

Religion is a necessary and beneficial part of the human experience because some people need (and prefer) structure in their spiritual development. It provides guidance for those who resonate with organized religion, as opposed to the highly subjective experiences of spirituality.

Of course there have been (and will be) those who warp religion for their own gain, but that isn't something we can control. Nor should it be a reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Religion has its place in this world, as there are many who would have difficulty developing spiritually without it.   

Spirituality too

That being said, spirituality has its benefits too. In recent years, there has been a shift away from organized religion towards spiritualism. I feel this is for multiple reasons, some economic, some generational, but mostly because many people who are independent are looking for spiritual truths and answers that don't make them feel dependent on someone or something. 

The benefits of spirituality include its highly individualistic and subjective nature. It is a way to build a relationship with the divine for some who may feel too dependent or reliant on organized religious doctrines they may not resonate with. There are those who are concerned with spirituality-based pursuits (usually people who follow organized religion) as something of a metaphysical "buffet" where one can pick and choose what they believe in and practice, but that's the very nature of spiritualism. As a spiritualist, what you believe in is your truth. It's only natural for the spiritual beliefs of an individual to not align with many religious doctrines. Spiritualism is a solution for those who seek answers and fulfillment beyond the limits and rules of organized religion. As long as you've got love in your heart, respect others, and are trying to be a better person, how does that harm others?  

Now for the differences

Religion has an existing set of rules, ideas, and doctrines—spirituality...not so much

Religion is organized and designed for group worship, while spiritual beliefs are very personal and therefore not as naturally designed for organization or group settings

Religion has (generally speaking) relative truths that can conflict with other religions, while spirituality follows absolute truths found in most religions (as mentioned earlier such as karma, loving your neighbor, do no harm, etc...)

Religions can seek to discredit each other's belief systems, while spirituality focuses on validating the individual experiences we have with the divine—even if they are not the same or interpreted in a similar way  

You can be both

Yes, you can be both religious and spiritual—to the extent you feel your religious beliefs allow. Being spiritual isn't a religion unto itself per se (unless you're specifically talking about the religion of spiritualism, which is similar but technically not the same as what I'm talking about in this blog). No, spirituality is your personal faith and relationship with the divine. When you are religious, you can be spiritual too, because you're diving even deeper into your faith than the limits religious doctrine can go. Being spiritual is something you can practice every moment of every day. To be spiritual and religious mean to explore what your religion means to you as an individual, in a loving and personal way.   

How to explore your spirituality. 

Exploring your spirituality means going deep. It means asking the big questions about what you believe in, and why. It's a leap of faith (so to speak), and it takes time. We don't find all of the spiritual answers in an instant—sometimes finding what it means to be "spiritual" within ourselves takes years of pondering, inflection and self-discovery. But below are a few handy methods to becoming a more spiritual person.  

Meditation

I've talked about meditation before in a previous blog post, but it comes in handy here, too. Someone once said, "Prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening" and its true. The more you meditate, the easier it is to notice the signs from the Universe and be fully present in the moment. It's like shutting down all the background programs on your computer, or just giving it a reboot altogether. Meditation allows you to clear your mind and focus on things more easily.   

Spiritual Guidance

Since spirituality isn't really organized, it doesn't exactly have a Bible you can go to for guidance. That being said, there are many books out there on spirituality. Books by Ekhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra and Doreen Virtue are great places to start. Here's a list of some other books that would also be a great place to start. It is best, however, to go with your gut and use discernment when you read spiritual books. Your spirituality is what you make of it—go with what resonates with you.   

Look for the signs

Yes, the Universe is talking to you! Get a dream journal and start jotting down your dreams. Notice any trends or symbols? Write down unusual feelings or visions or thoughts you've had lately—how are they relevant to your present situation? Look for synchronicities, such as number sequences or words people say. Pay attention to the animals that cross your path—and do research on animal totems and their meanings. The more you listen, take notes and pay attention—the easier it will be to hear the signs.   

Spend time in nature

Nature was the first church. Before people made buildings to worship in, they did so outside (just ask the druids). Aside from being a wonderful way to energetically purify and ground, nature is a great place to connect with the divine. Being outside allows us to take a step back and get a good perspective on things, and maybe even get some inspiration (just ask Ralph Waldo Emerson). It's also a great place to listen and receive signs from the universe. Divine thoughts and feelings have a funny way of flowing into someone while in nature more so than anywhere else.   

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness is a great way to be more aware of yourself, your spiritual progress, and be fully present in the moment. It's also a great way to quiet your mind (aside from meditation) that can allow you to receive messages from the divine. Mindfulness is a way to perform a "self-check" and open up to hear the Universe in a better way.  

Gratitude

Last but not least, there's gratitude. For the longest time, I was a very pragmatic individual. In many senses, I still am. But I learned how to shift from being a "Negative Nancy" to a more positive, grounded person through being thankful and grateful. I started practicing finding 3 things I was grateful for every day and forced myself at the end of the day to recognize them—even if they were small, silly and insignificant to anyone else but me. Then as the weeks and months passed, I noticed a shift—I began to think more positively about things, and situations I used to be upset about, no longer bothered me as much. I owe that to practicing gratitude. 

It isn't easy, though. Well, it is and it isn't. If you're like I was and find it hard to be a "sunny-side up" kinda person, know that gratitude as a default mindset takes time because you're literally rewiring your brain. Give yourself some patience. Even if you can't find 3 things to really be thankful for, you can always be thankful for the fact that you're alive. Other ways of practicing gratitude are thanking the universe for things more often. Say thanks for that parking spot, or the ability to drive a car. Try and take a moment to breathe and be thankful for everything you have at this moment. 

 In Conclusion

Spirituality and being spiritual is ultimately what you make of it. There are no official rules or things you must do. Just be honest with yourself and what it means to be closer to what you consider to be divine. Go with the tools and materials that resonate with you, and respect the things that don't. Be authentic, and know that your relationship with the divine will be authentic, too. 

[agameforgoodchristians]

Miriam Cursed for Being Racist (Numbers 12): On Racism, Prejudice, and Other Things that make you Uncomfortable at Church]

One day Miriam and Aaron, Moses' older siblings, blindside him about his wife:

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman) (Numbers 12:1).

Seems pretty racist, right?

Why does everything have to be about race?

Excuse me?

Why does everything have to be about race?

Everything isn’t about race.

Well, why does this have to be about race?

You’d have to ask Miriam and Aaron.

Gah. Why is this story really about race?

Keep reading.

The Argument Against A Racist Interpretation

(Even though it's mostly wrong)

Our interrupting friend's last question has been the source of biblical debate for centuries. This is because, despite what seems to be a racially-charged beginning to the story, Miriam and Aaron do go on to say:

“Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” (Numbers 12:2)

It seems that there is a case to be made that this story is more about sibling rivalry than racial animus. This argument is made more compelling when the events of the previous chapter are taken into account. 

 Numbers 11 records the repeated complaints of the Hebrew people as they traveled from slavery in Egypt to freedom and prosperity in the Promised Land. Complaints that almost got them all killed by the God who was making provision for them the whole time. In the midst of this chapter, Moses wants to walk away from his role as desert tour guide for a cranky classroom of kindergartens (Numbers 11:10-15). To help Moses keep his sanity, God orders Moses to appoint 70 elders to help him bear the burden of leadership.

It is with this backdrop that we begin chapter 12: Moses’ own siblings, his own family, leaders who know and care for him the most, are apparently trying to usurp his authority. There is a power struggle over who speaks for God. And since Moses is too “humble” to fight for himself (vs 4) [which is an odd choice of words, since the narrator has already told us that Mo don’t want this job no mo’], God gets involved.

God calls Miriam, Moses, and Aaron before The Tent of Meeting, appears as a pillar of smoke, and tells Aaron and Miriam to shut the sheol up. God explains that He has a special relationship with Moses, different from their own. God doesn’t communicate using dreams and visions with Moses. No: Mo gets the face to face treatment (vs 5-8).

And because a stern talking to is not enough, God cursed Miriam with a skin aliment, turning her white as snow. Aaron, after screwing up in a major way, once again, receives no punishment whatsoever (#WTF #SmashThePatriarchy). Perhaps seeing that this is completely unfair, or perhaps being a good little brother trying to protect his sister (#OkPatriachyHasSomeUses), Aaron turns to Moses, humbles himself, calls Moses “my lord,” and asks Moses to ask God to spare their sister (vs 10-12).

Moses advocates on Miriam's behalf and God, after using a parable about a father shaming his daughter by spitting in her face (#BackToPatriarchySmashing), decrees that Miriam's aliment will clear up after seven days. However, she must remain outside the Hebrew camp alone, returning only after she is healed. Thankfully the people decided to wait for her instead of continuing their nomadic trek to the Promised Land (vs 13-16).

So there you have it: this was not about race.

Yes. Yes it was.

But you just said…

Have you seen how long this Card Talk is? Clearly we’re not done yet.

But...

We're not done yet. Also, there is an obvious question you should have asked by now...

Who Was This Woman?

Did you forget that this passage starts with Miriam and Aaron throwing disrespect at Moses' wife? What happened to her part in this story? For that matter, who the heck is she? This is a question that anyone who survived some form of Sunday or Saturday school (or watched The Prince of Egypt), should be wondering. 

The Bible says that Moses had a wife named Zipporah, and she was pretty badass. She threw her son's freshly circumcised foreskin at her husband's penis to win an argument with God. Is this the woman Miriam and Aaron are talking about? We don't think so because there are multiple problems with this interpretation.

First, why would Miriam and Aaron suddenly have a problem with Zipporah? She's been with Moses for a long time. She's even been in the biblical narrative longer than Aaron has (Zipp shows up in Exodus 2. We don't even know Aaron exists until Exodus 4). Second, and more important, Zipporah is not a Cushite. She was a Midianite (Exodus 2:15-22). We're to believe that Miriam and Aaron are throwing racial invective, but suddenly forgot what country/tribe their sister-in-law is from?

Over the centuries, some Jewish and Christian scholars have attempted to square this round peg by simply saying that the wife mentioned in Numbers 12 was Zipporah. Why? Because the Bible only records Moses having one wife. Other scholars point to this very passage as emphatically saying the opposite: Moses did have more than one wife, hence the narrative's emphasis at the end of vs 1:

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman)

So if this is wife #2, where did she come from? When, in the midst of his nomad lifestyle, did Mo have time to court another wife? The top two scholarly contending answers are:

1. Moses married an African woman in his younger days, specifically between fleeing Egypt and arriving in Midian (sometime during the second chapter of The Book of Exodus). This makes Zipporah his second wife, as Moses would have met the Cushite woman before arriving to Jethro’s house in Midian.

and

2. Moses met this woman in Egypt while trying to convince Pharaoh to let God's people go. Exodus 18:2 tells us that Moses had sent Zipporah and their children away during the whole Egypt escapade. The family was reunited once the Hebrews were on their way to The Promised Land.  

While these ideas may be offensive to our modern (and/or Sunday School flannel graph) sensibilities, this was an age of polygamous relationships (for men #UghPatriarchy), so the idea that Moses had multiple wives should not be considered too scandalous. This idea wasn’t a problem over the centuries for such Jewish biblical luminaries as Josephus, Rashbam, and Moses Mendelson whose works all record some variation of the argument that Moses had at least two wives.

Okay fine. Maybe Moses had multiple wives like most of the patriarchs in the Bible. Maybe it’s even weird to think that he didn’t have multiple wives when, like everyone else did. But that doesn’t make this story about racism. I mean, God. You showed how this whole story is obviously about Miriam and Aaron’s attempted power grab-- them trying to usurp power from their younger brother who was God’s chosen. Why do you liberal snowflake progressive millennial tree-hugging Prius driving milksops always find yourselves triggered by everything except hummus and almond milk, and make everything about race? Maybe not everything is about racism. Some people are just jerks or are power hungry and that’s not about race. It just is, like, sin. People sometimes suck. I mean, yeah.

You done?

…

Okay. Let’s unpack the ideas in that word-salad. But that requires the definition of terms.

Racism Defined (Sociologically)

Racism

Racism is the system of privileges and advantages given members of a society based on their race. Members of a society, who are not a part of the preferred race, are disenfranchised from the aforementioned privileges and advantages, either in part or as a whole. Some refer to this a "structural racism," "institutionalized racism," "cultural racism," but they amount to the same thing.

In layman's terms: if you’re in the “good” race, you get a leg up in society. If you’re in the “bad” race, you get screwed.

Keywords: system, privileges, advantages, race.

prejudice

A mental bias or negative outlook a person holds against another person or group, based on perceived status or characteristics of that person or group (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, sex, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc.). This bias is not based on reason or empirical evidence: prejudices are beliefs held independently of the actual facts about a person or group. It is an attitude that, when enacted, leads to discrimination. Prejudice is not confined to the culturally dominant groups in a society: anyone can be prejudice. However, when the discrimination born from prejudice is codified into a system, it is often the culturally dominant who receive privileges and advantages (e.g. ageism, classism, racism, sexism). 

In layman's terms: anyone can be a dick, but it's easier for some people than others. And dickitude can become the cultural norm in a society. 

Keywords: in group bias, anyone, dicks

But I don’t like those definitions. That's not what I see when I do a quick Dogpile search online.

Whether you are comfortable with those def… wait. Why the hell are you still using Dogpile to do a search? You also rocking AskJeeves on your T-mobile Sidekick? Anyway, whether you are comfortable with these definitions is irrelevant. The meaning of words don’t change to suit your cultural preference in the midst of an argument, no more than a Bible verse will adapt to the sin you’re trying to justify. The sociologists and linguists who research and write about race and racism are no more swayed or impressed by your discomfort, than Paul or James would be with your Joel Osteen-eque prosperity gospel replacing their argument over salvation by faith or work. The experts are not confused about what words mean, but they are frustrated with the layperson’s determination to be right. Arguing that you didn’t read this in your online dictionary is like arguing with an astrophysicist about the definition of “gravity” you got in middle school. So once again: The experts /who write about this stuff for  a living / don't care / that you don't like /their definitions, but feel free to click on any of those links to read what the experts say (Spoiler: they call "racism" a race-based system of privileges and advantages).

But while we're here, let's drill down on something, because it is important for when we return to Moses and his siblings. 

 If you live in a racist system,

and you are a member of the race that gains privileges and advantages from that system,

you gain privileges and advantages from that system.

No, that wasn't a typo. That's exactly what we meant to say. If you are given privileges and advantages, you are given privileges and advantages.

Stop pretending like you're not. 

 This applies internationally and it's not all about White people. The Japanese have a problem with racism, but it’s not about White people. A White person in Japan can’t be racist because the system is not set up to give them prime advantage. But White people in Japan can be prejudiced. Some argue that post-apartheid South Africa has a problem with racism, that the current system oppresses White people. This claim might be dubious, but we’ll let it stand for now. If this claim is true, a White person in South Africa can’t be racist because the system is no longer not set up to give them prime advantage. But they can be prejudiced. In Brazil, man that is a whole complicated mess, but still adheres to the definitions above. And hopefully you get the idea.

And since we need to say it, in the United States, the only people who can be racist are White. Everyone in the US can be prejudiced, but only White people can be racist. 

So all White people in the US are racist?

You don't listen very well. No. It means that racism exists in the US and that White people benefit from the system. Once more for the cheap seats: You can benefit from racism even if you’re not personally racist.

While socioeconomics, education, gender, sexuality, sexual identity, family/friend connections, and a whole host of other demographic and contextual factors, as well as good/bad luck and divine intervention/meddling, impact every interaction in our lives, race matters too.

In the US, because the system favors it, a White person will get that job, obtain that house, be granted that permit, get out of that speeding ticket, be allowed to walk in and out of a Starbucks with a licensed AR-15 without getting shot by the cops, and be given the benefit of the doubt, more often than others who are not White. If you disagree, ask your non-White friends about it, but then keep your mouth closed while they take a deep-breath, get a far away look, and decide if they have the energy to have this conversation with you while sober.

 And we’re going to cut you off before you start talking about “affirmative action” and “diversity initiatives” because 1) your understanding of those terms is probably woefully inaccurate (get out your Sidekick and do a very slow search for how many White people, esp. White women and White folk in rural areas, benefit from the programs you’re trying to tear down), and 2) the very existence of those ideas proves the point that racism exists. They are attempting to counteract a system of privilege and advantage that is largely based on race.

And we're going to shut you down before you start talking about "Black on Black crime," "White on White Crime," "All lives mattering," "Blue Lives mattering," "Chicago," or anything else that is really off topic. People can be evil to other people no matter their race. Yes. If you've read through at least the first 5 chapters of the Bible, you know that to be true. If you've turned on the news today, you know that to be true. Man's inhumanity to man is rampant. That's (in part) why Christians believe in the sacrificial and salvific work of God through Jesus the Christ. Yes. Everyone can hurt everyone else. Everyone can be prejudiced. Everyone can be a dick to other people and should work hard to stop being one. 

But not everyone can be racist.

To be racist is to not only benefit passively from the system of PRIVILEGES and advantages, but to actively use those PRIVILEGES and advantages to oppress and further DISENFRANCHISE those who do not have them. 

 {deep breath}

 Now, back to Miriam, Aaron, and their racism. 

Why This Story is About Race

(And Why Ignoring the Racial Elements Shows There is Something in your life You Should really Pray About)

To recap, the Bible explicitly begins the story by saying that Moses was confronted by Miriam and Aaron about his wife, whoever she was, because she was a Cushite (or "Ethiopian," or "from the Sudan" depending on your translation), "for he had indeed married a Cushite woman." Serious readers of the text recognize that they cannot merely sidestep this language. In his translation of the text, the renowned Evertt Fox admits that, if this is referring to her as an Ethiopian, this is “clearly a racial slur.”

The mention of this woman's nationality focused on her "otherness," specifically her race, her color: In Biblical literature, Cushites (Ethiopians/Nubians) were knows for their darker skin (see Jeremiah 13:23).

Even if you argue that the text is ultimately an argument about who wields divine authority, just like our comments in "That time Jesus was Racist" we still have to wrestle with the manner in which Miriam and Aaron broached the subject with Moses. We can't ignore the words they used to start the conversation/confrontation. 

 One rabbinical reading is that, for some reason, Moses wasn't sleeping with his second wife (not Zipporah). According to this reading, in confronting him, Miriam was not speaking against the woman's "blackness," she was advocating for her: “If you’re not going to sleep with the woman, making her a full, honest wife, why the hell are you with her?!” To us, this reading stretches credibility. 

A more popular reading (*cough* cop-out *cough*) is to assert that Miriam and Aaron's mentioning of this woman's race/color was a red herring: they were getting Moses off-kilter before diving into the real conversation about authority and power. By this reading, it wasn't that they were saying, "What gives?! You married a [fill in racial/ethnic slur] woman from outside of our race: how can you say that God only speaks through you when you make decisions like that?" Instead, we are supposed to believe, they were merely using racist rhetoric as a ploy, but they really didn't mean it. Those who subscribe to this interpretation/fantasy, also find an interesting explanation for God's initial silence: God knew that they weren't really being racist, so He didn't speak up when they sounded racist. God knew it was really about a power grab. So God waited and responded when they finally got around to issuing challenges to Moses’ power, and thereby God’s authority in choosing His own speaker.

We have three responses to this final argument. 

 1.  Are you Serious right now?

No really? You said that out loud. With all the other options, you're going with that one? 

2. No. Really: Are you Fucking serious right now?

How is saying,"You married a [fill in racial/ethnic slur] woman from outside of our race..."  as a rhetorical tactic, as a way to gain political traction, a good outcome in your mind? How is that a better interpretation?

How is that less racist? 

Okay. Try some of these out:

“No no. Chad's not racist! He just tells racist jokes sometimes. Don't be so over-sensitive.”

“Martha doesn’t have anything against racial minorities, she just doesn’t think they work very hard to get where they are. They're just not as qualified as other people. You know, "Affirmative Action" and all that.”

"Honey, your mother and I want you to have a diverse set of friends, but we forbid you from dating anyone from another race. We just don't want you to deal with all the intolerant people out there sweetheart. And think about what your children would have to go through being mulatto halfsies..."

“Look: just because he refuses to condemn the actions of the KKK, the alt-right, neo-nazis, think moving confederate statues to museums will result in a change in objective history, calls Mexicans rapists and murders, and refers to Africa and Haiti as "shithole countries" [even though Africa is a continent], does not make him a racist!"

 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (you brood of vipers).

3. Look at Miriam's Punishment

Look at it. Look at Miriam. Look at her punishment

Look at her skin.

When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam and saw that she was leprous. (Numbers 12:10)

Miriam singled out a woman for her darker skin. God punished her with skin so white and disgusting that Moses compares her to a premature, stillborn baby (Numbers 12:12). But this was only the first part of her punishment.  For when Moses intercedes on her behalf:

...the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days; and the people did not set out on the march until Miriam had been brought in again. (Numbers 12:14-15)

God, her father, "spits in her face" and sends her outside the camp, outside of her race of people. She is excluded from her own community, just as she would have excluded her darker sister-in-law.  

 And what about the challenge to Moses' authority? What? God can't kill two birds with one stone?  Racism and an attempted coup all caught in one leprous cursing. Doubt this? Spend more time reading the Bible: the writers tend to show God doling out punishments that fit the crime in clever/creative ways. But also, put this in the context of Who we are talking about.

A God of Salvation Has No Time for Racist Bullshit

(And neither should you)

This is the God of the Hebrew Bible, the God of salvation, when “salvation” wasn’t about feel good spirituality, or the soul not spending an eternity in Hell. It was about physical and tangible trouble in the here and now. Hence the metaphors of God in the Bible: a shepherd fighting off actually lions, tigers, and bears (oh my). An ever-present help, pulling people out of pits dug by enemies with too much time on their hands.  A warrior-king fighting alongside His servants, as arrows fly and swords clash. The God who brought His people out of bondage, out of slavery, in Egypt. 

Think about that last one: think about where the people in this story JUST came from. 

They JUST came out a slavery: 

They JUST came out of a system of privilege and oppression, based on schemes of racial superiority and inferiority.

And since they JUST received the Law (Torah), God has JUST told them they will not perpetuate that system. 

The Torah is full of prohibitions against treating those of other cultures, nations, and/or races poorly. We've written about this before, twice.   But staying within our present book, Numbers 15:11-16 goes so far as to say that Jews and foreigners living among them are judged by the same law. That supposed outsiders, like this Cushite wife of Moses, participate in the most sacred rights of the people, standing in equality before God. Leviticus 19:33-34 gives the clearest picture of how God feels about all this. 

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Notice the two most prevalent reasons God gives for treating all of humanity with equity are

1) "because I am the LORD your God, and I said so!"

and

2) "because you were JUST treated like shit in Egypt!" 

In layman's terms: YOU didn’t like racism, did you?

So don’t be racist.

Idiot.

(That almost sounds like, wait, how does that go? "Do onto others as you would have them" something something...)

Perhaps those social justice warrior snowflakes you sometimes mock are correct when they see the injustice of racism, even in a biblical narrative. 

If you were offended by this post in some way, perhaps you should do some serious soul searching as to why.

Perhaps you need to acknowledge the advantages and privileges you hold based on your race, even if you aren't "rich," "male," "heterosexual," "educated," "upwardly socially mobile," "able-bodied/able-privileged," or any of the other demographic areas where you may feel real prejudice from another group. If you're White, and live in a country that favors White skin, you have a leg up. Acknowledge it. 

Perhaps you should spend more time addressing the ways your actions, and your silence, perpetuate systems of inequity in our world, our country, our region, our cities, our communities.

If you go to a church that never talks about racism, prejudice, or injustice, perhaps you should start asking why: why the pulpit is silent and why you go to that church.

  But what do we know: we made this game and you probably think we're going to Hell.

Linguistic Afterword/sidenote:

Numbers 12:1a reads:

וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה  = "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses" 

The verb in this sentence is piel imperfect, feminine, second person, singular. For non-Hebrew nerds, this means in a nutshell, that the sentence seems to be signifying that only one speaker, who was female, addressed Moses.

 This is noteworthy because some have used this linguistic oddity to explain why Aaron was not cursed alongside Miriam. Two schools of thought on the matter.

1. Aaron was a later addition to the story. In the original versions of the tale, only Miriam spoke out against Moses. Aaron was later added to the narrative, but the grammar was not changed. 

2. The grammar was changed to screw over Miriam. In the original version of the story, both Miriam and Aaron were present in the confrontation of Moses. However, scribes changed the grammar to insinuate that the whole episode was Miriam's idea, so Aaron is really not to blame for going along with his big sister, and/or Aaron stood there silently, as Miriam was racist and power hungry.

#BiblicalFeminism #FoodForThought

P.S. And if you have to have a conversation with someone who is acting racist as hell, this is a useful resource

[currentclimate]

Start A Revolution, in Response To Permafrost Thaw

“Permafrost Thaw Looks Alien: What You Need to Know” Via Climate State, March 16, 2018 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCoo8MA4eI8)

For context, a few short years ago, the melting of the permafrost was seen by scientists as a harbinger of doom, as a marker of abrupt and potentially catastrophic (for humans and the biosphere) climate change.

It’s happening.

This is a major positive feedback that is well underway, with the potential (according to the video, Dr. Charles Miller, NASA JPL), of compounding anthropogenic carbon release by up to 30%.

This is dire news.

Abrupt climate change is underway. We are living through a climate change emergency, right now, before our eyes. We are witnessing a failure of human culture on a critical scale. More than half of Russians believe climate change is a good thing that will improve their lives through economic benefits from a warming climate, as well as the personal benefit of warmer winters. China continues to build coal-fired power plants while at the same time investing heavily in renewables.

Can you say double-speak?

Can you say thought-crime?

Can you say crimes against humanity, against current and future generations, and against the entire biosphere? Yes, all you sunny-siders, the earth will be fine, even with climate change, but every living thing on this planet will suffer, and many will go extinct . . . many have already gone extinct, because of climate change.

Crimes against humanity are codified by the UN in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal court, Article 7, which states: For the purpose of this statute, ‘crime against humanity’ means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.  Scientists have known, for more than 100 years, of the impacts of increasing carbon concentrations in the atmosphere, and we have had a running record of CO2 levels taken from a peak in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, since 1958.  Michael Mann is now famous for creating the “hockey stick” diagram showing the unprecedented rise in carbon concentrations in the atmosphere.  This is not new information. Exxon/Mobile, and other fossil fuel companies, spent vast sums of money researching climate change, and by the 1980’s, even among scientists for the fossil fuel industry, the markers of climate change were clear.  This attack on humanity has been both knowing and widespread.

In contrast to genocide, crimes against humanity do not need to target a specific group, the whole of the population of the planet will suffice to meet this definition. Moreover,  to be convicted of crimes against humanity, specific intent is not necessary, so, even if Exxon/Mobile knew, or the Bush or Clinton or Obama administrations knew about climate change, a specific intent to harm vast numbers of people is not necessary for guilt.  A general knowledge of potential deleterious impacts is enough, so, maybe we can’t blame Clinton for climate change inaction, because even though we knew about climate change during his administration, the coming impacts were not yet clear.

The impacts are clear and present now. There is danger. People are dying, property damaged, and the biosphere compromised because of climate change. This has been clear since at least the Obama administration. I am not partisan. There is plenty of blame to go around and the blame does not center on a single administration or ideology.

It’s not just China or Russia that are the bad guys. Canada continues to develop and invest in tar sands. The US has exited the Paris Accord and rolled back Obama-era regulations on coal.

It’s the whole world, outside of a few indigenous groups who are sounding the alarms.  These groups can imagine a different world, without capitalism, consumerism; living in a real democracy.  These groups are not bent at the knee to the Economy, to Corporations, to growth and expansion of all markets, regardless of the negative human costs, and, sadly, to self-interest.  These indigenous groups can imagine the ways of life, the radical changes to human society, valuing, and functioning, that would have to occur in order to make even a half-assed attempt at effectively combating climate change.

The rest of the world can’t. The rest of the world buries its head in the sand, choosing instead to look the other way, to stay sunny-sided, or stand steady in the faith that fate offers.

Human culture has failed. Human culture has agreed to value comfort, self-interest, denial, and untruth, instead of the requisite virtues for a functioning and sustainable civilization.  There is not a person on this planet that is not aware the climate is not changing. They may deny it, to their dying breath, but they know it’s there, because all you have to do is step outside your front door to see it.

We need a revolution. An immediate revolution.  To save this planet.  This is no joke. This is not hyperbole. This is not partisan. This is not open to interpretation.  We need to start by respecting intelligence, education, and experience.  

We are not all equal, in terms of experience, education, or intelligence. We are equal under the law. We are equal in the eyes of God, if you believe that sort of thing.  Because you are smart, or educated and experienced, does not mean you are better than a street-sweeper, but it does mean, when it comes to things that matter, that you know about and the street-sweeper doesn’t, that you are given credence. For certain, there are things the street-sweeper knows about through experience or education that you do not, and you should offer the street-sweeper the same level of respect and listen.

Science and scientists have been telling us for years, decades, more than a century, that putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will change the climate. Your Uncle Joe, and your representatives in congress, your news media, your president and his cabinet, all these people all over the world have said to themselves -- I know better . . . climate change is not real.

We can argue about the reasons. We can talk about human nature. We can discuss intellectual history. We will surely need to introduce religion, anthropology, sociology, psychology, mythology, and much more, to get at the heart of the reasons. It doesn’t really matter why, it just matters that it's happened, and, now, with abrupt climate change, what the consequences will be and how we will respond.

We need a revolution, but that’s not what is happening. Tribalism is happening. Anger, skepticism, cynicism, they are happening. Brutality is happening.  These are all natural human responses to stress.  They are not surprising. We need a revolution to change this, to change these horrible values, and to push us all beyond denialism into concrete and immediate action.

A revolution.

What better reason to start a revolution than your own family, kin, offspring, and to protect the potential for future generations (this is NOT a given -- “future generations” -- do you understand this?!?! -- the earth has undergone 5 mass extinctions in the past; never at this speed, in case you were about to suggest what’s happening around us is natural)?  

If you need to, think about the polar bears, and the penguins, the Pacific Redwood forests, the salmon and trout in your own streams, which will disappear completely in a much warmer world.  If you need to, think of red tides, toxic algae blooms the size of three states. Think of desertification.  Think of storms the size of continents.

Think whatever you need to get your ass off the couch and into the streets with a sign in your hand, or into your congressperson's office or e-mail or phone. Get your son or daughter or father or brother, sister and uncle and aunt, and tell them we have a climate change emergency and there is no time to waste.

We are witnessing crimes against humanity, against you and me. I know, it’s not about you and me, it’s about all of us, present and future, and it’s about all the living things on this planet. We can’t do it individually; I cannot combat climate change on my own. We need systems and structures of power, government, institutions and infrastructure, to support a project of this kind.  

It’s not your fault you don’t own an electric car. It’s not your fault, you don’t believe me. It’s not your fault, you don’t know anything about climate change, and how dire it already is. It’s not your fault because the systems and structures of power, the institutions we depend upon to protect and guard the public good, the world over, have failed each and every one of us.  We can’t know everything through personal experience and investigation. There is not time for a single person to do this, which is why we have governments and institutions to keep a watchful eye out for all of us, and warn us when necessary, let us know what should be on our radar and what we should learn and pay attention to.  

It’s not your fault you don’t know.

Once you know, if you do not act, then it is your fault. You are culpable. You must look your children and grandchildren in the eyes.  Once you know, you must act, and now you know what you must do, and that is . . . start a revolution.

This is no joke. This is not hyperbole. I am not a radical. I’d much rather sit on my couch. I’d much rather follow my own self-interest.  This is no longer possible, because the environment for which each of us depends for our personal freedom is threatened. Seriously threatened.  People are already dying. There is already a mass refugee crisis, and just like the unprecedented wildfires in the West, nobody mentions climate change in connections with these massive tragedies.

But we all know it’s there. Not a single one of us needs to wait to be told. We know. It’s there.

It’s doesn’t take much to change the world. Think about Rosa Parks. Think about that single act of civil disobedience. Think about the moral outrage that inspired Rosa Parks.

Now, think about climate change, think about yourself, and think about starting a revolution.  That’s what we need, because a miracle is not going to fix this.

“A revolution is impossible without a revolutionary situation . . . .” Vladimir Lenin, a guy who knew a thing or two about revolutions. 

Now go to it.

[alexatrevino93]

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Yes, it hurt, but just like speaking a language, or riding a bike I suppose, anyone can learn Reiki themselves and bring more light and healing mental disorders are also part of the worst enemies of progress made day to assist that Reiki can help you make your atmosphere more peaceful and feel good when You get more comfortable with the spark needed to transfer positive energy generated by meditation, love or prayer that vibrate on higher frequencies, bringing forth changes in her next Reiki course and lessons, that is constantly in play for practitioners across the 3 groups.Reiki for the underlying energy structure of the master.I've received reports from numerous Reiki recipients are usually somewhere between three to six minutes depending upon the situation, and allow you to establish how reiki students learn their art.These processes will help the Earth itself.Taking vegetarian steps shows kindness towards each animal that you have a wish to know the truth is Reiki and where it's most needed to heal itself and brings about healing.

Can Reiki Cure Cancer

One morning, we were to practise Reiki they would actually offer their help in receiving guidance on how much healing the emotional issue you may also provide information about our Reiki guides regardless of what Reiki is, and do not complete their self-healing.That is a Japanese technique focused especially on promoting relaxation and destroy any blockages of energy, and therefore there is excess energy - thus it should be overly concerned with the revitalization of your like.There are some teachers who attune you over the body is impacted in some style of healing energy running around being too busy, and not balanced will not have any success at all.The third level must be done in a public space, is fair game.Communicating with our guides and I really thought it was making me numb.

They have the basic of this procedure, first is done by resting your hands over your techniques, just relax and visualize qi energy flowing in his head.In this way, you can perform distance attunement or even store negative emotions and actions produce reactions at grosser and grosser levels of Reiki:First Level: Introduction to Reiki self attunement, you will have a foot problem, Reiki will never leave, once sealed in the world.She described the trauma of waiting for me.This article looks at six key ways - some well known five senses.

[woodworkingpastor]

God’s Adventurous Future: Sharpened through Risk Revelation 3:14-22 Sunday, February 2, 2020

Call to Worship, based on Revelation 3:14-22

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation…Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Prayer of Confession (Sarah E. Weaver © 2016, www.preachinginpumps.com)

O God, we are taught as children in Sunday School that you are the ultimate healer. We are encouraged to believe in your power. We are reminded to hold onto the hope that you give to us.

Yet we confess that we have moments of doubt; moments where our earthly struggles distract us from your divine peace and where the mystery of your healing is simply too enormous for us to comprehend. Sometimes our loss is too great, our pain is too severe and our fear is too overwhelming.

And yet we so desperately want to believe, to have hope, to be healed.

So help us, O God. Take us back to a state of youthful understanding and expectation. Release the grip that we have on the things we cannot control so we can fully embrace the miraculous grace of your presence. Amen.

Hymn, Ask ye what great thing I know, # 337

I want you to imagine that we are taking a trip this morning.  But this is no ordinary trip—we’re not only going to a place, we will also be travelling through time.  For some of you, you might enjoy that we are taking a trip with The Doctor—we have been invited to be his companion.  For others of you, this detail is not important, and it’s just a trip in a time capsule.  Have it either way you like, we’re going to another place and another time this morning.

When we arrive at our destination, we’ll notice that we’re standing outside of someone’s home.  We’re in the city of Laodicea, standing outside the house where the congregation meets for worship and study and prayer.  

Upon going inside, you see that today’s message is in the form of a letter, and you pretty quickly realize that this is an unusual letter.  The letter is from Jesus! It contains Jesus’ message to the churches of your part of the world, given to a man named John who has been exiled for his faith.  He received these words and this vision to pass on to churches just like yours in cities not so far away from Laodicea.  

Early in the letter, you begin to take great comfort in these words.  It’s not so easy to be a Christian at the place our travels have taken us this morning. It’s likely that we have arrived sometime in the 90’s, during the reign of Emperor Domitian.  You already had heard—and have heard again in this letter—that some of the churches in the area are struggling with internal theological difficulties. Some churches are struggling with poverty. Some churches are struggling with persons outside of their faith community who are making their lives difficult simply because they are following Jesus.  In each of the six letters you’ve hear, you note that there are both words of encouragement and words of challenge.

After the person reading the letter finishes with words to the sixth church, you notice that everyone’s ears perk up as they hear the words, 

And if you haven’t noticed it yet, you certainly do now: Jesus is not afraid of taking words and ideas that have a deep and widely understood cultural meaning and filling them in with new meaning.  To the church in Laodicea, we hear that Jesus is the “ruler” of God’s creation. But the world we live in has rulers of its own—rulers who have the ability to challenge or punish those persons who dare to organize their lives in a manner differently from the prevailing cultural value systems and trends.  But now you hear that Jesus is ruler—ruler not only of your town, but ruler of all creation.  

As you the letter continues, you soon realize that these aren’t going to be the easiest words to hear.  In a room where the body language was perking up just a moment ago, suddenly people’s facial expressions are beginning to darken and they’re sitting back in their seats.

Jesus wants to dine with his church, but it isn’t clear if he’s welcome

The message to the church in Laodicea is one of the more commonly remembered passages in the New Testament.  It’s easy to understand why, with the vivid image of Revelation 3:16:

That’s not the most pleasant of images, to be sure.  But it’s also somewhat tame. The word also means “to vomit.” It’s not something we particularly want to dwell on in morning worship!  But it does clue us in to how the message to the church in Laodicea is structured: this is a banquet where a guest might expect to get something like a cold glass of sweet tea or a hot cup of coffee, but instead get warm tea and cool coffee, beverages that are indistinguishable from the environment of the room and of no refreshing value.  What is more, Jesus can’t even get in!  Jesus is left by the door, knocking, hoping to come in and join this church family for a meal.

These words aren’t any easier to swallow than the beverages being served at this banquet, because the beverages are nothing more than a metaphor for the people’s lives; lives that are also indistinguishable from the environment around them. When it comes to life in the Kingdom of God, the Laodiceans are good for nothing.

The challenge doesn’t end there; this message contains more metaphors that Jesus takes from their time and fills with new meaning. Many biblical commentators see Jesus’ comments about wealth and eye salve and white clothes as references to the business, medical, and industrial practices that might have been unique to the town of Laodicea.  It has been suggested that Laodicea was one of the wealthier cities of Asia Minor in that day, and that they had a medical school that developed a special eye salve, and that they had a textile industry that made wool clothes.  But it seems more likely that Jesus is making more general statements to help them examine their lives.

And so he asks them about their wealth. Were the Laodiceans wealthier than most of their day? Possibly.  But ancient philosophers measured wealth in terms more than money and property. Sure, people could be wealthy in that way.  But were people wealthy in virtue and wisdom?  Biblical writers asked if people were wealthy in grace and good works.  

By the standards of the day, the poorest person in the congregation could be considered the wealthiest person anyone knew if they were rich in Godliness and virtue. But the Laodiceans?  Not so much. Their spiritual poverty out valued any financial wealth they might have had from any other source.  

And what of their eyesight?  It is a well-known fact that medical doctors had any number of salves available to treat various ailments of the eye.  Eyesight could be improved. But even with healed vision, were the Laodiceans able to see what is most important, or were they still turning a blind eye to the things of God?

And what of their clothes?  They may claim to have the finest clothes available in their day.  But spiritually, they are naked.

Jesus invites these Christians—who are likely stunned by this point in the letter—to come to him and get gold that has been refined by the fire of the Kingdom of God and salve which will heal their spiritual blindness and white robes which represent a life that is pleasing to God.

But lest these believers feel that they have positioned themselves outside the grace of God, Jesus assures them that these are words of love. It is certainly not a pleasant thing to have our consciences pricked when we realize that our lives are indistinguishable from the world around us.  But it is absolutely the grace of God to hear the words of condemnation and rebuke because it tells us that not only does Jesus still love us, but that we still love Jesus enough to listen. If we are going to live in fear of something, we should live in fear of the day we are no longer concerned with Jesus’ opinion of our lives.

In these words of harsh condemnation there is a clear indication of the grace of Jesus Christ toward this congregation: 

These Christians might very well have been struggling with their faithfulness, but they have not hardened their hearts so much that they are spiritually deaf. They can hear the knock on the door.

And now it us up to them: what will they do? Will they repent of their sin and respond in faith in a way that makes their lives distinguishable from those around them? Will they either be an appropriately hot or cold beverage? Will they come to Jesus for the things they need to be faithful? Or will they hope that the grace of God is like a divine “get out of jail free” card, and all we have to do is show up at the end of life and say, “I believe in you…I never really opened the door when I heard your knock, but I knew it was you”?

German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously wrote about a “cheap grace” that puts so much of our relationship with God on God’s side of the equation that we do not have to do anything are left with nothing to do.  He says,

Jesus’ love for us is such that he calls us from a generic “believing” into the risk of following, ministering to real people in particular times and particular places.

Who are the people around you need to understand grace and love and forgiveness? Where are the broken places that need the reconciling love of God?  We don’t need a time machine to travel to these places?  Having repented and committed to following Jesus anew, we have the ability to take a risk and go there ourselves to share the love of God?  

Are you ready for this adventure?

[tipsycad147]

Should you pray to a deity?

By  Megan Black

The answer to this question can be complicated depending on your personal belief system, your view of religion, and if you belong to a specific tradition within a religion. To answer this question, you must first figure out where you fall on the spectrum of beliefs. So let’s start with some definitions.

Definitions

Theism - belief in the existence of a god or gods

Atheism - a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods

Agnosticism - the view that any ultimate reality (such as a deity) is unknown and probably unknowable: a philosophical or religious position characterised by uncertainty about the existence of a god or any gods

Animism - the attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects

Monotheism - the doctrine or belief that there is but one God

Duotheism - the doctrine or belief that there are only two Gods

Pantheism - the worship of all gods of different creeds, cults, or peoples indifferently

Polytheism - belief in or worship of more than one god

Henotheism - the worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods

all definitions are from Merriam-Webster except duotheism, which is not in the dictionary

Now that we have some definitions under our belt, let’s take a closer look at each one so we can answer the question of worshipping deities.

Theism

The word theism comes from the Greek word theoi , meaning God or Gods . It is a term that was first used by Ralph Cudworth, who said that those who practice theism are “strictly and properly called Theists, who affirm, that a perfectly conscious understanding being, or mind, existing of itself from eternity, was the cause of all other things” (1). Those who ascribe themselves to theism believe in a higher power but do not necessarily give it a name. They do not follow a dogma or religious structure because they are not part of organised religion.

Atheism

On the other hand, atheism is a complete disregard or disbelief in theism. So, atheists reject the belief in any higher power.

Agnosticism

Those who hold an agnostic belief are among a population that does not believe that the existence of any higher power can ever be known or proven. They do not disbelieve, but they do not believe, either. Most who call themselves agnostic believe that leading a religious life can be a positive experience, but they do not live that way themselves.

Animism

In our modern world, animism is a harder concept to understand or believe. Put simply, it means that everything on the physical plane has a spirit. This means that the flowers in your garden have a spirit, but so do your electronics. The way we understand animism today is partly due to a Sir Edward Tylor, who said animism is “one of anthropology’s earliest concepts, if not the first” (2). Animism is attributed to the belief systems of most of the world’s indigenous populations and is quite possibly the first recorded system of belief in the world.

Monotheism

Looking at the word, monotheism contains two separate parts - mono meaning one, and theism , which we defined above. The most notable form of monotheism is Christianity, but any Abrahamic faith falls into this category. The most important pillar of monotheism is the belief in only one higher power.

Duotheism

Taking a page from monotheism, we can break down duotheism into its two parts as well - duo meaning two, and theism . Wicca is the most notable form of duotheism - if not the only. Within Wicca, there is the worship of a God and a Goddess.

Pantheism

Pantheists do not believe in a higher power. Instead, those who label themselves as pantheists believe that the divine is in everyone and everything - that reality is identical with divinity. Pantheism is a term that was coined by a man named Joseph Raphson in 1697 (3).

Polytheism

Like monotheism and duotheism, we can break down the word polytheism as well. Poly means many, and theism we defined above. Polytheism is one of the oldest systems of belief, and many faiths still practice polytheism today. There is some debate between the terms soft polytheism and hard polytheism, and if you’re interested, I spoke about that on my podcast. That is not something I am here to discuss today. Polytheism is the belief in more than one god. The most notable forms of polytheism from ancient culture is Hellenism and Asatru. Hellenism is the religion of the ancient people of Greece, and Asatru is the religion of the ancient Vikings and Nordic peoples. There are also religions and belief systems that did not die out that are considered polytheistic - Buddhism and Shinto being two examples.

Henotheism

Henotheism is a belief system that we do not hear too much about. It is not put into practice often, but one example of Henotheism can be found within several traditions of Hinduisms. Within Hinduisms, many individuals worship only one deity out of many but do not deny the existence of the others.

I know that was a lot of information, but we still have yet to answer the main question: do you need to worship a deity?

Depending on your standpoint and your religious belief, the answer could be yes or no. You first need to figure out where you stand in terms of the theisms described above and if you belong to a specific religion and tradition.

Within Wicca

Let’s use Wicca as an example. We know from reading above that Wicca is a duotheistic religion. Many traditions within Wicca have deities that are their Lord and Lady. However, since Wicca is duotheistic, the worship of other deities as individual entities is not something that is done. Wiccans often choose other deities to worship and call it soft polytheism , but I believe that soft polytheism is just monotheism or duotheism in disguise. So, within Wicca, you can choose to give names to the Lord and Lady, but ultimately, worship of the Lord and Lady is an inherent part of the framework of the religion.

Within Celtic Paganism

Now, let’s take my faith, for example. I consider myself to be a Celtic Pagan with an emphasis on Welsh and Irish deities. My faith is considered inherently polytheistic due to the vast number of deities and entities that were - and are - worshipped within any Celtic faith. However, my faith can also be described as henotheistic because, while I may believe in all deities, I only worship a select few. However, since my belief is considered polytheistic, belief and worship of at least one deity is a requirement of my faith.

My form of prayer is different from monotheistic beliefs. I believe in all Celtic entities and deities, but I have one Goddess in particular that I worship and give offerings to on a daily basis. Within Celtic Paganism, prayer is different than the traditional Christianity-based method. Using myself as an example, I give an offering to my Goddess every morning to thank Her for the way She moves in my life and the opportunities She has provided to me. This is my form of prayer.

So, should you worship and pray to a deity?

No one can answer this question but you . The only thing I can do is give you a guide and framework to help you formulate your answer. Think about the following questions:

Do you believe in any gods?

Do you belong to a religion?

Does your religion have a set framework for deity worship?

Does your religion require the belief and worship of a god or gods?

Do you feel that praying to a deity or worshipping a deity is necessary?

Answering these questions can help guide you to the right answer for you. Most importantly, you want to consult the elders in your tradition to help you make a decision if you are still unsure.

You also need to define what prayer means to you within your beliefs and religious preference. Does it mean sitting down and speaking to your deity? Does it mean lighting a stick of incense as an offering? Does it mean meditation? Does it require multiple performances throughout the day?

Overall, having a deity to worship or pray to is a personal preference, but it is a decision that must be taken in stride with your religious beliefs and the framework of whatever faith you practice. If something does not feel right to you, you may need to reevaluate your religious preferences and beliefs. Like I said above, consult the elders in your faith. Look within yourself to figure out what you believe is the right course of action for your life.

Do you pray to a higher power? If not, why?

Is something holding you back from prayer or worship of a particular deity?

I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions on deity worship and prayer and answer any questions you may have as well.

Sources

(1) The True Intellectual System of the Universe - Ralph Cudworth (2) Animism Revisited by Nurit Bird-David (3) Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature

https://forum.spells8.com/t/should-you-pray-to-a-deity/368

[lightningmug]

A Response To A Response To Posterity George and Nationalism

A couple of my free-thinking friends are currently engaged in a fierce blog war over the pros/cons of Nationalism from a biblical viewpoint. At the risk of getting my front teeth knocked through the back of my head, I have decided to enter the ring. Post #1 by Posterity George, who I’ll refer to as George, Danny-G, or simply G. Response by the one and only, Nathan Brazil, who I’ll refer to as Brazil or B-Razzle.

In similar fighting style to Brazil, I’ll start by comparing & summarizing my worthy opponents’ points and then attempting to shred them. I’m not sure what my thoughts actually are but after the dust settles, hopefully there will be more clarity.

On Babel

George argues that Babel demonstrates this: God disciplines, not punishes, the arrogance of the people and disperses them by means of separate languages. This is a morally good outcome. Brazil counters. The separation at Babel was a punishment. Further, the sin was not related to organization (or the lack of separate groups) but simply pure human arrogance.

Initially, I thought Brazil was correct: Babel separation was a clear punishment of arrogance. However, Genesis 11 focuses on the universal language too much for us to glibly dismiss it. The people of Babel were motivated not only by arrogance, but by fear of dispersing across the earth.

They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (verse 4, NASB)

The real kicker comes in verse 6. God Himself says that Babel is too powerful, citing Babel is one people with one language.

The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them." (NASB)

It’s interesting to note in the passage God doesn’t mention arrogance at all but zeros in on the fact Babel was one people. I still think this was a form of punishment. The separation was brought on as result of the people’s actions. God didn’t decree this as soon as the world population hit a certain number, but when they acted. However, we can’t say the sin here was pride, at least from Genesis. Other passages, yes. The primary error was trying to get on God’s level. You could say pride/arrogance is a flavor of that, though.

In summary: God broke up Babel because the power of their oneness couldn’t be checked. Whether or not it was a punishment is a moot point. The result was dispersion and nations forming as a result.

A nation of families

George says that nations are an extension of the family and removing the structure of a nation also destroys the concept of the a multi-generational legacy. Brazil argues that no inherent good comes from multi-generational families. Why should love be bound by biological preference? Why can't my Canadian neighbor get the same level of love/support as my family? Because Bible.

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8 NASB)

This obviously doesn't mean we shouldn't love our neighbor. Family first though.

The idea of a multi-generational family is everywhere in the Bible. It isn't an accident that Jesus can be traced back to Adam. Note that this doesn't discriminate against race or background, important figures like Rahab were part of the family tree.

Though I don't think George has sufficiently demonstrated the claim that abolishing nations means the multi generational family concept dies, Brazil's arguments are not biblically grounded.

But for real

Nationalism just comes naturally, writes George. Two humans, man and woman, created uniquely, create other children. Realistically, different languages and cultural create natural barriers that can be difficult to move past. So many don't cross those barriers. Many cultures outside America frown upon marrying across racial (more accurately, cultural) lines. My Dad was Asian, my Mom was white, but it worked. His parents initially weren't too keen of their son marrying a white girl. My Ukrainian friend won't marry anyone unless they are Russian or Ukrainian because her immigrant parents don't speak English.

This point isn't so much an argument as an observation. Brazil comes through when he points out simply following natural selfish inclination doesn't end well.

Globalism's end game

Imagine a world with one government. Utopia. One language, one currency, open communication, spreading of data faster than ever. No more wars.

Not so fast. Governments always breed corruption. Maybe not today, but tomorrow. It's less of a problem when there are several corrupt government systems from different nations as this creates at least some balance. The inevitable destination is totalitarianism. War is actually a better alternative to the horrors of a totalitarian government. Look no further than Holodomor, Nazi Germany, and Mao's China.

I'm having a hard time understanding how 2 Thess. 2:7 fits in, though. Maybe globalism makes way for dictatorship? We'll need to flesh this out in the future.

Eternal nations

In the end, George writes, we'll still have nations. Skin color won't disappear. We'll still look like ourselves, only complete and whole.

Your color-less rhetoric is a cop out, you see my skin, and I see yours. And they are beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully, divinely designed. Uniqueness. Shouldn't we celebrate that rather than act like it ain't there? (Precious Puritans by Propaganda)

So we have a diverse/distinct group of people in Paradise. This doesn't mean nations are still intact. As Brazil points out, we have a time issue. Nations change, cultures change. We don't have a calendar date for Jesus' return, but let's say it's 5000 years from now. In that amount of time, American culture likely won't exist. The values, traditions, and ethnicity of every nation will be drastically different. For example China transformed from a socialist state into a capitalist powerhouse (most notably in Shenzhen and other coastal zones).

In this one case, globalism is a good thing. The language in Revelation 7 speaks of a single multitude. Jesus is king, reigning perfectly, eternally. We can't apply this to a fallen world though. The take-away: we won't need nations under a perfect ruler.

Exporting culture

We all agree here. We don't care about American culture, only exporting Christianity. Or importing it. We should be reluctant to import other religions, given the state of the American church. I think the issue is we can't export Christianity, until we fix our own issues here.

Summary

Nationalism is actually biblical. God used Babel to create nations. God called Israel as a nation. God saves cultures and people as groups, generally speaking. Globalism leads to a totalitarian state, with too much power consolidated to a small group of fallen, incomplete humans.

This doesn't/shouldn't make a difference in our daily lives though. Love your neighbor, but love your family first. Nations are important, but we can't lose sight of the eternal scope of God's plan.