#paul sect

[wofworld]

yeah so sorry your boyfriend and i fused into a whole new person. yes it was consensual and it represents our agency as characters who refuse to be doomed by the narrative any longer. yes we picked a new name. what is it? uhh

[mayasaura]

Since we now know the new Nona short story is about Palamedes, and the only pair of characters including Palamedes in Tor's poll was Palamedes and Ianthe... I'm also betting it's their battle at the center of the mind. The one that made Palamedes respect her. And maybe it'll even give us some context for this:

[theclasharchives]

paul and joe with paul smith of subway sect before their show on september 20th 1976

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

are there any or has there ever been any sects/denominations of christianity that were skeptical of or opposed to pauline christianity?

just the more i read about it the more hilarious/insane it is.

like...you have jesus. and you have his followers. then jesus dies. and his followers are left to preach his word and whatnot. then after years and years of doing all this work and building this jewish christian community.

then comes this dude named paul. not just any dude. but a pharisee who openly admits to having zealously and violently persecuted christians. and he's like "hey we should preach to the gentiles."

and you and all your bros (who literally knew jesus personally in the flesh and travelled with him and stuff) are like "no you have to be a jew to be a christian, sorry."

and then paul is like "actually no. i saw jesus in a vision. i think i know better. we're going to preach to the gentiles." and then he goes off and just starts sharing your little cult with all of these foreigners but a really strange version whose theology is quite different from what you understood and he writes these letters where he just says shit and people treat those letters literally like the word of god.

it just blows my mind. how did/do people buy that? he's just some nobody and all of his authority rests on his "i had a vision". and people ate that shit up. lmao.

[bionikgeek]

Unpopular Truth Time!

Christianity is NOT the religion OF Jesus Christ. Christianity is Paul’s doctrine/religion ABOUT Jesus Christ.

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Violin Sect

Photo credit: Steve Jinks

Formed in 1980 and disbanded in 1981, the obscure Welsh post-punk band Violin Sect left behind just one seven-inch, “Highdays and Holidays/Rivals,” documenting their brief existence. In fact, they’ve flown so low on the radar since then that they were even overlooked for the Messthetics compilations, the CD series that brought the sounds of the many forgotten and amusingly-named UK DIY bands of their time and ilk to a (relatively) wider audience. This started to change in 2019, however, when Sect bassist Steve Walker posted a couple of previously unreleased songs that he’d dug up to Soundcloud, where Minimum Stacks label head Joe Piccirillo heard them as his label was just getting off the ground. Fast forward to 2023 and we have the Vile Insect 12-inch, featuring all four songs from the band’s short life transferred from the original ¼" tapes. The result, to Andrew Forrell of Dusted’s ears, is a mix of “dubby rhythms, scratchy post-punk guitar, whimsy and skepticism,” able to stand with Scritti Politti’s “Skank Bloc Bologna” and Swell Maps “Read About Seymour.” And thanks to this release, it’s finally in a position to reach the audience it deserves.

Although Walker’s bandmates — Steve Jinks (guitar), Phil Rimmell (drums) and Hywel Pontin (percussion and backing vocals) — were unavailable to take part, Walker has assembled a list of some of his favorite music, art and literature from his 67 years on earth for Dusted. “A snapshot within a snapshot,” if you will.

The Raincoats

I was lucky enough to catch a London gig by the Raincoats in 1979 around the time they released their first single. This year Gina Birch (bass/vocals), also 67, has released her first solo album, I Play My Bass Loud, and it’s been worth the wait. Here’s an early one from the first Raincoats LP, though.

Mica Levi — “Lips”

I got the same sort of excitement when I first heard Mica Levi, together with their bandmates in Micachu and the Shapes. Their work has continued to grow and encompasses other genres such as film soundtracks (e.g., Jackie).

Sufjan Stevens — “Video Game”

I first became aware of Sufjan Stevens with the release of Illinois and caught him at the end of his UK tour promoting it at King’s College London with a pared-down (although still with those wondrous wings) extra gig. In later years he was in Bristol on the Carrie & Lowell tour. Sublime. Here’s a later track with fabulous dancing.

Saul Leiter — In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life

I’ve spent a lifetime as a specialist nurse supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities to maintain and develop their independence together with practicing as a part time psychotherapist for the general public, within the UK’s National Health Service. During this time, I’ve drawn, painted, made music but mainly taken photos (since I was a kid with a darkroom). Maybe there’ll be an exhibition of my own one day but, like Saul Leiter, I’m used to “postponing things and seeing no reason to be in a rush.” For me, his exhibitions and photobooks have a magical quality that validate and inspire all at the same time.

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler always had my heart but here’s an epic that didn’t feature on his own albums.

Angeline Morrison — The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience

In 2022 Angeline Morrison released an astonishing album… I’m afraid that I can’t stop myself recommending it to people! If you get a chance…

Paul Wright — Arcadia

Arcadia is a short film that explores Britain’s relationship with the earth, its secret pasts, hidden histories and collective amnesia using old film and TV footage in an exhilarating fashion.

Wet Leg — “Chaise Longue,” live at the BRIT Awards, 2023

A performance from the here and now, incorporating the past with the present in a truly WTF moment at the Brits!

Gretchen Gerzina — Black England

Books… so many books! So, here’s what I’m currently reading.

Anthony Gormley — Another Place

Finally… if ever in Liverpool, visit Crosby Beach and experience Antony Gormley’s sculpture. It consists of 100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea, (gradually becoming encrusted with barnacles, etc.) all modeled on Gormley’s own naked body.

[spilladabalia]

Subway Sect - Nobody's Scared

[shakir2]

Critical analysis of Christianity and Islam 

Food for Thought. Shakir Mumtaz. A fallacy believed by Christians and Muslims alike is that Jesus died on the cross in AD 30-33; Christians believe that Jesus had resurrected, but Muslims believe that he will return before the end of time. None of these

[Distortions in Christianity and Islam]  Hanifism, Sabianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are developmental or evolutionary stages of monotheism. Before Islam, prophet Muhammad, Qura’an, all the religions, Prophets, and scriptures were provisional for a specific people. Qura’an testifies that these religions and their scriptures changed, and except for Holy Qura’an no scripture is extant in…

[scripture-pictures]

[faithingodministries]

God See And Know Us

9 What then? Are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin; 10 As it is said in the holy writings, there is not one who does righteousness; 11 Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God; 12 They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is…

[nerdygaymormon]

In response to the August 2024 updates to General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Executive Committee of Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends released the following statement:

We mourn with our transgender siblings as we wrestle with the painful impact of recent policy changes and guidelines released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With over 45 years of providing support to LGBTQIA+ individuals who are current and former members of the Church, we know first-hand the pain that policies like this cause. We stand with our transgender siblings.

Rather than seek to better understand, include, and affirm transgender individuals who are also Latter-day Saints, leaders of the Church have opted to further restrict these members’ ability to participate. While these changes specifically impact individuals who have socially or medically transitioned, all are affected by the messages conveyed in these policies, which reject authentic experience and identity.

Prior to these updates, transgender members of the Church could expect their gender identities to be respected through the use of their chosen names, to participate in church meetings aligning with their gender identities, and to have some opportunities to be called to serve within the Church. The recent updates reduce the hope that the gender identities of transgender members will be respected, prohibit transgender members from church meetings aligning with their gender identities, restrict access to restrooms, and explicitly prohibit transgender members from serving in the Church as teachers or working with children.

Further, church policy now includes language that encourages detransitioning as the only pathway to reinstate full membership within the Church.

The Ninth Article of Faith of the Church states that “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” Modern revelation is a foundational belief of the Church. The claim of prophecy received today from the Lord’s anointed sets the Church apart from most Christian sects. However, in our view, the treatment of transgender individuals by those who claim the mantle of prophecy indicates that they, like Paul of old, “see through a glass, darkly” in this area. In that lack of clarity, leaders of the Church are co-opting ideologies of the world in promoting views of gender being restricted to that assigned at birth and in encouraging detransitioning.

We hope that God will yet reveal better for our transgender siblings.

Until then, Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends remains committed to creating worldwide communities of safety, love, and hope, fully inclusive and affirming of all sexual orientations, gender identities, beliefs, and relationships with the Church. We love you. We are here for you.

Fred Bowers, President Joel McDonald, Senior Vice President David Doyle, Vice President

[punkrockhistory]

48 years ago

Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer of The Clash with Paul Smith of the Subway Sect at The 100 Club Punk Festival, London, September 20th & 21st, 1976

[sethshead]

Annual reminder that Jesus was not Palestinian and that Palestine as legally defined region did not exist at that time, nor did the Palestinian nation. This is empirically documented fact. Jesus was born a Jew and died a Jew in Roman Judea. If “Palestine” was used in some Greek texts to describe the region it was because of the Philistines (who aren’t Arab in origin) having lived here once. I’m now hearing people saying Christianity is Palestinian in origin. This is also sheer idiocy. Even if we allow for the fact that Jesus isn’t the progenitor of Christianity (again he died a Jew, his followers were all Jewish and they defined themselves as a sect of Judaism, not a new religion) and attribute the foundation to Paul and people of his generation, which I would say is true. Paul was born a Jew in Roman Judea and died 70 years before the region was renamed Palestine. Jesus and the founding of Christianity has everything to do with the Jews and zero to do with Palestine and Palestinians. And it goes without saying they have nothing to do with Arabs and Islam, except insofar as Islam tells it story with Jesus (and for that matter Judaism) being part of its origin story, which did not happen until the 600s. I will also point out that those western activists (historically clueless) who are making this claim are actually doing a great disservice to the Palestinian people. Why? Because they are inventing ancient Palestinian history that is easily refutable by fact, as I have just done. Given how easy it is to undermine such claims, when people who don’t know much about the region (but joined the river to the sea crowd because that’s what the cool kids do) learn the truth they will become skeptical about other claims made by Palestinians, some of which are true, some of which deserve acknowledgment. But the American left doesn’t care. They don’t actually care about the Palestinians. They are driven by Jew-hatred, and Zionism is the most convenient demon in their social justice arsenal. They will never help free Palestine. But what they will continue to do is endanger diaspora Jewry, which is their goal, or at least a means to their end. Such was also the case with the Arab regimes who opposed a Jewish state from the very beginning. They weren’t advocating for Palestinians, they were advocating for non Jewish state anywhere min the region. The left has constructed a binary opposition that undergirds their theology that pits the evil oppressive (((Zionists))) against the eternally oppressed Palestinians. Their construct is false, an eschatological theology and nothing else, with both “Zionists” and “Palestinians” being little more than constructs they have thrown together to advance their revolutionary (and profoundly anti-Western) agenda. But if they want to claim Palestinians as the progenitors of Christianity then, well, let me point out, that “Christianity” persecuted the Jews severely at least until the early modern era and in some parts of Europe far beyond that time, culminating in The Holocaust. So sure, you want to claim Jesus for Palestine, then you also acquire all the baggage that comes with him.

-- Jarrod Tanny

It’s all just another form of supersession.

[furordinaricvs]

Church of St Peter and Paul on outskirts of Novi Pazar, Serbia.

Oldest church in Serbia with original parts dating to 4th century and additional parts of church from 6th, 7th and 9th century. During medieval times it served as baptismal church of Serbian Nemanjić dynasty.

Architectural style resembles that of early churches in Armenia, Georgia and Italy. Some important events connected with this church is baptism of Stefan Nemanja (Serbia's Grand Prince), Council against the Bogomils (Christian sect) and transfer of his rule to his son, Stefan Nemanjić.

[lonniemachin]

Jean-Paul Valley & Azrael: Complete Reading Guide

Who is Jean-Paul Valley? / Who is Azrael?

Jean-Paul Valley first entered the post-Crisis DC Universe in the 1992 4-issue miniseries 'Batman: Sword of Azrael', written by Dennis O'Neil and penciled by Joe Quesada. A former graduate student at Gotham University, Jean-Paul's life would irreversibly change when his father would crawl to his door dying, dressed in the garb of Azrael, the Avenging Angel - an assassin for the Catholic cult Order of Saint Dumas. Thus began a series of events that would activate 'The System', conditioning that had been programmed into Jean-Paul since birth that allows he - as his father and his grandfathers before him - to give control over to the Order's personal punisher and access latent superhuman skills and abilities.

Jean-Paul and Azrael would go on to become Batman in the stead of Bruce Wayne as Bruce recovered from spinal trauma inflicted by Bane, star in their own 100-issue solo series, escape (and destroy) Jean-Paul’s father’s sect of the Order, and become members of the first iteration of what is most well known as the Bat Family until their death. They played a vital role in DC's Knightfall, Contagion, and No Man's Land story arcs.

After the New 52 reboot, they would go on to play big roles in Detective Comics: Rebirth, Justice League Odyssey, and star in a second solo miniseries. As part of the New 52 and Rebirth initiatives, Jean-Paul and Azrael's backstory and details would be changed, though as of 2022 it is implied that aspects of their New Earth origin have been re-established.

What does this guide include?

Linked below is a spreadsheet including most/all of Jean-Paul Valley and Azrael's comic appearances from their debut up to their most recent issues. Sorted chronologically and divided into sections based on arcs and events, each row features information such as title date and writer/penciller, which identity/mantle is most prominent in each appearance, personal notes on the contents of each issue, and a section for any content warnings that may need addressed.

This spreadsheet is continually updating/a perpetual WIP. New issues are added as they release.

Happy reading!

The Guide

[eagna-eilis]

Ach-To and Irish Archaeology

The sequels were my entry into Star Wars and I never would have gone to see The Force Awakens if I wasn't an archaeology nerd.

During the production of Episode VII, a decent number of people with an interest in our archaeological heritage here in Ireland were quite worried about the impact of filming on one of our only two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the island known as Skellig Michael down off the coast of Kerry.

I went to the film to see if any potential damage was worth it, or if they'd do something unspeakably stupid with it in-universe. I wanted to see if it was respected.

And holy hell I was NOT disappointed. I think I walked out of TFA sniffling to myself about how beautiful the Skellig looked and how it seemed like its use as a location was not just respectful but heavily inspired by its real history.

See, Skellig Michael was a monastic hermitage established at a point when Christianity was so new that the man who ordered its founding sometime in the first century CE was himself ordained by the Apostle Paul. The fellah from the Bible who harassed all and sundry with his letters, THAT Apostle Paul. This is how old a Christian site the Skellig is. It predates St. Patrick by at the very least two hundred years.

The steps we watch Rey climb were originally cut NEARLY TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. They have been reworked and repaired many many times since, of course. Still, the path the camera follows Daisy Ridley up is as much an ancient path built by the founders of a faith in real life as it is in the movies.

A hermitage was a place where monks went to live lives of solitude and asceticism so as better to achieve wisdom. The practice is common to many of the major world religions, including the myriad East Asian faiths which inspired the fictional Jedi.

It is said that the hermitage and monastery were originally built with the purpose of housing mystical texts belonging to the Essanes, one of the sects of Second Temple Judaism which influenced some of the doctrines of Christianity. They also, according to what I have read, characterised good and evil as 'light' and 'darkness' and were celibate.

As such, the use of the island in TFA and TLJ does not merely respect Skellig Michael's history, it honours it. It is framed as somewhere ancient and sacred, which it is. It is framed as a place where a mystic goes to live on his own surrounded by nature that is at once punishing and sublime, which of course it was. It shown to be a place established to protect texts written at the establishment of a faith, which it may well have been.

This level of genuine respect for my cultural heritage by Rian Johnson in particular is astonishing. I don't think anyone from outside the US ever really trusts Americans not to treat our built history like it's Disneyland. Much of the incorporation of the Skellig's real past into a fictional galactic history occurs in TLJ, which is why I'm giving Rian so much credit.

It's Luke's death scene which makes the honouring of Irish archaeological history most apparent though.

Johnson takes the archaeological iconography back a further three thousand years for his final tribute to my culture's beautiful historical temples. This time, he incorporates neolithic passage tomb imagery, specifically that of Newgrange, which is up the country from the Skellig.

I think if you understand what the image represents then it makes a deeply emotional scene even more resonant.

The scene I'm referring to is Luke's death.

As he looks to the horizon, to the suns, we view him from the interior of the First Jedi Temple. The sunset aligns with the passageway into the ancient sanctuary, illuminating it as he becomes one with the Force.

As for Newgrange, every year during the Winter Solstice it aligns with the sunrise. The coldest, darkest, wettest, most miserable time of the year on a North Atlantic island where it is often cold, wet, and miserable even in the summer. And the sun comes up even then, and on a cloudless morning a beam of sunlight travels down the corridor and illuminates the chamber inside the mound.

You guys can see this, right? The similarity of the images? The line of light on the floor?

Luke's death scene is beautiful but I think it's a thousand times more moving with this visual context. Luke's sequel arc isn't merely populated by a lore and iconography that honour the place where the end of his story was filmed, I think that incorporation of that history and mythology honours Luke.

We don't know for sure what the Neolithic people believed, religion-wise. We know next to nothing about their rituals. We know that there were ashes laid to rest at Newgrange. There is some speculation that the idea was that the sun coming into the place that kept those ashes brought the spirits of those deceased people over to the other side.

It's also almost impossible not to interpret the sunlight coming into Newgrange as an extraordinary expression of hope. If you know this climate, at this latitude, you know how horrible the winter is. We don't even have the benefit of crispy-snowwy sunlit days. It's grey and it's dark and it's often wet. And every single year the earth tilts back and the days get long again.

The cycle ends and begins again. Death and rebirth. And hope, like the sun, which though unseen will always return. And so we make it through the winter, and through the night.

As it transpired the worries about the impact of the Star Wars Sequels upon Skellig Michael were unfounded. There was no damage caused that visitors wouldn't have also caused. There also wasn't a large uptick in people wanting to visit because of its status as a SW location, in part I think because the sequels just aren't that beloved.

But they're beloved to me, in no small part because of the way they treated a built heritage very dear to my heart. I think they deserve respect for that at the least.