Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it.

Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary

Pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.

Beliefs in Wicca range from hard polytheism to even monotheism.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god.

The term Wicca first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s

Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".

The Goddess and the God may be regarded as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

The God and Goddess are generally seen as lovers and equals, the Divine Couple who together co-create the cosmos.

Traditionally the God is viewed as a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle

The Horned God is given various names according to the tradition, and these include Cernunnos, Pan, Atho and Karnayna.

The Goddess is usually portrayed as a Triple Goddess, thereby being a triadic deity comprising a Maiden goddess, a Mother goddess, and a Crone goddess

Some Wiccans, particularly from the 1970s onwards, have viewed the Goddess as the more important of the two deities, who is pre-eminent in that she contains and conceives all. In this respect, the God is viewed as the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child.

Showing posts with label social issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social issues. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Paranormal Phenomenon Spells And Magic Voodoo And Shamans

Paranormal Phenomenon Spells And Magic Voodoo And Shamans

VOODOO AND SHAMANS

Voodoo is a derivative of the world?s oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. Some conservative estimates these civilizations and religions to be over 10 000 years old.

This then identifies Voodoo as probably the best example of African syncretism in the Americas. Although its essential wisdom originated in different parts of Africa long before the Europeans started the slave trade, the structure of Voodoo, as we know it today, was born in Haiti during the European colonization of Hispaniola.

Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved Africans from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo.

European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, the transplanted Africans found in their faith a common thread.

They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups.

The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo.

"The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word "vodun," meaning spirit."

Reference: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com

Friday, February 14, 2014

What Seems Static Is Actually Cyclical

What Seems Static Is Actually Cyclical
*

(METAPHYSICS ALERT! Please ignore if not interested in such matters.)

Since I began to reject my former plain-man's-Platonism;

and my rapid adoption of what might be termed a Mormon Metaphysics

(i.e. derived from Mormon Theology - which is, roughy speaking, Christianity seen through the lens of Old Testament modes of thinking, theology understood as God's relationships with Man through history, and with the Bible as a whole understood as-close-to-face-value as possible, especially in terms of the nature of God);

instead of Classical Theology

(CT being Christianity seen through the lens - and categories - of Greek philosophy - i.e. mainstream Christianity since about the death or disappearance of the Apostles)

- I am finding it hard to imagine or acknowledge the reality of stasis.

*

Stasis now seems to me to be the same thing as non-existence or extinction.

If everything is always moving, then what "seems" to be stasis is perhaps actually cyclical - it "appears" unchanging because it is "going around in circles":

Either circles too small to be perceived, circular movement too slow for the movement to be noticed, or movement in circles so rapid as to blur into apparent stasis.

*

Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Gatestone Update Soeren Kern Islam Fastest Growing Religion In Britain And More

Gatestone Update Soeren Kern Islam Fastest Growing Religion In Britain And More

IN THIS MAILING:

* Soeren Kern: Islam: Fastest-Growing Religion in Britain
* Mudar Zahran: Egypt's Islamists Sexually Assaulting Women

ISLAM: FASTEST-GROWING RELIGION IN BRITAIN

by Soeren Kern

December 18, 2012 at 5:00 am HTTP://WWW.GATESTONEINSTITUTE.ORG/3500/ISLAM-GROWING-RELIGION-BRITAIN

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Be the first of your friends to like this. Hundreds of Britons are converting to Islam every month. Many youngsters in prison are becoming attracted to Islam by the prospect of getting better food and superior treatment. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in England and Wales, according to new census data that the British government says "describes the defining characteristics of the population, who we are, how we live and what we do."

The latest tranche of data from Britain's 2011 Census was released on December 11. The statistics are for England and Wales only; the census in Northern Ireland and Scotland is separate and the government will release those figures at a later date.

The census data shows that the number of Christians in England and Wales declined by 11% (4.1 million) during the past decade, from 37.3 million in 2001 to 33.2 million in 2011.

During the same period, the Muslim population in England and Wales increased by 80% (1.2 million), from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2011, making it the second-largest religion in Britain.

The third-largest religion in England and Wales is Hinduism (817,000), followed by Sikhism (423,000), Buddhism (248,000) and Judaism (263,000).

As a proportion of the population as a whole (56.07 million people were counted in the census), the number of those describing themselves as Christian has dropped from 72% in 2001 to 59% in 2011. The number of Muslims has increased from 3% to 5% over a decade.

To be sure, some analysts believe the true number of Muslims in Britain may be much higher than indicated by the census data. This is because the religion question was the only voluntary question on the 2011 Census and 7.2% of people did not answer the question.

It is believed that many of those who completed the census data were reluctant to identify themselves as Muslims and that the true number of Muslims in the country is considerably higher than the 5% indicated by the census data.

The number of people who say they have no religious affiliation jumped by 83%, from 7.7 million in 2001 to 14.4 million in 2011. In proportional terms, this would imply that one-quarter of people in England and Wales now identify as being non-religious.

The census data corroborates information gleaned from other recent surveys. For example, the 2012 British Social Attitudes Survey found that only about half of Britons claim a religious affiliation, down sharply from 20 years ago, when two out of three did. Barely a quarter of young people identify themselves as religious.

If the increase in agnosticism and atheism in Britain is mostly generational, the surge in the number of Muslims is due to immigration and conversion.

The census data shows that during the past decade, England and Wales experienced their greatest-ever population growth (7.1%) in any 10-year period since 1800. Much of this increase is due to immigration.

In real terms, 13% (or 7.5 million) of the population of England and Wales was born abroad. Of that number, 3.8 million arrived between 2001 and 2011. In other words, most of the immigrants living in England and Wales today arrived within the past 10 years.

The census data shows that London is now the most multicultural region in Britain with the highest proportion of people identifying themselves as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish. The northeastern and northwestern parts of Britain have the highest proportion of Christians and Wales has the highest proportion of people reporting no religion.

Knowsley, a borough near Liverpool in northwest England, has the highest proportion of people reporting to be Christian, at 80.9%. Tower Hamlets, a borough in east London, has the highest proportion of Muslims, at 34.5% (nearly seven times the figure for England and Wales as a whole). Norwich, a city in eastern England, has the highest proportion of the population reporting no religion, at 42.5%.

The data shows that 13 of the 20 fastest-growing boroughs are those with high concentrations of Muslim residents, led by Tower Hamlets and Newham in east London. The 2011 Census shows that nearly 40% (or about one million) of the Muslims in England and Wales live in London.

Although immigration is the biggest factor in the rise of Islam in Britain, it is also true that hundreds of Britons are converting to Islam every month.

According to a recent survey conducted by an inter-faith group called Faith Matters, the number of British converts to Islam recently passed the 100,000 mark, and there are as many as 5,000 new conversions nationwide each year. Previous estimates had placed the total number of Muslim converts in Britain at between 14,000 and 25,000.

The survey revealed that nearly two thirds of the converts were women, more than 70% were white and the average age at conversion was just 27.

The survey, conducted by Kevin Brice from Swansea University in Wales, asked converts for their views on the negative aspects of British culture. They identified "alcohol and drunkenness," a "lack of morality and sexual permissiveness" and "unrestrained consumerism."

More than one in four acknowledged there was a "natural conflict" between being a devout Muslim and living in Britain. Nine out of ten women converts said their change of religion had led to them dressing more conservatively. More than half started wearing a head scarf and 5% had worn the burka.

Separately, government authorities recently revealed that an increasing number of inmates at British prisons are converting to Islam. For example, one-third of the inmates at one of Britain's most notorious youth jails are Muslims and the religion is attracting a large number of converts.

Prison insiders say most non-Muslims are locked up during Friday prayers because so many guards are needed to monitor the lunchtime service. As a consequence, many disillusioned youngsters are becoming attracted to Islam by the prospect of getting better food and superior treatment at the prison.

Most conversions to Islam are being triggered by a combination of increasing proselytizing activity by Muslims as well as by a growing disaffection with Christianity.

Some observers say the decline of traditional Christian churches in Britain, a trend that is being accompanied by the demise of Judeo-Christian moral codes in British society, is creating a spiritual vacuum that Islam is beginning to fill.

In any event, all indications are that a growing number of Britons who grew up in nominally Christian households are converting to Islam. This partially explains why the number of Muslims is increasing while the number of Christians is declining.

This trend can be expected to continue. In a study released in 2005, the British-based association Christian Research said that successive generations attend church less frequently than previous ones.

The study, English Church Census 2005, predicted that the number of Christians attending Sunday services in Britain will fall by two-thirds over the next three decades. The study also expected that poor attendance will force some 18,000 churches to close.

At the same time, all indications are that the Muslim population in Britain will continue to grow in the future. At the current rates of growth, the number of Muslims will double again by the time the next census is conducted in 2021, and will then make up 10% of the population.

"Soeren Kern" is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute". He is also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo de Estudios Estrat'egicos / Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook"."

RELATED TOPICS: United Kingdom Soeren Kern

EGYPT'S ISLAMISTS SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMEN


by Mudar Zahran

December 18, 2012 at 4:30 am HTTP://WWW.GATESTONEINSTITUTE.ORG/3503/EGYPT-ISLAMISTS-SEXUAL-ASSAULT

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Be the first of your friends to like this. An Arab girl whose honor or chastity has even been questioned automatically becomes a social outcast, regardless of whether or not the accusation was well-founded. "All that happened," she added, "while the police were watching...A police officer even told a Muslim Brotherhood member, 'Whatever you wish to do, sir.'" It is a tough time in Egypt for the non-Islamists in general and for women in particular -- all thanks to the Western tolerance for Islamists' hijacking the Arab revolutions.

The Muslim Brotherhood [MB] will apparently stop at nothing to achieve their goal of controlling Egypt. On December 1, the "Daily Mail" reported that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood was paying gangs to rape women and beat men who were protesting the latest push for absolute power by Egypt's President and MB leader, Mohamed Morsi.

The British daily, "The Times", quoted Egyptian activist Magda Adly, the director of the Nadeem Centre for Human Rights, as saying: "under Mubarak, the government paid thugs to beat male protestors and sexually assault women...this is still happening now.... I believe thugs are being paid money to do this... the Muslim Brotherhood have the same political approaches as Mubarak."

Marwah Farouk, an activist and member of the Egyptian Socialist National Alliance Party, spoke to ON TV on December 6, after she was allegedly held captive by MB members during anti-Morsi protests in the region of Al-Itahdia Palace. She said two of her female colleagues were kidnapped and detained by MB members, then one of the two -- a former political prisoner -- was sexually assaulted and beaten by MB members who then prevented her colleagues from taking her into the hospital. "All of that happened," she added, "while the police were watching.... A police officer even told an MB member: 'Whatever you wish to do, sir;'" adding, "All that is happening is systematic."

The surge of sexual harassment in Egypt was also covered by Channel 4, which revealed recently that young men are being paid to attack women who protest the regime. Political activist Affaf Al-Sayed told the channel's reporter, "Muslim Brotherhood members were sexually assaulting women in order to make sure women activists would keep away from Tahrir Square" and that women "were targeted by sexual assaults by both the MB and elements of the former regime." And prominent Egyptian academic and political scientist Jamal Zahran told ON TV that the whole scene in Tahrir Square was a "political harassment" by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The MB denies the claim, and even alleges that "the assaults are executed by thugs dressed in MB T-shirts."

The Islamists' attack on Morsi's female opposition is not exclusive to non-Islamist females; it included Nawarah Nijim, a hijab-wearing activist whose father is a renowned Egyptian poet. Nawarah has been a strong activist against Mubarak's regime, the Egyptian military council and now Morsi's constitutional amendments granting him dictatorial powers. Islamists assaulted her in public last January. An orthodox Muslim, Nijim has been opposed to the Islamists in Egypt. She was interviewed by Al-Fareen TV, where she criticized Egypt's Islamists and said:" I've just come here to find a young man, around 15 years old whom I heard saying: If the Sheikhs of Islam are like those [Egypt's Islamists] I want to disbelieve in God."

While Egypt's Islamists are denying any involvement in sexual attacks against female opposition members, Islamist leaders have nonetheless been publicly threatening male opposition members with harm and even death, and at the same time defaming the honor of the female members of the opposition by describing them as prostitutes, adulterers, belly dancers or ill-mannered. In Arab culture, all accusations are taken at face value. An Arab proverb goes: "A woman's honor is like a match; it can be burnt only once;" therefore, an Arab girl whose honor or chastity has even been questioned automatically becomes a social outcast, regardless of whether or not the accusation was well-founded.

The Texas-based "Arab Times", one of the most popular Arab online newspapers, confirmed that the threats and accusations against the personal honor of anti-Islamists was being made by Islamist leaders in Egypt. On December 4, the "Arab Times's" headline read: "Assaulting personal honor on Egypt's Islamist TV stations: The most significant feature of the Egyptian Spring." The editor comments: "Despite the fact that Islam bans accusations of adultery on innocent people and considers that [a false accusation] one of the seven deadly sins, lately we have come to see that this is not the conviction of the Islamists in Egypt."

The Quran states in the Chapter of Al-Nour (the Light): "And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient." Therefore, Islamists in Egypt are breaking the laws of the Sharia by accusing women of being adulterers, without any foundation. This slander raises the question: Will the Islamists undergo Sharia's punishment of eighty lashes for these unproven accusations?

The latest victim of the Islamists' accusations was Halah Fehmi; an Egyptian state TV anchor who presented a show against the MB's policy only to find out she was pulled off the air in the middle of a program. In response, she held a shroud to indicate her will to give up her life for her cause; and vowed on live TV to maintain her opposition against the MB and their tactics.

Apparently, unable to withstand the criticism, Islamist TV presenter, Sheikh Khaled Abdullah went on air, called her "a belly dancer" and threatened anti-Morsi protesters with: "Advice for the opposition, don't rush to hold your shrouds, you will be wearing those very soon."

By calling Halah Fehmi a "belly dancer," Sheikh Abdullah undermined her credibility and worthiness both as a woman and as a political activist.

Abdullah Badir -- a Salafist Sheikh, religious scholar, academic and political leader-- has been bombarding Morsi's female opposition with accusations undermining their "honor". He told an Islamist TV networkthat "each of those in Tahrir Square [Morsi's opposition] is holding a girl under his wing and taking her into one of the tents for the public prostitution that is happening at Tahrir Square, they call it a revolution while it is actually ill-manners and sin."

Sheikh Badir did not restrict making his accusations to TV networks; he also delivered a speechafter Friday mosque prayers, in which he said: "As for the thirty girls who were stripped from their clothes at Tahrir Square...of course, those girls are low; actually they go to Tahrir Square for that purpose... any girl sitting there; doesn't she have a family to take her back home? Of course she doesn't; in fact she goes there because of that."

Tarnishing personal honor does not seem to stop with women; Egypt's Islamists also have been targeting the honor of female relatives of Morsi's "male"opponents. For example, Sheikh Hazem Shoman attacked one of Morsi's outspoken opponents, Muhammad Al-Baradei, the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Sheikh Shoman can be seen here saying, "You want a liberal state? What liberal state Mr. Al-Baradei? You... whose daughter is married to a Christian infidel? Of course she married a Christian infidel because she is a liberal!" According to Islam and Egyptian law, a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim man. By making this accusation, Sheikh Shoman is undermining Al-Baradei's honor, and undermining his character as a politician. The accusation was significant enough to send Al- Baradei onto live TV to dismiss the claim by noting that his son-in-law, an Austrian, had converted to Islam "under Sharia law and at the Egyptian embassy in Vienna" before marrying his daughter.

Further, Islamist lawyer Nabih El-Wahsh claimed in an interviewwith an Islamist TV channel that prominent anti-Morsi TV anchor, Amir Adib, has been breast-fed by the famous Egyptian belly dancer, Najwa Fouad. In Islam, a child who is breast-fed by a woman automatically becomes a son or daughter to her; therefore, Al-Wahsh's claim labels Amir Adib as the son of a belly dancer, reducing his personal honor in the eyes of his viewers.

It is clear that Egypt's Islamists do not observe any values or laws that might stand in their way of controlling the largest Arab country, even if that means breaking the laws of Sharia itself; and for that they do not seem to spare anyone who stands on their way, be they Muslims, or non-Muslims, males or females.

RELATED TOPICS: Egypt Mudar Zahran

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Observer Uk How Islamist Gangs Use Internet To Track Torture And Kill Iraqi Gays

"The bodies of gays on the streets of Iraq."

From The Observer. Photograph: Bilal Hussein/AP

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/13/iraq-gays-murdered-militias

Each person has an individual interpretation of religious scriptures but I really wasn't expecting to find a UK newspaper article mentioning a 22-year-old serial killer in Iraq who professes that hatred and violence toward gay people will preserve the reputation of Islam.

In the article by Afif Sarhan and Jason Burke, a deputy leader of an Islamist militia in Baghdad is quoted: "Animals deserve more pity than the dirty people who practice such sexual depraved acts. We make sure they know why they are being held and give them the chance to ask God's forgiveness before they are killed."

This is an individual whose own repressed sexuality has induced psychosis as his declaration reveals him to be projecting his own thoughts onto others. I have no idea how representative is this article of contemporary society in Iraq as often Western media reports seem to focus on unflattering aspects of the Middle East and other world cultures.

In this Observer article, one victim of violence is warned that "he had one month to marry and have 'a traditional life' or die." Perhaps, all forms of intolerance are motivated by the belief that supporting what one perceives as the 'status quo' will make one's own life easier.

Spiritual wisdom is achieved when we understand our motivations upon considering issues involving perceptions of morality. Often in cases of homophobia, an individual is attempting to deny bewildering desires and strives to convince others of being confident about sexuality; even when violence is wreaked upon another person, the troubling desires aren't alleviated.

Thomas W. Lippman wrote in his 1990 edition of Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World -

"Islam prescribes for believers both attitudes of mind and specific duties in life. Most important are the acceptance of the uniqueness, power, and authority of God and the understanding that the objective of life is to fulfill the dictates of His will in the hope of admission to Paradise. Worldly gain and temporal power are illusory; the Koran says that 'life of this world is but a sport and a pastime.' (57:20) Those who pursue riches on earth may gain them, but those who forego worldly ambitions to seek the favor of Allah-those who give alms, take care of orphans and the elderly, live chastely, and tell the truth-may gain the greater treasure, entry into Paradise."

Thursday, January 19, 2012

American Horror Story Coven Debuts Two Teaser Trailers

American Horror Story Coven Debuts Two Teaser Trailers
"

Courtesy ibtimes.com

Two new teasers for American Horror Story: Coven "have us under their spell.

We may not get a ton of info from the first teaser, but it sure as hell is creepy. Are the women shown levitating and facing the wall in a pristine white room witches or their victims?

The second teaser is just as, if not creepier, as a life-size Voodoo doll lunges at us as "Winter Song" plays in the background.

Set in New Orleans, Coven features modern-day characters as well as some notorious figures from back in 1830. For example, Kathy Bates will be playing murderer/torturer, Marie Delphine LaLaurie, aka Madame LaLaurie. Angela Bassett will be portraying Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau.

According to the show's executive producer, Tim Minear, "I think some of the bigger themes this year is oppression of minorities of all kinds and within that idea, the idea of minority groups going after each other and doing the work for the larger culture. There's a very strong feminist theme there, there's also themes of race and themes of oppression and a very strong theme of family, specifically mothers and daughters."

"American Horror Story: Coven" premieres on FX this October 9. The first episode is titled, "Bitchcraft."

"-Larissa Mrykalo"

Teaser #1

Teaser #2


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Kerala Mulls Bill To Contain Black Magic Twocircles Net

Kerala Mulls Bill To Contain Black Magic Twocircles Net
Kozhikode: Following an increase in the number of sorcery cases, Kerala government is planning to bring in legislation to curb practices such as black magic and exorcism. Women are often the victims of such obsolete practices as is shown by some of the cases reported in Kerala in recent months.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithla has asked the department secretary to draw up a draft bill on the subject.

Sources in the office of the Home Minister said the officials have been directed to prepare the draft of the bill on the lines of the Maharashtra Anti-Superstition Bill.

"There is a spurt in black magic and other such cases across the state in recent times. At least a couple of deaths had been reported in connection with this. So, the Home Department is seriously thinking about bringing in a legislation to contain such practices," sources said.

The recent death of two girls, one in Kollam and another in Pathanamthitta, allegedly due to physical and mental torture suffered during the black magic performed to get rid of possession, has triggered widespread protests in the state.

Exploitation in the name of black magic to find hidden treasures, solve family disputes and for child birth are on the rise in the state. The cases of exorcism are also rampant in many places irrespective of religion and caste in Kerala.

via Kerala mulls bill to contain black magic TwoCircles.net.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

State Department Human Rights Report Includes International Religious Discrimination Concerns

State Department Human Rights Report Includes International Religious Discrimination Concerns
Last Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry released the U.S. State Department's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013. "While the report leaves the assessment of religious liberty around the world to the State Department's annual "International Religious Freedom Report", Thursday's Human Rights report covers religious discrimination concerns for each country. The report's Introduction summarized these concerns:

RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES CONTINUED TO FACE EXTREME RESTRICTIONS AND WERE TARGETS OF REPRESSION BY GOVERNMENTS AND SUBJECT TO SOCIETAL DISCRIMINATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. IN CHINA, the government continued to implement repressive policies against ethnic Uighurs and Tibetans. IN PAKISTAN, religious minorities faced a specter of growing violence during the year, including a deadly September church bombing in Peshawar that claimed more than 80 lives and three other incidents that killed at least 244 Shia Muslims. Religious minorities also faced discriminatory laws, societal intolerance, and a lack of accountability for crimes against them. IN IRAN, the government continued its egregious repression of Baha'i whose seven leaders remained in prison as did Christian pastor Saeed Abedini at year's end. Attacks against Christians and Shia Muslims continued in Egypt as did attacks against Christians, Yezidis, Sabean Mandaeans, and other religious minorities in IRAQ, often with a lack of accountability for the perpetrators. Ahmadi Muslims continued to face violence and repression in places such as INDONESIA, as well as disenfranchisement in places such as PAKISTAN. ANTI-SEMITISM ALSO REMAINED A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN 2013. ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF EIGHT EUROPEAN MEMBER STATES BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, HARASSMENT OF JEWS CONTINUED, WITH ONE-QUARTER OF RESPONDENTS STATING THEY EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF ANTI-SEMITIC HARASSMENT IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE SURVEY. IN THE MIDDLE EAST, media occasionally contained anti-Semitic articles and cartoons, some of which glorified or denied the Holocaust and blamed all Jews for actions by the state of Israel. Threats to religious practice also emerged during the year. For example, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a non-binding resolution implying that religious male circumcision - as practiced by Jews and Muslims, and other religions - is a human rights violation.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Do The Passion 2013 Members Know Who The Real Slaves Are

Do The Passion 2013 Members Know Who The Real Slaves Are
I know I'VE On paper Duty-bound THE MEGA-CONFERENCE CALLED Strength open annually in Atlanta in January three time standpoint weekend, compactly examined some of the special effects that were invented and compared group special effects to what the bible says. I execution I was done with the question, and by the selection of development and observations, numerous maybe wish I was done with it, too, lol. But at hand are two special effects that have come up I'd be interested in to look into at briefly, and they are intertwined. The Saintly Spirit won't let them go in my watchdog so in meekness I'll address them publicly in addition to prayerfully.

The primary is the sociable question of slavery that the resolution set the kids upon. It is a widespread cultural ill that existed at minimum in the role of Abraham's time and exists today. The resolution leaders farm out a cultural ill to ask the kid attendees to work in the direction of. Persist court and this court the sociable difficulty they have paying attention the kids on is sex trafficking and slavery in the world. They raised self-important three million dollars to donate to several partner groups. Taking part in is the unite to Strength 2013'S Work to rule "Area."

I'd invented that take effect good is good, but that assumption slavery is an romantic construct. I'd invented that JESUS Might Create Finished Destitution OR SLAVERY, but He didn't. Exposition 18 shows us that in the Trial at hand impulse be a upright slave issue in men and their souls that Jesus Himself stops at the very end. So this disquiet impulse crunch, what unflustered by looking a the bible we can see its ineptitude.

That is not to say we don't try. But the heart is all shocking. I'll discharge why in unflustered a shut down. Now I long for to bring up the jiffy question that has been irrelevant at me. Grown-up attendees are not certified. They are illegal. They are not certified to work for Strength conferences. Taking part in is what the Strength WEBSITE says

CAN Clique All over again 25 Serve up Strength 2013?

If you are 26 existence of age or towering, you may separate count to work for Strength 2013 as the start of a group of students attending the resolution or as a Way in Job. Leaders condition have a categorization to work for. If you are a start, we ask that you come with your students. Earlier, we impulse get-up-and-go thousands of Way in Holders to act self-important the days of the resolution. If you would be interested in to act, keep amused cut off out a Way in Job right into.

HOW Outlying OF THE First acquaintance Specter I BE Astute TO ATTEND?

Portion at a Strength resolution does not allow for other answer in the resolution itself. Draw come affable to act and harsh attentive that at hand may not be time to work for the resolution at all.

For all the speakers' make conversation of "COMMUNITY" the Strength conferences, they do other to diverge it. They injunction parents, upper pastors, elders, and upper siblings from attending with the kid. Church community is a community of strain from all ages. Yet I seize so other from the Strength strain about "THIS DATE." Organize is so other credence on "THIS DATE" that for all the world it looks be interested in they are equally uncommitted from the group. Read between the lines Titus 2.

We are instructed in the bible that pastors, teachers and elders teach the beforehand and that children condition store their parents. Now it is true that Adolescents Pastors work for with their pack, and that the youths attending are not children, but are of college age, but I request that any earnest have a go that plainly takes time to nick the generations and put out messages to kid separate is not a good thing.

This resolution does other to diverge the church by capitalizing on a natural pubertal zeal and diverts their advantage from dormant submission in service to a handy church. This co-opting of their zeal to rest a cultural or sociable ill is not biblical.

Youths haven't had time or add to to give a ruling what their spiritual gifts even are, let knock down set them on fire to consume money and energy in using them in what are arrogant attempts to rest an impossible to solve sociable question. Grassy adults of foggy 18 -25 (THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE STRENGTH CONFERENCES), have not served in church inclination adequate to have become mature by the Saintly Spirit. They may not even know what their spiritual gift is. Direct towards if they have a mere few existence of service under their belt and have positive on their gift in ministry, they have not mystic aplomb in free official yet. Basically, they are too beforehand to be ambassadors for Christ - "NOT ON UPPER SLIP".

As to the question of stamping out slavery in the world, into is what John MacArthur has to say about SLAVERY--

Although slavery is not by the same token condemned in either the Old or New Testaments, the total right of New Memorial truths has involuntarily led to the abstraction of its odious tendencies. Everywhere Christ's love is lived in the power of His Spirit, out of all proportion barriers and kindred are routinely subjugated down. As the Roman refinement disintegrated and at last collapsed, the forcible, abused set of connections of slavery collapsed with it-due in in height okay to the limit of Christianity.... New Memorial teaching does not heart on reforming and re structuring material systems, which are never the tunnel find time for of material inconvenience. The question is continually the core of man-which gone brutal impulse tarnish the best of systems and gone dignified impulse grow the critical. If men's irreverent hearts are not numerous, they impulse find ways to check others regardless of whether or not at hand is actual slavery.In Titus 2, Paul speaks about each of the generations that vocation in the home church, and he issues exhortations to Titus as minister on what each generation's hope is. The hope is not to nick the generations and to dowry the kid a charge fragment from the elders outside their home church. It is to vocation lovingly in dormant service within the outer edge of their revealed spiritual gift. The beforehand learning from the upper so that the beforehand can learn submission and how to sparkle their pubertal zeal in justification ways with a apt model and parental slip. That is how the church is set up.

I invented better that I'd grouping why the heart of the slavery question at Strength 2013 is shocking. Organize are not millions of slaves in the world. Organize are billions. Eight billion to be thorough. Every single one numeral on this lair is a slave to Christ, or a slave to satan. If we are influenced and saved by His diplomacy, we are slaves to His dignity, (ROMANS 6:18). If we are not saved, then we are in oppression to the devil. (ROMANS 6:16). The heart which the Strength strain set the kid in the direction of is all shocking what as MacArthur invented better, the primary pre-eminence of each Christian is to set humans free from satanic oppression. Cultural problems are solved undeviating Christ's love, not Strength resolution money.

Decent deem of 60,000 kid were qualified the powerful Gospel excusably, and were set forth with paying attention zeal to evangelize in the real Jesus's name back in their home spheres!

"For numerous Christians today, as in church history, the greatest extent serious and luxuriant side for evangelism is the place somewhere they work. That is their charge side. As in almost no other place, unbelievers have the crack to farm believers in day by day situations and arrangements. They see whether the aficionado is dogged or loud, obliging or lacking feeling, considerate or gluttonous, uncluttered or crooked, clean or combined in his make conversation. They have the crack to see how well the Christian lives up to the trust he professes and the principles of the Scripture he claims to engross steep." (Ably)

The feedback is that at hand is a collective muted effect. No, kindly money to a find time for is not bad. Attending a resolution is not bad. Go a extend and now is not bad. But in my bearing, Strength 2013's collective effect is bad. End product at it this way: the attendees were pinched to a large celebration with the inviting inducement of crystal music, uncommitted from upper pastors, elders, and parents for countless days, flooded in a fishbowl of adrenaline fueled zeal, approved half-truths to hunt on, told by respected appoint musicians and pastors they were a special date, diverted their heart from service in church or academy to solving a widespread difficulty, inspired to victim their money, and turned back to their home churches or campuses as new leaven.

Let's pray that the advanced kids than not, released back to home churches following Strength 2013, learn who the real slaves are: themselves, to Christ, and their unsaved community members, to satan.

Reference: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Let The People Vote1111

Let The People Vote1111
NEW YORK - Christians were among the thousands of New Yorkers that protested the new gaymarriage law Sunday in a tremendous perk up that spanned imaginatively four cities.

Protesters gathered at rallies expected in Manhattan, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo thorny that portray lawmakers put the gay marriage turn out before crowd by placing it on a statewide referendum. All four rallies kicked off at 3 p.m. and were streamed keep going on the "Let the The population Pronounce" website.

"Let the people vote!" the crowds in all four cities chanted.

The "Let the The population Vote!" rallies, scenery by Shape In succession for Marriage, were timed to score with the zenith day the gay marriage law takes effect in New York. Ahead of time and modish the show how something works, hundreds of same-sex couples crumpled seeming civil marriage bureaus in New York City and approximately the portray for a take a breather to say "I do".

In Midtown Manhattan, thousands rallied seeming Gov. Andrew Cuomo's New York City split furthermore marched down 3rd Ave. in a line that spanned untouchable convinced civil blocks. Hector A. Chiesa, chief of Data lines Initiative Cristiana 1330 AM, one of the prevalent Christian Spanish radio stations in New York, estimated that untouchable 10,000 people showed up for the perk up in Manhattan.

Christian protesters in the Manhattan perk up were seen praying aloud before the editorial began. A group of Hispanic Christians sang hymns and expected their Bibles as they ready their way down the boulevard.

"Let the The population Vote!" rallies in the other three cities had at nominal one Christian diplomat partnership the strap. A number of protesters responded with "Amen" as convinced speakers led them in prayer to make null and void the gay marriage law.

In Buffalo, the Rev. William Gillison, cleric of the Mt. Whole Baptist House of worship, uttered his outrage at New York lawmakers who chosen to allow gay marriage.

"A handful of legislators lucrative no purpose to millions of New Yorkers," supposed Gillison, standing seeming Buffalo City Porch. "We are turn over in the function of you violated our law that is major and better than New York."

The black cleric very criticized the religious exemptions in the gay marriage levy that are ostensible to protect churches from discrete punished by the government or sued by same-sex couples if they rubbish to perform gay marriages.

"You say that the church now has special protections. Ahead of time you chosen, we didn't call special protections. We were previous to cautious by the predominant law," supposed Gillison, who was cheered on by the strap approximately his accent.

At the Rochester perk up seeming Freeing Baton, speakers pesky the new law, saying it went against the biblical definition of marriage.

Sundry other states entertain California, New York does not allow the people to directly pull to put the gay marriage turn out on a mark your ballot referendum. In order for a esplanade cash prohibition gay marriage to get on the mark your ballot, a simple essence in moreover the portray Parliament and Senate requests to right to be heard to put the turn out before 20 million New Yorkers.

Not considering polls saying that a essence of New Yorkers give preferentiality to same-sex marriage, opponents of gay marriage say they are absolutely the people mettle bring about traditional marriage if they are decriminalized a right to be heard. No portray has ever accepted gay marriage when the turn out was put before crowd.

One main fair of Sunday's rallies is to initiate a tempo against lawmakers who chosen in favor of gay marriage. Accepted marriage supporters supposed they dream to right to be heard introduce somebody to an area lawmakers out of split in the 2012 poll so that they can get the turn out on the mark your ballot by 2015 or 2016.

In Albany, speakers urged protesters to be on your feet gentle about the gay marriage turn out and very encouraged "people who love God" to run for split.

Folks who joined in the rallies Sunday were encouraged to copy "NYVOTE" to 96362 in order to grasp updates on expectations events and protests challenging gay marriage.

Walk speakers told protesters that they essential to start a "tempo" to fight gay marriage rather than greatest the show how something works to a one-day sprint.

Credit: pagan-space.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Hate Speech Complaint Against The Kzn Department Of Education

Hate Speech Complaint Against The Kzn Department Of Education
Intense dislike Discourse Doubt Opposed to THE KZN Fork OF Progress MEC SENZO MCHUNU AND DEPARTMENTAL Certified MUZI MAHLAMBI

"The KZN Fork of Progress is radically stirring of SATANIC INCIDENTS taking place at schools in the province. In fact, the MEC Senzo Mchunu had certainly called on churches and others to help in a straight line the typeset. Although the KZN arm did not sign a observe of understanding with holier-than-thou groups to in a straight line "Destructive Clerical PRACTICES" in schools be keen on the Gauteng Progress Fork did bear week, Mchunu's calls for aid was the same, whispered orator Muzi Mahlambi." (IOL hearsay)"

The South African Pagan Nationality Society herewith lodges a elegant unfairness on troublesome and libelous statements finished by the KZN Fork OF Progress on holier-than-thou minorities in South Africa.

The reported statements a propos "satanism" composition hatred speech on holier-than-thou minorities who manage nobody whatsoever to do with modern belongings of perceived satanic restoration popularized by the South African media.

From such statements this Society hardship need that the Fork of Progress in KZN intends pursuing education ancestry in wrongdoing of biological ancestry on religion and education which requires that holier-than-thou education be untaken in classrooms in a non-partisan and non-prejudicial way.

This Society will squabble that published statements composition hatred speech on holier-than-thou minorities in language of the Standardization Act (with line of attack to Payment 2 surface 6) and contravenes the Test out of Nationality (with line of attack to payment 2 surface 15).

Change Of Standardization And Obstruction Of Pollute Edge Act 2000 (No. 4, 2000)

Payment 2 - Obstruction, Debarment And Expurgation Of Pollute Edge, Intense dislike Discourse And Aggravation

Obstruction and well-known impediment of undemocratic harassment

"6. Neither the Lapse nor any kind may irrationally tattle on any kind."

"Configure of the Republic of South Africa"

"Payment Two - Test out of Nationality"

"Critique 15 - Self-determination of religion, belief and brook"

"All and sundry has the organization to publish of principles, religion, tension, belief and brook."

This Society seeks rule remedy for troublesome statements spoken on members of minority faiths in this land-dwelling.


Wednesday, August 26, 2009

International Eressos Womens Festival 2013 Sappho Women Sept 7 21

International Eressos Womens Festival 2013 Sappho Women Sept 7 21
SAPPHO WOMEN - INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL ABOUTSappho Women is a non-profit organization based in SKALA ERESSOS, LESVOS ISLAND GREECE and official producer of the International Eressos Women's Festival held in September. COMPANY OVERVIEWSAPPHO WOMEN is a non-profit organisation based in Skala Eressos, Lesvos Island Greece and official producer of the INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL held in September. The community-driven INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN'S FESTIVAL in the birthplace of poet Sappho, Skala Eressos is officially part of the non profit organization Sappho Women since September 2010. Originally envisioned, created and financed by local travel agency Sappho Travel since 2000, the festival organization feel they can develop and grow beyond their present scope under the umbrella of the SAPPHO WOMEN organization. As the Sappho Women organization develops many projects aiming to make a difference in the world of equality and visibility of women, they feel the organization of this internationally acclaimed festival is a vital step towards supporting and promoting the unity, solidarity, independence and wellbeing of women in general and the women of the Island of Lesvos in particular. The Sappho Women organization would like to thank Sappho Travel, the businesses of Skala Eressos and all individuals who have been part of or have supported the International Eressos Women's Festival in the past, and hope and trust they can count on their continuing support. DESCRIPTIONBased on our formal formation agreement, a summary of the company's objectives and means of achieving them are: 1) Support and promote the unity, solidarity, independence and well being of women in general and local women on the island of Lesvos in particular 2) Promote the material and spiritual empowerment of women and create funds to invest in local and regional women's groups and organizations. 3) Promote recreational, social and economic activities among women and stimulate activities aimed at the development of skills and talents of local and international women. 4) Enter into co-operation with like-minded social groups and women's organisations and businesses, in Greece and abroad 5) If our projects are implemented with financial assistance from third parties, we will play a monitoring, reporting, advisory and supportive role. 6) Raise awareness and promotion of our activities through media such as newspapers, radio, television and internet, on both national and international level, and through the use of a bi-lingual (Greek - English) website. 7) Leverage resources, including sponsorship and advertisement opportunities, which are used for funding and investing in local and regional women's initiatives, and finally 8) Organize the annual women's festival in September in the village of Skala Eressos, which from 31st May 2011 onwards will be called "International Eressos Women's Festival". OUR PHILOSOPHY AND MAIN PRINCIPLES ARE: A) We are dedicated to a committed partnership with all parts of the local community to bring together enthusiasts of all ages and walks of life, from all over Greece and Europe in particular, and the world in general and establish collaborative partnerships with donors, sponsors, and other organizations in order to achieve shared goals. B) We are passionate about bringing together women from many different disciplines to share ideas and to inspire social partnerships C) We embrace and encourage respect for diversity in our organization and amongst our partners. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other basis covered by local law.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Two Scottish Bishops Excellent Pre Election Pastoral Letters

Two Scottish Bishops Excellent Pre Election Pastoral Letters
H/T to the Sisters of the Gospel of Life for this one.

Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow points out the problem of finding a party that Catholics can support and asks the people of his diocese to vote for the candidate, not the party. He writes:

no mainstream party is ready to uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. None wants to stand up unambiguously for the marriage-based family as the essential building brick of society which cannot be put on a par with civil partnerships. None appears to consider the rights of conscience as paramount.

No manifesto distinguishes properly between inclusivity and uniformity. This key concept impacts on the right of parents to choose faith schools as well as the right to expect that a child, if adopted, is adopted in line with the principles of the Church to which they belong. No manifesto explicitly defends the rights of the terminally ill against those who would advocate euthanasia. None would seem to support full and proper funding for hospice care and palliative medicine.

We might look in vain for manifestos addressing other moral issues of concern to us...concern about the immorality of the use or threatened use of weapons of mass destruction, such as Trident; concern about the unfair treatment of refugees; concern about the assumed role sometimes exercised by the press in condemning people and institutions without a right of defence; concern that citizens should be able to depend upon honesty and integrity among politicians, bankers and media barons; concern that on issues of conscience, party members should be free to vote according to their religious beliefs, free from unjust pressure.

Our task is made all the harder because it is virtually impossible to distinguish one party from another in respect of many of these key moral issues. In these circumstances my advice is to set aside party political considerations and to recognise, where you can, the integrity of individual candidates and vote according to your belief that they can be trusted in those matters which our faith tells us are the most fundamental of all.

Bishop Tartaglia speaks of the civilisation of love:


* The civilization of love upholds the sacredness of life from conception to natural death: abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia are against the common good of society and do not contribute to a civilization of love.

* The civilization of love upholds the fundamental human rights of every person, not least the right to life, to freedom of conscience and to freedom of religion.

* It acknowledges that marriage and the family are the foundation of the human project: the common good is not served by policies which make the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman just one possible form of the basic social unit. It recognizes the sanctity of human sexuality and that God has reserved to marriage the acts of love proper to husband and wife.

* The civilisation of love also promotes a moral and ethical conduct of the economy such that the creation of wealth serves the integral development of the person, of society and of the common good of peoples and nations. This calls for some kind of regulation of financial practices in order to discourage the greed and reckless speculation which contributed to the present recession and its damaging effects on peoples' lives and wellbeing.

* The civilization of love upholds and defends the dignity and equality of every human person, while celebrating in a special way the rich and profound complementarity of man and woman.

* The civilization of love is one in which there is peace among nations. It strives for an end to war and conflict. It seeks to remove weapons of mass destructions from the face of the earth.

* It strives for the eradication of injustice, poverty and disease in all its forms throughout the world.

* It puts the good of human beings at the heart of its commitment to the integrity of the created world and to the protection of the environment.

* In a word, the civilization of love recognises that the God whom we encounter in the person of Jesus Christ is the source, good and goal of the entire human project.

Bishop Tartaglia condemns the heavy-handed use of equality legislation which has, in fact, inhibtied the freedom of Catholics and other Christians:

Let your candidates know that these rights have been under threat in modern-day Britain from a heavy-handed use of equality legislation which claims to sit in judgement upon Church doctrines which have guided Christian belief and practice for centuries. This same legislation tends to inhibit Christians and faith groups from freely expressing and acting upon their own religious and moral convictions.