Tuesday, January 30, 2007 . 1/30/2007
I just got finished watching Jesus Camp, the documentary of an evangelical Christian summer camp. It was the scariest thing I have seen in my life. I would probably be crying right now if I wasn't so tired.Now, I could say so many things about this video that have been said many times before. How it's child abuse, how it's a cult, and all those things would be true. In fact, the very first thing I thought when I saw these poor children was that it is not unlike a cult. To me it seemed more evil than anything these Christians attribute Satan to.
The good news is that the camp has recently been closed down. It isn't known if it'll start up again, but I hope that it won't. In my eyes, this is not a Jesus camp but a death camp. A death camp because it destroys any real knowledge of the world, because those childrens' minds seemed dead. Brainwashed.
I wonder if, given the chance, an evangelical Christian group would burn atheists, like they did so long ago, only to suspected "witches". Would there be another Dark Age? Or will the time come when radical religious practices such as this Jesus camp become outlawed?
If this camp wasn't based around religion, it would be reported as child abuse. Religion is a scapegoat, an excuse for brainwashing children who don't know any better. If it was reported, all that would be said is something along the lines of "It's their religion and their children and they have a right to pass on tradition". What if this tradition was the monthly burning of some innocent person in the name of a god? Would it be stopped then? Of course it would. But why do we let this type of child abuse go on? Mental abuse such as shown in the Jesus camp is one of the very worst types of abuse you can put on a child, or anybody.
At one point the preacher woman says to "pray to end all abortion". They can pray all they want, but nothing will change. They can pray for all the troubles of the world to go away, and it won't. These people could be out doing charity work instead of cramped in a chapel chanting to the air. You would think that God's work would be helping the homeless, and actually contributing to society in a positive way. Praying hasn't done anything in the past, and it most certainly won't start working now.
Time will pass and Christianity will fade into the backround, just as ancient religions have become obsolete. Either new religions will arise, or an age of reason will. Will people continue to be delusional, or finally accept the world as it really is? 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Monday, January 29, 2007 . 1/29/2007
I'm thinking about getting a subscription for The Skeptical Inquirer. I've been meaning to do this for some time, but just recently I've stumbled across the site.Sometimes I wish I could go back to the time where I knew nothing and believed everything. When I believed magic was real, ghosts were real, God was real.. I never thought of calling myself a skeptic, ever, when I was the exact opposite. I thought of them as the "bad guys" somehow, the ones who cling to science like it's the truth. Ironic, since science is the closest to truth you can get, really.
Now all of my books on magic, I scoff at. I wonder how I could have believed it was true, such as a book on shapeshifting, for example. I used to be into New Age things before I discovered that it was all shit.
As much as I know magic doesn't exist, I wish it did. I wish the paranormal existed. But if the paranormal or the supernatural were to be discovered by science, it suddenly wouldn't be so paranormal anymore, but natural. Like when man first discovered fire, or electricity.
But one can always dream. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Sunday, January 28, 2007 . 1/28/2007
I can't believe how naive I've been, thinking legit ghosts could actually be possible.Just lastnight I finally got around to finishing Spook, and in one of the last chapters it explains how infrasound can cause hallucinations, such as the feeling of a presence. And, ironically, many old houses claiming to be 'haunted' have high infrasound and electromagnetic feilds. Not everyone can sense these, so this probably explains why some people claim to see ghosts and others not. Some animals even communicate using infrasound, such as big cats, and intruments such as old organs also produce infrasound, aswell as everyday household appliances. Not that I already didn't know this, but reading about it in the way the author puts it made me rethink about ghosts in general.
Mary Roach, the author of the book, even went under a lab test where she was exposed to high levels of infrasound. She said she felt a slight presence, saw floating faces, heard inaudable whispers and muttering, and even heard a police siren (though the room she was in was completely soundproof).
In conclusion, ghosts are literally all in your head. I suggest either having someone inspect your house for high levels of infrasound/electromagnetic fields if you are experiencing "ghosts", or have someone inspect your head for a mental illness.
For those of you that think electromagnetic fields = legit ghosts, consider this: when electricity was first discovered, people thought of it as a paranormal energy. So, get your head out of the past and think logically for once. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Saturday, January 27, 2007 . 1/27/2007
Yay, another abortion thread on Ebaums. I've said this before, and I'll say it again.Half of these people apparently haven't been to Health class, or haven't payed attention. In the first weeks of life, the fetus isn't alive. It has no heartbeat. It's a parasite, for fuck's sake. You can't kill something that isn't alive in the first place, and yes, it is part of the woman's body, so therefore it is up to her whether or not to rid herself of the parasite. I would agree that late-term abortions are 'wrong' since the thing has its own blood supply by then, and people do need to learn responsibility for their actions, but again it's up to the woman.
Anyway.. I've decided to not go to my aunt and uncle's house. It was too snowy and too cold yesturday and I couldn't be bothered going through all that just for dessert. My grandpa even called lastnight, asking why we didn't show up and suggesting we come over on Saturday. Uh, how about coming over here to visit us for once? What, is our house "unholy"?
I find it extremely ironic that religious people take their religion seriously, and dismiss all others as a bunch of hooey. And besides that, Christianity has got to be one of the most fucked up religions ever to exist. It's going to go the way of Ra/Giglemesh (sp) eventually, anyway. Stupid fuckers waste their whole lives believing in a man in the sky, not unlike a child who believes in Santa. Religion is for the weak, the childish, and for those who are too lazy to think for themselves and so therefore, "God did it".
Speaking of God, the "God Warrior" from Trading Spouses didn't even mention God once, nor did she try to force her views on anyone else. And yet, those people on Ebaums have made a thread (I AM A GOD WARRIOOOOOOORRRR) and still talk about her as if she hasn't changed. I'm rather surprised, as I thought that they would be talking about how much she's changed. To be honest, I felt like crying, I was so happy that she realised how stupid she looked last season. But those were probably just my hormones talking.
Here's another quiz for good measure -
| You Follow Your Head |
 You're rational, collected, and logical. Generally, it takes you quite a while to fall in love. In fact, you've even been accused of being very picky. While you're cool, you're not ice cold. You just know what you want, and don't mind waiting to get it. |
Friday, January 26, 2007 . 1/26/2007
| You Are 35% Borderline |
 You're a little moody, but you probably don't have a borderline personality. Everyone has their ups and downs. Just don't make too much of them. |
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 . 1/24/2007
Lastnight when I couldn't sleep, I got to thinking about when I was younger. Those were such good days; I had friends and not a care in the world.I grew up in a Christian family, though it wasn't that bad. I went to a Christian kindergarten, and again, not that bad. It wasn't like Jesus Camp or anything, but many times we had art projects and other little assignments relating to God or Jesus.
My first real school I went to was a Christian one, and it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Girls had to wear dresses or skirts, boys pants and no shorts, and we all had to wear socks. Other than that, the dresscode wasn't terrible. We had a Bible study in the mornings and went to assembly (or chapel) before class every other day. Every Monday the principal would ask for us to raise our hands if we went to church, and if a teacher had all of the kids in her class raise their hands, they would get skittles or something.. I can't really remember. I never went to church.
In chapel, my teacher would look to all of the class to see who is being the best-behaved. She would have three "skittle passes" - this was in 2nd grade - and at the end of chapel, she would hand one to three well-behaved students and they would go to the principal's office to get skittles. I got chosen very often, and I daresay that I was one of the most favorable students in that school. Once, the principal even addressed me directly in chapel and asked if I had gotten a horse yet - since it was my dream to own one.
I had two close friends in that school, though I talked to almost everyone in my class. One of those two close friends was my best friend, and we'd joke around, etc.
Every Christmas, my 2nd grade teacher would put up a paper Christmas tree on a bulletin board and would pass out paper ornaments that we could color, and we would line up and place our ornaments on the "tree".
I loved my teachers there, I loved my friends. But at the end of 3rd grade, I switched schools.
This one was also Christian, and a lot more strict in regards to the dresscode. We could only wear solid-colored clothes and even a tiny flower on the corner of a shirt was enough to send you home with a warning. The same went for shoes.
At first I was open with my classmates, but eventually I just stopped talking altogether. This is when my social anxiety kicked in.
After only one year of going to that school, I switched again, and things were made better because I liked my teacher. This school wasn't Christian, but it was strict on the dresscode and was the same as the previous school I went to.
I remember that my teacher would give me little sheets of paper that were designed for goal-setting. Every time I talked, she would put a sticker on a square, and if I got the whole sheet filled I would get a reward. Since she knew I liked horses, one time my reward was a horse beanie-baby. I didn't even have to do English in that class since she knew I hated writing, and as long as I did well in my other subjects I could pass up on the English assignments.
I remained in this school until 7th grade, and I switched again to a public school with no real dresscode. I remained friendless, and day by day I got more irritable, until eventually I got pulled out by my mom and started taking corrispondance classes. This has helped me alot, and gives me more energy in social situations when I don't have to constantly deal with obnoxious people all day.
I don't remember exactly when I became an atheist, but it wasn't hard for me since I had very little faith to begin with. All I remember is that sometime when I was around 13, I started to think about how in books, the 'evil' side was very rarely all that evil, and were just misunderstood. I thought that if this happens in books, then why not in real life? Sometime around this period I also developed the dislike for people who pretended to be Satanist or evil. It wasn't long before I started looking up Satanism, and holy shit I was right. True Satanism is not evil at all.
A year or so passes and I learn about Luciferianism, which is about learning, mostly. A frequent thing among Satanist and Luciferian sites is that they say how Christianity is such a messed up religion. Eventually, I stopped calling myself a Luciferian and just stuck with 'atheist', since even though Luciferianism (and Satanism) doesn't recognise these characters as actual entities, they still embraced what they represented. I thought that this was just as silly as believing in a god, so, voila! - atheist.
I've had some bad experiences with Christianity aswell. For one, my grandpa and grandma from my mom's side don't visit us, but instead frequently visit the houses of those that go to church. When they do visit, it's just for useless smalltalk. They don't give me anything for my birthday except for a card and a dollar bill, and the same goes for Christmas. This makes me feel inferior to my cousins, since they receive more than just worthless cards.
Another time is when my parents taught me about heaven and that if I was good, I would go there, and about hell. I started crying, though I can't remember the exact reason. But it scared the hell out of me (no pun intended) that if I was bad, I would burn in eternal flames. 0 Comments - Post/view comments I had an argument with my dad lastnight.
We were watching American Idol (bleh) and this guy with a beard comes on and says that some people think he looks like Jesus. My dad said something along the lines of, "That's silly, no one knows what Jesus really looked like". I stared at him and mentioned the paintings, but he went on saying "Yeah, but he could have looked completely different". He was making things so fucking difficult.
After this I stated that Jesus probably didn't even exist anyway. That nearly 200 years after Jesus was supposed to be born, people only just started writing about him. If there was a man performing miracles, you would think scholars all over would be writing about it, but that simply isn't the case. This shut him up for a moment, before saying something like "Well how do you think people from all over the world, and hundreds of years appart, could write these different books of the Bible and they MATCHED!".
Now first of all, taken from this site: "The effect of its origins as selected parts of whole bodies of scripture, written by at least a hundred and fifty different people in dozens of different places at different times, many centuries apart, and for different reasons, colors what its authors wrote. Yet that simple fact is widely ignored, both by people who naively follow what they read in it as the inerrant word of God, and by more liberal scholastic theologians, who seek to understand its historical context as well as a body of doctrinal scripture, which they often blindly follow, even though they know full well its messy origins."
Apparently, he chose to believe that all these people wrote about the exact same thing and the exact same god.
My dad knows that the Bible has been translated, but he only thinks that very little of it lost it's meaning. I'm guessing that he's thinking of the more modern translations, such as the King James versions and so on.
I kept on telling him that it was translated so many times, that people added things to it and took things out, but he wouldn't believe it. He also refused to believe that myths such as the one of Ra were religions once, when just a few months ago he agreed with me about this.
He shut up eventually, smiling like some ignorant bigot, and then I asked him if he thought the earth was 6,000 years old, and he honestly didn't know. I asked him about evolution and before he could say something stupid, I pointed out that it may be called a theory, but that's the closest thing to the truth in the scientific world.
We somehow got back to the argument of where the Bible originated, but it's extremely hard to debate on something like this with someone who knows next to nothing about the origins of his religion, and refuses to learn anything new.
At one point I asked where he got all his knowledge of the Bible from, but he didn't say anything.
Eventually I told him that he should seriously consider looking these things up, but he kept saying that he didn't need to. I got so frustrated that I cried and left the room. Real mature, I know, but it's almost that time of the month and I couldn't help it.
I just wish that my dad would look up this stuff on a non-bias, non-religious website just once. Apparently, he finds it hard to believe a mere 16-year-old who spends most of her time reading.
Anywho.. this Friday we're going to my aunt and uncle's house. At this point, I'm not sure I even want to go since I've been crying for no reason lately. I'll just have to wait and see, because if a discussion comes up on gays or something similar and I get frustrated, I don't want to just give up and cry and seem a fool. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Tuesday, January 23, 2007 . 1/23/2007
I've just finished watching Saw III out of boredom, and I have a few things to say about it, none of which are exactly negative.First of all, I love the environment that's in the movie. Old, abandoned places.. even if I didn't like the plot, I'd still watch it just for the settings. The music wasn't bad, either.
Second - the acting was crap in only a few parts, and for the most part it was pretty good.
To be honest, I actually felt like crying more than once, and not because of the gore. The emotions near the end is what got to me.
I would agree that this movie is indeed a "gore-fest", but atleast it has a good plot. I know I've stated this more than once, but imagine an emo kid wanting to watch Saw. He'd begin to view it, thinking that it'll "be awesome since it deals with death", but really, he's learning a lesson. What would you do in these situations? Would you rather live, or die?
And lastly, I never get tired of the odd and cruel contraptions. One of my favorites is the machine that drops dead pigs into a sort of grinding machine, and the guts splatter onto the victim. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Monday, January 22, 2007 . 1/22/2007
My mental health hasn't been too good as of late.. probably due to the fact that I was trying to ween off of my pills, but now I know that it isn't such a good idea. I'm taking my regular dose now, but sometimes I still feel somewhat depressed.I don't like noise, especially when it's loud, such as the TV. My dad couldn't hear it to well when I could hear it fine, and even at that moment it was, to me, loud as it was. But he turned it up, and a few seconds later I started to get pissed off, I felt like crying, and my ears were hurting slightly. This is the reason why I no longer go to regular school; I'm just too sensitive to noises.
Speaking of which, sometimes I see people on forums talk about how if you're sensitive to everyday stimulants, then you're sensitive to the "spirit" plane as well. And let me just tell you, that if there was a paranormal realm, I'm not sensing it. That isn't to say that this is evidence against the paranormal, because it isn't - but it annoys me that sensitive people are said to be able to sense the paranormal when I apparently can't. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Sunday, January 21, 2007 . 1/21/2007
| The True You |
 You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to be more relaxed, calm, and composed. With respect to money, you spend as little as possible. You think good luck depends on maintaining good relationships with others. The hidden side of your personality tends to be a little selfish. You only do what interests you. You are tend to think about others' feelings a lot, perhaps because you are so eager to be liked. When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you base your search on information from your friends. |
Friday, January 19, 2007 . 1/19/2007
Trading Spouses was on today, with that 'God Warrior' from last year. I'm very impressed; she seems a lot nicer now, and what I wrote before about her is true: she is a very nice lady when all that Christian nonsense is pulled from her. It still looks like she's still religious, and that's okay as long as she doesn't try to force her beliefs onto anyone else. She herself said that when she watched the episode of her acting nuts, she "..was appalled". I am so glad she finally isn't a nutjob anymore, but a seemingly very nice person with a good sense of humor.When I saw the previews I thought the black guy was going to be the rational one, and that the woman was going to remain crazy, but I was completely wrong. For some reason, the black guy thinks that slavery still exists or that people are racist towards their color, which is true in some cases. The man was poor, his only job was at some real life forum for when his town can discuss matters - which of course involve racism. He even yelled at his daughter, saying that white people 'are the cause of all problems'. He also thought that hurricane Katrina was brought just because the government was racist, or something to that effect, and he was complaining that there are more black people in jail than white people. Maybe, just maybe, it's because black people have more violent tendencies? You want to be treated equally, yet you keep acting like damn animals.
In short, he's an arrogant and ignorant jerk, blaiming white people and the government for everything, in the hopes that he'll get some money and move out of his pigpen of a house. It's his own fucking fault that he chose not to get an actual, productive job. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 . 1/17/2007
This is both hilarious and infuriating at the same time. I don't know if it's a hoax site or not, as you don't know what the hell hardcore religious nuts are capable of ignoring.Saying goths are Satanists or Wiccans is just beyond ignorant. True Satanism has nothing to do with sacrifice (whereas God has everything to do with it - source: the Bible), and Wiccans are not 'evil' in the least.
It's rather offensive aswell. I like to dress in black, but I don't call myself a goth. It's pure descrimination on the religous' part. It makes me feel a bit inferior, just like my grandma makes me feel inferior when she spends more time with my cousins just because they go to church.
And I don't wear black because I'm depressed; I just like the elegant, dark look. In fact, while at the phyciatrist (sp?) yesturday, she said I was looking a lot more comfortable with myself. She noticed that I dyed my hair almost black, and she likes it. I'm starting to ween off of Prozac aswell, if anyone wondered.
I thought Christianity was supposed to be about forgiveness and tolerrance, but I guess I was wrong. Either Christians are truly ignorant, or they're beginning to understand that the 'word of God' is mostly filled with pointless bloodshed on God's part. And they're still worshipping it. So, who would be the true evil here?
It's not Satan. Compared to God, he is a fucking hero.
Even if this site is a hoax, I still hold on to what I say about hardcore religious nuts.
Speaking of religious nuts, the crazy Christian lady from Wife Swap is coming back on the show this Friday, and it seems as if she's finally met her match. I would love to argue with her, even though from the previews it seems as if she willingly ignores all logic. Maybe if it was taken from more of a friendlier approach, she would listen. I think she'd be a nice lady if all the religious ignorance was stripped off. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 . 1/16/2007
I was browsing through the Ebaums forums, as usual, and came across this thread about paranormal/unexplainable experiences. I thought there'd be one or two serious stories before people started to make sarcastic remarks, but only one or two posts were sarcastic. And in a place like Ebaums, where sarcasm runs rampant.. it makes you think. Are there really ghosts or spirits? Or is it just your mind playing tricks on you? Or maybe all those people were just drunk.Anyway, I just got finished reading the book Night Watch a few days ago, and I must say that it's a very, very good book. There are these two Watches, the Night Watch and the Day Watch. The Night Watch are basically the good guys, while the Day Watch are the bad guys. This book mixes technology and the modern world with magic, and it does it very well. This 'extraordinary bestseller from Russia' is actually a trilogy, and the last two books are Day Watch and Dusk Watch. Day Watch, I'm assuming, will be focused on the point of view of the "bad" side, and that is just fucking awesome. This book is next on my wishlist. These books are apparently movies aswell, and I'd really like to see them.
I've been reading more from this short book, The Magical Home. It has lore and superstition in it regarding the household, and I find it really interesting. I'm learning many things that I didn't know before, like the word 'window' means 'wind's eye', and that the early church thought bathing was evil since it was linked to Pagan practices and rituals. Yet another instance in which Christianity severely fucked up. Quite funny too, seeing as this religion borrowed most of its rituals from Paganism itself in order to gather more followers. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Monday, January 15, 2007 . 1/15/2007
For a long time now, I have been wanting to buy a haunted item or somesuch. I want to experience something "paranormal". Aside from the few things that have happened to me when I was young, I am pretty much free from odd experiences. While I do think that those things I experienced as a child are legit, it can be hard to tell. Very young children can't often tell dreams from reality, and now I am just left in a fog.So, does the paranormal truly exist? I want it to. There's just something so attractive about the thought of having hooded entities walking about an old house.. probably because I have a fetish for hoods.
Oh, but the religious might say, "That's the devil's way of tricking you to his side! He makes it seem attractive so you will dabble in the dark arts!". First of all, if there is a devil, I am already "on his side". Jesus is a contradictory jerk, and the Bible proves it. Besides, what of those other religions out there? Why am I to take the word of a Christian as truth and not a Muslim, or someone else?
I have willingly "opened my arms" to any spirit, but none have come. Is it because I am expecting something to show up, or is it because they simply don't exist?
Even an atheist such as myself asks these kinds of questions. And there is absolutely no reason to believe spirits exist.
Some may say that that's like saying there is no reason to believe sloths (the animal) exist. There's documentary footage of sloths, but those of alleged spirits can more often than not be explained away by a natural accurance, like a door appearing to open by itself is actually just a draft, or a queezy feeling in an old home is actually caused by mold and not a spirit. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Sunday, January 14, 2007 . 1/14/2007
You know what's stupid? This guy. And anyone else who just starts up some thread about "OMGZ YOU RLY BELIEVE DIS?". I may be an atheist, but that doesn't make me a complete ass.Some of you "hardcore" athiests may say, "Well Christianity is finding its way into our government, so if we don't do something then who will?" and they'd be right. But honestly, who is dense enough to think that posting on an internet forum will make a difference? One debate thread is enough, but stressing on the issue by creating a new one makes you just as bad as those Christians who go "God bless your soul!". Extra stupid points for it being on such a forum as Ebaums!
My strategy? Wait until some religious nut tries to convert you.
Oh and here's another pointless quiz:
| You Are 53% Addicted to the Internet |
 You're somewhat addicted to the internet - but who isn't? You can keep it under check, and you're by no means a hermit. |
Thursday, January 11, 2007 . 1/11/2007
Lastnight I couldn't sleep because my pillows were uncomfortable. I had this headache on one side of my head and my neck was sore. Taking a shower helped but it feels like it's coming back.The night before last, I had these really weird dreams. I was in this apartment or something, and there was this giant bible written in some weird language propped open on a dresser. I was looking at it, and my grandma from my mom's side was all "You can't understand this language", and I was about to say something to challenge her on her petty faith when she came towards me and started to pinch me really hard. I just sat there, trying not to cry, and then she ran away.
Later on I had a dream where I was in this barn and my family such as my grandparents and grandparents were sitting around a dangling chain in these foldable chairs. I was to go to the chain and unlock it while everyone stood up and chanted something, but before everyone stood up, my grandma said something like "You'd better bless yourself" and I replied with "What good will that do?" and the weird 'ritual' began. Moments later, someone commented that the chains were moving and everyone ran out yelling "demons!".
There are other parts of the dream that I failed to mention but they're way to weird to explain.
Besides the weird-ass dreams, everything has been the same. I've been in the house, sleeping, reading, going on the computer. I should be doing my schoolwork, but the thing is, assignments don't count, only the exams do. So I have no motivation to study, and it's just easier to cheat. I hate myself for being so lazy. I've always thought that useless people that don't contribute to society should die, but I'm one of those people. It has to change. I am NOT a loser, I just lack friends. And before you go on thinking "But omgz that's the definition of a loser!", let me just explain something.
Ever since 4th grade, social anxiety started to kick in. I kept going to school until 9th grade, and now I do my schoolwork at home. Before the 4th grade I had friends, but I ended up changing schools twice. I became more sensitive to noise, and being around people and talking to them scared the hell out of me. Being at home helps me with this, since there's no extra idiots talking out of turn in class and no other extra people around. Because I'm not overstimulated anymore, I've become less anxious around people, but noise still bothers me.
Any friends that I had outside of school moved to different states, and only one remains that I can talk to but she's annoying as hell.
So how does this make me any less of a loser? Well, for one, you wouldn't know that I'm some person without friends or a life just by looking at me. Second of all, I'm not just some idiot blockhead who decided to ditch school because "it's what the cool kids do". Being alone lets me learn a lot more than what I normally would in class. I read, I watch the History, Discovery, and Science chanel. I'm not completely useless.
Some people who are bored enough to end up reading this still might say that I'm a loser or a nerd, but you know what that makes them? Ignorant. There are more ways to live life than partying and doing drugs. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Sunday, January 07, 2007 . 1/07/2007
| You Are 32% Spoiled |
 You're barely spoiled. You may have some nice things, but you never let them go to your head. You appreciate each gift you're given - and you don't dwell on what you "deserve" to have. |
| You Are More Yin |
 Devoted Forgiving Fall Winter Afternoon Moon Time Passive Metal Honey |
Saturday, January 06, 2007 . 1/06/2007
Today I went to the bookstore and got a couple books.One is called For the Love of Cats by Dena Harris (I couldn't find any information on this book online), and it mentions that the medieval church tended to kill all cats on sight since they thought they were "associated with the devil and of witches". Now I knew they killed black cats, but not all cats.. and tortured them, too. Yet the medieval church completely contradicts early Christianity, where the cat was viewed as one of God's most precious creations.
The second book I got, The Magical Household, was one about the magical lore of the home, and it describes how people used to hang up things such as horshoes and such around the home for good luck and performed "spells" to keep away "evil spirits". However, the author also includes ways to perform this "magic" and speaks of it as if it really existed. For example, near the very beginning of the book, it says to "rub your hands for 10 seconds and then place them apart from eachother, and you will feel the tingling sensation of the energy of magic". Then I begin to think - has this person taken science class? You do know that it's just heat, right? - but then he says things that makes me think that he means any energy is magic. He only contradicts himself when he speaks of magic as "the force that can drive away evil spirits". This is purely superstition. I've lost quite a bit of interest in this short book after only a couple pages, but I'll try to remain open-minded anyway.
Speaking of books, I got another entitled Night Watch about a week ago. It's pretty good, and a bit hard to explain myself. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Wednesday, January 03, 2007 . 1/03/2007
I don't really know why, but I've been laying in my bed crying for the past half hour. It's probably just because it's nearly that time of the month, and that if I read this post over like a week from now I'll think that I'm crazy, but I'm going to vent anyway.When I feel sad like this - genuinely sad - I almost always wish that some supernatural person would come out of the darkness of my closet and save me. That he/it would just hold me and make me feel better.
I know how religious people feel now. When an emotional time like this comes along, it's comforting to think that a supernatural being is looking out for you and cares for you. I wish so much that the paranormal existed, and that if it does that it would reveal itself to me. It did when I was very young.. or it could have just been a dream. When you're young, almost everything seems like a dream since it was all so long ago.
I stopped believing in a god about two or three years ago, maybe less, maybe more. I'm not sure. But what I am sure of is that the truth can hurt.
I know that most of this is just my hormones talking, but the wishing that the paranormal exists, that magic exists.. is always there. It's just usually not this strong.
Maybe a god does exist, but I have no reason to believe it. It/he/she hasn't revealed itself to me, doesn't let me know that it's there. I don't want to spend my life living a lie and a delusion that so many people today face. Knowing the truth, that there most likely isn't a supernatural sky wizard, makes me feel alone, and I've been alone nearly all my life when it comes to people. But knowing a god most likely doesn't exist gives my life more of a meaning. Knowing that there might not be such a thing as a soul or an afterlife makes me want to live this life to the fullest, and experience the world in all of its entirety. I want to learn, I want to be the most knowledgable person out there..
But still, there is a wish that the paranormal exists, and I think everyone has it in some degree or another. To not want to be alone. This, besides death, is what I think is humanity's greatest fear.
Anyway, as much as I would like the paranormal to exist, I don't go around just saying that it does like it's truth. And while being a vampire would be cool, these people are taking it way too far.
On that site there are people who actually think they are vampires, and know next to nothing about real-life conditions such as a sensitivity to sunlight, or any light for that matter. I honestly wonder if these people are just playing pretend, or if they actually think they are what they are.
It's funny that the "vampires" on there are all based off of the modern view, when in actuality a true vampire was considered to be merely a spirit.. a parasitic spirit. If it did have a form, they were said to be ugly. When they did feed on blood, they bit the wrist and rarely the neck (while I originally read this in a book, more information on the history of vampires can be found here).
Yeah, it would be awesome if the modern view of the vampire existed. Tall, handsome/beautiful, seductive. I would love for a vampire to just come into my room and take me away, but alas, that won't happen.
And then we have people asking to become vampires. Seriously, what the hell? This is some fucked up world we live in if a person can't tell real life from fantasy. Kinda like those religious nuts. 0 Comments - Post/view comments I never knew that Joe Rogan was this smart, or that he was a comedian. I only knew him to be in the show News Radio and to be the host of Fear Factor.
Near the end, he completely "pwns" this guy who was actually going on an expedition for Noah's ark.
LAWLPWNT x 999999999 0 Comments - Post/view comments
Monday, January 01, 2007 . 1/01/2007
I find the forums on LiveScience.com to be a complete joke, especially the threads on evolution vs creationism.Take the OP's post for example:
Hey guys and gals. A creationist here. I believe in the God of the Bible and believe the Bible to be His Word. I believe the heaven and the earth were created in six literal days just as Genesis says. I'm here to answer your questions, if possible, and to refute evolution. I believe creationism to be just as legit a science as evolution, and if you are going to teach one in school then teach the other also. If creationism is a religion and should not be taught in schools, then so is evolution a religion and should not be taught in schools. If one should be thrown out then the other also. So let the ridicule, questions or both begin. I will try to keep my answers civil as a good Christian should.
Here we have an idiot who thinks he can effectively debate evolution based on some book written over 2,000 years ago.
Creationism, first of all, is in no way legit, period. Evolution is a theory, and that doesn't mean that it's simply a guess. In the scientific world, in order for something to be a theory it has to be tested numerous times, and it goes without saying that it requires evidence. Like the theory of gravity, evolution is as close to fact as me saying that this blog exists.
Creationism SHOULD NOT be taught in schools at all, especially public ones. Which brings me to my second point: evolution is in no way, shape or form a 'religion'. Religion relies soley on faith, whereas evolution is based on evidence, just like all science is. To teach creationism in a public school, even as a possibility and not a fact, is like bringing in the possibility that unicorns or elves exist. To bring it into the science classroom is absolutely ridiculous, and should be reserved to being taught in history and culture classes, not science.
Even more amusing than the OP's post are the ones that follow. We have creationists trying to sound intelligent and scientific, and to me that is beyond laughable.
Oh, and happy new year's and all that shit. 0 Comments - Post/view comments
