I hope the link below will display! It's a video showing Porky Pig reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, two years before I was born!
I remember reciting the Pledge every day in Auditorium class, and our teacher instructed us to say, "One Nation Under God" all at one time without pausing. Half the class would still pause from habit, "One Nation; Under God"; and it ruined the rest of the pledge because we all finished at different times!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxlxoAcSusw
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Where to go for comfort?
These are just random notes that I may turn into a video. It would be a video where I would be asking those watching for their answers or suggestions. Since European countries are more secular in their thoughts than the U.S., they may have ready answers.
When the children in Connecticut were murdered, the townspeople all gathered the very next night at a church. I thought they would want to stay at home and grieve or grieve with a few friends, but I guess since this was an entire town grieving, they quickly met. My question is, if we were not religious as a society, where would grieving people meet? I am assuming our public athletic facilities, clubs and community centers would be much larger because people would get out more instead of being at church, so possibly a community center or school. Who would take over as leader of these functions? The mayor? Voluntary? Will there be secular counselors or the equivalent of ministers?
I think the grieving would be much more productive than asking people to pray to the God who ignored the children, of course. But I think as people become more aware of the scams of the church, there still must be certain structures to fill the void. The church leaders swooped in because these tragedies are their opportunity, and also, many of them are actually sincere about helping. I had to be impressed at how quickly they acted, yet it took two days for them to give some made up reasons and excuses God allowed the killing spree to go on. As to solutions as we becomje more secular, right now I have no answers, and I do know most people become more religious when someone dies. I see it over and over on Facebook; the "spiritual" revert to talking about angels and God and quoting Bible verses and asking people to pray for their dearly departed.
I know that funerals and cemeteries have evolved with the times, with more people being cremated and more memorial services and fewer weeping funerals with open caskets. I am sure we will all evolve and naturally come up with solutions, but right now, I do not know what they are.
When the children in Connecticut were murdered, the townspeople all gathered the very next night at a church. I thought they would want to stay at home and grieve or grieve with a few friends, but I guess since this was an entire town grieving, they quickly met. My question is, if we were not religious as a society, where would grieving people meet? I am assuming our public athletic facilities, clubs and community centers would be much larger because people would get out more instead of being at church, so possibly a community center or school. Who would take over as leader of these functions? The mayor? Voluntary? Will there be secular counselors or the equivalent of ministers?
I think the grieving would be much more productive than asking people to pray to the God who ignored the children, of course. But I think as people become more aware of the scams of the church, there still must be certain structures to fill the void. The church leaders swooped in because these tragedies are their opportunity, and also, many of them are actually sincere about helping. I had to be impressed at how quickly they acted, yet it took two days for them to give some made up reasons and excuses God allowed the killing spree to go on. As to solutions as we becomje more secular, right now I have no answers, and I do know most people become more religious when someone dies. I see it over and over on Facebook; the "spiritual" revert to talking about angels and God and quoting Bible verses and asking people to pray for their dearly departed.
I know that funerals and cemeteries have evolved with the times, with more people being cremated and more memorial services and fewer weeping funerals with open caskets. I am sure we will all evolve and naturally come up with solutions, but right now, I do not know what they are.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Free Will?
Free Will is used whenever convenient, without thinking the concept through. This is my attempt to explain why free will is not really free, but very constrained! (I have just recently done some research on this subject, and am no expert, but what I do understand, I am posting.)
If Christians actually think God created each person and planned their lives in advance - every move the person makes; then there is little free will.
In truth, research has shown that if a part of the brain is physically stimulated, an arm will raise or a person will react. The brain is definitely doing the commanding, and a lot of its thinking. A lot of thinking goes on unconsciously as well. They have shown that the brain makes up its mind six seconds before a person knows he/she thinks the thought! It's kind of freaky!
People who have brain damage sometimes become "unrecognizable"; their personalities are altered, so, again, it comes from the physical brain. We just react to our environments.
We are born with certain abilities, limits of I.Q., and our thoughts are molded from our environment and from those who raise us. I make my opinions based on the brain I have, what I have been taught or what I have read, and how I process and interpret what I read.
Even if I decide to go against my morals, to try to test where my morals come from, or to test free will, I am making a decision based on how bad I think the outcome may be and whether it is worth the risk, and my brain has most likely figured it out before I know about it!
Therefore, if there is a God who made me with this brain and personality, then he himself sent me to Hell! : )
If Christians actually think God created each person and planned their lives in advance - every move the person makes; then there is little free will.
In truth, research has shown that if a part of the brain is physically stimulated, an arm will raise or a person will react. The brain is definitely doing the commanding, and a lot of its thinking. A lot of thinking goes on unconsciously as well. They have shown that the brain makes up its mind six seconds before a person knows he/she thinks the thought! It's kind of freaky!
People who have brain damage sometimes become "unrecognizable"; their personalities are altered, so, again, it comes from the physical brain. We just react to our environments.
We are born with certain abilities, limits of I.Q., and our thoughts are molded from our environment and from those who raise us. I make my opinions based on the brain I have, what I have been taught or what I have read, and how I process and interpret what I read.
Even if I decide to go against my morals, to try to test where my morals come from, or to test free will, I am making a decision based on how bad I think the outcome may be and whether it is worth the risk, and my brain has most likely figured it out before I know about it!
Therefore, if there is a God who made me with this brain and personality, then he himself sent me to Hell! : )
Multiverses and Heaven
Stephen Hawking says that if multiverses are true (and mathematically, existence points to multiverses), then there is no room for a Heaven or a God. But let's imagine that Heaven is located in the universe next to our universe. In that universe, there is a Being that is worshipped. He judges and rejects children, old people and anyone who did not believe in him, regardless of circumstance, and sentences them to burn so you can watch. The colors of this universe are white and gold, and the rivers are made of milk and honey, even though there are no animals allowed. (Perhaps from breast milk and some sort of urinary disease like the Amish have? You've heard of maple syrup urine disease of the Amish; maybe there is some sort of urinary disease that tastes like honey. That would answer where the milk and honey rivers came from when there are no animals.) Your position in this universe is to worship the head being, eternally. There is constant singing going on. You do not recognize anyone in your family.
That's enough description. Given this universe named Heaven and our universe, which would you choose to live in? Which seems more like your definition of Heaven?
That's enough description. Given this universe named Heaven and our universe, which would you choose to live in? Which seems more like your definition of Heaven?
Peddling Faith
I notice the churches and people like Huckabee are not answering the "Where was God?" question when discussing the tragedy at the school in Connecticut, except to actually claim that God is working in people's actions. That almost sounds secular! They really are at a loss to explain 26 innocent children gunned down and no God came to the rescue.
What surprised me are the number of people who immediately gathered at a church in town right after the shootings for a service. If it were me, I think I would be at home mourning or with a couple of friends. I just don't think I could go sit in public, but that is not a criticism, just an observation that others mourn differently.
Of course, Mike Huckabee's claim that God is working through people who are helping the victims could pose a problem for him, because many atheists have given money and support. I think they are baffled why God did not protect little children.
Their other excuse, "God ignored the children and let them die because people took prayer out of the schools" fails. Any child can bring a Bible to class or pray individually in school - they just cannot let it distrupt school work or push their religion on others. It also shows a God much more childish than any spoiled brat could be, and much more vengeful than most people - and God does not have the problem of mental illness that the shooter had.
I see Christians post poems about the children becoming angels and flying over us to protect us, and that is just so offensive to me. What these posts do is take away the reality of the fact that children suffered and died because of guns and mental illness and violence, and these posts also give another security blanket for egotistical Christians who think the children's purpose is now to watch over them. Just how kids want to spend their time.
Additionally, I actually had a discussion with a self-proclaimed "prophet" who says the children went up to Heaven and now are being judged by God. So 6 year olds were shot, possibly slowly and painfully died, and God did nothing; now they have to stand before God and be deemed worthy enough to enter his kingdom? God might reject them and send them to Hell? Haven't they been through enough? Yes, like you, I found his proclamation absolutely despicable; yet the Prophet Christian thought it was totally acceptable from his loving God.
If their God does not help children, then what is their God for?
I read some words from a religious person, and they said, "If there were ever a time for faith, this is it."
I would say, "If there were ever a time to question why God never saves the day, this is it."
Anyone else sick of the word, "Faith?" That empty word of invisible non-action.
What surprised me are the number of people who immediately gathered at a church in town right after the shootings for a service. If it were me, I think I would be at home mourning or with a couple of friends. I just don't think I could go sit in public, but that is not a criticism, just an observation that others mourn differently.
Of course, Mike Huckabee's claim that God is working through people who are helping the victims could pose a problem for him, because many atheists have given money and support. I think they are baffled why God did not protect little children.
Their other excuse, "God ignored the children and let them die because people took prayer out of the schools" fails. Any child can bring a Bible to class or pray individually in school - they just cannot let it distrupt school work or push their religion on others. It also shows a God much more childish than any spoiled brat could be, and much more vengeful than most people - and God does not have the problem of mental illness that the shooter had.
I see Christians post poems about the children becoming angels and flying over us to protect us, and that is just so offensive to me. What these posts do is take away the reality of the fact that children suffered and died because of guns and mental illness and violence, and these posts also give another security blanket for egotistical Christians who think the children's purpose is now to watch over them. Just how kids want to spend their time.
Additionally, I actually had a discussion with a self-proclaimed "prophet" who says the children went up to Heaven and now are being judged by God. So 6 year olds were shot, possibly slowly and painfully died, and God did nothing; now they have to stand before God and be deemed worthy enough to enter his kingdom? God might reject them and send them to Hell? Haven't they been through enough? Yes, like you, I found his proclamation absolutely despicable; yet the Prophet Christian thought it was totally acceptable from his loving God.
If their God does not help children, then what is their God for?
I read some words from a religious person, and they said, "If there were ever a time for faith, this is it."
I would say, "If there were ever a time to question why God never saves the day, this is it."
Anyone else sick of the word, "Faith?" That empty word of invisible non-action.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
What Do You Think of Those Cheatin' Vegans?
I wonder if you are similar to the way I am? A friend proudly tells you he likes tofu and is trying to eat less meat by eating more fish, and is trying to lose weight and he is welcome to suggestions, yet you know he will eat anything in sight. Your response is to encourage: "Good for You! Keep it up! Here are some suggestions!"
You have another friend who eats mostly fish because he claims they feel the least amount of pain. He justifies that he does not care if he causes animals pain, however, because it is all about survival, and he will do what is necessary for himself. (Yet he admits a few times that he tried to be vegan for a week several years back and the fact that he eats mostly fish makes it seem like he really wants to help.) Is your response to light into this person because he says he will do what is necessary for his own survival? He is doing much better in his eating than the first person. Yet my tendency is to be more factual and perhaps a bit sarcastic with this last fellow, and be totally kind and encouraging to the first fellow!
(I will ask more questions than I answer here!)
What do we think about those Cheatin' Vegans? Alicia Silverstone wrote a vegan recipe book and is very supportive, yet she admits to eating a piece of cow's cheese now and then. At first, I was angry about this, but then I look at the totality of her help, and realize she is doing so much more good than harm, and she may ditch the occasional cheat as time goes on.
There are those who are vegans, but eat honey. Sometimes they just do not know better. I was one of those for about a month; then I learned about what happens to the bees and the slavery they endure and the killing, and I gave up the honey. I missed it for about three months until I got used to agave syrup and I just discovered brown rice syrup which has the same texture as honey, but is milder. Honey now would seem way too strong and way too sweet. I encourage you to try some brown rice syrup! I had to find it at a health food store, but agave syrup is at stores like Wal-Mart.
The meat industry tries to encourage vegans to cheat. This is their new tactic. They have even gotten on "humane" boards to influence others that they slaughter cows and pigs humanely and that, with their welfare laws, there is no need to be vegan or vegetarian, but you can feel guilt free eating humanely raised meat. What a load of dung! I will post on the subject of "humanely raised" and detail what their conditions are in another blog, but be assured - there is nothing humane about the animals' lives, which are filled with extreme pain, misery, mishandling, fear, anguish and comes to a horrific end. There is no such word as humane in the meat industry. Yet I support any improvement; I just keep my eye on our ultimate goal which is to stop eating meat and dairy all together.
In my own experience, I went vegan about 3 years ago with the idea that I would just try it and if I didn't like it I could switch back. No pressure. It took three days to get used to soy and almond milk because I had a lifetime of guzzling tons of skim milk and at first did not like soy milk. Now I prefer it! About two months in to my vegan lifestyle, there was a banquet I attended where the food was brought in, so there was no kitchen with any more supplies. Absolutely nothing was vegan. I was hungry! I took some macaroni and cheese, a small piece of chocolate cake and some green beans that might have had butter on them. No pressure, right? That was my goal and I didn't want people pointing to my empty plate and saying, "That poor vegan, look how she starves." (Of course, no one knew I was vegan so that scenario was an excuse I made up for myself!) I also did not want my husband to say, "We spent $20 on your plate and it is empty!" I did not want that pressure because I hate face to face confrontation. So I cheated. It was vegetarian though, I justified. The outcome? Under one of Elaine Vignault's videos in the comments section, I admitted my cheat for some crazy reason. Vegans lit into me. One said, "You sit there with that empty plate." I listened to another of Elaine's videos (she has since closed her YouTube account but has web sites), and this video said, "Being vegan is a protest; a protest for life." Yes, it is for my life, and for the life of the animals. I now own a T-shirt I made that has that saying on it. This was one time being hard on someone (me) paid off and I am very grateful they jumped on me! I guarantee you I no longer cheat and I have no desire to cheat either and doubt I ever will. (I have attended two more of these banquets as they are yearly and am proud to say that my plate stays empty.) After time passes, the idea of meat or milk becomes a greasy, putrid, nasty thought and the cheatin' urge is not there! So be encouraged!
You have another friend who eats mostly fish because he claims they feel the least amount of pain. He justifies that he does not care if he causes animals pain, however, because it is all about survival, and he will do what is necessary for himself. (Yet he admits a few times that he tried to be vegan for a week several years back and the fact that he eats mostly fish makes it seem like he really wants to help.) Is your response to light into this person because he says he will do what is necessary for his own survival? He is doing much better in his eating than the first person. Yet my tendency is to be more factual and perhaps a bit sarcastic with this last fellow, and be totally kind and encouraging to the first fellow!
(I will ask more questions than I answer here!)
What do we think about those Cheatin' Vegans? Alicia Silverstone wrote a vegan recipe book and is very supportive, yet she admits to eating a piece of cow's cheese now and then. At first, I was angry about this, but then I look at the totality of her help, and realize she is doing so much more good than harm, and she may ditch the occasional cheat as time goes on.
There are those who are vegans, but eat honey. Sometimes they just do not know better. I was one of those for about a month; then I learned about what happens to the bees and the slavery they endure and the killing, and I gave up the honey. I missed it for about three months until I got used to agave syrup and I just discovered brown rice syrup which has the same texture as honey, but is milder. Honey now would seem way too strong and way too sweet. I encourage you to try some brown rice syrup! I had to find it at a health food store, but agave syrup is at stores like Wal-Mart.
The meat industry tries to encourage vegans to cheat. This is their new tactic. They have even gotten on "humane" boards to influence others that they slaughter cows and pigs humanely and that, with their welfare laws, there is no need to be vegan or vegetarian, but you can feel guilt free eating humanely raised meat. What a load of dung! I will post on the subject of "humanely raised" and detail what their conditions are in another blog, but be assured - there is nothing humane about the animals' lives, which are filled with extreme pain, misery, mishandling, fear, anguish and comes to a horrific end. There is no such word as humane in the meat industry. Yet I support any improvement; I just keep my eye on our ultimate goal which is to stop eating meat and dairy all together.
In my own experience, I went vegan about 3 years ago with the idea that I would just try it and if I didn't like it I could switch back. No pressure. It took three days to get used to soy and almond milk because I had a lifetime of guzzling tons of skim milk and at first did not like soy milk. Now I prefer it! About two months in to my vegan lifestyle, there was a banquet I attended where the food was brought in, so there was no kitchen with any more supplies. Absolutely nothing was vegan. I was hungry! I took some macaroni and cheese, a small piece of chocolate cake and some green beans that might have had butter on them. No pressure, right? That was my goal and I didn't want people pointing to my empty plate and saying, "That poor vegan, look how she starves." (Of course, no one knew I was vegan so that scenario was an excuse I made up for myself!) I also did not want my husband to say, "We spent $20 on your plate and it is empty!" I did not want that pressure because I hate face to face confrontation. So I cheated. It was vegetarian though, I justified. The outcome? Under one of Elaine Vignault's videos in the comments section, I admitted my cheat for some crazy reason. Vegans lit into me. One said, "You sit there with that empty plate." I listened to another of Elaine's videos (she has since closed her YouTube account but has web sites), and this video said, "Being vegan is a protest; a protest for life." Yes, it is for my life, and for the life of the animals. I now own a T-shirt I made that has that saying on it. This was one time being hard on someone (me) paid off and I am very grateful they jumped on me! I guarantee you I no longer cheat and I have no desire to cheat either and doubt I ever will. (I have attended two more of these banquets as they are yearly and am proud to say that my plate stays empty.) After time passes, the idea of meat or milk becomes a greasy, putrid, nasty thought and the cheatin' urge is not there! So be encouraged!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Atheist or Scientific Sites I Recommend; Vegan Sites I recommend
Godlesshaven.com has a library full of articles about the Bible, and the author is very versed in his Bible knowledge. If you want to know who the passage, "My god, my god, why have you forsaken me?" was really about, or why the prophesies were not fulfilled (contrary to what Christians say), it is all at this site under "Articles." Very worth the visit.
Locolobo.org (don't be afraid of the big wolf pic that pops up) is about evolution and has great, easy to understand, explanations.
Pangeaprogress.com is a beautiful website with a fantastic blog with astounding pictures! The writing has a poetic lilt about it, yet very informative. If you click on the blog and then scroll down, on the right are topics to choose from.
Vegan sites I enjoy are mainly recipe sites.
Ohsheglows.com is pretty practical with beautiful nice, large pictures.
Vegancoach.com and vegancoach.com/vegan-diet-tips both offer extremely practical recipes. The recipes are on the left a ways down on the first site.
kblog.lunchboxbunch.com is beautiful and inspiring with its gorgeous recipes, but they are heavy on avocados and shake-looking drinks and not quite as practical. Still I check on it almost daily to see what she is making and I have tried a few recipes.
Vegweb is just pain useful.
www.findingvegan.com is not a blog, and is just pictures with recipes pulled from what they think are the best from the web. Updated frequently.
www.punchfork.com/vegan is also pictures with recipes pulled from sites on the web. They are moving to Pinterest soon, and I don't know what that means as far as that website.
For all other things vegan, go to beaelliott's blog - beaelliott.blogspot.com, also known as PROVOKED. Animal rights issues, videos, articles, etc.
www.drmcdougall.com. All about how to avoid diseases with a very low fat diet. They do use honey and he has 2 oz of turkey every other year so he will be known as a health doctor and not a 'vegan doing it for the animals" although he mentions many times he likes the compassion it offers. I go to "medical info" then "hot topics" and click on all the articles. Great information.
www. adaptt.com. Gary Yourofsky's site. Check out his very moving video! This is a former "radical" vegan activist who now finds it more useful to educate. Love his site.
Favorite phrase of the day - taken from Pangeaprogress' site!
"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the
wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."
Chief Crowfoot, Blackfoot Indian Chief
Locolobo.org (don't be afraid of the big wolf pic that pops up) is about evolution and has great, easy to understand, explanations.
Pangeaprogress.com is a beautiful website with a fantastic blog with astounding pictures! The writing has a poetic lilt about it, yet very informative. If you click on the blog and then scroll down, on the right are topics to choose from.
Vegan sites I enjoy are mainly recipe sites.
Ohsheglows.com is pretty practical with beautiful nice, large pictures.
Vegancoach.com and vegancoach.com/vegan-diet-tips both offer extremely practical recipes. The recipes are on the left a ways down on the first site.
kblog.lunchboxbunch.com is beautiful and inspiring with its gorgeous recipes, but they are heavy on avocados and shake-looking drinks and not quite as practical. Still I check on it almost daily to see what she is making and I have tried a few recipes.
Vegweb is just pain useful.
www.findingvegan.com is not a blog, and is just pictures with recipes pulled from what they think are the best from the web. Updated frequently.
www.punchfork.com/vegan is also pictures with recipes pulled from sites on the web. They are moving to Pinterest soon, and I don't know what that means as far as that website.
For all other things vegan, go to beaelliott's blog - beaelliott.blogspot.com, also known as PROVOKED. Animal rights issues, videos, articles, etc.
www.drmcdougall.com. All about how to avoid diseases with a very low fat diet. They do use honey and he has 2 oz of turkey every other year so he will be known as a health doctor and not a 'vegan doing it for the animals" although he mentions many times he likes the compassion it offers. I go to "medical info" then "hot topics" and click on all the articles. Great information.
www. adaptt.com. Gary Yourofsky's site. Check out his very moving video! This is a former "radical" vegan activist who now finds it more useful to educate. Love his site.
Favorite phrase of the day - taken from Pangeaprogress' site!
"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the
wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."
Chief Crowfoot, Blackfoot Indian Chief
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
When are women going to ditch religion? We first think about the poor women under the burqas, many with venereal diseases from their wayward husbands who insist the burquas keep them from being enticing to others. What a strange religion.
In the U.S., we have an ongoing "War on Women" which seemed to gain steam during the last election by the religious right. Listen to Rick Santorum and you will find many on the right are against women having careers, the religious believe women should not have the drive to have a career, and I have seen both Bachmann and Palin make excuses for working. Women should never make an excuse to want to work!
I know women feel fulfilled because they feel needed in the church, helping with this committee and that potluck, but they are known as "helpers" to men. I recently heard a Creationist woman call herself a helper for her husband. Sick.
Women in Ireland at this time, will not be saved if their life is threatened by her pregnancy. They will allow the fetus to die and the woman, rather than save the woman. It should tell you how little they think of a woman's worth.
I am shocked by what I see in the world when it comes to women's rights. (This is another post I may add to, and turn into a video eventually.)
In the U.S., we have an ongoing "War on Women" which seemed to gain steam during the last election by the religious right. Listen to Rick Santorum and you will find many on the right are against women having careers, the religious believe women should not have the drive to have a career, and I have seen both Bachmann and Palin make excuses for working. Women should never make an excuse to want to work!
I know women feel fulfilled because they feel needed in the church, helping with this committee and that potluck, but they are known as "helpers" to men. I recently heard a Creationist woman call herself a helper for her husband. Sick.
Women in Ireland at this time, will not be saved if their life is threatened by her pregnancy. They will allow the fetus to die and the woman, rather than save the woman. It should tell you how little they think of a woman's worth.
I am shocked by what I see in the world when it comes to women's rights. (This is another post I may add to, and turn into a video eventually.)
Holiday and New Year Donations
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Religion's Negative History Toward Vegetarianism
Christians burned witches and warlocks at the stake during the Inquisition, and just may have made a few judgment errors, since they would threaten to kill a woman for being a witch, but told her they would torture her less if she named some other witches (which she nearly always would). I figured with this method Christians were burning people other than just witches and warlocks!
For fun, I typed "vegetarian heresy" and was amazed at my findings! Christians killed vegetarians, not only during the Inquisition, but before those times. They wiped out the Cathars, a vegetarian group of people in the south of France, the Manichaens, and Bogomils and a few other groups. They even had a test where they would ask the person to kill an animal and eat it, and if they refused - they got burned. I wonder if they got eaten. Such barbaric people, those Christians of just a few hundred years ago.
I do realize that they may have killed some of these people because of political views and the vegetarian issue may have not been the reason for all of these killings and I think we will never know the answer, since they destroyed evidence, but we have one writing that specifically told about the "kill an animal and eat it" test.
To this day Christians are writing against vegetarianism. Ministers vehemently argue that their congregations eat meat. There are a few who try the Daniel Fast for a month, which is like being vegan but taking all the good vegan food away!
Christians ask permission to be vegetarian and are denied. (Why are they asking a minister what they can eat?) The idea "Animals are God's gift to us and it is an insult for us to NOT eat them" is rampant to this day. I was just shocked when I googled it and poked around. Of course, comments are monitored and "upon approval" under any articles so I can't make my opinion known as my comment is never approved! If an animal were a gift for us, why aren't they lined up as a gift? Why do they struggle as you and I struggle for our lives? And if you use an excuse about you "being a predator," why are we the only animals who cook our food? Do you see any other animals out there who are creeping around, wearing the coat of another animal? No hats or belts on those predators.
I am not surprised that ministers argue for their right to eat any food they wish. Their BBQs and potlucks are important because it makes the cooks who are usually women feel needed and keeps the people coming to the church and socializing. This is not a sexist statement - Christian women see themselve as "doing roles" as a Christian and being a "helper" and "servant" to the male. They have the problem, not I!
Did you know many people thought Jesus was a vegetarian? Somehow they have claimed that he did not eat the one fish he fed to the multitudes; however, he would have been considered vegetarian even if he ate fish back then because people thought vegetarians are allowed to eat fish, due to the fact that they erroneously believed fish gave birth asexually, instantaneously and therefore, the fish had no souls! Their reasoning continued that if an animal bred by sexual means, then souls were in the bodies of the female and male fish and if you consumed them, you could trap souls in your own body! Therefore, eating fish was considered vegetarian. Of course, this excuse from ignorance does not hold water today, yet we still hear people claim to be vegetarian who eat fish!
But there are books that were left on the cutting room floor when the Council of Nicea met and were deciding what to put into the Bible. They had a storyline picked out for the Bible and wanted to use books that would agree with their decisions. The books where Jesus was a vegetarian (Nazaretes and Essenes) and there could have been something useful about being gentle toward animals was left out of the Bible purposely, with the excuse that those books were fraudulent. Of course, all of them are fraudulent, but the men on the council did not want to give up their meat.
Interestingly, there were religions such as the Cathars, who tried to follow what they claimed early Christianity was about; and it looks like they actually were much more accurate than what ended up in the Bible! What does it say about a God who is supposed to have made a new "covenant"; a new idea about religion, and then not only allowed it to turn into a different concept entirely by men who claim to be "inspired by God" and argued about what books to put in, but the groups who tried to follow the original ideas about Christianity were murdered by the Christians who spouted that the other religions were all false!
Makes the mind dizzy!
For fun, I typed "vegetarian heresy" and was amazed at my findings! Christians killed vegetarians, not only during the Inquisition, but before those times. They wiped out the Cathars, a vegetarian group of people in the south of France, the Manichaens, and Bogomils and a few other groups. They even had a test where they would ask the person to kill an animal and eat it, and if they refused - they got burned. I wonder if they got eaten. Such barbaric people, those Christians of just a few hundred years ago.
I do realize that they may have killed some of these people because of political views and the vegetarian issue may have not been the reason for all of these killings and I think we will never know the answer, since they destroyed evidence, but we have one writing that specifically told about the "kill an animal and eat it" test.
To this day Christians are writing against vegetarianism. Ministers vehemently argue that their congregations eat meat. There are a few who try the Daniel Fast for a month, which is like being vegan but taking all the good vegan food away!
Christians ask permission to be vegetarian and are denied. (Why are they asking a minister what they can eat?) The idea "Animals are God's gift to us and it is an insult for us to NOT eat them" is rampant to this day. I was just shocked when I googled it and poked around. Of course, comments are monitored and "upon approval" under any articles so I can't make my opinion known as my comment is never approved! If an animal were a gift for us, why aren't they lined up as a gift? Why do they struggle as you and I struggle for our lives? And if you use an excuse about you "being a predator," why are we the only animals who cook our food? Do you see any other animals out there who are creeping around, wearing the coat of another animal? No hats or belts on those predators.
I am not surprised that ministers argue for their right to eat any food they wish. Their BBQs and potlucks are important because it makes the cooks who are usually women feel needed and keeps the people coming to the church and socializing. This is not a sexist statement - Christian women see themselve as "doing roles" as a Christian and being a "helper" and "servant" to the male. They have the problem, not I!
Did you know many people thought Jesus was a vegetarian? Somehow they have claimed that he did not eat the one fish he fed to the multitudes; however, he would have been considered vegetarian even if he ate fish back then because people thought vegetarians are allowed to eat fish, due to the fact that they erroneously believed fish gave birth asexually, instantaneously and therefore, the fish had no souls! Their reasoning continued that if an animal bred by sexual means, then souls were in the bodies of the female and male fish and if you consumed them, you could trap souls in your own body! Therefore, eating fish was considered vegetarian. Of course, this excuse from ignorance does not hold water today, yet we still hear people claim to be vegetarian who eat fish!
But there are books that were left on the cutting room floor when the Council of Nicea met and were deciding what to put into the Bible. They had a storyline picked out for the Bible and wanted to use books that would agree with their decisions. The books where Jesus was a vegetarian (Nazaretes and Essenes) and there could have been something useful about being gentle toward animals was left out of the Bible purposely, with the excuse that those books were fraudulent. Of course, all of them are fraudulent, but the men on the council did not want to give up their meat.
Interestingly, there were religions such as the Cathars, who tried to follow what they claimed early Christianity was about; and it looks like they actually were much more accurate than what ended up in the Bible! What does it say about a God who is supposed to have made a new "covenant"; a new idea about religion, and then not only allowed it to turn into a different concept entirely by men who claim to be "inspired by God" and argued about what books to put in, but the groups who tried to follow the original ideas about Christianity were murdered by the Christians who spouted that the other religions were all false!
Makes the mind dizzy!
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