March 09, 2005

• Evolutionary theory applies to a lot more than just aminals.
• Walmartization would suggest a unification of both customer experience and operating procedures. Both cannot be said of the christian churches. dogmatic dispute, anyone? Thus I find that comparision to be somewhat lacking. David Bowies UFO experiences were my favorite on that blog chockfull of metaphysical speculation. Occult investigator is a good job. Not much to do, unless you investigate it in the same way as this guy.
• Ah...Christianity and Wal-Mart...our two favourite punching bags, together in one post. Very convenient.
• Rocket: Also BU$H=HITLERS!
• I dunno. Christianity (at least the evangelical Prosperity Gospel variety) seems more like a multilevel marketing scheme. For every new member you draft into our enterprise, you get yourself another blessing from The Man. Maybe the gnostics are just a competing pyramid.
• Mary, that was so straight to the point: Stop it. I can´t stop laughing. Btw: That perfume post was positively great.
• Thanks elrick!
• Is this another of those "preaching to the choir" thingys? It looks that way. On the other hand, the blog of an occult investigator is kind of cool, assuming it isn't all about Christian-based mythology.
• Wow- this guy's blog is really fun, at least for a paranormal dork like myself. He's got a little bit of everything here, and approaches the subject with enough humor to keep it from getting too preachy. Sort of like Art Bell in his earlier years. And elrick33, I think Tim Boucher seems to be having more fun with his work than James Randi does, and rants considerably less. I've always wondered why this topic makes Randi foam at the mouth so much.
• Gnosticism failed because it was elitist. A religion that claims to offer secret knowledge to a small group of privileged insiders is never going to conquer the world. The essence of gnosticism is its belief that most people are idiots. Our modern-day gnostics are the tinfoil-hat brigade who believe in a secret conspiracy that ordinary people are too stupid to perceive.
• What are you fucking talking about? Everyone knows Gnocchism maintains that most people are dumplings, and can obtain the truth by being boiled in slightly salted water. Their enemies were the Faggotini Marines - hence the modern saying, "Hello, Sailor".
• Gnosticism failed because it was elitist. Unlike most religions who invite just any unsaved sinner into their heaven. The essence of gnosticism is its belief that most people are idiots. So most gnostics are politicians? Our modern-day gnostics are the tinfoil-hat brigade who believe in a secret conspiracy that ordinary people are too stupid to perceive. Now I'm confused. Are they liberals, then?
• I guess I wasn't smoking the same stuff as Tim and John, so this blog post made absolutely no sense to me. Let's see... promote monotheism in a polytheistic world; be persecuted and killed by the tens of thousands by a world government you have no intention of overthrowing; do not accumulate personal wealth, but rather share everything that you have with others in need; shun the physical pleasures of hedonism; and teach that everyone and anyone can have the same thing (unlike the elitism of gnosticism which SlightlyFoxed correctly identified). Oh yes. It is all so clear to me now why Christianity became so popular after 300 years and how it is so much like 21st century Wal-Mart.
• dt118: The comparison isn't as far out as you might think. Wal-Mart didn't start out the corporate monster it is now. It used to be a fair-sized business, trying to be patriotic in its buying habits, and also try to get the best deal for its consumers. As for your points, boy where do I start? While the Bible may preach certain ideals, these ideals were not necessarily kept to by Christians or even the clergy at various stages of history. There were certainly times when the bishops could teach classical Roman senators a thing or two about hedonism. And Christians by no means are the only people who have been persecuted and killed for their beliefs. In fact, Christians have done a fair amount of persecution themselves. While Christianity is egalitarian (and you will note that most of the world's more popular religions are similarly so - elitist religions tend not to spread very well, I think), what irks me is the retroactive damnation. My tribe lives in blissful ignorance, following our own beliefs, and along come missionaries who tell me I'm damned unless I convert. But it's too late for my dead parents, grandparents, and all. Nice. promote monotheism in a polytheistic world So you mean to say that polytheism is somehow worse or inferior to monotheism? I am a little leery of setting my foot into this. I think at least a dozen fellow monkeys could argue this out much better than I can.
• One more small point. You have to agree at least with the writer's argument that Christianity did co-opt many local ("pagan") practices and religions. There are several saints which used to be religious figures of other beliefs. Also, traditions which have been incorporated into Christianity: Halloween, Easter (why is called Easter? What do eggs and rabbits have to do with Jesus?) and Christmas (What's up with mistletoe? Where did the custom of putting a coin in the pudding come from?) Christianity has become so prevalent because it has tried to be all things to all men, with varying levels of success. In China, the prayers are read like Buddhist sutras; some Catholics in South America or Philippines practice self-flagellation or crucifiction. And so on.