Friday

CHRISTOPHOBE - a new insult used by Fundamentalist Christians

Christophobe

An insult used by Christian fundamentalist extremists against anyone who disagrees with their twisted, hateful interpretation of scripture, and the homophobia, sexism and racism that it implies. Part of a greater sentiment among Christians that they are persecuted, despite the fact that Christianity is the most powerful and publicly accepted religion in this country, most government officials are Christian, including the President, as well as most notable figures in the media. Some fundamentalist Christians want a world in which public schoolchildren are forced to pray to Jesus Christ, homosexuals are actively persecuted, non-Christians are second class citizens and women with unwanted pregnancies end up bleeding to death from self-administered abortions. Anyone opposed to this twisted fantasy of what would in actuallity be a hellish and depressing future is labeled a "Christiophobe."

Fundie: "Stop gay marriage! Homosexuality is evil! Homosexuals are EEEVIL!!!"

Non-fundie: "That sounds, oh, I don't know, kind of hateful and mean, don't you think?"

Fundie: "Christophobe!! You are going to hell!"

From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Christophobe

The beginning of Christianity in Australia

Adapted from Roger C Thompson "Religion in Australia: A history" (Oxford Univeristy Press: 1994) pp 1- 11.

- Laws in England enforcing compulsory attendance at Anglican Church services repealed. Many, especially working class people, stop attending church.

- 1788 - Lieutenant-Govenor Arthur Phillip ordered to 'enforce a due observance of religion and good order among the inhabitants of the new settlement, and that you do take such steps for the celebration of publick worship as circumstances will permit'

- First chaplain to Australia, Rev Richard Johnson, influenced by Anglican Evangelicals. Also appointed as magistrate. His main goal was converting the white and native inghabitants to Christianity. He had little success. Johnson and other following clergy had less success with Aboriginals than with whites. None had any respect for Aboriginal culture or religion.

- Rev Samuel Marsden appointed to assist Johnson and then becomes successor. Hands out savage flogging sentences. Marsden opposed the appontment of any Roman Catholic clergy to the colony. Appointment of Anglican clergymen as magistrates continued until 1827.

- Governor Macquarie orders compulsory church attendance for convicts in government service and enforces laws prohibiting publicans to trade during hours of worship. He prohibited Marsden's move to introduce a new version of the psalms and ordered government notices be read in worship services.

- 1821 - Govenor Thomas Brisbane (and his successor Ralph Darling) gave the Anglican church land grants, clergy salaries and support for their schools. Government supported Anglican schools provided the majority of education.

- 1825 - London Missionary Society's Lancelot Threkold began a mission to Aboriginals of the Awabakal people of Lake Macquarie and documents "a war of expiration" against Aboriginal people to which most of his fellow clergy had closed their eyes. Marsden opposed the mission and influenced the London Missionary Society to withdraw its support.

- 1830 - First Anglican Bishop in Australia, Willian Broughton, told Govenor Darling that there were church seats for less than half of Sydney's Protestant population, and many of those were empty at Sunday worship services. In particular, working class people showed 'little disposition to attend'. Frequent comments were made by clergy that Sundays were treated by colonists as a day for entertainment or idleness rather than church attendance.

- 1836 - NSW Church Act providing for financial assistance for ministerial salaries and building subsidies of the four main denominations though Anglicans receive the greatest share.

- 1840 - Broughton seeks the banning of sporting events and the sale of meat on Sundays (not passed as law).

- Drunkeness was one of the clergy's greatest complaints.

Wednesday

Molly Morgan - Founder of Maitland, NSW, Australia

My newest song is about Molly Morgan. 

Molly Morgan is the founder of Maitland, NSW, Australia. When you first come to Maitland you are instantly told about the boxer Les Darcy and the Maitland flood of 1955. Molly Morgan is completely ignored. As far as I can tell this is the first song in the world about Molly Morgan. There is also a scarcity of information about her on the net. The three sites I have found are:
http://www.mollymorgan.com/index.php?page=mollymorgan
http://www.mollymorganmi.com.au/Legend-Molly-Morgan.htm
http://www.convictcreations.com/history/mollymorgan.htm

I wrote this song after reading an article in the Maitland Mercury about Les Darcy. I also asked the Editor of the Maitland Mercury what she thought the essential aspect of Maitland was after she commented at Morpeth Men's Shed that the newspaper should reflect the community. All we ever hear about is Les Darcy and the 1955 flood. Molly Morgan is much more interesting.

She was born Mary, the daughter of a ratcatcher and labourer in the village of Diddlesbury, Shropshire , England. At 16 she was sent to work as a nursemaid for a local farmer, and some time later bore a child out of wedlock, rumoured to be his. The girl was named Mary, like her mother.

William Morgan, an apprentice wheelwright met Molly Jones and they married on June 25th, 1785, with Molly bringing her daughter Mary to live with them. A son, James, was born in the next year.

In 1790 she was caught stealing hemp from a linen factory. Both Molly and William were arrested. William escaped, leaving his wife to bear the brunt of the charge and Molly was found guilty and sentenced to death. She lobbied for transportation, and was granted a term of 14 years in one of the British colonies. Molly was boarded onto the 'Neptune', part of the notorious Second Fleet, departing England in January 1790.

Only five years into her sentence, she became friends with a Captain Locke from the ship Resolution and managed to get a free passage back to England . So well did she endear herself to the captain, he supplemented a luxurious return journey with a wedding proposal.

She arrived back in London safely, collected her children and eventually entered into marriage with Thomas Mare, a wealthy brassfounder from Plymouth. (as William Morgan had finally been caught and transported to Australia himself). However Mare later accused Molly of burning down their house after a domestic squabble where Molly said that he was disrespectful, then she was accused again of stealing in 1803 and sentenced to 7 years transportation.

Molly became friendly with an army captain who acquired for her some land and a few head of cattle. Molly proved herself to be a more than capable farmer as her herd multiplied in size at rate never seen before. It was then discovered that Molly's ingenious farming practice was to brand Government cattle as her own.

This time Molly's charms were of no use and she was sent to sent to the Newcastle Penal Colony, a place reserved for the most wicked of Convicts.

The Convict labourers assigned to her proved themselves to be particularly productive workers. It seems Molly's management technique was to supply them with liquor as a bonus for hard work.

Molly set up residence with an Officer of the Settlement she and negotiated her ticket of leave (parole); was part of a select group settled at Wallis' Plains; was promised a grant of 159 acres by Governor Macquarie; and later had this honoured in 1825. Today this land forms most of Maitland's CBD - the region's largest city.

At age 61, she married for the third time to Joseph Hunt - aged 31.

She also received what is believed to be the first liquor licence in NSW, which she and Joe opened up their famed watering hole, Maitland’s 'Angel Inn' near the site of modern Maitland's New Vine church, High Street. She rapidly evolved the asset into chain of taverns along the river ports and bullock tracks of the Hunter Valley .

In 1827 'The Australian' published a letter praising Molly Hunt (formerly Molly Morgan) for her drive and donations towards the building of the school and church, visiting the sick, running her own home-made hospital, aiding settlers upon their arrival, helping in times of flood and taking a special interest in the welfare of convicts.

She died aged 73 in 1835 and is often referred to as "Queen of the Hunter Valley".

*[Compiled from various sources named above]

Monday

Tripartite nonsense and the lack of a functioning Christian mind

From Strong's Concordance at http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html

1. GREEK

SPIRIT pneuma ..... the RATIONAL spirit, the power by which the human being FEELS. THINKS .... SOUL

SOUL PYSCHE (The SAME term psychologists use for the mind) ... SOUL ...DIFFERS FROM THE BODY and is NOT DISSOLVED BY DEATH

2. HEBREW

SPIRIT

nshamah - INTELLECT ... SOUL, SPIRIT.

ruwach - ... MIND ... SPIRIT ...

ruwach (Aramaic) - MIND, SPIRIT

SOUL:

nshamah - INTELLECT .... SOUL, SPIRIT.

nephesh - MIND ... SOUL

THEREFORE

The BIBLICAL user of SPIRIT / SOUL (GREEK & HEBREW) means (from above)

SPIRIT = RATIONAL spirit, FEELING. THINKING part, SOUL, MIND, INTELLECT
SOUL = INTELLECT, SPIRIT, human VITALITY, MENTAL activity, GHOST, HEART,MIND

SO ..................

SOUL = SPIRIT
SPIRIT = SOUL

SOUL / SPIRIT / MIND / PSYCHE ARE ALL THE SAME!


Although the concept of mind is understood in many different ways most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent thought. Common attributes of mind include perception, reason, imagination, memory, emotion, attention, free-will and a capacity for communication.

Many Christians think the mind is carnal, evil, of the flesh and should not be used at all. It definitely shows. Christianity is in a rapid decline due to this continuous dumbing down. Such Christians often quote Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." If you don't go by your own understand then whose understanding do you live by? They live the by man-made dogmatic understanding of the man-made bible and how that is subjectively translated in their particular church denomination. You let someone else do your thinking for you as your brain hurts every time it attempts to think. Some Christians erroneously call this brainwashing and abrogating of self management "having the mind of Christ".

What do such Christians use rather than their God-given mind? They use a tiny little bit of the right-brain called intuition and think that is the voice of God and / or their spirit talking to them. It isn't. It is merely a part of self-talk. In the majority of people the mind is used for decision making and problem solving. Such Christians have no need for use of their minds in such activities. They have a bible that they call "God's word" which is "life's instruction manual written by God". You just pick a bible verse that you happen to like and follow it. No use of the mind required. There are so many contradictory bible verses that it is easy to do.

If this man-made bible is "God's word" then God must be senile as he contradicts himself so often in it. He also gets much historic fact completely wrong and doesn't know much about science. It is no wonder that zombies are all the rage in popular culture at the moment. They are obviously based on many church attenders who have no minds of their own. A sort of living dead crying out to eat the blood and flesh of Jesus in the form of a miniscule dry cracker and a thimble of grape juice. As they don't use their minds they cannot tell the difference between this and real flesh and blood or, for that matter, real bread and alcoholic wine.

Being a mindless Christian does have its advantages. You can live as a happy idiot never having to think about anything for the rest of your life. Blissful ignorance.

Saturday

My Top 25 Books That Every Christian Should Read














Julia L. Roller edited the book "25 Books every Christian Should read". I have read most of those books and didn't think that they were that good.  The only books remotely interesting were :
5. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
18. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
20. The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins
 

My list of the Top 25 Books Every Christian Should Read (For some of my favourite authors I have only suggested a main book.):
- Amy Jill Levine "The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the scandal of the Jewish Jesus"
- Anthony Venn-Brown "A Life Of Unlearning"
- Bart Ehrman "Forged"
- Dante Alighieri "The Divine Comedy"
- David J Garrow "Bearing The Cross: Martin Luther King Jr and the Southern-Christian Leadership Conference"
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Letters and Papers From Prison"
- Don Cupitt "The Sea Of Faith"
- Elaine Pagels "The Origin Of Satan"
- Frank Schaeffer "Crazy For God"
- Funk, Hoover & The Jesus Seminar "The Five Gospels"
- Fyodor Dostoevsky "The Brothers Karamazov"
- George M Lamsa "Idioms in the Bible Explained & A Key To The Original Gospels"
- James W Fowler "Stages Of Faith"
- Jewish Publication Society "Tanahk"
- John A T Robinson "Honest To God"
- John Dominic Crossan "The Historical Jesus: The life of a Mediterranean peasant"(Alternatively the short version of this book "Jesus: A revolutionary biography")
- John Shelby Spong "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism"
- Karen Armstrong "A History Of God"
- Leo Tolstoy "A Confession & Other Religious Writings"
- Louis Ginzberg "The Legends of the Jews"
- Paul Tillich "The Shaking of the Foundations"
- Paul Tournier "The Person Reborn"
- Peter Cameron "Heretic"
- Robert Crumb "Book of Genesis"
- Soren Kierkegaard "Fear And Trembling"

Turning Advance Australia Fair Into Jesus Jingle



Christian schools re-write Australian national anthem

by: Laura Speranza from:The Sunday Telegraph October 02, 201112:00AM

THOUSANDS of schoolchildren are being forced to sing an alternative version of the Australian national anthem that installs "Christ" as the country's head of state and removes any reference to the Southern Cross.   

In a move that outraged parents' groups have labelled "disrespectful", some 50 Christian schools of mixed denominations have replaced the second verse of Advance Australia Fair with the lyrics, which begin, "With Christ our head and cornerstone, we'll build our nation's might", for school assembly renditions.

The contentious version was penned 23 years ago by Sri Lankan immigrant Ruth Ponniah, 75, who now lives in Sydney, as part of her local church's bicentennial celebrations and is now sung in schools including the Penrith Christian School, St George Christian School, Westmead Christian Grammar School and Bethel Christian School in Mt Druitt.

Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett has admonished the unauthorised words, saying that under national protocols the anthem should not be modified and that the alternative verse had no place in the state's educational institutions - regardless of their religious affiliations.

"Alternative words should not be used and schools should be teaching students to sing the two authorised verses," he said.

But the Australian Parents Council, representing the parents of independent school students, wants Mr Garrett to go further and ban Ms Ponniah's lyrics.

"If you're singing the national anthem, it should be the national anthem you are singing," said executive director Ian Dalton.

"There are many opportunities to express pride in your faith, but the national anthem is not one of them. It shouldn't be tampered with."

Federation of Parents and Citizens' Association of NSW president Helen Walton backed the APC push, saying it was "disrespectful" of schools to endorse a different version of the anthem.

"The national anthem is the national anthem of all Australians regardless of religion," she said. ...

From http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/god-save-us-from-a-religious-chord/story-e6freuy9-1226155189544

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As one who has worked in Christian schooling I think that this has to be one of the most stupidest actions Christian Schools have ever taken (besides banning and censoring art works).

The lyrics of the invented verse in this Jesus Jingle elavator muzak include:

" With Christ our head and cornerstone
We'll build our nation's might
Whose way and truth and life alone
Can guide can guide our path aright
Our lives a sacrifice of love
Reflect our master's gift
With faces turned to heaven above
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strands then let us sing
Advance Australia fair"

The lyrics tell lies. Australia does not have Jesus as its foundation. We began as penal colony. Jesus is not the only person who can guide Australia properly - he's also dead. There is a masochistic element of blood, gore and guts sacrifice mentioned that they wish to brainwash children into. Heaven is not above in the blue sky somewhere. Jesus said that the kingdom of God was within you.

Do Christians have no ethics? Would Christians like Muslims changing the Australian National Anthem to include verses about Mohammed and Al-Lah? Of course not! they wouldn't tolerate it.

Would Christians like someone to change their hymns and insert Satan instead of Jesus? Maybe people should be singing this in protest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-cbpQqqRBo

Satan loves me, this I know
For the Christians tell me so
Fame and wealth to him belong
Fuck the weekend and be strong

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

Do it if it hurts no one
Don't hold back, have lots of fun
Don't waste time of God's great plan
Favor yourself all you can

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

Don't lie to yourself all day
Wisdom is great Satan's way
Love those who deserve your love
And to ingrates, give the shove

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

If someone has done you wrong
Get revenge and you'll be strong
Honor those who keep their deals
Those who don't just want free meals

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

No man is an animal
He's in fact above them all
Things the Christians call our sins
Lead us to all of our wins

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

Satan has been the best friend
Of the church from start to end
With his help it has for years
Ruled our lives with guilt and fears

Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
Yeah, Satan loves me
The Christians tell me so

A Hebrew Christians' conversation with G-d.

A Hebrew Christians' conversation with G-d. (from Marcus Levi )

I wrote this the other day:

A Hebrew-Christian was very confused in his faith so decided to go to G-d directly and ask him if Jesus was really G-d. G-d said ok, how can i prove it to you and will you believe my answer?
...
The Christian said L-rd just tell me and I will believe you but make it clear and not be ambiguous I beg of you L-rd.

Then G-d said, ok then I will be clear, hear me and hear me well:
I am the L-rd your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt, and of the land of slavery. You shall have no other G-ds before Me. Exodus 20:2-3

The Hebrew Christian said: Yea L-rd I hear you but Jesus was part of the trinity with the Holy Spirit you see so he is one with you, although you have 3 separate personalities.

Then G-d Said:
You are the ones who have been shown, so that you will know that G-d is the Supreme Being, and there is none other besides Him! Deuteronomy 4:35

The Hebrew-Christian Said:
I know L-rd there is non beside you but what does that really mean?

G-d Said:
See, now, that I, I am He -- and no G-d is with Me . . . . Deuteronomy 32:39

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Can G-d come down to earth as a man? I mean why not?

G-d said:
To whom then will you liken G-d? To what likeness will you compare Him? Isaiah 40:18

"To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be his equal?" says the Holy One. Isaiah 40:25

"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should repent. Number 23:19

Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the L-rd, He is G-d in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other! Deuteronomy 4:39

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Ok I hear you so that’s a definite no?

G-d said:
For will G-d indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee…… I Kings 8:27a

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Ok L-rd but most of the world believes in Jesus as G-d!! Are they all wrong?

G-d said:
You shall not follow other G-ds, any of the G-ds of the peoples who surround you! Deuteronomy 6:14

The Hebrew-Christian said:
L-rd I see but what about what they say Jesus was our savoir our rock and is setting next to you in heaven. Is it not proper for a Jew to believe this?

G-d said:
"You are My witnesses," declares the L-rd, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no G-d was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the L-rd, and besides Me there is no Savior." Isaiah 43:10-11

This is what the L-rd says, Israel's King and Redeemer, the L-rd Almighty, "I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no G-d! Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare it and lay it out before Me . . . . Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are My witnesses. Is there any G-d besides Me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." Isaiah 44:6-8

The Hebrew-Christian said:
So are you really alone? The New Testament says that Jesus was also the creator!

G-d said:
You alone are the L-rd; You made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them, and You give life to all, and the heavenly host bow down before You. Nehemiah 9:6

G-d said again:
Listen Hebrew-Christian remember your fathers how they worshiped One G-d:

Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange G-d among you; nor shall you worship any foreign G-d. Psalm 81:8-9

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Jesus said: me and the Father are one.

G-d said:
Remember the first things of old, that I am G-d and there is no other; I am G-d and there is none like Me. Isaiah 46:9

. . . and My honour I will not give to another. Isaiah 48:11

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Without the sacrifice of Jesus how can I be saved? Jesus said: Joh:3:18: He that believeth on him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

G-d said:
. . . Who announced this from before, who declared it from the distant past? Is it not I, the L-rd, and there is no G-d apart from Me, a righteous G-d and a Savior; there is none but Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am G-d, and there is no other! Isaiah 45:21-22

I am the L-rd your G-d, Who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no G-d but Me, no Savior except Me! Hosea 13:4

The Hebrew-Christian said:
The New Testament said: "For by him (Jesus) all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by him and for him. 17And He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17

G-d said:
Thus said the L-rd, your Redeemer, the One who formed you from the womb, "I am the L-rd Who makes everything, Who stretched forth the heavens alone, Who spread out the earth by Myself." Isaiah 44:24

I am the L-rd, and there is no other; besides Me there is no G-d . . . . I will strengthen you . . . in order that they know from the shining of the sun and from the west that there is no one besides Me; I am the L-rd and there is no other! Isaiah 45:5-6

The Hebrew-Christian said:
It is interesting L-rd how you keep on saying how alone you are and there is No One beside you or with you while the teaching of the Trinity clearly says that G-d the Father, god the Son and god the Holy Spirit are one but with three separate personalities. Having said that the New testament says that Jesus is at your right hand and your on the thrown so I guess however you look at it Jesus is simply not You!

G-d said:
There is none holy as the L-rd. There is none beside Thee; neither is there any Rock like our G-d. I Samuel 2:2

To whom shall you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me that we may be alike? Isaiah 46:5

I am the L-rd, that is My name, and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images! Isaiah 42:8

The Hebrew-Christian said:
Its interesting also L-rd that you should say that you will Not give your glory to another. I read in the New Testament when Jesus said: "All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Matthew 11:27

G-d said again:
I am the L-rd, that is My name, and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images! Isaiah 42:8

So that all the nations of the earth may know that the L-rd is G-d and that there is no other! I Kings 8:60

You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the L-rd your G-d, there is no other; and My people shall never be ashamed. Joel 2:27

The Hebrew-Christian said:
What more can I ask of you L-rd and how clearer can you be, how stupid and blind would I be not to believe you and believe others, should I believe the New testament or You, should I believe Paul or You, should I believe my fellow Christians or You….. Well I choose you and the faith of our fathers since time eternal you are One.

I will sing with King David “Whom have I in heaven but You? The earth has nothing I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25” Not Jesus or anyone else.

I will say with the prophet “Have we not all one Father? Has not one G-d created us? Why should we betray, each one his brother, to profane the covenant of our forefathers? Malachi 2:10”

I heard you and I believe you no one else: “O L-rd, there is none like You, neither is there any G-d beside You, according to all that we have heard with our ears! I Chronicles 17:20”