/rel/ - Religion

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 >>/67/
I'm christian here, so from my point of view, this is complicated.

On one side, as a christian, i've really no interest in helping what i view as a pagan cult. Which to be more clear, a cult which worships idols, where idols are understood to be simulacra of fake imagery, dead images and objects, with no soul, but which people confuse themselves into believing them to be alive. Which in a bigger picture of truth and falsity, idols, or simulacra, are objects surrounded by falsity, or objects of falsity itself. Where, to get even more into details, in christianity, the demon known as satan, the most high example of evil and depravity, also holds an other title, which is "the father of lies", so in a way, idolatry, or idol worshipping, is a byproduct of the falsity generated by satan. So really, i wouldn't want to help idolatry, as that would equate helping satan.

On the other side, as a christian, i've also no sympathy for the average pagan larper, which as you should be aware given your OP, most of them aren't really pagans, but most of the times they are anti-christians in disguise, or just jews with their anti-christian media agenda. They use paganism as a cover, without giving it any real respect. They use paganism only so long it helps their underlying goals, and will corrupt or discard it, once they can no longer make use of it.
Though, while no symphathy goes to the falsity in the persons, be them larpers or talmudic jews, the persons themselves are still mostly fictims of their own idiocy and hubris.

The fake pagans are fictims of their lack of virtue, to use a concept which should be general and mostly areligious.
And that's a level of discussion over which a christian could maybe take part in the dialogue here.

The current image or understanding of paganism is commodified, it's a commercial product, only useful to cash out of randoms. It's only natural, as consequence of the commodification, that any original value or virtue is lost, and replaced with commercial ""values"", which are not meant to make the persons better human beings, but those ""values"" are only meant to control and make persons better serfs, better consumers.
So one possible thing anyone would need to do to halt the corruption from any commodification, is to stop the mediatic flood which tries to rewrite history and cultures. (not an easy solution, how would that even be achieved? by bombing hollywood?)

Going to say it again,
Don't expect support or symphanty from christians in your pagan revival idea (That's my take as a christian)
But also, if the focus in on the cultural corruption from modern commodification or from modern political ideologies, which both the economy and the ideologies tend to steal images to weaponize them for their cause or self-interest. If the focus is on the corruption, or corruptive force behind it, that's something most christians should be against too.

 >>/70/
> stop the mediatic flood
Yes, that's a great idea, but what needs to be brought back is priestly orders. You see SJWs and /pol/tards never prey on Hinduism and Buddhism because these are living traditions and real priests would call them out for corrupting the religions. Meanwhile, European polytheism is a free for all where everybody can improvise their way to worship without a spiritual guide. All the major figures in IE religions are academic reconstructionists, but there's a limit to the worship of ashes they propose.

On the mass of 18th September 2022, in my church there were these lectures:
Is 43,24 - 44,3
Hb 11,39 - 12,4
Jn 5,25 - 36

Isaiah 43,24 - 44,3
Reading of the prophet Isaiah

As such the Lord speaks:
"You burdened me with your sins,
    wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
    for my own sake, your offenses;
    your sins I remember no more.
Would you have me remember, have us come to trial?
    Speak up, prove your innocence!
Your first father sinned;
    your spokesmen rebelled against me
Till I repudiated the holy princes,
    put Jacob under the ban,
    exposed Israel to scorn."
Hear then, Jacob, my servant,
    Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the Lord who made you,
    your help, who formed you from the womb:
WDo not fear, Jacob, my servant,
    Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,
    streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,
    my blessing upon your descendants.


Hebrews 11,39 - 12,4
Letter to the Hebrews

Yet all these (our fathers), though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.


Jn 5,25 - 36
Reading of the Gospel of John

In that time, the Lord Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation."

“I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me."


Bible version: 
New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

 >>/25/
The continuation of the Gospel of John was also interesting:

Jn 5, 37-47
Word of the Lord Jesus:
 37 Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. 40 But you do not want to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept human praise; 42 moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

 >>/25/
I can't remember the whole homily of the priest, he tried to give an interpretation and message for each single reading.
Of those messages, I can remember only the last one, which focused on the Gospel of John.

The overall sense of it was: 
We humans too often judge and condemn with haste, whereas we should listen more before coming to a conflusion.
By taking example from Jesus, we should not judge because of our personal interests, not judge for our own will. Because our will and personal interests lead to egohistical outcomes and judgements, to lies and distortions of truth, to fit our own predefined ideas and perceptions. 
But rather we should listen more, and ultimately rely on God to guide us to truth and justice, instead of relying on our will alone.
The priest also did spend some words on the phrase of Jesus:
"I cannot do anything on my own"
To remark the overall theme of the invitation/plan of God to have humanity participate in God's creative action.


Probably the best way to experience an homily is only by hearing it in first person, too many details get lost in the retelling of it.

Holy Mass lectures of 25/09/2022 in my parish
Prov 9,1-6
1Cor 10,14-21
Jn 6,51-59

From the book of Proverbs

Wisdom has built her house,
    she has set up her seven columns;
She has prepared her meat, mixed her wine,
    yes, she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidservants; she calls
    from the heights out over the city:
“Let whoever is naive turn in here;
    to any who lack sense I say,
Come, eat of my food,
    and drink of the wine I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you may live;
    advance in the way of understanding.”


From the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Therefore, my beloved, avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? No, I mean that what they sacrifice, [they sacrifice] to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.


From the Gospel of John

In that time  the Lord Jesus said:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

 >>/68/
This week choice of readings are tied together even more nicely than usual.
The common underlying theme of the food/bread which God gives to humanity for its growth in wisdom and sainthood is pretty clear.

I'll try to recall the general sense of what the priest homily was about this time:

Humanity united in spirit, is the body of christ
and christ gives his body to humanity

The body of christ, all humanity, needs nourishment
God gives himself as nourishment for all humanity

Taking reference from the gospel of mark, during the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves
Jesus tells the disciples, "give yourselves to the people" (one of the possible translations of the original text)
Interpreted as, become yourselves bread and nourishment for others
So that the body of christ, nourished by christ, can also be nourished by giving to one another
I become bread for others, and others become bread for me

Explained outside the bread metaphor
The love of God is an abundance of the spirit that gives itself to others
So whoever receives the spirit of god becomes part of the body of christ, 
but at the same time he himself becomes abundance for others

 >>/47/
Do you have any topic to start from, for the others who aren't coptics?
Like some event, historical or present, some tale about the desert fathers, some sayings, some particular norm about life.
Or just a basic overview to start from.

The op image only brings silly things to mind.
Like, that's one big book he has there.
And a saying from Iraq (maybe), which goes: "Thieves don't read, and people who read don't steal"

Slavic Paganism.

Let's hope this board survives longer than the last one

Animistic pantheism.
I liek the aesthetic of the bored.

I tried reading some arguably esoteric medieval texts like the Cloud of Unknowing, but never directly experienced it myself. The saints claim to speak to Angels, be in two places at the same time and heal the wounded through mystical experience, and all of these aspects are reminiscent of the Pythagorean philosophers.