Comments on: Why the Vatican Fears Secularism and other Pagan News of Note

By: The Wild Hunt » The Mainstreaming of Exorcisms

The Wild Hunt » The Mainstreaming of Exorcisms — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 11:02:45 +0000

[...] should Pagans even care what sort of rites Catholics perform? When European bishops warn against “esoteric religiosity”, or the Pope warns of “subjugation to occult powers” in his encyclical on love, does it have [...]

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:59:35 +0000

As a sister dork, my fave PB scene is:

"What about the R.O.U.S.'s?"

"Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist."

Cue giant rat leaping out of nowhere! : D

By: TeNosce

TeNosce — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:58:04 +0000

Your post is genius. Well done.

By: FreemanPresson

FreemanPresson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:02:24 +0000

Let's do please remember that the actual track record of Imperial Rome wasn't the point. The grab for "indigenous" status is a bad idea facing out (we look like a bunch of wannabees) and in (see the discussion on its divisiveness we already had here, for example).

History is fascinating (and frustrating because we never know enough), but the reward of the spiritual pursuit is here and now.

By: Ananta Androscoggin

Ananta Androscoggin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:11:44 +0000

That's really only true of the empire up to the point where it purchased Christianity's soul with political power. After that, conversion to Christianity became one of the jobs of invading armies (or at least a priority of the priests who were sent along with them). Pagan Rome never fell, that was left to the utterly corrupt (and in such a short time ! ) Christian Rome.

By: Ananta Androscoggin

Ananta Androscoggin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:06:04 +0000

This is every bit as hilarious as (then pres) GWB speechifying that "the churches should be in charge of human dignity" some years back (whatever his exact phraseology).

Yeah, really, the people who teach (and enforce) the concept of original sin, and that everything natural to humanity is evil, wrong and sinful — unless you give enough money and real estate to the church establishment and its perverted leaders — should be 'legally in charge' of something they have debased for centuries. And of course, we know he meant the 'churches' on the same street as his own, and not those of anybody else.

By: Gwynfox

Gwynfox — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:14:59 +0000

Robin, actually, I agree for the most part. I don't think the appraisal was unfair however. They chose a most efficient and expedient program of assimilation. The wisest among us may well have chosen a similar path in their stead. Despite these things, it was cultural modification, disinformation and destruction that any of the modern world powers simply pale when compared to. This is not for lack of trying mind you, just in the modern information age such massive campaigns are more easily identified, and often vilified.
The Roman Empire is harder to typify than most would have it. It is a long interwoven series of stories, some excellent, and some are admittedly harder to stomach than others. Rome gave much to it's world. How much is debatable. My biggest sticking point with the "glory" of Rome, and my biggest question of it's actual contribution stem from the same event, The first burning of the Library of Alexandria by Julius Caesar's troops. Admittedly it does color my view of Roman intellectual and cultural hegemony.
-Gwynfox