The Serpent's Wisdom

nifty, taken from lady_babalon:

Why do I even bother to look in christianity anymore? Half of what I see there literally makes me sick.

Edit. What disturbs me this morning in particular are (a) ignorant comments about homosexuality which never fails to upset me, and (b) willful ignorance regarding anti-Semitism.

For example, it's being discussed that Gibson has taken a scene out of his movie that shows a Jew lamenting that Jesus' blood will be on their heads forever. Comments such as, "But that's in the Bible, so it's historically true and COULDN'T POSSIBLY be anti-Semitic" are what has riled me.

I detected some defensiveness or maybe even hurt in some of your replies to my last post. Wow, I'm sorry if my last post made anyone feel defensive or upset, such was not my intent. I haven't had a chance to reply to any of you yet, but I appreciate the time you've given to share your thoughts.

Something I wanted to get at, but didn't have time to address in my last post, dealt with the effect that credit spending has had on our perception of the worth of our money. People are shocked to learn that my income is slightly above median for the city of New Orleans. Why do I not have an above-median standard of living? Because I have not used credit in years; my standard of living reflects the actual spending power of what I make. Credit spending has become so widespread that it is not uncommon for households to have more than a full year's worth of income in consumer credit debt. And this, at interest rates twice what used to be considered usury -- which for most of human history has been not just illegal but forbidden by scripture, too.

It turns out that the hooptie only needed an air filter. Oh, and possibly a head gasket job, though my friend B. thinks that the oil is more likely leaking out at the timing chain. That will have to wait until after a few other things are taken care of.

I went to see The Last Samurai tonight. It struck me as melodramatic and stylized, but lovingly done and forgivably poetic, I give it 3 1/2 stars.

2003 in review part 4.
January through March
April through June
July through September

The last three months started out okay, but quickly went downhill. Looking over the entries for December have been particularly depressing.


October
I renounced Christianity.

Death by snu-snu! (Almost.) Plus, I am learning how to drive standard.

Melancholy reflections about Dee

Another scene.

Hooptie running again, Dee and James back together, I buy the naughty dress I contemplated earlier in the year

Halloween


November
New developments from the co-worker who's been scheming against me for months

A rough weekend, but in general I am glad to be alive.

Heartbreak, again. (I need to get off this rollercoaster.)

Transgender Day of Rememberance

Dating over 30 sucks.

I make arrangements to move in with Liz!

Asian Super Buffet for Thanksgiving, more tenseness with Dee

A cool birthday party.


December
While moving, a few thoughts on the difficult time I had coming out as bisexual

I move out. This makes for a very melancholy evening.

A depressing birthday

I hit rock bottom. Then I run into an old flame. (He never called. Oh well.)

My "secret Santa" grief highlights my dislike of the Christmas season

I tried to see some good in what was a depressing Christmas.

New Years resolutions.

2003 in review part 2. See January through March here.

April through June was an interesting time: I fell in love, had my heart broken, moved, and took a trip to Austin where I fell in love again.

April
The April New Moon rit

Anticpation before a date, and the aftermath of said date

Observations relating to being the domme for once

I contemplate buying a naughty dress (which I eventually did buy, in time for Halloween)

Lack of AC makes for a sultry weekend

Insurrection at CUUPS, I contemplate leaving

Some peace at CUUPS

A weekend with a downturn


May
I'm asked to be a bridesmaid!

Dee and I moved in with her boyfriend James

Noteworthy observation from the process of moving

Sooo tired during the move.

Dee and James go to North Carolina, leaving me all alone. :(

An autographed copy of Bill Brent's Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Men. Actually I haven't been able to find my copy since the move... Hope it turns up.

Dee and James returned from North Carolina

Dee contemplates taking James' last name when they get married and hyphenating with mine.


June
Naughty notes from the first weekend in June

Yet another stop on the path to automotive stress

Coming out as wild.

The rain was a *metaphor*, though it was a very rainy night just before, so maybe no one got my meaning.

A humble and virtuous request for crash space during a planned trip to Austin.

A weeknight impromptu date

The "pulpit essay" I delivered at First UU Church

A curious juxtaposition typical of my life -- delivering a sermon in the morning, BDSM in the afternoon

A world of hurt.

A precise fortune cookie for a change -- that turned out to be very accurate.

Catharsis that pre-saged some of my recent self-discoveries about sex

First day of my trip to Austin

At first, I thought my hairbrush was a threat to national security. But it turned up. While I was in Austin grumbling about the changes to Guadalupe, a tropical storm hit New Orleans.

Linked by pouk23:

Taboo
This test was fun. The questions are a bit adult and potentially squicky, though they only made me laugh.

( my results )


Moral Parsimony Check
This test is very interesting, but I don't care for the way this test forces you into certain positions on extremely hypothetical situations. Most likely the result is not accurate at all, because I got fed up with having to answer goading questions relating to ridiculous scenarios.

( my results )


Philosophical Health Check
Aside from the treatment of God questions (which I disliked for the same reasons why Battleground God is severely defective in my opinion) this is an interesting quiz analyzing a few tensions or contradictions in your beliefs or opinions. It makes me glad that logic is not the sole purpose for holding a belief or opinion.

( my results )

Lately I've been getting back in touch with my Gnostic side. It feels good and right, like coming home. Gnosticism, I've missed you. :)

Oh, this new icon came from a series of collages depicting Jesus as a female by Karen Whitehill. I linked to a few of them in my journal a year ago today in this entry.

( a couple of fun quizzes. )

Edit. Television has gotten so bad, that this actually sounds like a good idea:

CBS executives announced Monday that they have begun filming Antebellum Island, a new "alternate reality" series in which 12 strangers compete for $1 million while isolated on an island still under Confederate rule.

"Set to air in the spring of 2004, Antebellum Island gives us the unique opportunity to play with both social dynamics and recorded history," CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves said. "The contestants on Antebellum Island will spend 60 days braving the elements, each other, and the unfamiliar customs and practices of a 21st-century Confederate States of America -- all for a chance to win a cool million."

from the Onion, of course: New Alternate-Reality Series Puts 12 Strangers On Island Where South Won Civil War

The Animal In You quiz stands out as having given me the most inaccurate response I've ever received on any online quiz, ever. (Even with the comparison to RuPaul.)

In other news, last nights post on challenging_god has pushed me over the 100 reply mark for the first time ever!

In other, other news, Mr. Picassohead, linked by rowanf, is a lot of fun!

( thelemite quiz )

Actually, the most accurate answer is, "not a very good Thelemite at all, really," when it comes to defining the level of my participation in this particular religion.

For a while I did carry around the label of Thelemite, before settling on Gnosticism as a path more reflective of my views and experiences.

But some of the Thelemic scripture still carries a place in my heart. I am particularly fond of the first chapter of the Book of the Law, Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente (especially chapter four), and Liber Liberi.

I am also, technically at least, still a member of the Hermetic Alchemical Order of QBLH, though I have been out of contact with them for some time, over a year now at least. The need to associate on an active level with other Thelemites lessened when I ceased being an active practitioner of ceremonial magick.