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CHURCHES ACROSS EGYPT ARE BEING ATTACKED HEAVILY FOLLOWING THE BRUTAL KILLING LAST WEEK OF SUPPORTERS OF DEPOSED EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMED MORSI.
The Coptic Christians rights group Maspero Youth Union estimates that as many as 38 churches have been "completely" devastated by fires across nine governorates since Aug. 14. Many others have been looted or stormed.
The attacks have been led by angry demonstrators loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood, Ishaq Ibrahim, religious rights researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told IPS. "They seek to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims to show the world that Egypt is on the edge of collapse."
The ruins of the Evangelical Church in Minya that was burnt down by supporters of
ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi -
"Fifty-eight houses and 85 stores have been burnt and looted all over Egypt since black Wednesday," he said. At least 525 Brotherhood supporters were killed and more than 2,000 reported injured in the brutal crackdown on Morsi supporters on Wednesday last week.
"The Brotherhood assumes that Christians instigated the toppling of Morsi because they have been against Shari'a," Ibrahim said.
Six Coptic Christians, the dominant Christian sect in Egypt, have been killed, and seven have been kidnapped during the torching of churches, he said. "The Upper Egypt governorate of Minya was the scene of the worst anti-Coptic attacks; 12 churches were totally devastated."
Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Dr. Ahmad Aref condemned violence against Christians and the destruction of the churches, and accused military leaders of plotting these incidents to tarnish the image of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Egyptian Coptic Church issued a statement affirming that it stands by the police and the armed forces in the face of what it called "armed violence groups" and "terrorism".
"We have not seen such cruelty before," Anba Makarios, bishop of the Orthodox Church in Minya, told IPS. He said Coptic Christians have been suffering for decades, and struggling to get building permits for churches.
"In less than three days the toll of burnt and looted churches exceeded 55.
"They were shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the greatest) while burning our churches, orphanages and hospitals. They were fighting as if it was a holy war against the cross. How will people trust any religion after seeing how blood was shed in the name of god?"
Makarios said the attackers seemed to belong to radical Islamic movements. "They believed that the church supported the overthrow of Morsi financially and spiritually, so they came to take revenge."
But the bishop opposed some Christian pleas for foreign intervention to protect them. "Churches and Copts' properties should be protected by the state," Makarios said. "Christians have refused such interference despite our long suffering from religious discrimination."
The attacks are being seen by many as a political game. The Brotherhood has been trying to attract the attention of the Western community in all sorts of ways, Fouad Badrawi, deputy chairman of the Hizbu Al-Wafd liberal party, told IPS. "The Brotherhood expected that committing religious repression against Copts would encourage the U.S. and the European Union to intervene."
The terrorists planned these attacks at Upper Egypt, where security reinforcements could not easily be sent, Badrawi said. This strategy had weakened the efforts of the police and army, he said.
In turn Islamic groups had found the reaction of the Pope and of Christian leaders shocking, Badrawi said. Badrawi is the grandson of the late leader of the party, Fouad Serag Al-Din. Hizbu Al Wafd is a nationalist liberal political party founded in 1920. It was the most popular party in Egypt till it was dissolved after the 1952 revolution. It was revived in 1983.
Archeologists have condemned the attack on church buildings; some of them were many centuries old. "The burning of the churches has extended to several churches of particular historical and heritage value," Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Monica Hanna told IPS.
An ancient monastery of Virgin Mary from the 4th century CE has been ruined, she said. "Thugs took advantage of the lack of security and have been digging illicitly for antiquities in the monastery of Deir Mawas in Minya governorate that was attacked and burnt by pro-Morsi supporters."
Author: Hisham Allam
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PAGANS TONIGHT RADIO NETWORK PRESENTS: 8 PM CST-CIRCLE CRAFT STUDY with Selena Fox Creating Imbolc Rituals & Celebrations: Explore ways to incorporate ancient and contemporary customs, chants, symbols, and ceremonies into personal, household and community celebrations of Imbolc, festival of the Waxing Light and the Celtic Goddess Brigid. 9 PM CST-PAGAN PRIEST: Renewal of Faith Your beliefs dont make you better, your Behavior does~What behaviors do you see in yourself that are unproductive or no longer serve you & What are you willing to Change? Panelists~Terry, Rick & Torcyr Pagan Priest is a panel disccusion with priests from around the nation featuring- Mark Brown aka the Marque, River Higginbotham, Rev. Richard Keen, Rev. Michael Neal, Rev. Ed the Pagan Hubbard, Dr. Scott Marshall (Foo), Raven Digitalis, Raven Kaldera, David Sassman, and Terry Power. Tune in and join us as we discuss topics of interest and male spirituality.
Pagans Tonight Pagan Priest Circle Sanctuary pagan spirituality Selena Fox
Origin: http://wiccalessons.blogspot.com
The Meaning of Witchcraft by GERALD GARDNER
Part 4
It is evident from early pictures and descriptions (the earliest being the famous cave paintings found at Ariege in the Caverne des Trois Freres, done by men of the Stone Age), that the High Priest who was the god's representative sometimes wore a ritual disguise, consisting of a head-dress bearing the horns of a stag or a bull, and a kind of robe of animal skins; sometimes, too, a mask which concealed his features. This custom seems to have been more particularly followed at the big Sabbats, when many people gathered outside the circle who were not actual initiates of the witches' mysteries, but came "for luck" (i.e. for the blessing of the Old Gods) or simply to enjoy themselves. It made the proceedings more impressive, and at the same time safer, if the god's representative was masked and disguised, so that he could not be recognized. The horned figure, seen dimly by moonlight or by the light of torches, would have seemed to the outsiders to be a supernatural being, and the initiates would not have undeceived them. When only initiates were present, there was less need for the ritual disguise, so the custom of wearing it has tended to fade out.
It will be seen that witchcraft is a system involving both magic and religion. This in itself is an indication of great age, because in primitive times magic and religion were closely interrelated. The priest was also the magician, and the magician had perforce to be a priest. Indeed, when one comes to consider it, many religious rites today are directed towards ends, which might be called magical. What is the essential difference, for instance, between prayers for rain, or for a good harvest, and the old fertility rites, which were directed to the same end? And why must a King or a Queen undergo the ritual of Coronation? With regard to the Church's prayers and a fertility rite, the difference would seem to lie in the latter working on the principle that "God helps those who help themselves," whereas the former is content with petition. The question of the necessity of Coronation ritual raises the whole idea of the Divine King or Queen which has engaged the attention of anthropologists for many years. The idea that there is any connection between religion and magic may be indignantly repudiated by some orthodox believers; nevertheless, both spring from the same root.
As I explained in my previous book, there are certain secrets of the witch cult that I cannot by reason of my pledged word reveal; but many people write to me saying, "You said in your book, Witchcraft Today that all the ancient Mysteries were basically the same; so as we all know what these ancient Mysteries were, we know exactly what the witches' secrets are. So why don't you write another book telling everything?"
Now, while the ancient authors who were initiated into a number of the Mysteries agree that they were all the same basically, and there is a certain amount of agreement among modern authors about what their secrets were, I doubt very much if any of them realizes the reason behind them, "what made them work," in fact; and what makes things work is the witches' secret. I think that this was probably the practical secret of the ancient Mysteries also.
However, I am not going to be drawn in this way to break my word; a statement, which will, I hope, result in a saving of notepaper and stamps on the part of some of my more aggressive correspondents. Certain of the present-day enquiries of psychical research, archaeology, anthropology, and psychology are beginning to converge in a manner that is gradually revealing facts about ancient beliefs and their effect upon human evolution which have not been realized before. It is my hope that this book will be a useful contribution to these lines of enquiry, and perhaps assist in their convergence.
Upon the 1st March, 1956, Major Lloyd-George, then Home Secretary, as a result of a question asked in the House of Commons, said that black magic was an offence in common law. When pressed by M.P.s to define black magic, he said, "It is the opposite to white magic (at which there was laughter and ironical cheers) which is performed without the aid of the devil, so I assume the other is done with his aid."
If this were accepted as a definition, then authentic witchcraft is certainly not black magic, because witches do not even believe in the devil, let alone invoke him. The Old Horned God of the witches is not the Satan of Christianity, and no amount of theological argument will make him so. He is, in fact, the oldest deity known to man, and is depicted in the oldest representation of a divinity which has yet been found, namely the Stone Age painting in the innermost recess of the Caverne des Trois Freres at Ariege. He is the old phallic god of fertility who has come forth from the morning of the world, and who was already of immeasurable antiquity before Egypt and Babylon, let alone before the Christian era. Nor did he perish at the cry that Great Pan was dead. Secretly through the centuries, hidden deeper and deeper as time went on, his worship and that of the naked Moon Goddess, his bride, the Lady of Mystery and Magic and the forbidden joys, continued sometimes among the great ones of the land, sometimes in humble cottages, or on lonely heaths and in the depths of darkling woods, on summer nights when the moon rode high. It does so still.
From time to time the public have been treated to various highly-colored and highly unconvincing "revelations" in the popular Press and elsewhere upon the subject of "Black Magic, Satanism," and similar matters, and occasionally these have been linked with witchcraft. Let me state right away that I personally maintain an attitude of thorough-going skepticism towards these things, and that even if they do exist I do not consider them to have any relation to the survival of the witch cult. Alleged "confessions," especially where witchcraft is mentioned, bear ample internal evidence of their own meretriciousness, in that they are obviously modeled upon sensational thrillers and reveal no knowledge whatever of genuine witch practices.
The real thing is deeper hidden than this. People, especially country people, are reluctant to talk about it; but no one, I think, can study folklore in this country for long without becoming convinced of the amazing vitality and tenacity of old beliefs.
Where the town-dweller usually goes astray in his conclusions about the witch cult is that he has been fed mentally upon the alleged "revelations" mentioned above, or upon works that associate witchcraft with some fantastic belief vaguely known as "Satanism," with the implication that it is, or was, a cult of evil and nothing else. I submit that this is an unreasonable view, and has been promulgated by persons who possess no qualifications beyond a bent for sensationalism or an outlook blinded by religious bigotry. The countryman and countrywoman preserve a belief through the centuries because they think it is some use to them, or because they derive some satisfaction from it. Of course, the benefit they derive from the belief may not always seem to us to be highly ethical. Nevertheless, no one but a maniac would deliberately cultivate evil for its own sake.
The foundation of magical beliefs, of which witchcraft is a form, is that unseen Powers exist, and that by performing the right sort of ritual these Powers can be contacted and either forced or persuaded to assist one in some way. People believed this in the Stone Age, and they believe it, consciously or not, today. It is now well known that most superstition is in fact broken-down ritual.
The unseen Powers that have interested man most in his early history have been the powers of fertility and of contact with the spirit world; of Life and Death. These are the elementary powers that became the divinities of the witches, and their worship is as old as civilization itself. The meaning of witchcraft is to be found, not in strange religious theories about God and Satan, but in the deepest levels of the human mind, the collective unconscious, and in the earliest developments of human society. It is the deepness of the roots that has preserved the tree.
Details:
The Meaning of Witchcraft
GERALD GARDNER
First Published in 2004 by
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
York Beach, ME
With offices at:
368 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
Originally published in the U.K. in 1959 by Aquarian, London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gardner, Gerald Brosseau, 1884-1964
The meaning of witchcraft / G.B. Gardner.
p. cm.
Originally published: 1st ed. London: Aquarian Press, 1959.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-57863-309-5
1. Witchcraft. I. Title.
BF1566.G3 2004
133.4'3-dc22
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"Because "of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from exalting myself! "2 Corinthians 12:7 (NASB)In 2 Cor 12 Paul is telling about the thorn in the flesh that he was given. In the preceding verses Paul was telling the Corinthians of his trips to the third heaven. He had been in the place where God dwells and he had surpassing great revelations. These kind of things could cause a man to become prideful (smile). Paul was keenly aware of the danger of his flesh to become prideful and to flaunt this before the other apostles and believers in Christ. Can you imagine having that conversation with the Sons of Thunder? "What have you guys been up to? I have been to the third heaven where God dwells, how 'bout you?" We are all capable of such pride. When we have those mountaintop experiences, or especially a string of them, we can become a bit haughty. Paul was no different. He was human and according to Romans 7:14 he did struggle with the flesh! There were times Paul still desired to sin and there were times he did sin. God, in His wisdom afflicted Paul with whatever the thorn in his flesh was to keep this from happening, to keep him humble. We don't know for sure if it was physical affliction or a church issue, or a literal messenger of Satan. What we do know that Paul was begging for relief from it. Three times he asked God for relief. Our hearts are so naturally bent on pride anyway that is doesn't take too much to put us over the top. No doubt Paul was at risk for such a thing after such a glorious experience. Paul began to understand that the purpose of this particular affliction was to humble him. Suffering is a humbling thing. It brings you to the end of yourself. Humility born of suffering is an aspect of character in a godly person; the person God is shaping you into. In 1 Peter 3:8 (NASB) Peter outlines what that person looks like: "...harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead." In Philippians 2:3 Paul says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; "
We don't naturally put others before ourselves, and when we are told we are prideful we become indignant and deny it.
Our hearts are so rebellious... The heart of pride is a devastating thing in a Christian. God knows we are prideful. As has been said before we want to be independent and self-sufficient and there is no place for either of those in the life of a believer. Invariably pride is the number one cause of the problems that bring people to counseling, and the other roots stem from that single devastating tap root.
If you recall, pride is what turned the most beautiful angel God created into Satan! Pride is one of those sneaky things that we disguise as other things. We call it control, self-centered, being shy, perfectionistic, and independent, self-sufficient and so on. The world has disguised pride as having low self-esteem. We place such a high value of ourselves-independent of God.
We need to be humbled. The heart of pride MUST be vanquished.
Origin: http://way-of-witch.blogspot.com
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.13-a0-2236-g7be3fc8 (webtiles) character file.
46 4tharraofdagon the Vexing (level 1, -1/9 HPs)
Began as a Spriggan Enchanter on July 4, 2013.
Slain by a kobold
... wielding a +0,+0 club
(3 damage)
... on Level 3 of the Dungeon.
The game lasted 00:00:52 (187 turns).
4tharraofdagon the Vexing (Spriggan Enchanter) Turns: 187, Time: 00:00:52
HP -1/9 AC 3 Str 4 XL: 1 Next: 58%
MP 13/13 EV 18 Int 16 God:
Gold 42 SH 0 Dex 16 Spells: 1 memorised, 1 level left
Res.Fire :... See Invis. : + a - +1 dagger {=f}
Res.Cold :... Warding :. b - +1 robe
Life Prot.:... Conserve :. (shield restricted)
Res.Poison:. Res.Corr. :. (helmet restricted)
Res.Elec. :. Clarity :. (no cloak)
Sust.Abil.:.. Spirit.Shd :. (gloves unavailable)
Res.Mut. :. Stasis :. (boots unavailable)
Res.Rott. :. Flight :. (no amulet)
Saprovore :... (no ring)
g - ring of magical power
@: very quick, not resistant to hostile enchantments, stealthy
A: unfitting armour, see invisible, herbivore 3, speed 3, slow metabolism 2 a: no special abilities
You were on level 3 of the Dungeon.
You were not hungry.
You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 3 of its levels.
You collected 22 gold pieces.
Inventory:
Hand weapons
a - a +1,+1 dagger (weapon) {=f}
Missiles
d - 12 darts (quivered)
Armour
b - a +1 robe (worn)
Comestibles
h - a bread ration
Scrolls
f - a scroll of identify {unknown}
i - a scroll of fear {unknown}
Jewellery
g - a ring of magical power (left hand)
Potions
e - a potion of porridge
You are tiny and cannot use many weapons and most armour.
You have supernaturally acute eyesight.
You are a herbivore.
You cover ground extremely quickly.
You need consume almost no food.
Message History
You hit the kobold but do no damage. The kobold hits you with a club.
You closely miss the kobold. The kobold hits you with a club.
You closely miss the kobold.
You hit the kobold but do no damage. The kobold misses you.
You hit the kobold.
The kobold is severely wounded.
The kobold barely misses you.
You closely miss the kobold.
The kobold is moderately wounded.
The kobold hits you but does no damage.
You barely miss the kobold.
The kobold is moderately wounded.
You closely miss the kobold.
The kobold is moderately wounded.
The kobold hits you with a club.
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
You closely miss the kobold.
The kobold is moderately wounded.
The kobold hits you with a club.
You die...
.#.#.#...#
...##...# ##
...##...##...
...(...[...
...##...#
...##(...#
...##...#
[..##...###
#####...##...@...#
#...##...K...#
########...#
#...#
#...#
##########
You could see a kobold.
Vanquished Creatures
A giant gecko (D:3)
2 kobolds (D:3)
A rat (D:3)
4 creatures vanquished.
Notes
Turn Place Note
-
0 D:1 4tharraofdagon, the Spriggan Enchanter, began the quest for the Orb.
0 D:1 Reached XP level 1. HP: 9/9 MP: 4/4
187 D:3 Slain by a kobold
Action total
Melee: Dagger 19
Stab: Sleeping 1
Credit: http://about-world-religions.blogspot.com
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Awakening Series Start with its first book, Visions of Magic. This book introduces us to the Shea Jameson, a descendant of witches who denies her own destiny to become a witch. Shea fled since his aunt was burned by people who are afraid of the witches. In her escape, Shea live a life as a teacher, a boring job for her.
Until one time when her safety was threatened, Shea unconsciously defends himself with deadly flames. Since her original identity as a witch was revealed, the people trying to catch him. Shea later rescued and taken away by someone who claims to be her Eternal, Torin. Torin has waited for Shea for centuries, he wait until the witch has risen her power.
Torin is Shea's guardian and Shea is his other half. Will Shea trust Torin? Will Shea realize her fate? Will Shea mastered her power? Get the book Immediately.
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Believable Christianity As I read on to fundament Hicks Believable Christianity, I caught myself agreeing in almost every last(predicate) of the articulations. I partinglly consider mickle from this present generation more spiritual than religious. The previous generations religion, which started with a fundamental idea, filled the instauration with visions of beginning and end, right and wrong, guileless and sin, best and evil, hell and heaven. With these concepts, glowering standards ca-ca been do to possess sure individuals demonstrate reverent compliance. As the shifting of generations happened, peoples concerns buzz off changed. The church building adjusted to covering the fundamental idea with the naked as a jaybird situation while smooth showing fidelity to the speech communication of the earlier generation. The new concerns were stillness framed based on the old ideas.Hence, everyone is stuck in a traditional way or mentality already elucidated. The causal agency on whether Christianity is believable or not has led to a lot of confusions. The inaccuracies of the bible mentioned made people doubt its authenticity. Queries on how it can possibly be a reliable agate line of spiritual truth have been transmitted already and I think one priming is that Christianity asks people to stake their sleep to tickhers on the truth claims of Jesus Christ, which atomic number 18 found only in the bible.
Discrediting the bible as such a record, thinking-people could not manoeuvre its claims because it involves resorting to blind faith. These beliefs and how they are presented makes it easier for non church goers to let go of their faith. The persona of Jesus as person who is consciously divine runs Christianity. It was in like manner mentioned that Jesus is also Gods corporal and because of this the idea of having someone true and sinless as a role model arises. Since we totally know that people live a life of flaws and mistakes ever reappearing, man beings make good use of a human model whom we can be challenged. Jesus serves as a challenge that inspires his people. I...If you want to get a full essay, frame in it on our website: Orderessay
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