It IS Hysterical that some are offended at the "Satantic" Grammy Performances, However . . .

As I commented on Facebook: 

"There are however deeper conspiratorial heavings going on that the offended Christian types will never get, and the culture stream in general will remain blissfully unaware, voicing smug and hypocritical outrage, in varying degrees at the "satanic" and "anti-Christian" messages. Meanwhile, the indulgent celebs continue to appropriate, mock, misuse, and misrepresent these areas to feed their fame, all the while subconsciously playing into the deeper manipulations of, for lack of a better word, demonic energies afoot everywhere that blare at us from the White House, the Pentagon, the military industrial complex, Big Pharma and Big Science, the Vatican, and your basic Global Elitists."

Christian Singer Walks Out on Grammys After ‘Satanic’ Performances Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

Natalie Grant, Christian singer, walks out of the Grammys due to the "Satanic" nature of Katy Perry's performance.

 Christian Singer Walks Out on Grammys After ‘Satanic’ Performances Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!: Katy Perry, who was surrounded by demons as she danced around an upside down broomstick before being encircled by fire during a performance of her song “Dark Horse”. Perry wore clothing bearing an illuminated Knights Templar cross.

Doves released in the Vatican are immediately attacked by seagull and crow | Mail Online

Source: Mail Online

The symbolism doesn't need any further explanation:

Doves released in the Vatican are immediately attacked by seagull and crow | Mail Online: To millions of Christians, they are a symbol of peace.

But to a pair of larger birds, the two doves released in the Vatican yesterday were nothing more than a chance for a bit of Sunday morning sport.

No sooner had the birds been set free in St Peter’s Square – as a symbolic gesture of peace for Ukraine – than they were set upon by a seagull and a crow.

NY Times:"California first-grader barred from distributing candy canes with religious message" and a Rant

   

     In California, a first grade teacher throws a religious message in the trash. Family is considering a lawsuit, the expected debate rages on. In this case however I have mixed feelings. While the teacher's actions seem harsh and the whole thing could have been handled differently, and better, it could be the teacher was concerned with the class as a whole -- all the students, and was trying to adhere to state and federal rules concerning the promoting of religion. "Jesus is not allowed in the school" the teacher is alleged to have said, and, the teacher is correct.It's fine if this child and his family believe what they believe, but giving a non-Christian this kind of message, well, for myself, it would annoy me. Let's turn this around; just how do you think the majority of parents would react if a child handed out a Pagan themed item? Oh the shit would fly! The parents knew the public school's policy and did their thing anyway.  So in this case, it isn't close to what the Buddhist student in the south (see post below) experienced. Teachers (as an educator, I have sympathy!) are expected to do so much that goes beyond teaching academics, and are always walking that blurry, ever changing line of what's politically and legally correct at the moment. On the other hand, it could be the teacher was a smug atheist asserting their brand of critical thinking and educational correctness.

California first-grader barred from distributing candy canes with religious message- NY Daily News: California first-grader barred from distributing candy canes with religious messages. Robert Tyler, of the Advocates for Faith & Freedom, is threatening legal action against the West Covina Unified School District on behalf of Isaiah Martinez, a 6-year-old who said his teacher threw his gifts to classmates because they contained religious messages. Tyler alleges the boy's teacher said 'Jesus is not allowed at school,' and the district says it tries to maintain 'religious neutrality in the classroom.'

     Somewhat related, many years ago, when I was lead teacher for a pre-K program at a public institution, one of the assistants wanted to do an art project involving the peace symbol. This was during the Gulf War and the emotions and political climate was intense at the time. I liked the project very much but had to say no to it. I told the assistants that it could be misconstrued -- we had some very gung ho families with spouses and family members, parents of students, overseas -- and so to avoid any outrage and hassles with parents and the institution I worked for, I didn't allow it. A couple of days later, I was out of the classroom for meetings, when I returned, I saw that another assistant had given each student a postcard with the American flag splashed over it and pro-war slogans. I was pretty furious; she shrugged and said "We all have our opinions." That was a nasty thing she pulled and wrong, and yep, it pissed off some parents who were anti-war. And, of course, I was the one who got the shit storm. So teachers are often in a no-win situation, trying to please everyone, and follow the rules mandated by the feds, the state, their district or institution, and their principals. And your own beliefs and values often get swallowed up in the dance of trying to do the right thing. Let alone the original thing, which is to teach, not play games.
     And on another tangent, here in Oregon, it was recently voted into law that all schools must have their classes stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance one day a week. Ridiculous and I'm surprised it is legal, hopefully the ACLU will get around to that one. There is the limp disclaimer that those students who find saying the pledge, or at least the "under God" part, may refrain as long as they are respectful. But what about the teachers? They have no choice. One might argue that teachers are at work and being paid and as such, need to follow the rules. Sure. But at what point does the infringement of personal beliefs, (let alone dignity) interfere with the right of the government to tell an individual what to believe, and, regardless of that belief, disseminate political and religious opinion?

From NY Times: ACLU Sues Bible Belt School for Bullying Buddhist Student

Public school in the south harasses Buddhist student, ACLU is on it. Teachers and administrators blatant in their enforcement of a Christian milieu. Incriminating is the right-over-their-heads suggestion by the principal, who suggested to the student he go to a different school where there are "more Asians" racist implication that all Asians are Buddhists, and non-Asians are not.

ACLU sues Bible Belt school for allegedly bullying Buddhist student - NY Daily News: Sharon and Scott Lane are suing the Sabine Parish School board for religious harassment and for routinely pushing Christian beliefs onto its students.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Shreveport on Wednesday.

New Jersey Churches Attacked, Religious Statues Destroyed, Virgin Mary beheaded, Joseph chopped in half | Atlas Shrugs

image source: Atlas Shrugs

     No proof it's fanatical Muslims, and equally scary as the thought of Islamic fundies destroying religious icons in the U.S. is, is the idea it is crazy Muslims responsible for such symbolic gruesomeness.  The fact of this news item is not in dispute, but the source where this links to is a little rabid as well. Either way, whoever is responsible for this vandalism; it's creepy. New Jersey Churches Attacked, Religious Statues Destroyed, Virgin Mary beheaded, Joseph chopped in half | Atlas Shrugs

UPI Item: 'Nun in Italy names surprise child Francesco"

She's keeping the baby. This article doesn't say if she'll continue to live in the convent. I'd like to more -- a lot more!

Nun in Italy names surprise child Francesco - UPI.com: Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A 31 year-old nun at the Little Disciples of Jesus convent in Rieti, Italy discovered she was pregnant and about to give birth when stomach pains sent her to the hospital on Wednesday.
Hours after arriving at the S. Camillo De Lellis hospital, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Media reported that the nun, originally from El Salvador, has named her son Francesco, the same name as Pope Francis.

Student Expelled for Casting a Spell - ABC News

This showed up in my Facebook page. It does not seem to be a spoof. It's dated 2000, over ten years ago. Time marches on, but we're talking a decade, not centuries. The Inquisition has been over for awhile; wonder if Oklahoma knows that? Yes, Oklahoma. This didn't happen in an African country, or a Middle Eastern country, or some Eastern European village amidst mist and ruins, but here in the United States: Student Expelled for Casting a Spell - ABC News. Nicely juxtaposed with my previous post on the would be Satan statue, also in Oklahoma. Whatever is in their drinking water? Here's another article.


I keep thinking this has to be a satire piece from The Onion or The Daily Current. Has to be. If it weren't so goddamn frightening for its surreal and supreme ignorance, it's be funny.

But it isn't.

In the article, it is admitted that school authorities (dear sweet fucking goddess, these people are educators!) have nothing to go on, except, you know, the purest form of idiocy.

Satanists unveil proposed statue for OK state capitol

An in your face bit of performance religious theater:

Satanists unveil proposed statue for OK state capitol: Will Satan be celebrated on the lawn of the Oklahoma State Capitol?
A devilish group based in New York believes it should be perfectly OK.
The group, which calls itself "The Satanic Temple," today unveiled its proposal for a monument it intends to erect next to another religious statue: a depiction of the Ten Commandments.
According to The Satanic Temple's application, the proposed monument features a large pentagram and “a 7-foot tall goat-headed Baphomet that sits cross-legged flanked by a child on both sides. The lap will serve as a seat for visitors.”