Symbol Similiarities of Christianity and Pagan Religions
January 31st, 2010 by jgrimes
Ankh Symbol of eternal life. The gods are often seen holding an ankh to someone's lips this is considered to be an offering of "The Breath of Life".
What many Christian followers do not realize, is that many of their religious symbols are mostly derive from Pagan ancestors. Symbols like the fish, the cross, the dove, and the wedding ring have deep seeded Pagan roots. During the great converting that took place, when Roman Emperor Constantine in 325ad converted the entire Roman empire to Christianity, he transposed many of the Pagan religious symbols into Christian ones. However, Christians did not only steal religious relics from the Roman Pagan rituals, but also from the Greeks, Egyptians as well as the Babylonians. In the sacred rites of the Babylonian worship to there gods, their high priests were exposed were lavish “sacred garments.” Much like the Catholic Pope does today. What Constantine did was to mold Christianity from a precise mixture of many customs that were familiar and acceptable to Jews and Pagans at that time. He wanted and designed a religion and belief system that was intertwined with superstitions, from all parts of his empire. That is why there is such a vast combination of different religions, that were collaborated together to from the Christian movement.
From the concept of burring the dead to Christian wedding rituals, Constantine and his advisors had to consider, rearrange, organize and make into law. It had to be an overwhelming task when one thinks about it. Therefore, using other religions as a tool and guide to his new faith was a very logical solution, to a very demanding undertaking. As it is today, many earlier Christians were converted Pagans, baptized in the blood of Christ by the Apostle Paul himself. Paul, being a pagan himself doesn’t not write scripture on the rites of burring the dead. No, it was Constantine who established the idea that the dead should be buried. A concept he stole from the Egyptians and Jews. It was also believed by the Pharisees that to be buried, delivered lost souls from the gates of eternal damnation.
Flail and Crook A symbol of royalty, majesty and dominion. Notice the Shepard's staff.
From how we receive our message from the pulpit to our church alters, there is not one symbol truly sacred to Christianity . Almost every aspect of the Christian faith has been modeled after, or molded by another Pagan belief from somewhere off in the distant past.
The two at the top are standards of pagan barbarous nations of the East, from Bryant’s Mythology, Vol. III, p. 327; the black one in the middle, "the sacred Egyptian Tau or Sign of Life," from Wilkinson, Vol. V, p. 283. The two lowest are Buddhist Crosses, from Asiatic Researches, Vol. X, p. 124.
Tags: aspects, came from, christian, Christian and Pagan symbols, comparisons, development, evoling, evolution, Evolving Solutions, journey, knowledge, pagan, Pagean sybolism, religion, religious beliefs, religious similiarities
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January 31st, 2010 by jgrimes
Pin Up Beauty
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Knowledge of Sex
January 30th, 2010 by jgrimes
What Teenagers say Teenagers Really Need to Know About Sex
Besides physiological facts and pertinent warnings about sexually transmitted diseases, there are five important, and all too often overlooked, facts that teens need to know about sex. This is what you might tell your teenager:
1. Sex is an acquired skill. People expect miracles when they first have sex, not realizing that people need time and experience and patience to grow in their capacity to give and receive pleasure.
2. Sex is best enjoyed by those who are grown up, emotionally as well as physically.
3. Men and women have some important different physiological responses to sex and it’s important to be aware of these to avoid misunderstandings.
4. The anxiety of a first time ever or with a new partner can create problems with one or both partners. Patience, understanding and gentle reassurance are vital.
5. Finally, mature love and commitment can make sexual experiences much more satisfying. Tell your teenager that sex is best when one truly trusts and can be completely one’s self with another.
For more on this article visit the Teen Advisor at http://www.teensadvisor.com/raising-teens/sex-knowledge.html
Tags: having sex, knowledge, preteens, sexuality, teenagers, teens
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Deadly Iatrogenic Infections
January 21st, 2010 by jgrimes
Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!
Something every body needs to know!!!
Deadly Iatrogenic Infections
By RKHenry
Preoperative Antibiotics Linked To Pseudomembranous Colitis
Recently, I have learn that some penicillins, fluoroquinolones, lincosamides as in clindamycin, and cephalosporins can lead to Pseudomembranous Colitis, or PMC. According to the Mayo Clinic website, PMC has been directly linked to the preoperative antibiotics.
It is not uncommon for surgical-medical practitioners to prescribe antibiotics such as cephalosporins and clindamycin (and other antibiotics as listed above) before a surgical procedure, as a standardize precaution to help fight off more serious medical postoperative infections. However, what is being discovered is that in some patients, who after taking these listed medications, develop severe, offensive smelling diarrhea, fever and extreme abdominal pain. This iatrogenic infection (literally meaning; *a physician produced disease) of the colon (large intestine) can be fatal if untreated.
PMC infections are caused when doctor-prescribed, antibiotics begin disturbing the homeostasis bacterial balance within the colon. Potent toxins are released when these bacteria become numerous, causing inflammation of your colon. By which, these antibiotics begin to aid in the colonization and growth of Clostridium difficile bacterium. Illness from C. difficile are most common in older adults in hospitals, and/or in long term care facilities. In addition, people suffering with cancer, and currently under chemotherapy treatments can also trigger the development of pseudomembranous colitis.
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Events dictate historical perceptions.
February 9th, 2009 by jgrimes
Palestine
Palestine
Harry Truman’s Israel
It has often been my opinion that the words “State of Israel”, used by then President Harry S. Truman in 1948, were a clear over-reaction to a very tragic situation. The over-reaction began, when the tragic European Jewish holocaust came to light.
During springtime 1948, Harry S Truman on the floor of the newly erected United Nations floor he gave a proclamation speech declaring Palestine was now to be addressed as the State of Israel. He did this because his best friend and political adviser in Washington D. C., Clark Clifford reminded Harry that to win re-election he needed the Jewish American vote. His friend wanted Palestine to be renamed to the State of Israel because of the overwhelming infiltration of Jewish immigrants coming across from Europe after the war. However, the Jewish Americans wanted this even more. See, what was an illegal migration somehow needed to be made legal. Jewish Americans also felt that the world owed the Jewish people this for ignoring their pain. And so Truman created a Jewish country for them. However, Palestinians living in the region who were living in relative peace with Christians and Jewish settlers already there, didn’t want their lands given away. They revolted against this new American domestic policy. Rightly so in my opinion. At this time Egypt was the only country that offered the Palestinians help. America had boldly made her decision and thus we in essence created a new colony. What America should have done was to offer Palestine aid and support. It was clear to all world leaders at that time- that the sudden on slot, of hundreds of thousand Jewish refugees escaping into the region, was way to much for the poor country of Palestine too bear. But instead of food or aid, we sent the Jewish refugees weapons to take the land away to make it there own, and destroy the peaceful nation of Palestine. All in the name of sorrow and friendship. A blunt over-reaction to say the least. After sixty years of blood shed it’s now time to fix it.
With a strict understanding that I cherish the Jewish faith, the Jewish culture and the Jewish people- the facts are the facts and that still does not change my opinions. Most importantly I think it is safe to say that all those involved understood the fact that after WWII and with many displaced Jewish people across Europe; the Jewish people needed something to call there own. Especially since so much of their culture had been devastated and families & friends had been destroyed. They needed a place to feel safe. A place to call home. A place where they could never be rounded up again and tortured and destroyed. I sincerely understand those fears and needs. But! When in the coarse of claiming a homeland, that they themselves [Jews] were allowed to turn themselves into the very people they were rounded up by, killed by, feared and suffered from- that they [the Jewish movement] in which turned to Hitler style policies- should have been stopped. Especially not rewarded for their destructive and brutal actions, just because of American Jewish votes. It is time that something be done about this before Israel kills us all.
Palestine
Pictures were obtained from http://www.opecfund.org/projects_operations/palestine.aspx
President Obama brings hope to all. Especially to those who feel political personal injustice has plagued American foreign policy for decades. For nearly sixty years now, America has chosen to play- around-with Middle Eastern lives, and pretend to be blind to the facts at hand. Israel has been a shameful role model of how effective brute force ignorance can be and how irrational behavior wins the game. Aren’t those suppose to be the ways only held by terrorist? Well we should know- we created them. Israel created terrorist. Israel is a country of terrorist. They should know better than anyone of terrorist tactics. They wrote the book on it. The hate for all things American & Israel under certain American administrations, has caused sent anti-American sentiments to soar to feverish heights. Though now that President Obama is in office, I personally see a chance at redemption and change.
Is America finally going to admit fault here? Not likely- but what I do see America doing is reassuming a role as peace maker, friend, consultant, and world wide helping supporter. Palestine needs us the most. Fix Palestine and you’ve fixed Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, and the whole Middle Eastern Region. America has an opportunity to bring peace to the region. We have the perfect unique, opportunity to re-assume a peaceful stance with positive backing firmly stood behind the Palestinians. Why? With out a doubt, Palestine- has been America’s greatest folly. America’s personal interjections of favoritism towards the State of Israel has kept Palestine from being a peaceful nation. That is the cold hard facts. Somehow inadvertently America created these tyrannical and terrorist leaders by handling the State of Israel and Palestine the way they did. All this turmoil and blood shed over blind American pride and arrogance.
There is no time like the present to start making Israel face those they’ve systemically executed and destroyed. America needs to reposition herself away from the State of Israel. The favoritism has been overwhelmingly devastating to the region. Palestinians today are forced to live in mud huts because of Israelites embargoes. That’s ridiculous. It is that kind of inhumane activity that America needs to stop. It is time we starting showing Palestine some good will and act as a positive ambassador for them. We need to be enforcing the wheel towards compassion, empathy and strength to the under-dogs who need it. The past sixty years have been nothing but failed foreign policies one right after the next. Obama brings hope to us all. He brings hope to everyone around the world. It is a monumental task he’s facing. Americans need to recognize that he needs us just as much as we need him. However if anyone, or any country ever need a guy like Obama in their corner- the children of Palestine need him most. How come? All too often religion comes to play here. It effects the necessary decisions and comprises our positions. The adverse affects of such actions only causes devastation to all who aren’t like us. Now this isn’t what this country is about. Americans no better than to judge someone or some party off their religious beliefs. Our country was founded on the principle of religious freedoms. Yet we allow religious holocausts to occur under our own watchful eyes. Why? This isn’t who we are? This isn’t the America I know and love. The madness of murder and mayhem need to be put to an end. And there is no place better than to start with the region where Israel now stands.
Need we all be reminded again, that if you take a religious stance against Palestinians, you first need to understand that Muslims are God’s children too! Why must Christians and Jews be reminded of this time after time again? I simply do not understand the religious ignorance we chose to live in. The Islamic faith and Muslim people have been demoniac just as history has recorded the Jews at Jesus Christ’s death. And that didn’t start with 9-11 either. Everything gets blamed on 9-11! It’s time to put an end to that here and now. Anti-American sentiment & hatred- was nearly 55 years old by the time 9-11 occurred. In fact, 9-11 was a direct cause of American pride, unjustified ignorance and arrogance in which we had CHOSEN to lived by. That’s what caused 9-11. Not the religion! Not Muslims! WE DID!!!
With Obama at the wheel- many Americans would better off reminding themselves the importance of recognizing that fact. Islamics are the children of Abraham, while Jew’s look to Moses as a leader. The Jewish patriarchal figure is still remains to be Abraham. We are born of the same cloth here people. However, that shouldn’t change a damn thing in our eyes. We are suppose to be equal opportunist here. [And not on one particular religious side of another.] Shame on us Americans, for allowing that to happen through our own personal pity! Well now it’s time to pity the children of Palestine before they become non-existent. They are all God’s children.
I pray and hope that whatever be the case that you support our dear President Obama. God Bless you and yours.
Tags: America, blog, events, Evolving Resources, Harry Truman's, historical, Holocaust, Intimate Defination, Intimate Sessions, Israel, knowledge, Palestine, Palestinian, peace, perception, President Truman, WWII
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The Lost Truths Of Christianity
February 11th, 2009 by jgrimes
Could they be working for the same God. I think so!
“I am not the first Buddha who came upon this earth nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a Master of Angels and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal, in spirit and in the letter. He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. ‘ His disciples will number many thousands, while Mine number many hundreds.’ “ —Gautama Buddha
The Four Noble Truths
1. Life means suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering.
Introduction;
In the Gospel Of Mary Magdalene, Christ tells his followers a completely different story, than what you or I were ever told by Christian leaders. A very different story indeed. In this gnostic gospel, Mary Magdalene appears to us as a equal disciple of Christs. Who has been singled out by Jesus himself, as being the most worthy of his special teachings. Special teachings, I might add, with strong undertones of Taoism and Buddhist beliefs. This gospel, is of Jesus Christ speaking to his disciples, in a direct format.
Christ speaks to his disciples;
He speaks of how we are to use our minds to communicate with God. Our minds, and only our minds to God. He mentions that the place between life and death, exist already deep within our minds. And, is only separated by our mind alone.
Christ also speaks of becoming enlightened. How we do that, is again through the power of meditation and prayer. Christ openly recognized that woman were equal to men. However, that the woman is the heart and soul of his cause. Therefore, more righteous in the eyes of God. The gospel even speaks about how, men are not to make new laws, over his father’s laws already made. Christ tells us how all God’s created beings, are released to there original source. Each and everytime that life source ends and begins anew. Moreover, how the human spirit was not given life, just to have it judged and destroyed.
My questions then;
Was Christ telling us to be more compassionate, understanding, empathetic and fill our lives with joy? To find the Buddha within us all? Are the Four Noble Truths not only to be a belief system for Easterners, but Westerners as well? Are they indeed, the lost truths of Christianity?
I think so…
This is what I believe;
Our Lord, Jesus Christ tells her that the true path to salvation is within ourselves. And, I believe this is right. Or why else would he tell Mary, “When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, (which) took seven forms. The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven {powers} of wrath.”
When I started to study the Gospel of Mary, I was lost in what I was reading. Lost because the written word, seems to be the very opposite of what I was taught to believe. Moreover, what did all this mean for me. That is when I discovered the wonderful book, “Awaken the Buddha Within” by Lama Surya Das.
It is a definite must read, and a good source of soul food and mindful energy. Besides that, the book really helped me put into perspective all the challenges, the Gospel of Mary, threw at me.
And, my life has forever changed for the good. However, that transformation took awhile. Seriously, I understand how strenuous, changing ones beliefs can be. However, to continue to overlook the hidden secrets of this gospel, and what it was telling me. Would have been an even greater sin. Christ clearly left no questions unanswered, as we all are clearly led to believe. When we die, and are anewed again, and again, and again in the loving blessing of God, the power to stay alive is inside all of us. There is no death. There is no judgement. However, how could that be?
Read the Gospel, read the book and you will see what I mean. It is mind-bloggling information.
Could these Buddhist prophecies, be another piece to the puzzle, for Christian followers?
Could be……, enjoy!
“When the iron bird flies, and horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the World, and the Dharma will come to the land of red-faced people.”
—Padma Sambhave, Eighth Century Indian Guru & Founder Of The First Tibet Monastery
Tags: "Awaken the buddha within", belief system, Buddhism, Buddhist prophecies, changing your life, Christ enlighten, Christ teachings, Christ-like, christian resources, Christianity, discovery, enlightenment, eternal truths, four noble truths, Gautama Buddha, God and Christ, Gods messenger, how to, lama surya, learn about, life, lost truths, new ideas, Nicaean Councilman, Padma Sambhave, path, religious beliefs, resources, rites, salvation, self help, study guide, study materials, supremely enlightened, teaching methods
Posted in The Philosophy To All Other Philosophy-My Own | Comments (0)
Top 5 Blogger Rules to Internet Survival
February 11th, 2009 by jgrimes
After actively being involved, in certain Internet community websites such as Google’s Blogger.com, Hubpages.com, Blogcatalog.com and Politicalbase.com [which has recently closed down their site], one might say I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.
I sometimes like to compare blogging to life. As in life, the most simplistic mishaps can be easily turned into an opportunity. Like lesson plans develop from reading certain chapter books. Whether these lessons come from misunderstandings, debauched communicational attempts, or instances of being out classed; it is crucial to apply what you learned, and turn it into something successful. Case in point, this blog. It is without a doubt, a small Internet achievement.
Any successful businessperson will tell you, (that in the infancy of their career) all initial successful challenges, were met by overcoming the mistakes they made.
“To succeed, you will soon learn, as I did…… ” —Alan Greenspan
“I try to learn from the past….” —Donald Trump
New Top 5 Blogging
Guidelines to Internet Survival
[In a community chat room or online social media outlet]
1) Do not argue excessively. Get out while you are ahead.
Seriously people, staying true to your principles is one thing. However, arguing a point excessively is another.
At the end of an argument one must ask themselves, “Did I make a difference?” This first rule of thumb, is extremely important to fully comprehend. Whatever reason, the person you are conversing with, wants or needs to feel smarter than you. To argue with them, is a dead end game to know where. You have over 100 million people conversing in Internet chat rooms, community forums, or actively participating in some form of blogger interaction somewhere, every minute of the day. Be the positive and friendliest voice in the room. Bottom-line, get out while you are ahead.
2) Tread carefully before you type.
Second rule of thumb, everyone likes to hear themselves speak. These places, of conversational access for you and me, are no different. Only the outlet itself has changed. One of the major business guidelines to follow, is to listen before you speak. What that means is, to be successful at an adventure, one must really be careful not to say to much… Think carefully before you speak. Therefore, tread carefully before you type.
3) Avoid five points of conversation, that leads to confrontation.
People love to lecture other people on,
- What to believe.
- How to think.
- What to be like.
- Where certain intimate loyalties should lie.
- What to endure.
Religion, Worldly Opinion, Peace Relations, Politics and Rights/Privileges- only lead to confrontation. Yes, I am fully aware that these major topics are a great resources of fun topic conversations. However are you aware, that one false step in one of these forums; could cost you your business, before you ever get started?
Look, I personally have made this mistake time and time again. It can be an especially damaging mistake to make, and one so easily made. The key difference is advice is advice, and lecturing is a form of preaching. Anyone can be a preacher, but not everyone can be a friend. If you are a blogger like myself, who is trying to make a sideline income, from writing hubs and articles on the Internet, only play the friend role. Friends stay on top. Like rule number one says, “Get out while you are ahead.” Swindling deals, by forcing aggressive viewpoints onto other bloggers, is not a way to get repeat viewers. Be fully apprised, of the five points of reason, why Internet users like to lecture.
4) Literally, you are a “typing billboard” advertisement.
This should speak for itself. The best advertisement deal on the Internet- is word of mouth. Just by participating actively on the Internet, you are advertising your new business adventure. Whether you like it or not.
Therefore, when surfing and finding new places to converse in, simply remember rules number one, two, and three. Pin them to memory!
5) Everyone & anyone is a “know-it-all.” Including YOU!
The sooner you come to terms with this, the better off you will be. It is your responsibility, to put forth these top five rules, in motion.
Recap the Rules
a.] Don’t be aggressive and argue with people.
b.] Think about what you are writing, or the point that you are trying to make. Think, think, think! Look at the written word, from an outsiders point of view.
c.] Avoid the five points of conversation.
d.] Be aware of your surroundings.
e.] You don’t have to be the smartest one in the room, you just have to be YOU! Keeping an open mind, will make you wealthier, than a closed mind will.
Tags: active, addressing issues, authors, belief, blogging, blogging guidelines, chat room, community blogging websites, community chat room, community forums, confrontational issues, debate, development, enlightenment, ettiquete, forum mishaps, growth, hot topics, how to, hub, HubPages, ideas, internet, intimate, knowledge, learning, lesson plans, life, lifestyle, manners, media, online, outlet, page, peace, personal, respect, social, social websites, socialization based, survival guide, top five, top five guidelines, top ten, writing, your top
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IntimatEvolution Emporium
April 11th, 2009 by jgrimes
-
Search
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Listmania!
For More Great Items, Shop Intimate Evolution Emporium Gift Shop Today!!
Tags: amazon, authors, bible, blogging, brown, company, cow, diet, education, Emporium, estore, hub, HubPages, intimate, Intimately Evolve, jewelry, journey, life, lifestyle, litature, manners, mind, mp3, one, peace, philosophy, respect, self help
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Twitter Me!!!
May 3rd, 2009 by jgrimes
https://twitter.com/onebrncowco
You can also check me out at http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/1brncowco
Tags: blog, blog catalog, blogging, evolution Definition, Tweet, twitter
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New Hubpage address
May 3rd, 2009 by jgrimes
http://hubpages.com/profile/IntimatEvolution
Tags: hub, HubPages, Intimately Evolve, onebrncowco
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Your daily famous sex quote dose!
May 4th, 2009 by jgrimes
Woody Allen
Your daily famous sex quote dose.
“Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night.”–Woody Allen
Here is some more quotes by Woody Allen for your reading enjoyment!
- Basically I am a low-culture person. I prefer watching baseball with a beer and some meatballs.
- There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?
- Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.
- I do the movies just for myself like an institutionalized person who basket-weaves. Busy fingers are happy fingers. I don’t care about the films. I don’t care if they’re flushed down the toilet after I die.
- Most of the time I don’t have much fun. The rest of the time I don’t have any fun at all.
For more quotes go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/bio
Tags: famous, inner peace, people, quote, sex, woody allen, Your Daily
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Your Daily Famous Sex Quote Dose
May 5th, 2009 by jgrimes
“Leaving sex to the feminists is like
letting your dog vacation
at the
taxidermist.”
–Camille Paglia
Your Daily Famous Sex Quote Dose
Tags: camille paglia, daily dose, famous, feminists quote, george burns, quote, sex, taxidermist quote, woody allen
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Fideist’s have faith.
January 29th, 2009 by jgrimes
Love & Faith
It is my hope that this religious blog will make people take a different look into other known religions that are based on Fideism. Fideism basically means Faith. A Fideist believes his or her religion does not need earthly artifacts, proved theories or personal encounters to prove that it exists. They prosper under the belief system of faith. Judaism, Christianity, Muslim, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism are just a few of the religions where Fideism exist. The intent of this resourceful commentary is to provide many different people a peaceful way in which too express there views and ideas. So please leave what commentary you can. The great thing about the world wide web is that people can now take a different approach in sharing old and new ideas. The desired outcome is to have discussions on topics such as Abortion, Separation of Church and State, Dualism, Creation, War, Israel, the Political Impact of Religion, Gay Rights, Faith, Beliefs and Values. Let us band together and read what others have to say without the fear and worry of discrimination, retaliation or retribution. This is an open forum to anyone who wants to voice comments based on insight, directives, values, beliefs, fables, challenges and values. Take a journey into Christianity with a different point of view. Learn how other Fideist based religions compare to one another. Let us challenge each others intellect on the particulars of the Creation Story, Noah’s Ark, Jesus Birth, Muhammad, Allah, Moses, Abraham, the Apostleship of Jesus Christ’s Disciples, the Gospels missing from the Bible, and Books included in the Torah but missing from the Old Testament. So if you have a comment, story or viewpoint please make it known here.
Communication is the key to peace. Many people have closed their ears and have stopped listening. In the hope of peace let us try to understand each other and our differences. For the sake of the children living in this world, we need to find the time to stop and find a common denominator that could bind us together. The different voices, that make up this world, need to have a say. Most importantly persons need to have a unified chance at understanding what it is that separates one from another. In my personal opinion, I believe that religion plays an integral part in finding peace on earth and eliminating wars. As brother and sisters of the earth, silenced voices need to be heard. If everyone as an individual would respect the history of a tribe, township, city, country or nation; we could then show a sincere understanding and respect for the people who occupy that region. Fundamental understanding should be a binding governorship over the different lands in which we all live in. I believe that religion plays a dual role in acquiring this type of relationship between the peoples.
I have the fundamental belief that Christ is the son of God otherwise known to others as Allah, Supreme Being, Heavenly Father, etc. (just to name a few). It is my belief that God chose many different ways to appear in the hearts of men all over this world. I don’t believe that a Buddhist Monk is denied a place in Paradise because he doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ. It is my belief that God brought forth the religion of Buddhism for those persons whose intellect were structured in such a way as it seemed to fit those persons the best. I feel that way about all religions that believe in a Supreme Higher Power or many Higher Beings. I don’t understand why people do not take the time to educate themselves on the many different world religions. God gave people ‘free will’ to decide for themselves what religion would best fit their needs. Christianity happens to be the perfect fit for my needs same as the Muslim’s religion fits another personal need. It takes a lot of time to think about how the earthly religious puzzle may be pieced together. But there isn’t a shadow of doubt that in many areas the puzzle pieces complete a perfect picture. Man’s influence on religious beliefs has caused, a fatal cloud to appear over the true meaning in which religion arrange itself upon. What’s your say?
Tags: belief, creationism, dual role, dualism, evolution Definition, faith, fatal cloud, fideism, fideist, Fideist Blog, Fideist blogger, Fideist Philosophy, fundamental, religion, religious, religious blogsite, religious philosophy
Posted in The Philosophy To All Other Philosophy-My Own | Comments (0)
Your daily sex quote dose featuring Lynn Lavner!!
May 6th, 2009 by jgrimes
“The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision.”
~Lynn Lavner
“The church must be the critic and guide of the state, and never its tool.”–Lynn Lavner
Here’s what Sam Austin said on the subject,
“Homosexuality is God’s way of insuring that the truly gifted aren’t burdened with children.” –Sam Austin
For all those still struggling with who you are check out this great website!!!
http://www.sexualityeducation.com/glbtq.php
“From what I hear homosexuality is just as beautiful as heterosexuality, but with better sex!” –Me
“My lesbianism is an act of Christian charity.” --Lynn Lavner 
Tags: famous, homosexuality, inner peace, lynn lavner, quote, sam austin, sex, Your Daily
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Your Daily Famous Sex Quote Dose
May 7th, 2009 by jgrimes
Today Feature is a Daily Double!!
“I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy.” -Steve Martin
More famous quotes by Steve Martin;
I wrote a novel this year called “Shop Girl”, and several producers came to me and wanted to turn it into a movie. And I said, “If you think you’re going to take this book and change it around, and Hollywoodize it and change the ending . . . that’s going to cost you.”“All I’ve ever wanted was an honest week’s pay for an honest day’s work.”
“Chaos in the midst of chaos isn’t funny, but chaos in the midst of order is.”
“I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you are an idiot.”
And Your Daily Double Dose
Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant.”—Henry Miller!!!
Tags: daily, daily double, famous, Great sex quotes, henry miller, inner peace, money, quote, sex, Steve Martin
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What I have been up too!
May 11th, 2009 by jgrimes
Hey, I know I’m behind a bit, but I’ve been doing some much needed research. Some of the things I’ve been working on have to do with God, Christ, Adam, Eve, Judas Thomas, biblical names and other such topics. I’ve been reading the Gnostic Gospel text “Thomas the Contender.” I have found it to be a most interesting read. Could Jesus Christ have been a twin? Was Judas Thomas his twin brother, born only minutes after Jesus Christ? Was Mary and Joseph’s last name Thomas? Were did the story come from?
I have also been researching the word “BOOTH.” I want to know it’s origin. I want to know how long has the word booth existed. I think it could hold a clue to unlocking a certain piece of the puzzle, concerning the lives of Adam and Eve. I’d appreciate anything you might know about the word booth.
Another area I’ve been working on is studying the Book of Jubilees. Did Cain really marry his younger sister? Did Adam and Eve really have 9 children? Were any of those children conceived in the Garden of Eden? And what of the Ethiopic texts? Are they more accurate than our own Christian Bible?
So that’s what I’ve been up too. By the way my son place 6th in the Columbia Relays! Take care and I’ll catch up with all of you very, very soon.
Blessings to you,
Julie Grimes
Tags: adam, eve, Evolving Solutions, god, jesus twin, jubilees, Judas, lives, the contender, Thomas
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Your Daily Famous Sex Quote Dose
May 11th, 2009 by jgrimes
“They don’t call me Tyrannosaurus Sex for nothing.” —Sen. Ted Kennedy
Who knew???
Another great quote said by Ted Kennedy is— “Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed.”
Tags: daily, famous, inner peace, quote, sex, ted kennedy, tyrannosaurus sex
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Quicky Sex Quote Dose!
May 12th, 2009 by jgrimes
Today’s sex quote dose has a very interesting twist to it. I found this quote from a current gospel text that I’ve been reading. I found this to be very intriguing and widely controversial. So I thought to myself, “Why not?” So with out further ado your daily famous sex quote dose is………
“So if the body comes from intercourse how will it breed anything different from animality?” -Jesus Christ, Thomas the Contender, Gnostic Gospel
This particular Gospel focused on a lot a coupling issues. Some further quotes taken from the text are below for your reading enjoyment.
- “Now that which changes, decays and dies, and loses spiritual hope, as the body has now become bestial.”
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“So just as bestial bodies die, so will their subtle forms; men and women are born from carnal intercourse like animals.”
†Jesus Christ
Tags: daily, famous, inner peace, quote, sex
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How Many Times Have You Been Here?
May 25th, 2009 by jgrimes
IE’s Thoughts On Reincarnation
Do you live with the sense that you have been here before? Have you ever wondered if reincarnation was something like an event, that actually does occur through out the whole human race? Does your religion discourage you from believing in reincarnation?
Lately I’ve been reading the Gnostic Gospels. With a particular interest in the Gospel of Philip and The Sophia of Jesus Christ. I have been seeking out comparative statements from these gospels, and finding comparative verses in other religious text. Since I think reincarnation is a possibility, I started searching for known religious verses to prove that it does exist and has occurred in some human beings. For today’s entry I would like to show you 3 compelling scriptures from the Gospel of Philip, thought to have been written somewhere around 385 A. D. But was found to have been before it’s Greek translation in 435 A. D. It was found to have existed long before either of those dates, because it was found among the other scriptures known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Here are some of those verses found in the Gospel of Philip: (The Gospel of Philip is a narrative of Jesus Christ and what he said to some of his disciples when they asked questions about the existence of God and how Jesus came to be. The Gospel of Philip addresses many issues such as Jesus’ relationship with Mary Magdalena, who & what Truth is, who the Father is, faith, and spiritual well-being.)
- “For the good are not wholly good nor the wicked wholly wicked, nor is life merely life, nor death merely death; each will return to its primal source.”
≈I believe this verse to be the key to reincarnation.≈
There are many points and variables to this verse when broken down.
- Take the lines “nor is life merely life, nor death merely death;”: Here the author is clearly stating that there is more to just living and dying. Isn’t it being rather naive of us to assume that a soul either goes to heaven or hell?
- That is where I think the lines: “For the good are not wholly good nor the wicked wholly wicked,” comes into play. Life is confusing at best. We all know this! So why is it then that we expect to get it all perfectly right in one lifetime? It is impossible to become fully righteous in one lifetime alone. Maybe the persons who are able to defy all odds get to go to heaven automatically. And maybe those persons who are truly, truly wicked and never asked for forgiveness are sent to hell in a hand basket. But what of the rest of us who don’t fully deserve to go to heaven, nor hell but rather need a second or third chance? Why isn’t that possible? Why do we even pretend to know what God does and what he doesn’t? Isn’t it his discretion to determine if reincarnation is a viable aspect of life? Are you God?
- Then there is the final line; “each will return to its primal source.” Let me guess; are we all going to guess where that was or maybe is? Isn’t that being arrogant on our behalf? Again it begs for the question, are we then God? For anyone to claim the knowledge of such would either have to be Jesus, God or reincarnated.
- “He who is no longer “of the world” cannot be delayed on the grounds that “he was once in the world”. Delayed for what, for where? The meaning of this verse would have you confused, but reread it. Then reread it again. “He who is no longer “of the world” cannot be delayed on the grounds that “he was once in the world”. Sounds like a second chance to me.
- I also feel that this upcoming verse lends itself as proof that reincarnation does occur. “If a man or woman regains his or her former self, there’ll be an end to death.”
If you are a new age Christian, I believe that you will find truth in the above scripture. If you are looking to the Bible for sources addressing reincarnation, I suggest reading John 3:4-8
A note about the author; IE as her fans call her is a Fideist. She solely believes, in the principles of something, just on faith alone. Her belief, in Jesus Christ to be the son of God, has really no divine inspiration. She simply believes. However, what is interesting about IE, is that she believes many different religions and belief systems, make-up the one true religion of God. Using many resources from different world religions to study, IE likes to find similarities, contradictions, and writing structure to discover what is the word of God, and what is not. Though, her own personal belief system was formed by Catholics, Methodists and Baptist patrons. However, it is IE’s unique choice of selecting other religions round the world, that has led her on this journey thus far.
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So Jesus Christ Had A Twin Brother!!
June 1st, 2009 by jgrimes
So Jesus Christ Had A Twin!
One Brown Cow Writers Guild
So I have been studying quite a bit lately and discovered something worth writing about. Did you know that Jesus Christ had a twin brother? Did you know that he had any siblings at all? Well he did. Check out my latest hub or twitter me @onebrncowco!!
Tags: brother, christ, james, jesus, joseph, just, mary, philip, sister, twin
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Who is in the mood for summer?
June 1st, 2009 by jgrimes
Check out this great hub about Roxy Fashion, white watches and fun summer accessories. http://hubpages.com/hub/White-Watch-Variations
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Zachary’s Story
June 3rd, 2009 by jgrimes
Zachary’s Poem
Which can be read on http://hubpages.com/hub/Zacharys-Poem
My son is thirteen and he wrote this poem about a month ago. It is about his dad. His father committed suicide when Zachary was nine years old. I didn’t realize he felt this way. It is amazing what can be discovered through poetry.
Tags: dad, father, poem, suicide, zachary
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Big Girl Lingerie Shop
July 7th, 2009 by jgrimes
Intimate evolution doesn’t stop just because you are a plus size. It is actually the best place to start. Check out the PERSONAL PLUS SIZE PICKS category.
Tags: amazon, big, bustier, corset, girl, intimate, lifestyle, lingerie, sexy
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Child Abuse On the Rise
August 16th, 2009 by Rkhenry
Child Abuse in America
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Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (7th Edition) (MyHelpingKit Series)
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Why God – Why Me?
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Please Tell!: A Child’s Story About Sexual Abuse (Early Steps)
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One Child
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Protecting Children from Abuse and Neglect: Foundations for a New National Strategy
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CBS’s Hit Series The Big Bang Theory
August 16th, 2009 by Rkhenry
The Big Bang Theory Show Review
By RKHenry
The New TV Sitcom
Click thumbnail to view full-size
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The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season
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Big Bang
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Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe (P.S.)
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- The Big Bang Theory Cast and Crew – TV.com The Big Bang Theory Cast and Crew. The Big Bang Theory Cast pictures, videos, information, forums, reviews and more.
The Cast of CBS’s Hit Series
The Big Bang Theory
- Kaley Cuoco: Penny
- Johnny Galecki: Leonard
- Jim Parsons: Sheldon
- Simon Helberg: Howard Wolowitz
- Kunal Nayyar: Rajesh Koothrappali
- Sara Gilbert: Leslie Winkle
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Alexey Bazanov “The Bathers” Art Review
August 16th, 2009 by jgrimes
Alexey Bazanov “The Bathers” Art Review
By RKHenry
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Moscow & St. Petersburg 1900-1920: Art, Life, & Culture of the Russian Silver Age
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The Russian Experiment in Art, 1863-1922 (World of Art)
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Russian Painting (Temporis Collection)
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Two-Bathers, Alexey Bazanov 2000
The “Two Bathers” is also another perfect example of Alexey Bazanov spot on, artistic achievement. Alexey’s eye for color can be noted in her soft, peach glisten lips. Again, he uses his shadows to infuse the overall structuring of this nudist’s upper body. The natural, realness of her bust-line, is in exact proportion to the rest of her body. Standing next to her in a dark, hunter green sheet is the portrait’s companion. Whose sole responsibility it seems, is too align her slightly deeper blush flesh-tone body to the other nudist’s dainty body.
Alexey Bazanov
Alexey Bazanov was born in 1959, Saratov, Russia. He would graduate from the Saratov Art College in 1978. He continued his artistic academics and in 1989 he earned a degree from the prestigious Academy of Arts Institute, located in Leningrad once St. Petersburg, Russia.Alexey’s art has an unique coarse structuring, mixed in with dark and soft contrasts. While he is not known for large pieces, but rather; the realistic edge he administrates in his collections, make his personal style sought after. In both of these portraits one can witness; the softness of his shadows depicting the delicacy of human touch.
Big Bathers
As we stare further into the heart of his portraits, the tenderness envelopes the individual characteristic of the featured women. In the above portrait, known as “Big Bathers”, the woman in the red turban is pregnant. However, it is the way that Alexey dilutes her flesh tone to that of a pale, freckled, red headed person makes this a remarkable piece. She is the center piece to this marvelous rendition.
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William S. Rice: California Block Prints
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Print Artist Platinum 22
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Set Your Life To Music: A Gentle Prelude To Sleep
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Obama’s Foreign Affairs Political Review
August 16th, 2009 by Rkhenry
Obama’s Foreign Affairs Political Review by RKHenry
An American Review
Amidst the AIG scandal, GM’s bankruptcy and all the other avenues effecting the economy, Obama’s Foreign Policy is at last in the news again. It appears that many American hopes were answered after the clear success of the Obama European tour.and G-20 Summit. Advancing towards his campaign promises with vigor, American tourist travel to Cuba is on the rise, and so to came his announcement concerning open communication with the Muslim nations. Has Obama already surpassed many American voters hopes and desires? Could the one thing that America was needing most from their president, was a man who was and is capable of communicating properly, responsibly, and effectively?
This featured article was first written as a preamble to the G-20 Summit timeline. It reported Obama’s secret letter to Russian President Dmitry Mevdelev, and how it was rebuked by the Kremlin. Establishing that there was simply no trust between the two nations. What had been there, crumbled with Al Gore in 1995. While George W. Bush, trampled out what was left between the two nations, during his endless eight year reign. America enacted a long six year policy, that failed to give Russia the credit it deserved. Bush’s Russian foreign policy was based on the idea that Russia’s political power was unequal to America’s on the world scene. It appears with relations on the mend and the success of the G-20 summit, America’s current relations with Russia has a promising future. President Obama’s understands the will and might of the American government, and the importance of not over reaching across the boundaries. In return, the world has been receptive towards American ideas and appreciative of America’s growing change on the world stage. The respond has been without a doubt, very positive.
For the past several days now, the news community is buzzing about how Obama is willing to open up direct dialog with Muslims. The relationship shared between Iran and Russia, is similar to that of the United States and Israel. The Christian Science Monitor recently reported that the Director of The Independent Center for Energy & Security Studies, Anton Khlopkov said, “But our ties with Iran are very important, and separate from our relationship with the US…. But from the Russian perspective, Iran is not for sale.” Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pioneer of Middle Eastern Studies, says “There is no doubt that Obama’s expressed readiness to talk with Iran pushes away the threat of war, and is an extremely positive signal in the development of US ties with Russia.” Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stands firm and believes America has a long way to go in changing their relationship. However, Obama is fully aware that caution is needed in these volatile times. A reservation shared by most Americans.
For the past several years, the implemented policy of the United Nation Security Council, at the bequest of American President George W. Bush, was tough sanctions and NO tolerance policies. A policy that isolated not only the leader of Iran, but the Iranians themselves and several other Muslims countries. President Obama recognizes the needed support of Russian friendship, to open any productive lines of communications with Iran. Though many Americans, still share the sentiment of the former President. A bigger majority of Americans see the need to reform America’s foreign policy towards the Middle East. With the tough sanctions placed upon Iran during the Bush Administration, Germany and China have become partners with them in trade goods. America is approaching a golden opportunity here. If all is handled correctly. For example, a vast majority of Americans are clueless to the priceless, beautiful wilderness beholden to Iranians. When thoughts of Iran approaches American mind sets, their consciousness festers on the ideas of a state of brutality and death. resenates through their minds. What many do not realize is how incredible the country is. Much like America, Iran is full of national treasure and historical landmarks. Iran’s mountainous terrain are littered with many remarkable ski resorts. Their immense desert is a spread of golden shimmers, bustling full with life. Within their desert terrain, magical oasis’s appear from nowhere to take your breath away. In the foreseeable future, Iran could be a futuristic tourism site for Americans.
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Dan Brown’s Blockbuster Hit Angels and Demons
August 16th, 2009 by Rkhenry
Dan Brown’s Blockbuster Hit Angels and Demons
By RKHenry
Movie Review
On May 15th, 2009
Now showing in theatres across America is Ron Howard’s much anticipated movie, Angel and Demons. Angels and Demons is another brilliant calibration between Ron Howard and the best selling author, Dan Brown. And let me tell you it was fantastic! Despite receiving no help or permission to film on the grounds of the Vatican and Vatican City- Ron Howard then spared for no expenses when filming this movie. It was all perfectly recreated.
Like before Ron Howard casted Tom Hanks to play Professor Langdon, a Symbolist. The life that Tom Hanks breathes into this film is masterful. When pushed by questions, signs and symbols Professor Langdon sharp wit, quick thinking and passion is brought forth through Tom Hanks’ performance.
From the beginning to the end, this movie was a crammed pack history lesson, full of intrigue and conspiracy theories. As with Dan Brown creativity and fictional writing style, Ron Howard truly captures the book and storyline. Nothing was missed. To finally see it on film was a true treat for those passionate about the truth in history, like myself. I give this movie 3.5 stars!
When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol — seared into the chest of a murdered physicist — he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati… the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy… the Catholic Church.
Langdon’s worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican’s holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair… a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.
An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war…
Dan Brown
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Angels & Demons – Movie Tie-In: A Novel
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Excerpt
ANGELS & DEMONS
by Dan Brown
Simon & Schuster : Pocket Books (May 2000)
PROLOGUE
Physicist Leonardo Vetra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own. He stared up in terror at the dark figure looming over him. “What do you want!”
“La chiave,” the raspy voice replied. “The password.”
“But…I don’t-”
The intruder pressed down again, grinding the white hot object deeper into Vetra’s chest. There was the hiss of broiling flesh.
Vetra cried out in agony. “There is no password!” He felt himself drifting toward unconsciousness.
The figure glared. “Ne avevo paura. I was afraid of that.”
Vetra fought to keep his senses, but the darkness was closing in. His only solace was in knowing his attacker would never obtain what he had come for. A moment later, however, the figure produced a blade and brought it to Vetra’s face. The blade hovered. Carefully. Surgically.
“For the love of God!” Vetra screamed. But it was too late.
CHAPTER 1
High atop the steps of the Pyramid of Giza a young woman laughed and called down to him. “Robert, hurry up! I knew I should have married a younger man!” Her smile was magic.
He struggled to keep up, but his legs felt like stone. “Wait,” he begged. “Please…”
As he climbed, his vision began to blur. There was a thundering in his ears. I must reach her! But when he looked up again, the woman had disappeared. In her place stood an old man with rotting teeth. The man stared down, curling his lips into a lonely grimace. Then he let out a scream of anguish that resounded across the desert.
Robert Langdon awoke with a start from his nightmare. The phone beside his bed was ringing. Dazed, he picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“I’m looking for Robert Langdon,” a man’s voice said.
Langdon sat up in his empty bed and tried to clear his mind. “This…is Robert Langdon.” He squinted at his digital clock. It was 5:18 A.M.
“I must see you immediately.”
“Who is this?”
“My name is Maximilian Kohler. I’m a Discrete Particle Physicist.”
“A what?” Langdon could barely focus. “Are you sure you’ve got the right Langdon?”
“You’re a Professor of Religious Iconology at Harvard University. You’ve written three books on symbology and-”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“I apologize. I have something you need to see. I can’t discuss it on the phone.”
A knowing groan escaped Langdon’s lips. This had happened before. One of the perils of writing books about religious symbology was the calls from religious zealots who wanted him to confirm their latest sign from God. Last month a stripper from Oklahoma had promised Langdon the best sex of his life if he would fly down and verify the authenticity of a cruciform that had magically appeared on her bed sheets. The Shroud of Tulsa, Langdon had called it.
“How did you get my number?” Langdon tried to be polite despite the hour.
“On the World-Wide-Web. The site for your book.”
Langdon frowned. He was damn sure his book’s site did not include his home phone number. The man was obviously lying.
“I need to see you,” the caller insisted. “I’ll pay you well.”
Now Langdon was getting mad. “I’m sorry, but I really-”
“If you leave immediately, you can be here by-”
“I’m not going anywhere! It’s five o’clock in the morning!” Langdon hung up and collapsed back in bed. He closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep. It was no use. The dream was emblazoned in his mind. Reluctantly, he put on his robe and went downstairs.
Robert Langdon wandered barefoot through his deserted Massachusetts Victorian home and nursed his ritual insomnia remedy-a mug of steaming Nestle’s Quik. The April moon filtered through the bay windows and played on the oriental carpets. Langdon’s colleagues often joked that his place looked more like an anthropology museum than a home. His shelves were packed with religious artifacts from around the world…an ekuaba from Ghana, a gold cross from Spain, a cycladic idol from the Aegean, and even a rare woven boccus from Borneo-a young warrior’s symbol of perpetual youth.
As Langdon sat on his brass Maharishi’s chest and savored the warmth of the chocolate, the bay window caught his reflection. The image was distorted and pale…like a ghost. An aging ghost, he thought, cruelly reminded that his youthful spirit was living in a mortal shell.
Although not overly handsome in a classical sense, the forty-five-year-old Langdon had what his female colleagues referred to as an “erudite” appeal-wisps of gray in his thick brown hair, probing blue eyes, an arrestingly deep voice, and the strong, carefree smile of a collegiate athlete. A varsity diver in prep school and college, Langdon still had the body of a swimmer, a toned, six-foot physique that he vigilantly maintained with fifty laps a day in the university pool.
Langdon’s friends had always viewed him as a bit of an enigma-a man caught between centuries. On weekends he could be seen lounging on the quad in blue-jeans, discussing computer graphics or religious history with students; other times he could be spotted in his Harris tweed and paisley vest, photographed in the pages of upscale art magazines at museum openings where he had been asked to lecture.
Although a tough teacher and strict disciplinarian, Langdon was the first to embrace what he hailed as the “lost art of good clean fun.” He relished recreation with an infectious fanaticism that had earned him a fraternal acceptance among his students. His campus nickname-”The Dolphin”-was a reference both to his affable nature and his legendary ability to dive into a pool and outmaneuver the entire opposing squad in a waterpolo match.
As Langdon sat alone, absently gazing into the darkness, the silence of his home was shattered again, this time by the ring of his Fax machine. Too exhausted to be annoyed, Langdon forced a tired chuckle.
God’s people, he thought. Two thousand years of waiting for their Messiah, and they’re still persistent as hell.
Wearily, he returned his empty mug to the kitchen and walked slowly to his oak-paneled study. The incoming FAX lay in the tray. Sighing, he scooped up the paper and looked at it.
Instantly, a wave of nausea hit him.
The image on the page was that of a human corpse. The body had been stripped naked, and its head had been twisted, facing completely backwards. On the victim’s chest was a terrible burn. The man had been branded…imprinted with a single word. It was a word Langdon knew well. Very well. He stared at the ornate lettering in disbelief.
“Illuminati,” he stammered, his heart pounding. It can’t be…
In slow motion, afraid of what he was about to witness, Langdon rotated the fax 180 degrees. He looked at the word upside down.
The breath went out of him. It was like he had been hit by a truck. Barely able to believe his eyes, he rotated the FAX again, reading the brand right side up and then upside down.
“Illuminati, ” he whispered.
Stunned, Langdon collapsed in a chair. He sat a moment in utter bewilderment. Gradually, his eyes were drawn to the blinking red light on his FAX machine. Whoever had sent this FAX was still on the line…waiting to talk. Langdon gazed at the blinking light a long time.
Then, trembling, he picked up the receiver.
CHAPTER 2
“Do I have your attention now?” the man’s voice said when Langdon finally answered the line.
“Yes, sir, you damn well do. You want to explain yourself?”
“I tried to tell you before.” The voice was rigid, mechanical. “I’m a physicist. I run a research facility. We’ve had a murder. You saw the body.”
“How did you find me?” Langdon could barely focus. His mind was racing from the image on the FAX.
“I already told you. The World Wide Web. The site for your book, The Art of the Illuminati.”
Langdon tried to gather his thoughts. His book was virtually unknown in mainstream literary circles, but it had developed quite a following on-line. Nonetheless, the caller’s claim still made no sense. “That page has no contact information,” Langdon challenged. “I’m certain of it.”
“I have people here at the lab very adept at extracting user information from the web.”
Langdon was skeptical. “Sounds like your lab knows a lot about the web.”
“We should,” the man fired back. “We invented it.”
Something in the man’s voice told Langdon he was not joking.
“I must see you,” the caller insisted. “This is not a matter we can discuss on the phone. My lab is only an hour’s flight from Boston.”
Langdon stood in the dim light of his study and analyzed the FAX in his hand. The image was overpowering, possibly representing the epigraphical find of the century, a decade of his research confirmed in a single symbol.
“It’s urgent,” the voice pressured.
Langdon’s eyes were locked on the brand. Illuminati, he read over and over. His work had always been based on the symbolic equivalent of fossils-ancient documents and historical hearsay-but this image before him was today. Present tense. He felt like a paleontologist coming face to face with a living dinosaur.
“I’ve taken the liberty of sending a plane for you,” the voice said. “It will be in Boston in twenty minutes.”
Langdon felt his mouth go dry. An hour’s flight…
“Please forgive my presumption,” the voice said. “I need you here.”
Langdon looked again at the FAX-an ancient myth confirmed in black and white. The implications were frightening. He gazed absently through the bay window. The first hint of dawn was sifting through the birch trees in his back yard, but the view looked somehow different this morning. As an odd combination of fear and exhilaration settled over him, Langdon knew he had no choice.
“You win,” he said. “Tell me where to meet the plane.”
CHAPTER 3
Thousands of miles away, two men were meeting. The chamber was dark. Medieval. Stone.
“Benvenuto,” the man in charge said. He was seated in the shadows, out of sight. “Were you successful?”
“Si,” the dark figure replied. “Perfectamente.” His words were as hard as the rock walls.
“And there will be no doubt who is responsible?”
“None.”
“Superb. Do you have what I asked for?”
The killer’s eyes glistened, black like oil. He produced a heavy, electronic device and set it on the table.
The man in the shadows seemed pleased. “You have done well.”
“Serving the brotherhood is an honor,” the killer said.
“Phase two begins shortly. Get some rest. Tonight we change the world.”
CHAPTER 4
Robert Langdon’s Saab 900S tore out of the Callahan Tunnel and emerged on the east side of Boston Harbor near the entrance to Logan Airport. Checking his directions Langdon found Aviation Road and turned left past the old Eastern Airlines Building. Three hundred yards down the access road a hangar loomed in the darkness. A large number “4″ was painted on it. He pulled into the parking lot and got out of his car.
A round-faced man in a blue flight suit emerged from behind the building. “Robert Langdon?” he called. The man’s voice was friendly. He had an accent Langdon couldn’t place.
“That’s me,” Langdon said, locking his car.
“Perfect timing,” the man said. “I’ve just landed. Follow me, please.”
As they circled the building, Langdon felt tense. He was not accustomed to cryptic phone calls and secret rendezvous with strangers. Not knowing what to expect he had donned his usual classroom attire-a pair of chinos, a turtleneck, and a Harris Tweed suit jacket. As they walked, he thought about the FAX in his jacket pocket, still unable to believe the image it depicted.
The pilot seemed to sense Langdon’s anxiety. “Flying’s not a problem for you, is it, sir?”
“Not at all,” Langdon replied. Branded corpses are a problem for me. Flying I can handle.
The man led Langdon the length of the hangar. They rounded the corner onto the runway.
Langdon stopped dead in his tracks and gaped at the aircraft parked on the tarmac. “We’re riding in that?”
The man grinned. “Like it?”
Langdon stared a long moment. “Like it? What the hell is it?”
The craft before them was enormous. It was vaguely reminiscent of the Space Shuttle except that the top had been shaved off leaving it perfectly flat. Parked there on the runway, it resembled a colossal wedge. Langdon’s first impression was that he must be dreaming. The vehicle looked as airworthy as a Buick. The wings were practically non-existent-just two stubby fins on the rear of the fuselage. A pair of dorsal guiders rose out of the aft section. The rest of the plane was hull-about 200 feet from front to back-no windows, nothing but hull.
“250,000 kilos fully fueled,” the pilot offered like a father bragging about his newborn. “Runs on slush hydrogen. The shell’s a titanium matrix with silicon carbide fibers. She packs a 20:1 thrust/weight ratio; most jets run at 7:1. The director must be in one helluva a hurry to see you. He doesn’t usually send the big boy.”
“This thing flies?” Langdon said.
The pilot smiled. “Oh yeah.” He led Langdon across the tarmac toward the plane. “Looks kind of startling, I know, but you better get used to it. In five years, all you’ll see are these babies-HSCT’s-High Speed Civil Transports. Our lab’s one of the first to own one.”
Must be one hell of a lab, Langdon thought.
“This one’s a prototype of the Boeing X-33,” the pilot continued, “but there are dozens of others-the National Aero Space Plane, the Russians have Scramjet, the Brits have HOTOL. The future’s here, it’s just taking some time to get to the public sector. You can kiss conventional jets good-bye.”
Langdon looked up warily at the craft. “I think I’d prefer a conventional jet.”
The pilot motioned up the gangplank. “This way, please, Mr. Langdon. Watch your step.”
Minutes later, Langdon was seated inside the empty cabin. The pilot buckled him into the front row and disappeared toward the front of the aircraft.
The cabin itself looked surprisingly like a wide-body commercial airliner. The only exception was that it had no windows, which made Langdon uneasy. He had been haunted his whole life by a mild case of claustrophobia-the vestige of a childhood incident he had never quite overcome.
Langdon’s aversion to closed spaces was by no means debilitating, but it had always frustrated him. It manifested itself in subtle ways. He avoided enclosed sports like racquetball or squash, and he gladly paid a small fortune for his airy, high-ceilinged Victorian home even though economical faculty housing was readily available. Langdon had often suspected his attraction to the art world as a young boy sprang from his love of museums’ wide open spaces.
The engines roared to life beneath him, sending a deep shudder through the hull. Langdon swallowed hard and waited. He felt the plane start taxiing. Piped-in country music began playing quietly overhead.
A phone on the wall beside him beeped twice. Langdon lifted the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Comfortable, Mr. Langdon?”
“Not at all.”
“Just relax. We’ll be there in an hour.”
“And where exactly is there?” Langdon asked, realizing he had no idea where he was headed.
“Geneva,” the pilot replied, revving the engines. “The lab’s in Geneva.”
“Geneva,” Langdon repeated, feeling a little better. “Upstate New York. I’ve actually got family near Seneca Lake. I wasn’t aware Geneva had a physics lab.”
The pilot laughed. “Not Geneva, New York, Mr. Langdon. Geneva, Switzerland.”
The word took a long moment to register. “Switzerland?” Langdon felt his pulse surge. “I thought you said the lab was only an hour away!”
“It is, Mr. Langdon.” The pilot chuckled. “This plane goes Mach 25.”
CHAPTER 5
On a busy European street, the killer serpentined through a crowd. He was a powerful man. Dark and potent. Deceptively agile. His muscles still felt hard from the thrill of his meeting.
It went well, he told himself. Although his employer had never revealed his face, the killer felt honored to be in his presence. Had it really been only fifteen days since his employer had first made contact? The killer still remembered every word of that call…
“My name is Janus,” the caller had said. “We are kinsmen of a sort. We share an enemy. I hear your skills are for hire.”
“It depends whom you represent,” the killer replied.
The caller told him.
“Is this your idea of a joke?”
“You have heard our name, I see,” the caller replied.
“Of course. The brotherhood is legendary.”
“And yet you find yourself doubting I am genuine.”
“Everyone knows the brothers have faded to dust.”
“A devious ploy. The most dangerous enemy is that which no one fears.”
The killer was skeptical. “The brotherhood endures?”
“Deeper underground than ever before. Our roots infiltrate everything you see…even the sacred fortress of our most sworn enemy.”
“Impossible. They are invulnerable.”
“Our reach is far.”
“No one’s reach is that far.”
“Very soon, you will believe. An irrefutable demonstration of the brotherhood’s power has already transpired. A single act of treachery and proof.”
“What have you done?”
The caller told him.
The killer’s eyes went wide. “An impossible task.”
The next day, newspapers around the globe carried the same headline. The killer became a believer.
Now, fifteen days later, the killer’s faith had solidified beyond the shadow of a doubt. The brotherhood endures, he thought. Tonight they will surface to reveal their power.
As he made his way through the streets, his black eyes gleamed with foreboding. One of the most covert and feared fraternities ever to walk the earth had called on him for service. They have chosen wisely, he thought. His reputation for secrecy was exceeded only by that of his deadliness.
So far, he had served them nobly. He had made his kill and delivered the item to Janus as requested. Now, it was up to Janus to use his power to ensure the item’s placement.
The placement…
The killer wondered how Janus could possibly handle such a staggering task. The man obviously had connections on the inside. The brotherhood’s dominion seemed limitless.
Janus, the killer thought. A code-name, obviously. Was it a reference, he wondered, to the Roman two-faced God…or to the moon of Saturn? Not that it made any difference. Janus wielded unfathomable power. He had proven that beyond a doubt.
As the killer walked, he imagined his ancestors smiling down on him. Today he was fighting their battle, he was fighting the same enemy they had fought for ages, as far back as the 11th century…when the enemy’s crusading armies had first pillaged his land, raping and killing his people, declaring them unclean, defiling their temples and Gods.
His ancestors had formed a small but deadly army to defend themselves. The army became famous across the land as protectors-skilled executioners who wandered the countryside slaughtering any of the enemy they could find. They were renown not only for their brutal killings, but also for celebrating their slayings by plunging themselves into drug-induced stupors. Their drug of choice was a potent intoxicant they called hashish.
As their notoriety spread, these lethal men became known by a single word-Hassassin-literally ‘the followers of hashish’. The name Hassassin became synonymous with death in almost every language on earth. The word was still used today, even in modern English…but like the craft of killing, the word had evolved.
It was now pronounced assassin.
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The Latest Buzzword Controversy
January 4th, 2010 by jgrimes
Sex, Guns & Jesus Commentary
Don’t just love this picture?
As a selfish, analytical side note to some of my recent hub topics; I thought I would let you in on a new found thought process, I wanted to share. Now, bear with me for a second or two while I try to explain how a self-proclaimed Canadian, Hannibal Lector named Victoria Van Dyke coincides with Guns, Sex & Jesus. She’s an artist; and Guns, Sex and Jesus just so happens to be the title of her new erotic art collection. Now you know I stole her title.
With that said, I have been noticing lately that guns, sex and Jesus just so happens to be the new twenty-first century’s buzzwords. Not that I’m implying that the debates associated around these three particular words, are new amongst the living today. I’m simply saying that the, actual negative connotation driven by fever-pitched emotions so directly intertwined together, in all realms of civilized societies is what has me concerned. Therefore, it seems to me that the direct relationship between the three, is something entirely new and different.
It also appears to me, that the world news programs, political columnists, and lay people in general cannot get enough of controversial wrangling. Does it not appear that way to you? The conventional method of pushing people to their communicational limits, whenever topics concerning this triplet union of words are involved, leaves a virtual forum sprayed with insults. It seems to me lately that sex, guns, or Jesus cannot be remotely whispered anywhere.
With all this aggressive behavior, I am left begging for answers as to why? Not to mention the silent whispers to myself, contemplating whether these people nowadays are just crazed lunatics, with a direct access to computers now. In some virtual forums these days, it is not even worth mentioning a debatable argument for fear of negative retaliation. Could the 2012 doomsday prediction have something to do with all this madness around? Because it sure seems to me that Christians are more frantic and zealous, while NRA supporters or non-supporters are even more defiant than before. Am I the only one noticing this, or has there been others who have encounter the same aggressive impatience with other peoples educational opinions?
I’m Left to Ponder…….
I say to you people, “What was the point of Jesus Christ’s stay here on earth?” So what was it? I thought Christ’s stay here on earth, had something to do with bringing about order to the human race through peace, joy, love and compassion. If I did not know any better, these days it would be easy to think that Christ’s stint here on earth was God’s sick attempt at a practical joke. Especially if you based your opinion off peoples performances in Internet chat rooms and forums nowadays. People get to the point of hating each other, before ever meeting one another. How absurd is that? Whatever the case might be, I definitely think that this 2012 doomsday prediction has brought out the worst in all Christian followers the same as it has with all the agnostics and atheists. The environment of these Internet forums is nothing more than an outlet for creating false rhetoric, for the sake of maintaining a complete state of chaos. And…!, and to which this forums and chat rooms are nothing more than a unique way of sheltering peoples identities while they behave so badly. You know how the US government is always talking about putting an end to the so called “safe houses” that terrorist live in? I personally find, that I’m often reminded how these Internet outlets act as virtual safe houses for bullies, who like to type in all CAPS and are easily classified as hate mongers! I often find myself, exhausted by the overwhelmingly judgmental right-wing political powers, who happen to have taken it upon themselves to be Christian Crusaders for a Jewish Israel, God like when condemning Allah loving Islamics. Its like the “Clash of the Assembly of God Titans.” Come on people, let us do get serious. Anytime a group coincides with genocide of a particular race, it is never a good thing or a good place to be. So why are Christians acting like the forerunners of destruction, by spouting hate for the common man who differs with them? Does anyone else see a problem with this particular type of behavior, and a problem with the scenario being played out because of it? I do! There is nothing Christ-like when people are killed because of race, religion, sexual preferences, and so on and so forth. Killing someone, like a homosexual or an abortion doctor for instance, is not the will of God. You’re nuts if you think that! Nuts! Nuts! Nuts….. It’s crazy to see where this world is coming too. Whatever happen to words like compassion and love? The odd perplexity of these missing definitions in our world today, has definitely left me puzzled, and quite humored when thinking about the intertwined relationships between Christians and the world, between prudes and the world, between hate mongers and the world, between gun lovers and the world, and so on. It’s a never ending argument that goes on and on, with no real purpose to date.
Which brings me to another point and question,
“Is this the promise of Jesus, spread by word of mouth by James, Paul, Mark, Luke, John or Matthew?” You tell me, I want to know.
A Conclusive Thought or Two:
When it comes to the subject of guns, sex or Jesus; there are no good intentions. So many direct correlations between the grouping, has left this point I have made a paramount to furthering more rational questioning. Nevertheless, people will not look to themselves as part of the problem, and will only entertain the thought for a minute or two, if they get to blame the other guy. So it is like this people- whether it is in God we trust, the NRA or the Principle of Columbine that day: the underlying subject matter is guaranteed to be the same. Guns, sex and Jesus chat rooms and forums are conversational hazards, that are plaguing societies everywhere. Moreover, whether one issue floats your boat more than the other, or whether all three issues just so happen to suit you best; for Christ-sake please remember to be kind, courteous and respectful to those who think differently than you do.
Posted in SideWays PerCeptions! | Comments (0)
Rethinking Bad Parental Behavior and Mannerisms
October 29th, 2009 by Rkhenry
Bad Parental Behavior and Mannerisms
By RKHenry
So, you just whooped your kids butt, at a mad game of Mario Kart, and now you’re wanting to convince them to be o.k. with that. Therefore, how does someone go about convincing a kid they’ve just been beaten at a game, and the game is finally over? It’s easy really. If the kid is old enough to play Mario Kart, they are generally old enough to count. Try showing them the score on the television screen. That is assuming your child knows what numbers are higher from the next.
- If your child doesn’t know how to count, [and in reality way to young to be frying their brain on television waves], use the opportunity as a teaching mechanism. While playing video or PC games with your children, an adult person can use this time constructively to help teach the child their numbers and how to properly count. If there are two “Karts” located on the track, use the opportunity wisely and start asking them how many “Karts” are on the screen.
Now, if you the adult is hell bent on proving yourself as the next Mario Andriette of the Mario Kart world, I highly recommend it that you first ask yourself who is the real one acting like a child? Especially before you decide to spank the kids butt, because you’re now suffering through a temper tantrum. Simply put, “You asked for it!”
- If that’s the case- my suggestion for you would be to realize that this is the perfect time to put yourself in “time out” too deal with it. You have successfully voided out any need to convince your child you’ve beaten them.
- Why? To be quite frank about it, through your own poor behavior the only one whose been beaten- is YOU!
- The most difficult challenges, can only be answered by you. Stop next time and think about what goal needs to be achieved. Then ask yourself, “Did my own personal behavior reflect that goal, and how it must have appeared in the eyes of my child?” Then, and only then will you grow as a parent and inherit a new found sense of logic to add to any future acquired parenting skills.
There are many life lessons parents are forced to focus on, when teaching their children. There will be ample opportunities for you to do just that. My best advice would be to enjoy the time with your child and try to make sure they are enjoying their time they are spending on you. There comes a time in every body’s life that personal freedom wins out. It usually becomes a more visible intruder when a kid becomes a teenager. Adults need to keep this in mind and remember that the time they are using now, is more precious than pissing it away in the name of “honor”. Which leads me to thinking about my own childhood. I can honestly say that, I’m not sure if my own parents ever tried to convince me they had beaten me in a game. Really, why would they? Aren’t games about enjoyment and fun? There will be plenty of opportunity in a child’s lifetime to be on the losers end of reality. I’m not sure if a mean game of Candyland, is the appropriate time for such a heavy life lesson. When it came right down to it, my parents were more focused on self control, wise choices and perseverance. If I was losing, they never allowed me the be a quitter. If I was winning they never allowed me to brag or rub some one’s face in it. If I didn’t know whether to take the short cut or not, they’d let me make the decision and play the game out in it’s entirety. Then and only then would they ask me if I thought that was the right decision or not. If I’d say, “I don’t know.” They’d suggest we play again and try it the other way. Take the board game named “Life“ as an example. Within the first play, the player has to choose if they want to go to college after high school or straight to the work force. Before you can continue, a decision one way or another, has to be made. The rest of the game is about did I make the right choice or not. The board game “Clue“ is another great game for teaching kids the importance of making right decisions, but this time, the right decisions are based off of facts. In order to win, the player has to not only make the right decision, she or he then has too keep track of learned details to form a strong affirmation through problem solving. For example; in “Clue“, a winning answer sounds like; “Colonial Mustard, with a wrench in the library!” If your child can’t say, “Colonial Mustard, with a wrench in the library”, I’d highly suggest you choose a more age appropriate game to play.
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Tags: development, Evolving Resources, Intimately Evolve, lifestyle, manners, self help
Posted in Brown Cow Blogging | Comments (0)
Images That Speak To Me
November 18th, 2009 by jgrimes
http://hubpages.com/hub/When-Your-Wife-is-Hefty
http://hubpages.com/hub/Codpieces–Corsets
A Real Tribute to the National Republican Party! A must READ
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Spirit Stalker
January 2nd, 2010 by jgrimes
Do you suffer from uneasy feelings? Have you ever heard the eerie whispers that tend to sweep across the hairs on your neck? Better yet, have you seen someone or something that cannot be explained? If so, you might have a seedy, Spiritual Stalker in your midst.
Angels, ghost and demons have been apart of humankind’s folklore, since the beginning of time. Whether they actually exist, depends entirely on the person telling the story or the truth of eyewitnesses. However, despite what many others may think, do you believe that ghosts, demons, or angels exist? I know I do.
Tags: Angels, Demons, folklore, ghost, ghostly encounters, paranormal activity, religious beliefs, Spirit, Stalker, stories
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January 27th, 2010 by jgrimes
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