Satan's Spiritual Structure
Jul. 17th, 2012 02:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesqI came across this image on Facebook. Had a look online to find an original to post here and decided to use the one with cleavage. I just gotta be me.
Let's have a look at the list shall we. You can broadly divide it into three categories: 1) non-christian beliefs, 2) Fun things, 3) WTF.
The list has quite a few oddities. I mean, it's not noteworthy that a list of satanic influences written by humorless Evangelical reactionaries would include New Age religions, Rock music or fornication. No the odd thing is some of the WTF items on the list, the evidence that this was written by a committee of people who didn't know what half the things on the list actually are, and the loopholes.
Let's look at those!
First up, Lycanthropy. Leaving aside that this, along with Vampirism are fictional conditions (i.e. the list could also prohibit dying your hair octarine). If you actually believe Lycanthropy exists, you must also subscribe to the belief that you get it by surviving a werewolf attack. Surviving a wild animal attack is apparently not the Christian thing to do. God help you if you ever contract Rabies.
Which does suggest that the people who composed this list are pretty credulous. As an Atheist, I can say that I've found no evidence to support Eastern religions. As a skeptic I can say I've found no evidence to suggest that there's anything to Ouija boards. As a humanist, I can say that postmodernism is a useful philosophy for improving the human condition. But then, I'm just another hapless pawn of Satan.
But come on, you wouldn't include Lycanthropy unless you thought it actually existed. And if you think Lycanthropy is real, you likely think the other non-christian woo on the list is real too. You think there really are people predicting the future, talking to spirits and raising the dead. No evidence of this is necessary of course, because if you hold one belief up to scrutiny, you might start doing the same with others. That's a ticket for the bullet train to damnation.
The list was either made by a committee, or was assembled, piecemeal over time. That's why you get things like New Age religions and Wicca on the list simultaneously, or two entries for Rock music and heavy metal music. It also suggests that the authors thought these things weren't just subsets, but entirely different.
Anyway, I imagine a church basement where items are being suggested for inclusion. Sometimes things get repeated for emphasis ("Rock music is bad, but heavy metal is especially bad"). Sometimes it gets included because people don't realize they're not that different. sometimes they get included because it's on one person's bad-thing list and the others don't actually know what it is. Postmodernism? Sounds weird, let's say we're against it. Trilateralism (a minor ultra-right-wing bugaboo from the united-nations-has-black-helicopters zone)? Must be from Satan.
What I really love are the loopholes and omissions. Omission number one has to be professional sports. It's been on every other list of this kind I've seen, so why isn't it here? Maybe the Author is a big NFL fan.
Lots of drugs are on the list, but it's certainly not comprehensive. We know the author isn't Mormon or Muslim since caffeine and alcohol didn't make the cut. Heroin and Crack are A-OK though!
There's a couple overly-specific prohibitions. "Marihuana & Pot Parties" are bad - I guess smoking a joint by yourself is OK. "Twilight films" are from Satan, but the novels aren't? Kristen Stewart is not my favorite actress, but claiming she's Satanic is a little harsh. Remember kids, God has no problem with you reading Twilight while getting wasted on weed. So long as it's by yourself. Don't analyze it on TV Tropes though - that would smack of Postmodernism.
Coming up with a score is difficult. I mean, I know Trilateralism exists, but do I have to actually participate in economic talks between North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim for it to count? I used to believe there was something to Tarot cards, but now I just own a few decks because I think they're pretty. Does that count? I've never fire-walked, but it's on my bucket list - Do I count it? Should fornication count against me if potential partners keep turning me down?
Lets go with 10-20. 21 if someone tricks me into watching Twilight.
Let's have a look at the list shall we. You can broadly divide it into three categories: 1) non-christian beliefs, 2) Fun things, 3) WTF.
The list has quite a few oddities. I mean, it's not noteworthy that a list of satanic influences written by humorless Evangelical reactionaries would include New Age religions, Rock music or fornication. No the odd thing is some of the WTF items on the list, the evidence that this was written by a committee of people who didn't know what half the things on the list actually are, and the loopholes.
Let's look at those!
First up, Lycanthropy. Leaving aside that this, along with Vampirism are fictional conditions (i.e. the list could also prohibit dying your hair octarine). If you actually believe Lycanthropy exists, you must also subscribe to the belief that you get it by surviving a werewolf attack. Surviving a wild animal attack is apparently not the Christian thing to do. God help you if you ever contract Rabies.
Which does suggest that the people who composed this list are pretty credulous. As an Atheist, I can say that I've found no evidence to support Eastern religions. As a skeptic I can say I've found no evidence to suggest that there's anything to Ouija boards. As a humanist, I can say that postmodernism is a useful philosophy for improving the human condition. But then, I'm just another hapless pawn of Satan.
But come on, you wouldn't include Lycanthropy unless you thought it actually existed. And if you think Lycanthropy is real, you likely think the other non-christian woo on the list is real too. You think there really are people predicting the future, talking to spirits and raising the dead. No evidence of this is necessary of course, because if you hold one belief up to scrutiny, you might start doing the same with others. That's a ticket for the bullet train to damnation.
The list was either made by a committee, or was assembled, piecemeal over time. That's why you get things like New Age religions and Wicca on the list simultaneously, or two entries for Rock music and heavy metal music. It also suggests that the authors thought these things weren't just subsets, but entirely different.
"Can you believe that guy - before the party he screws her, then after the party, he takes her home and bonks her too."Paraphrasing some dialogue from a dimly remembered movie. Can anyone remember the actual movie? Pretty sure it was an 80's teen sex comedy.
"Screwing and bonking are the same thing."
"They are?"
"Yeah. What did you think they were?"
"I just thought they were... different somehow."
Anyway, I imagine a church basement where items are being suggested for inclusion. Sometimes things get repeated for emphasis ("Rock music is bad, but heavy metal is especially bad"). Sometimes it gets included because people don't realize they're not that different. sometimes they get included because it's on one person's bad-thing list and the others don't actually know what it is. Postmodernism? Sounds weird, let's say we're against it. Trilateralism (a minor ultra-right-wing bugaboo from the united-nations-has-black-helicopters zone)? Must be from Satan.
What I really love are the loopholes and omissions. Omission number one has to be professional sports. It's been on every other list of this kind I've seen, so why isn't it here? Maybe the Author is a big NFL fan.
Lots of drugs are on the list, but it's certainly not comprehensive. We know the author isn't Mormon or Muslim since caffeine and alcohol didn't make the cut. Heroin and Crack are A-OK though!
There's a couple overly-specific prohibitions. "Marihuana & Pot Parties" are bad - I guess smoking a joint by yourself is OK. "Twilight films" are from Satan, but the novels aren't? Kristen Stewart is not my favorite actress, but claiming she's Satanic is a little harsh. Remember kids, God has no problem with you reading Twilight while getting wasted on weed. So long as it's by yourself. Don't analyze it on TV Tropes though - that would smack of Postmodernism.
Coming up with a score is difficult. I mean, I know Trilateralism exists, but do I have to actually participate in economic talks between North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim for it to count? I used to believe there was something to Tarot cards, but now I just own a few decks because I think they're pretty. Does that count? I've never fire-walked, but it's on my bucket list - Do I count it? Should fornication count against me if potential partners keep turning me down?
Lets go with 10-20. 21 if someone tricks me into watching Twilight.
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 08:58 pm (UTC)you made me shoot juice out my nose
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 09:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 04:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 04:33 pm (UTC)THAT shit send you STRAIGHT to hell, don't you know?
no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 05:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 07:29 pm (UTC)I'm probably going to smoke a lot of turds in hell.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 05:04 pm (UTC)(Clearly I've been reading too much of the inferno for my own good.)
I guess I'll be passing mail through the little hole in the first ring just to maintain contact with most of the folks I know.
.... wait.... Those are the doorways to demonic possession.... cool does that mean I can watch LOTR and get possessed?
Ooooo - the appeal of glowing red eyes and being able to float about the house makes watching epic battle against the forces of darkness on IMAX even more appealing... Sign me up!
Oblivions - you can't go to hell 20 times... but you could get nifty-cool demonic powers more then once.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 07:31 pm (UTC)(or is it...)
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 08:01 pm (UTC)I feel gypped. TSR - I want my money back, Dark Dungeons says I should have all sorts of dark powers by now (especially as the GM...) Damn it, I'm clearly not doing something right....
Wingardium LeViosa, Wingardium LevioSa, Wingardium Leviosa... Stupefy!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 08:12 pm (UTC)Is that code for some deviancy I am unaware of?
Are we talking piracy - arrrr! ?
or like the skull and bones I was born with?
or med school?
How can I not participate in skull?
Must I become a dough head?
To not participate in bones?
Spineless?
Really?
I was counting I was getting a touch over 20.... but skull and bones...
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 08:21 pm (UTC)More seriously, I suspect they mean the Harvard Skull and Bones "secret" society. This suggests that George W. Bush was in cahoots with demonic powers.
Maybe there's something to this list after all!!!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-25 12:01 am (UTC):)
Thanks.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-26 07:46 pm (UTC)Leverage in general is a great show for coming up with modern plots. The main characters are all very RPG-esque.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-26 08:16 pm (UTC)I stumbled over the series on Netflicks and I've managed to watch up to the middle of season three so far and net flicks doesn't have season four yet... but at the rate I've been watching they'll have it by the time I get though season three.
I really like the RPG-esque quality of the show and find often the plots (as well as the main characters) fall into something that you'd find gaming. It mixes seriousness and interesting plots with a lightheartedness that I haven't found in most other shows. I enjoy the sense humour in it a lot.