Quote:
Originally posted by Garnet:
Yorick,
I did not disregard your comments of the girl who had been tortured and raped. I did not disregard the comment on your co-worker.
All I asked you to do was to back up and ask yourself if you knew *all* there was to know about this particular religion so that you could make such definitive statements as absolute truth. We all carry biases which are radically affected by experiences of our own or those about us which have touched our lives in a meaningful way. In no way did I suggest that these experiences you speak of were inconsequestial. I would say, however, based on the information gleaned from my own reading of texts, etc. and interviews of joe blows who purport to call satanism their 'religion' that these others are the exception rather than the rule.
Yes, if this be the case, it would be reasonable to assume that they would indeed change the name of their religion rather than be grouped with the evil-doers. Yet they obviously do not feel the need to. That is their choice, lamentable though it may be in general (for the understanding if there are indeed gross misrepresentations of their beliefs). However, the Catholic Church did not change their name in light of the atrocities of the Inquisition which were far wider spread.
I also decry evil and do whatever is in my power to counteract it in any small way. But I also know that when we are hurting inside and angry at a world which is too harsh and seemingly uncaring of our pain, it is difficult to differentiate between the hand out to help and the hand out to press down. My hand is out --to help. I have no initials behind my name denoting myself as qualified to treat the human mind. All I have is human compassion.
If I have offended you in my posts, I apologize as this was not my intention. Instead I meant to do as I stated above.
It is often far easier to see the trees and lose sight of the forest.
Garnet
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Garnet, with all respect I don't believe you're in any position to contradict my observations. It would be suicidal to admit to illegal practices in "interviews". The accounts I read were from ex-Satanists, one of whom was the head of the movement in Britain. This is a compelling account as worthy of respect as much as Herodotus or any other historical/biographical account. The eyewitness experiences of rape victim is also compelling. Alone either of these would be cause for worry. There's no smoke without a fire....
The realty Protestants
are removed from the Crusades and the Inquisition. Catholics must deal with their guilt on both those issues, and are addressing them. The Pope recently apologised for both occurances.
If these Satanist aquaintances of yours are not aligned to the same believes as the one I mentioned, yet still don't feel the need to create a further distiction in ideological identification, then one would be withins ones rights to cast dispersions on them also. Usually where an ideology varies significantly a distiction is used. I mention Sufism and Wahabism. There is also Theravada and Lamaist Buddhism. Tantric Buddhists have practices amost opposite to Buddhas teachings on avoiding desire (dive right in to remove the desire) and have occult practices, hence the distinction.
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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....
A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!