#Seven’s Celestial Commentary

[celestial-toys]

crawls out of my writing cave on all fours, disheveled and holding a twenty-four-thousand-word-long document between my teeth

[nikofortuna]

JTTW Chapter 7 Thoughts

Chapter Seven for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group! I’ve got a lot of commentary on translations this time around.

Golden flowers have come up in the text a few times now. I’m starting to wonder if they are just pretty flowers and it’s like Heaven’s version of giving someone a regular bouquet. Or are they edible perhaps? Edible flowers have shown up a few times as well, so it’s not too farfetched. Additionally in this instance with Erlang receiving his rewards they are listed alongside drink and edible medicine, while the material objects are listed towards the end. They have been paired with wine before as well, so I’m inclined to believe they are edible.

Regarding the Brazier of Eight Trigrams, funnily enough in the J.F. Jenner translation the Trigram Xùn is written as Sun, which is rather interesting. Now you could look at it as Sun Wukong occupying a space sort of meant for him. But while this is an interesting thought, it’s of course purely part of a singular translation.

Regardless given that in this translation every other Trigram is written the same as the Pinyin minus the tone marks and they specifically call it the “Palace of Sun” instead of compartment or the like unlike other translations, so this might have been intentional. Though that assumption is firmly in the territory of speculation.

They really didn’t dwell long on the time in the brazier, huh.

Something that bothers me is the “diamond pupils”. No no, it’s not diamond, if anything it’s golden like all the other translations call it and it makes more sense as well. Diamond doesn’t invoke the right image, meanwhile gold is easier and more natural to visualize. Besides the character used in the original Chinese is [金 Jīn] which is very commonly known to mean gold no less.

You really can’t even blame Sun Wukong for going off after the brazier incident. Even without being caught up in the actual fire, the heat and especially the smoke must have been horrible. Plus he was alone, so it would be considerable to believe he might have been thinking and worrying over his family as well whenever the pain didn’t cloud his mind.

Another bit about translation for “Mind Monkey” the characters [心猿 Xīn Yuán] are used. Xin can mean various things like heart for example, which is what the German translation went with, probably because you could also say that Sun Wukong always follows his heart in what he wants.

Sun Wukong deeming himself worthy of the Celestial Palace is not really surprising either. Remember how he got his position of Handsome Monkey King? It was through one simple daring act. So of course he’d think, why would this be any different now? Besides he must really disapprove of the Jade Emperor by now and ruling in a way that makes your subjects unhappy is probably the easiest and fastest way to provoke a coup.

Buddha indeed went squish the monke! With how it is described as being gentle while still being restricting, what came to my mind was squishing a cat to gently hold it in place.

Moving on to the feast that was held in place of the Peach Banquet, which does make you wonder why they made that much of a fuss about it infront of the guests when they could have come up with a replacement seemingly this easily.

Fungi facts! Agaric is a toadstool or mushroom with the characteristics of a mushroom cap with gills underneath that is clearly differentiated from the stalk. A well-known example would be the Fly Agaric.

But there doesn’t seem to be a naturally purple one. So much like the J.F. Jenner translation you could call it a “magic mushroom”, which is just too funny for me not to mention.

Rounding out with something very interesting that was mentioned in the Audio Drama’s Production notes for this chapter is how a “whip” in this book isn’t necessarily what you usually imagine when you hear the word whip! It can also be a metal rod!

[radiofreeskaro]

Radio Free Skaro #950 - The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

Radio Free Skaro #950 - The Seven-Per-Cent Solution - The War Between the Land and the Sea starting production? - New directors for Season 2 - The King's Demons commentary!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/freyburg/rfs950.mp3 Download MP3 On this most important Magna Carta Day (yes, we know it’s actually June 15), the Three Who Rule are digging deep on morsels of news including the BFI screening of the Celestial Toymaker along with some Hot Takes on the current state of AI, the Sea Devils spinoff supposedly starting shooting on March 4, new casting, “The Daleks in…

[globalworship]

Nativity with 7-Headed Red Dragon

"Full of Eyes" is an art ministry; the artist (Pastor Christopher) creates some stunning art with commentary.

Here is one of his Nativity-themed piece, followed by the artist's extensive commentary. All is from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=799464305550239&set=a.457134836449856

+++

Rev 12:1-6

As we look back on Christmas, I wanted to share this year’s new Christmas picture; a visual exegesis of Christ’s birth as found in the book of Revelation… At the literary center of John’s vision lies the ‘great sign’ of a celestial woman in the agonies of giving birth (v.1-2). A seven-headed dragon (‘that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan,’ v.9) stands before her, ready to devour her child (v.3-4), however, the woman safely delivers her son who is ‘caught up to God and to His throne’ (v.5). Scholarly discussion surrounds the identity of this woman (Israel? The Church? Mary?); I don’t intend to discuss that here (other than to suggest that these identifications need not be mutually exclusive). Rather, I want to consider what the ‘birth’ that John presents to us here is intended to convey. At first it might seem a fairly straightforward (if apocalyptic) depiction of Jesus birth in Bethlehem…But it is not so simple. Firstly, when we consult John’s other book (his Gospel), we find that Jesus likens his crucifixion to a birth (Jn 16:20-22), and that, at Jesus’ elevation to the throne of the cross (the cross becomes a metaphorical throne in the symbolic imagery of the Gospel), Satan—the dragon—is decisively overcome (Jn 12:31). Additionally, the Greek John uses for the woman’s birth pangs in v.2 is unique and suggests great torment or agony. These reasons and others have led some to suggest that the ‘birth’ of Rev 12:1-6 is, in fact, the resurrection-illumined *crucifixion* presented under the apocalyptic guise of a birth…From the vantage point of the resurrection, John perceives the crucifixion as the installation of the divine King upon the throne of the cosmos, as the decisive victory of God over the draconic power of Satan, and as the ‘birth’ of the true, Messianic Human Being, the beginning of redeemed humanity. It is this birth—the birth of Calvary, rather than Bethlehem (though, it is a birth indivisibly tied to and is, in fact, the consummation of that prior birth)—it is this birth that John sees as a ‘great sign’ in heaven and places at the heart of his great apocalyptic book. At the center of the image is the newborn Christ. The beams of glory shining from his halo form a cross upon which he is symbolically portrayed as crucified. This is an attempt to show that, for John, the ‘birth’ of Rev.12:1-6 is an apocalyptic depiction of the crucifixion (as that crucifixion finds authoritative interpretation in light of the resurrection); Jesus is ‘born’ as the divine ruler who is ‘caught up’ to the throne of God as He hangs before the eyes of faith on the resurrection-illumined cross. The crucified / newly born Christ is pictured in the midst of his mother (Mary? Israel? The Church?) in an attempt to show that the grievous pangs of His birth are supremely born in Himself; He bears the curse (Gen.3:16; Gal.3:13) in place of His people, even as He is the first born *from* those pangs so that all united to Him by faith might share in that same new—and true—birth. At the base of the image, Satan—that ancient serpent—crushes Jesus’ heal, even as his own head (and, therefore, all seven of his heads) are crushed. The ‘protoevangelium’ (Gen. 3:15) finds fulfillment at the cross, which is the achievement of the promise made to Eve, and her salvation ‘through childbearing’ (1 Tim. 2:15). Ultimately, the Dragon is slain by the blood of the Lamb (Rev.12:11). Other details are present, but the last I’ll mention here is that the entire image is backed by the crescent moon (Rev 12:1) which doubles as a picture of the opening tomb of Christ. This is intended to visually emphasize the crucial point that Jesus’ crucifixion becomes the enthronement of the Divine King, the birth of the Human Being, and the defeat of the Dragon *only* in light of the resurrection, *only* because the Crucified One is, now and forevermore, the Living One (Rev. 1:18). Hallowed be His Name, and Merry Christmas to you!

[grelitia-fam]

Only in Gotham bio

Welcome to the Grelitias blog! We are a family of.. we’re a large family. Four of us run this blog, so here’s a small introduction!

Hecate Grelitia. 19. The original owner of the blog. Runs a successful beauty empire and may or may not be a goddess. Marked with purple text.

Voice claim: Melanie Martinez

Daxter Grelitia. 22. The oldest of the siblings. Quirky gay ass who works as a mechanic and take photos as a hobby. Has horrible taste in fashion. Marked with green text.

Voice claim: JVKE

Kam Grelitia. 14. Youngest of the siblings. Depresso espresso. Likes remixing music and making album covers. Will not hesitate to punch a bitch. Marked with red text.

Voice claim: Conan Gray

Carol Grelitia. 29. The aunt of the family, but everyone sees her as mom. Child phycologist as well as a successful video game developer. Very much mother bear. Marked with blue text.

Voice claim: Penelope Scott/Annapantsu

COMMON GUEST:

Guests are marked with Orange text.

Ben:Daxters boyfriend.

Stephanie Brown: Hecates wife

Cassandra Cain-Wayne: Hecates wife

Cheetah (Yea the rouge): Hecates wife

Shadow weaver: ‘Friend’ of Carol.

IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Christel ( @christelgothamite ): Friend, Mentor, and Older sister/Mother depending who you ask.

Barnaby ( @scarecrowspawn ): Considered to be a little brother by Hecate. Kam likes annoying him.

Delen ( @gotham-its-seven-in-the-morning ): One of Carols fiancés and a talented mage.

Jason Todd: One of Carols fiancés. Wayne heir

CHILDREN:

Hecates Children:

•Jupiter (Oldest (9))

•Nyx (Second oldest (4))

•Máni (Oldest triplet (3))

•Asterus (Middle triplet (3))

•Ra (Youngest triplet (3))

•Christline Jr. (Youngest (1))

Daxters children:

•Ida (Oldest (12))

•Markus (Youngest (8))

Kams children:

•Alexandra (Oldest twin (7 Months))

•Athena (Youngest twin (7 Months))

Carols children:

•Selenae (Oldest quadruplet)

•Oberion (Middle quadruplet one)

•Sean (Middle quadruplet two)

•Aurora (Youngest quadruplet)

•Dimitri (Youngest sibling, a few months younger then the quadruplets)

FAQ:

I’m opening up asks about the characters! Any commentary by the creator of the blog will be in pink text.

Arcs

Past arcs:

•Discovery arc (Hecate)

•Council of 11 arc (Hecate

•Tabei Al Ghul arc (Hecate)

•Shadow Weaver arc (Carol)

•Forgiveness arc (Kam And Daxter)

•Space mission arc (Hecate)

•Elemental fields arc (Hecate)

•Celestial arc (Carol)

•Terrible fate arc (Carol)

•Training arc (Kam)

•Rescue arc (Daxter)

•Undercover arc (Daxter)

•Insane recovery arc (Daxter)

•Were not coming home arc (Grelitia siblings)

Present arcs:

•It all fell down (??)

•This is why we can’t have nice things (??)

•Eternal love (Ida)

Future arcs (in no particular order):

•Why we do what we do arc (Kam)

•What Is love suppose to feel like arc (Kam)

•A blast from the… future arc? (??)

•The outliers arc (??)

•Little one’s arc (??)

•Let’s end this (??)

[tangent101]

Critical Role Commentary (C3, E59)

Here there be Spoilers

Well. It looks like we won't be learning the results of Laura's die roll. It must have been really bad, or Sam's makeup really required Team A from playing, as we're with Team B now.

The fact that Deni$e is Dariax's girlfriend is entirely too amusing to me. I can't help but think that her creation was a delightful poke at Matt (especially given Aimee is playing her). Again, we have characters with connections to those around them - Deni$e to Orym and to Fearne, and Prism to the Cobalt Soul (Cobo So!).

Of course, what's more interesting is that there is another gathering of ley lines, not far from where the group is. I can't help but suspect Team B is going to end up finding themselves involved in another of Ludinus's schemes... or even finding some members of the Ruby Vanguard having been transported along the lines of the ley lines and deposited there. Though... given the relative proximity to Vasselheim, it is also quite possible that they could find agents of Vasselheim there, either putting out metaphorical (or literal!) fires and machinations, or performing their own rituals.

Another interesting element is the fact that Deni$e and Bor'Dor seem to be Ruidusborn, akin to Fearne (though likely not Exalted... though given Bor'Dor's sudden acquisition of magical power, he might be an Exalted and having gained Celestial Sorcerous powers from the Solstice and Ludinus's little ceremony a third of the world away.

And now we wait. Two weeks until the next episode of Team B, and likely another six weeks beyond that, assuming that Team B has seven episodes on their own just as Team A had. And while it'll most likely be under two weeks in-game for how long Laudna and Imogen have been apart... it'll be a little over a third of a year for all of us eagerly awaiting their tearful reunion.

Hey, I'm a hopeful romantic. And they're my favorite couple in the game, even with Wild Things and Love Letters having come into fruition before Team A went on break.

[anonymous-dentist]

hi AD! yeehaw this is cutting it close to the 500 word limit but heyyy can i send this part from rotten to the core in for the dvd commentary thing?

Quackity is pretty sure that he shouldn’t be moving right after a car crash. His brain could be, like, mush. His spine could be broken in seven different places. His arms sure feel broken, and his neck, but maybe that’s just the shock.

But he moves, anyway, fumbling to unbuckle his seatbelt and to try and open the driver’s side door. There’s kind of an air bag in the way, but he manages. The fresh night air is, uh, well, a breath of fresh air, and Quackity tumbles his way sideways out of his car gratefully.

He rolls onto his back and stares up at the sky, heart a million miles an hour and lungs screaming in pain. His entire body is in pain, actually, but he still has a terrified, exhilarated smile on his face, and he can’t help but laugh almost maniacally. Adrenaline, baby! He may die of broken bone disease in a minute, but at least he’s out of that goddamn car.

In a sudden burst of excitement, he pumps both of his fists in the air and lets out a, “Yeah! Take that, bitch!”

He points at the smoking remains of the car and the smoking remains of the tree. He can see the scorpion’s tail poking out from above the car’s roof. It’s twitching, but the scorpion has to be dead. It has to be.

It has to be.

But, to make sure, Quackity forces himself to his feet. His legs shake under him and his eyes swim with the effort, but he still forces one step, and then another, and then another.

There are footsteps from somewhere, he can hear them. He can also hear voices- some shouting, some whispering. He’s always been good at hearing, but not too good at listening. He doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but he could care less. He is on a mission.

He leans against the car to catch his breath, squinting up at the twitching tail. How is it not dead yet?

“What the fuck?” he wheezes, one arm clenched around his aching chest and the other just barely propping himself up on the car. “You should be dead.”

Somewhere beyond the trees, someone shouts, “Hello? Is there someone there?”

“You should be dead!” Quackity yells. His panicked laugh returns in full force, growing in volume as the car slowly starts rolling backwards, the scorpion unpinning itself and turning around and starting to crawl towards him with purpose.

He backs up just as slowly, stumbling over his own feet. He thinks that he has a concussion. He thinks that maybe he is about to die after all.

There is a light through the trees that seems to be growing closer, rapidly closer. That has to be someone. The strawberry farmer? Someone. Maybe they know how to- how to kill a gigantic evil scorpion from the pits of hell.

OKAY SO SO SO

Starting from right when the car crashed, I had like five different endings on the doc I kept switching between while trying to decide which one to use. One of them had Quackity killing the scorpion entirely, which was quickly scrapped when I remembered that only like three types of metal can kill monsters (and I really didn't think Quackity's dad's car was made out of celestial bronze.) Another had him getting knocked out the second he crashed into the tree, which was realistic, but which I decided was bullshit because demigods can survive fucking anything. They're strong as hell.

So that's two endings down. Quackity is now on the ground outside of the car, and he's doing my favorite little Quackity thing: panic-laughing. Looking through dsmp vods and shit, most of the time when something is Going Bad, Quackity is laughing, and I just. Had to include it. He's 16, man, he isn't going to have any fancier coping mechanisms than screaming and laughing and scream-laughing. Some people are fight, or flight, or fawn, but Quackity? He's just kinda fucking around. It's really disconcerting to deal with firsthand. I can say for sure that Sapnap, for example, is going to deal with a situation Going Bad and will be all adrenaline "I'm gonna fucking kill you!!!" because he is Sapnap, and he'll look over and Quackity will just be smiling and laughing as he dodges a club to the head, and Sapnap will think "What The Fuck". He doesn't have a "proper" panic response, as I think you saw in this chapter pretty well. Panic plans are his best plans, real spur-of-the-moment, no room for overthinking.

And then there's the fuckers in the woods.

They were supposed to be Tommy and Tubbo originally, actually, which took up two of the remaining three possible endings. They had snuck out of their cabins to prank Ranboo, had heard the fucking car crash on the camp border, and had gone to investigate. But neither ending really worked. Wrong time. So instead they're making their grand appearance in this coming chapter, and they're still as. Well.

In the end, I went with the Dream Team being out in the woods. They snuck out of their cabins (Hermes for Dream, Ares for Sapnap, and Dionysus for George) to- I kid you not- play Extreme Hide And Seek in the very dangerous woods on the edge of camp (manhunt, anybody?) But then they heard the car crash and sent Dream to check it out because he lost at rock-paper-scissors, which is why it took so long for them to get to him in the first place. So cut to Quackity basically passing out in Dream's arms and the chapter ending.

"What the fuck," Dream says. He looks up from the kid to the giant scorpion pounding at the camp border hissing like crazy, trying to get in. "What the fuck? Sapnap! George! Can you- guys!" It takes a moment too long for Sapnap and George to appear. Sapnap has a fresh black eye, and George has a split lip, and Dream doesn't care at all, actually, because they're both idiots. Sapnap notices the monster first, and his eyes light up like fireworks. He draws his sword eagerly, not even waiting a second to charge at it and finish it off with an excited whoop. George stays put, though. He looks down at the kid and sighs. Dream tries not to think too deeply about the owl sitting on a tree branch above them staring. That would be... annoying.

And so that's the ending we have! There's not a lot to say about Quackity in this segment, actually. He just got out of a car crash and Struggled(tm). It's the forest dudes that are more interesting imo

[the-hem]

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit, from Mark 1:21-28.

Unclean spirits are not mentioned in Judaism at all, which deals with angels exclusively as the only other celestial beings in existence besides Ha Shem. This section in Mark is the first mention of a contrite spirit that is a separate entity from the soul of a human being in the continuity of Western religion.

The drama begins in  Capernaum, the Village Of Consolation, Protected By Being Sorry. Jesus, like a good Jew enters the Shul on the Sabbath and begins to teach as a lay person. This was around 30 CE, and Judaism was just beginning to really take off.

I have said it, Jesus did not come to set up a new religion as the Flesh of the Word of the God of Israel, He came to participate in and reinforce the Words of Moses, called Mormon in Hebrew.

Observe now the Script, Jesus takes the floor but tells a horror stricken bunch of skeptics to be silent as He relays teachings from His very own Torah. Why do you think he went into the Shul on the Appointed Day? To read the Sunday funny pages?

21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 

22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, [a]“Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 

27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, [b]“What is this? What new [c]doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 

28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

There are plenty of commentaries on this section of the Book of Mark so let's see what the Numbers say.

v. 21: the Value in Gematra is 5021, האֶפֶסבא‎, the apseba, "To reveal the Seven Laws of Noach."

ap= to open the eyelids

sheba= AKA Beersheba, the Seven Wells.

Jesus entered the temple to discuss Sheba, the Seven Noahide Laws. They are:

the positive injunction to set up courts that justly enforce social laws

the prohibition of blasphemy, i.e. intolerance of worshipping the one God of the universe

the prohibition of idolatry

the prohibitions of grave sexual immorality, such as incest and adultery

the prohibition of murder

the prohibition of theft

the prohibition of eating the limb of a live animal, which is a paradigm for cruelty

v. 22: the Value in Gematra is 5651, הו‎‎הא‎, "the passion for whoa". "Jesus taught with passion."

v. 23-24: the Value in Gematra is 17501, יז‎ה אֶפֶסא‎, yeza efesa, "will be zero."

v. 25-26: the Value in Gematra is 9165, טאו‎ה, tao, "a bison."

v. 27: the Value in Gematra is 14267, ז‎ידבו‎ ‎, they will zibdoval, "they will shun willingness."

zi=this one

bd=work

dov=a bear

'll=will shun

v. 28: the Value in Gematra is 2637, בוגז‎‎, bogaz, "in a box."

The box is what is called a Tzedakah Box, it is the human heart that does not turn away from experiencing compassion.

Upon Jesus's first foray into a temple, he runs into a Bull Spirit, the entry level of spiritual practice named in the Torah. Bulls see with their horns not their eyes. They are selfish rebellious tantrum throwing little kids. The direction is up once the Bull Spirit is exorcised, and the ego is weakened.

Jesus came to explain morality and justice to the people and as the Gematria said, they rebelled at first, but he was able to convince them to listen just a little.

[translationandbetrayals]

One Piece in politics

"One Piece," a manga and anime series by Eiichiro Oda, is known for its adventurous plot and vibrant characters, but also for its exploration of political themes. The series takes place in a vast world divided into different seas and ruled by diverse political entities. The World Government, a global governing body, controls much of the known world through its military force, the Marines.

The Grand Line, the most dangerous and mysterious sea in the series, is home to several powerful pirate crews with their own political aspirations. The pursuit of the titular treasure, the One Piece, and the desire to become the Pirate King create a political undercurrent that influences the characters' actions.

Eiichiro Oda uses "One Piece" to provide social and political commentary on real-world issues, such as corruption, inequality, discrimination, and the consequences of unchecked power. The portrayal of the Celestial Dragons critiques aristocracy and its abuses, while the Revolutionary Army, led by Monkey D. Dragon, challenges the oppressive World Government and creates a world free from tyranny.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea, a group of powerful pirates allied with the World Government, adds another layer of political intrigue, highlighting the complex nature of alliances and the pragmatic use of power in politics. The removal of the Warlord system sparks debates about the consequences of relying on powerful individuals to maintain order.

The Straw Hat Pirates, the main protagonists, unintentionally become political players in the series, challenging existing power structures and inspiring others to pursue their dreams and stand against injustice. In conclusion, "One Piece" transcends its status as a popular manga and anime by incorporating intricate political themes into its narrative.

Ignacio Araya

[weishenmewwx]

Stars of Chaos 杀破狼 Vol 1, Notes 4

By Priest. Translated into English by 7 Seas.

My notes, pages 203 - 245.

Cultural notes, mostly, and a little commentary:

It’s slightly more derogatory in Chinese. The original is “…都不知道‘放虎归山’四个字怎么写。” which translates slightly more literally as “….but none know how to write ‘allow a tiger to return to the mountains’”

More under the cut.

It’s actually a really big deal that Gu Yun, this crass brawny military brat (commander), actually has excellent calligraphy, so excellent that people sell reproductions of it for children to learn from and the emperor himself wants Gu Yun’s calligraphy in the palace.

From asiasociety.org: In China, from a very early period, calligraphy was considered not just a form of decorative art; rather, it was viewed as the supreme visual art form, was more valued than painting and sculpture, and ranked alongside poetry as a means of self-expression and cultivation.

It’s a big deal. Gu Yun’s calligraphy shows that he’s an exceptional scholar and a good person.

滚 also means “boil” (boiling, roiling water) and “somersault / roll.”

I’m actually super ignorant of Chinese curse words. They all sound like nice normal words to me: your mom, somersault, ghost, death. I just yell 鬼！(ghost / monster) a lot when I’m grumpy.

Baby peacock! So cute!

Gu Yun may be crude, but he’s never sloppy.

More idioms. 天马行空 is one of my favorites. You can practically see the Heavenly Steed dancing and soaring from cloud to cloud, totally ignoring the Celestial Horse Keeper desperately trying to get it back into the paddock.

I wish we had more Cao Niangzi!

Shen Yi is actually a kind of superhero, developed from decades of dealing with Gu Yun and having to fulfill all of Gu Yun’s flippant (but totally deadly consequential) promises.

Sigh. No more hot nights out on the town for Gu Yun.

Stars of Chaos - All The Notes List

All The Seven Seas Books Masterlist

[celestial-toys]

*crawls out of my isolation cave. slaps a 10 thousand word document on the ground. passes out.*

[josephofgenesis]

Amenophis Huy Son of Hapu as the Biblical Joseph

I'll start with Egyptian hieroglyphs that demonstrate how the 'Amenophis Huy' could be read as Joseph. Then I'll show 17 other similarities between Huy Son of Hapu and the Biblical Joseph:

On the Bas-relief of the tomb of the Vizier Ramose, the,'Amen' is hammered by the Aten movement and the 'Y' remains.

Read in Hebrew form from right to left we get YSPH - Joseph!

Read in Egyptian as HU-OPHIS-YYor simply, HUPHISYY. 

Read from right to left in Arabic or Hebrew, we have:(Y)YSPH(H) - double letters are dropped in Hebrew so: YSPH - Joseph

  A. Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Appendix B, (1927-1994). To Alan Gardiner, the Greek form is just a trace of a certified Egyptian pronunciation in another language. Amenhotep, says nothing about the exact Egyptian pronunciation of 3400 years ago. Amenhotep becomes Amenophis according to Grassman´s Law. [M. Lejeune, Phonétique historique du mycénien et du grec ancien, Editions Klincksieck, Paris, pp. 56-58, (1987).]

and 14 other links between Huy (son of Hapu) and Biblical Joseph:

1) Huy's timeline matches Genesis 37 (The Late Bronze Age Arabian Incense Trade) 

2) Huy's timeline matches the tension between Mitanni and Egypt. Jacob's thinking that Joseph was dead was to protect him from Mitanni laws

3) Huy was son of the 'hidden one'. Hapu means hidden. Hidden can be seen as a play on Jacob´s name:    Hebrew word chob (Chob is a contraction of the word chabab, meaning “to hide (as in the bosom)The Biblical name Yechubbah means “hidden.”)

4) BOTH Hapu and paneah mean hidden things - çaphênath-paneah - In his commentary, the famous Rabbi Rashi states that the meaning of the name is "Who says the hidden things."

5) Huy had 3 brothers listed under the same woman - as did Joseph.

6) (Huy became part of Akhenaten's family through marriage. That's why the Patriarchal narratives can adequately portray the Hebrews' lives through historical Egyptian  events.)

7) Huy's brother has the same first 3 consonants as Benjamin.

8) He was embalmed with missing bones - as was Joseph. His embalmed body was found in Canaan in the 13th century BC next to 4 family members (Asenath, Manasseh,  Ephraim and Machir?)

9) He stored grain for the future in Egypt - as did Joseph.

10) Huy's mother was named after a nurturing animal - as was Joseph

11) Huy's number is 110. 110 years was given to Joseph. 110 is the number of years the religion of Shamash was dominant in Mesopotamia. Huy originally followed Shamash. 110 is also symbolic of long life for a king in Egypt. Huy wrote this:"… One who saw me wished to be like me because of the importance of what happened to        me. Growing old is a certificate issued by Ma’at: I reached eighty years, loaded with favours from the king and I will live until one hundred ten years! … "

12) Huy is given Y for Yahweh to replace the hammered AMEN in the Bas Relief. Joseph worshiped Yahweh.

13) There is a correlation between the Biblical Joseph and Imhotep (years of famine,etc.) Huy Son of Hapu was buried and honoured next to Imhotep (who inspired Huy - bringer of the agglomerated stone, cisterns,etc concepts to 18th Dynasty Egypt.)In my humble opinion, it is in Joseph's story that we first see a link to the 3rd/4th Dynasty. The biggest clue is Genesis 37:9 where Joseph told his brothers the dream of stars bowing down to him. The 11 stars (Joseph as "Sepa" - the 7th son between Jacob's 2 wives Leah and Rachel) -  the Early Dynastic centipede god Sepa, associated with both Anubis and the Osiris of Helopolis, on and near the island of Rhodes in the Delta. Anubis was called "the Lord of Sepa" and in this context was associated with the seven everlasting starry spirit of the sons and grandsons of Horus, circling always visibly the North Celestial pole during the year and the night. The central point, the Celestial pole, was at the time formed by the pole star Thuban. Thuban being of Arabian but probably first of early Egyptian origin (from Tu-an, in which Tu means "Star" and An is a container for food/drinks). The association with the number 7 (compare Sepa with Sept = 7) is here clear like in the story of the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine, an also the time-frame in which the star Thuban was closest to the Celestial Pole, namely in 2800 BC, and viewed as the central world star ruling all other stars (Joseph compared himself with a central star ruling over his 11 brothers as minor stars) within at least +/- 800 years (about 3600-2000 BC). The real meaning of the Centipede god Sepa was that he was the leader and protector of the souls of the 7 or 8 last pre-dynastic kings who now encircled the pole star as everlasting spirits as circumpolar stars. They were generally equated with the grandsons of Horus, thus together the total number of everlasting spirits of pre-dynastic kings could amount to 11 or 12, led by Sepa who could be either Anubis or Osiris as well. Joseph too was in his dream a star god who ruled over his 11 brothers, also envisioned as stars. 14) An inspiration for Akhenaten's Aten:     The sun god Ra-Harachtès  was worshiped in all the tombs from the time of Amenophis Son of Hapu. Both Sun God and Creator, the god Ra-Harachtès was symbolized by the solar disk resting on the head of the ram Khnum, the potter god, creator of humanity by agglomeration of clay. He idealized the divine incarnation in agglomerated stone and expressed opposition to the god Amun, the divine incarnation in carved stone. Joseph's Egyptian Name (Genesis 41:45 similarity):First, the Septuagint name:When Horus was Khemt, or became the Sheru of thirty years of age, he put on the upper crown which completed the Pshent - the second brother. When the virgin mother passed into the second phase as the gestator she was called SENTEM (Sntm); Psonthom is the same word with the masculine article prefixed, and SENTEM indicates the dual one, whether applied to the mother with child, the wearer of the two crowns, two serpents, or to the double Horus, the youth of thirty who is composed of two halves.  Joseph rode in the second chariot, a parallel to wearing the Psent crown or being entitled PSONTHOM, literally the unified or duplicated P-Ankh the living. So we have PSONTHOM - the duplicated/added (the meaning of Joseph's name). The Hebrew for 'the added' contains the exact equivalent of P-SONTHOM and it is applied to the mother in conceiving or adding, where it expresses the sense of SNATEM the seeded, the gestating. P-Ankh could also be a reference to the Hebrew God Jehovah since Yhwh means 'to live'. Huy Son of Hapu was a bearer of the multi-crown Horus : chief of the prophets of Horus Khentii-Khatii lord of Athribis, festival leader of Amun, Amenophis Son of Hapu, born of the lady Itu, triumphant. " Some Egyptologists read Kha-t, with a single ’t’ (female) meaning matrix (EA Wallis Budge, 556b), instead of Khat-tii with two consecutive ’t’ meaning: shining withcrowns or brilliant corona (EA Wallis Budge, 534b). According to A. Gardiner, the symbol Kha F32, the horizontal club or bowel that is found in the name ofAmenophths, His Excellency, the Son Hapu to Taurus, amnophts si hpou n. Greek P.S.N.TH.O.M.PH.A.N.Hor by writing the Greek letters in a different order:A.M.N.PH.S.TH.H.P.O.N Hebrew: amnophts si hpou n. If you replace 'Amen' (as Akhenaten's people did) with the Taurus (n) in the first word and scramble the letters you get: tsaphenath paneah

[silhouetteofacedar]

Fox Mulder, Closet Romantic Ch.3: Jesus Is A Pisces

Previous Chapter - AO3 - MSR, rated E

Mulder has forgotten Scully’s birthday every year but one. Actually, make that two now, since this year he’s determined to make the day special for her somehow. He’d asked her casually what her plans were, and she admitted that outside of a lunch with her mother and some church friends on Sunday the 22nd, she didn’t really have any intention to celebrate.

“It’s been a rough couple months,” she’d explained softly, and that’s all he needed to hear.  She’d gained and then buried a daughter within a few days’ time over Christmas, for fuck’s sake. He didn’t know how she managed to stay sane after that, and if he thought about it for too long the waves of powerlessness and guilt that rolled over him were debilitating.

So instead he focused on what he could do.

“You wanna do something after work on Monday? I promise to be as un-festive as possible,” he offered.

She looked uncertain, licked her lip. “Just us?” she asked.

“Just you and me,” Mulder assured her, the words giving him a tiny, shameful thrill.

She was quiet for a moment. “Sure,” she said finally.

Come Monday, February 23rd, it’s business as usual in the basement office. They finalize their reports from the previous week’s case, wrangle their receipts, argue over who broke the stapler (It was him, she insists; while he claims she jammed the staples in and made it impossible to use properly).

At three minutes to five o’clock, she clears her throat softly as she gathers her things, and he can feel her preparing to speak.

“Yeah, Scully?” he murmurs.

“We still on for tonight?” she asks, sounding almost cautious, and his heart fractures.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he confirms, leafing through a file. “Be sure to bundle up.” He looks up at her and gives her a reassuring grin.

She looks happy and… relieved? Huh.

“Well, I’ll see you then,” she says, shrugging on her coat as she leaves.

Mulder smiles at the door as it clicks shut behind her. He’s unusually giddy about what he has planned for the evening.

Over the weekend he had gone to the grocery store since his refrigerator was barren, then camped out in his building’s laundry room all day Sunday washing every blanket he owned. He even stopped at the little bakery around the corner from his apartment, purchasing a single chocolate cupcake and a loaf of rye bread.

After work he packs his car with a cooler, a duffel bag, a large thermos of coffee, and a pile of blankets.

He’s surprised to see that she’s waiting for him on the steps of her apartment, wearing a heavy jacket and thick turtleneck sweater.

“I got too hot wearing all this inside,” she explains, climbing into the passenger seat. She seems almost excited, and he strangely wants to cry. God, he’s so fucking glad he had the balls to invite her out again.

“Where are we going, Mulder?” Scully asks.

“It’s a surprise,” he replies.

Seven minutes and three wrong turns later, he reaches into the glove compartment and pulls out the map, handing it to her. “Rock Creek Park, please, Navigator,” he says.

“Aha! I thought the route we were taking seemed… circuitous,” Scully says with a smirk, unfolding the map.

“Just tell me where to go; I don’t need a running commentary,” he gripes, secretly relishing her needling.

In about twenty minutes, they arrive at the park’s nature center. Mulder pulls into the lot next to the field across the road and cuts the engine.

“We’re here?” Scully asks, looking around. “It’s deserted. Mulder, please don’t tell me we’re ghost hunting,”

“Ghosts? No,” he says, climbing out of the car and going around to the trunk. “Help me with some stuff?”

Scully comes around to the back of the car, where Mulder hands her the cooler and thermos. He slings the duffel bag over his shoulder and gathers up the pile of blankets. “Close the trunk, will you, Scully?” he says, walking towards the field. “My arms are full.”

They trudge out to the middle of the field, cold winter air biting their cheeks. Mulder stops abruptly and drops the blankets onto the ground in a heap.

“We’re here,” he announces, setting down the duffel bag. He picks up a heavy wool blanket and spreads it out on the grass.

Scully sits down on the blanket, cooler and thermos beside her. “What exactly are we doing out here, Mulder?” she asks.

“Well first, we eat,” he replies, reaching for the cooler. He opens it and pulls out two waxed-paper parcels, handing one to her. “Pastrami on rye,” he announces. “I went a little crazy with the mustard on one of them, we can trade if you want.”

“You made these?” she asks, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite. “Oh my god,” she groans. “Mulder, you’ve been holding out on me. This is delicious.”

The satisfaction in her voice makes him flush. “It’s pretty hard to mess up pastrami.”

“True,” she agrees, “but I was starting to doubt you could even make food. Your refrigerator is usually pretty sparse.”

Mulder shrugs, opening the thermos of coffee and pouring her a cup. “Cooking for one doesn’t hold much appeal,” he explains.

“Mm,” she agrees around a mouthful of sandwich, taking the proffered cup. “So Mulder, tell me; is there a reason we’re having a picnic in the dark?” She eyes the duffel bag beside him suspiciously.

“I’m glad you asked,” he replies, unzipping the bag and pulling out a tripod. “You know anything about constellations, Scully?”

It’s a rhetorical question, of course. He already knows.

“A thing or two,” she replies casually, clearly attempting to hide the smile sneaking across her mouth as she eats.

“Well that’s good, seeing as I lugged this telescope and a star map all the way out here,” he says, pulling the telescope case out of the bag.

Scully is enraptured, and Mulder thinks this might be the best thing he’s ever done for anyone.

“I haven’t done this in years,” she says, peering through the eyepiece as she adjusts the telescope’s position. “Not since…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she doesn’t have to. He remembers her telling him once, on a long car ride to some anonymous, unremarkable town, about stargazing with her father when she was a child. Captain Ahab and his Starbuck, navigating the night skies by way of celestial markers.

The temperature’s dropping, and Mulder drapes the ratty tribal weave blanket from his couch around her shoulders as she searches the heavens.

“You want a turn?” she asks, drawing back from the telescope for a moment.

He shakes his head, plops down on the blanket and gazes at her instead.

They could be astronauts together, sailors of the stars. Dropping anchor in pools of the Milky Way, swimming through constellations and running their fingers through glittering strands of nebulae.

“I’m good,” he replies softly.

“Mulder?” Scully says from under a pile of blankets.

They’re lying on their backs now, side by side, eyes on the sky. Waiting for a meteor, or a passing satellite, or for God to wave hello.

“Yeah, Scully?”

“Do you give any credence to astrology, or is that too close to religion for you?”

“I appreciate its historical and cultural significance,” he replies. “Beyond that, I can’t say I have much of an opinion on it. Aren’t you a Pisces?” he asks, as though he doesn’t already know that she is, and that he’s a Libra, and that the shitty magazine he picked up in the dentist’s office says they’d be a tumultuous but passionate match. Not that he gives horoscopes any weight.

Passionate, though…

“I am. And I’m inclined to agree with you, though astrology’s link with early Christianity is fascinating. For example, did you know that Jesus is linked to Pisces? His birth coincides with the dawning of the astrological Age of Pisces, which spans from 1 AD to the year 2150. There are many scriptural references to fishermen, and early Christians used the fish symbol as a sign of their faith.”

“Huh,” he says, tucking a blanket more tightly around his shoulders.

“I don’t believe that the stars dictate my temperament, by the way,” Scully continues. “But there’s something beautiful about having a constellation in the sky that corresponds with your own birth. Missy knew more about this stuff,” she say wistfully. “She’d read me my horoscope every morning before school while we brushed our hair or whatever, in the bathroom where Mom couldn’t hear. It was fun,” she says with a sigh.

“Do you think she’s out there, in the stars?” Mulder asks and immediately regrets it. He didn’t mean the question to sound flippant.

Scully takes it in stride. “Is it crazy if I say maybe? There’s… there’s things I’ve seen and heard, Mulder, that I can’t explain. Who am I to say how God operates? Maybe He’s laid the stars out like a map for us to read. That’s probably wishful thinking, but life would be a hell of a lot simpler if everything was dictated by heavenly bodies.”

“Better that than by governing bodies,” Mulder agrees.

Their eyes drift along the razor-sharp curves of the crescent moon.

“My mom wants to set me up with one of her church friends’ sons,” Scully says without preamble.

“Huh,” Mulder replies, tracing Orion with his eyes. “Let me guess; he’s a dentist.”

“Emergency physician, actually,” she replies. “He’s nice.”

Mulder suddenly feels the weight of gravity pressing him down to earth. He can feel the rotation of the planet under his back, spinning him at a thousand miles an hour. “You’ve met him?” he asks.

“Yesterday, at lunch,” Scully replies. “He’s a widower, with a six-year-old daughter. I think… I think my mom thinks we could help each other.”

Mulder’s stomach churns, a facsimile of seasickness rolling through his body. “What do you think?” he asks, voice oddly hoarse. “Do you… agree with her?”

Scully pulls the blanket higher under her chin and sighs. “I don’t know, Mulder. I’m thirty-four today, and my career runs my life. I’m not sure how many chances at a family will come my way in the future. It’s not ideal, but maybe I’m past the point of getting to choose.” She pauses. “I’m sorry, I’m being fatalistic.”

Despite the near-freezing temperature, he’s got a cold sweat forming on his back. “You can always choose, Scully. As far as I see it. It’s-it’s important to me that you know that.”

She rolls onto her side, snaking a hand out of the blanket to prop herself up on her elbow beside him. “Mulder, I know you blame yourself for the things that have happened to me. But they’re not your fault.” He opens his mouth and she interrupts him before he can speak. “Don’t argue with me. It’s my birthday.”

He’s grateful for a change of subject. “That reminds me,” he says, sitting up and reaching over to open the cooler.

He pulls out a small pink bakery box and opens it to remove a single chocolate cupcake with a candle stuck in the middle. He digs a lighter out of his coat pocket and gives it a flick, igniting the candle.

“Happy birthday, Scully,” he says sheepishly, holding out the cupcake.

The single flame shimmers in her eyes as she takes the dessert. “Mulder,” she says softly, in a tone that makes his heart turn to liquid. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just make a wish and blow the candle out before the wind does it for you,” he replies. There’s only a bit of a breeze but he’s not taking any chances. She deserves a wish.

Her eyes fall closed, and she sighs contentedly, no doubt formulating her request. Suddenly she opens her eyes and locks her gaze with his over the flickering candle, and Mulder feels a thousand words rumbling in him like an approaching avalanche.

Before he can say anything she purses her lips and extinguishes the lone flame with a breath.

She pulls the candle out of the cupcake and pops the end into her mouth, licking off chocolate frosting, and Mulder thinks he might die right there on a blanket in Rock Creek Park. He’s been so good, keeping his feelings to himself, but in this moment his only thoughts are that he loves her and wants her; no, needs her. He needs to touch her, taste the icing on her lips, map the constellations of freckles hiding beneath her sweater. Shake the winter chill out of his bones, letting the flames of her red hair lick across his skin and light his whole body on fire.

She’s saying something to him, biting into the cupcake, chocolate crumbs falling onto the blanket.

“Hm?” he asks, returning to terra firma.

“I asked if you wanted a bite,” she reiterates.

Yes, his body responds. Please please please-

“It’s yours,” he says as a declination.

“Therefore it’s mine to share,” she declares. She holds it out to him, and his stomach flutters as he leans in and takes a bite. He thinks of his parents’ faded wedding photos, of them feeding each other cake in black and white.

Don’t date the doctor guy, he pleads silently as he chews. Stay with me. Show me galaxies.

She falls asleep on the car ride home with one of his blankets tucked around her, the car’s heater cranked all the way up. When he parks in front of her building she stirs, likely awoken by the sudden cessation of warm air on her feet.

“Scully,” Mulder says softly, “We’re home.”

“Mmm,” she responds. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven,” he answers, glancing at his watch. “Can you walk or should I carry you up?” The question feels faintly suggestive, and he’s only being so bold because she’s drowsy and likely not registering the subtext.

“I can walk,” she says, sitting up and removing the blanket. Her hair is a fuzzy red halo in the glow of the streetlights.

“I’ll go with you,” he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Make sure you don’t pass out on your way up.”

“Thanks,” she yawns. “I don’t know why car rides make me so drowsy,” she says. “It’s like I’m five years old again.”

“Or it’s hypothermia,” Mulder suggests jokingly. “It got pretty damn cold out there.”

“Winter night picnics aren’t the most practical, it’s true,” she says. “But the blankets and coffee were a good idea.”

When they reach Scully’s apartment door she turns to face him. “Thank you for this,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

He smiles softly at her. “Happy birthday,” he replies.

He’s mentally debating giving her a hug when she reaches out and pulls him in gently, arms looped around his waist. He wraps his arms around her and drops a light kiss to the crown of her head.

It’s over way too soon.

“Goodnight,” she says. “See you tomorrow.”

If he says anything else to her before she slips into the apartment and closes the door, he doesn’t remember it. His feet are firmly on the ground, carrying him out of her apartment building and back to his car, but his head is far above the atmosphere, adrift in space.

He’s so in love he feels as though he’s running out of air.

[theshedding]

Lil Nas X: Country Music, Christianity & Reclaiming HELL

I don’t typically bother myself to follow what Lil Nas X is doing from day to day, or even month to month but I do know that his “Old Town Road” hit became one of the biggest selling/streamed records in Country Music Business history (by a Black Country & Queer artist). “Black” is key because for 75+ years Country music has unsuspiciously evolved into a solidly White-identified genre (despite mixed and Indian & Black roots). Regrettably, Country music is also widely known for anti-black, misogynoir, reliably homophobic (Trans isn’t really a conversation yet), Christian and Hard Right sentiments on the political spectrum. Some other day I will venture into more; there is a whole analysis dying to be done on this exclusive practice in the music industry with its implications on ‘access’ to equity and opportunity for both Black/POC’s and Whites artists/songwriters alike. More commentary on this rigid homogeneous field is needed and how it prohibits certain talent(s) for the sake of perpetuating homogeneity (e.g. “social determinants” of diversity & viable artistic careers). I’ll refrain from discussing that fully here, though suffice it to say that for those reasons X’s “Old Town Road” was monumental and vindicating. 

As for Lil Nas X, I’m not particularly a big fan of his music; but I see him, what he’s doing, his impact on music + culture and I celebrate him using these moments to affirm his Black, Queer self, and lifting up others. Believe it or not, even in the 2020′s, being “out” in the music business is still a costly choice. As an artist it remains much easier to just “play straight”. And despite appearances, the business (particularly Country) has been dragged kicking and screaming into developing, promoting and advancing openly-affirming LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 artists in the board room or on-stage. Though things are ‘better’ we have not yet arrived at a place of equity or opportunity for queer artists; for the road of music biz history is littered with stunted careers, bodies and limitations on artists who had no option but to follow conventional ways, fail or never be heard of in the first place. With few exceptions, record labels, radio and press/media have successfully used fear, intimidation, innuendo and coercion to dilute, downplay or erase any hint of queer identity from its performers. This was true even for obvious talents like Little Richard.

(Note: I’m particularly speaking of artists in this regard, not so much the hairstylists, make-up artists, PA’s, etc.)

_____

Which is why...in regard to Lil Nas X, whether you like, hate or love his music, the young brother is a trailblazer. His very existence protests (at least) decades of inequity, oppression and erasure. X aptly critiques a Neo-Christian Fascist Heteropatriarchy; not just in American society but throughout the Music Business and with Black people. That is no small deal. His unapologetic outness holds a mirror up to Christianity at-large, as an institution, theology and practice. The problem is they just don’t like what they see in that mirror.

In actuality, “Call Me By Your Name”, Lil Nas X’s new video, is a twist on classic mythology and religious memes that are less reprehensible or vulgar than the Biblical narratives most of us grew up on vís-a-vís indoctrinating smiles of Sunday school teachers and family prior to the “age of reason”. Think about the narratives blithely describing Satan’s friendly wager with God regarding Job (42:1-6); the horrific “prophecies” in St. John’s Book of Revelation (i.e. skies will rain fire, angels will spit swords, mankind will be forced to retreat into caves for shelter, and we will be harassed by at least three terrifying dragons and beasts. Angels will sound seven trumpets of warning, and later on, seven plagues will be dumped on the world), or Jesus’s own clarifying words of violent intent in Matthew (re: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” 10:34). Whether literal or metaphor, these age old stories pale in comparison to a three minute allegorical rap video. Conservatives: say what you will, I’m pretty confident X doesn’t take himself as seriously as “The true and living God” from the book of Job.

A little known fact as it is, people have debunked the story and evolution of Satan and already offered compelling research showing [he] is more of a literary device than an actual entity or “spirit” (Spoiler: In the Bible, Satan does not take shape as an actual “bad” person until the New Testament). In fact, modern Christianity’s impression of the “Devil” is shaped by conflating Hellenized mythology with a literary tradition rooted in Dante’s Inferno and accompanying spooks and superstitions going back thousands of years. Whether Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Scientologist, Atheist or Agnostic, we’ve spent a lifetime with these predominant icons and clichés. (Resource: Prof. Bart D. Erhman, “Heaven & Hell”).

So Here’s THE PROBLEM: The current level of fear and outrage is: 

(1) Unjust, imposing and irrational. 

(2) Disproportionate when taken into account a lifetime of harmful Christian propaganda, anti-gay preaching and political advocacy.

(3) Historically inaccurate concerning the existence of “Hell” and who should be scared of going there. 

Think I’m overreacting? 

Examples: 

Institutionalized Homophobia (rhetoric + policy)

Anti-Gay Ministers In Life And Death: Bishop Eddie Long And Rev. Bernice King

Black, gay and Christian, Marylanders struggle with Conflicts

Harlem pastor: 'Obama has released the homo demons on the black man'

Joel Olsteen: Homosexuality is “Not God’s Best”

Bishop Brandon Porter: Gays “Perverted & Lost...The Church of God in Christ Convocation appears like a ‘coming out party’ for members of the gay community.”

Kim Burrell: “That perverted homosexual spirit is a spirit of delusion & confusion and has deceived many men & women, and it has caused a strain on the body of Christ”

Falwell Suggests Gays to Blame for 9-11 Attacks

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

Pope Francis: Gay People Not Welcome in Clergy

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

The Pope and Gay People: Nothing’s Changed

The Catholic church silently lobbied against a suicide prevention hotline in the US because it included LGBT resources

Mormon church prohibits Children of LGBT parents to be baptized

Catholic Charity Ends Adoptions Rather Than Place Kid With Same-Sex Couple

I Was a Religious Zealot That Hurt People-Coming Out as Gay: A Former Conversion Therapy Leader Is Apologizing to the LGBTQ Community

The above short list chronicles a consistent, literal, demonization of LGBTQ people, contempt for their gender presentation, objectification of their bodies/sexuality and a coordinated pollution of media and culture over the last 50+ years by clergy since integration and Civil Rights legislation. Basically terrorism. Popes, Bishops, Pastors, Evangelists, Politicians, Television hosts, US Presidents, Camp Leaders, Teachers, Singers & Entertainers, Coaches, Athletes and Christians of all types all around the world have confused and confounded these issues, suppressed dissent, and confidently lied about LGBT people-including fellow Queer Christians with impunity for generations (i.e. “thou shall not bear false witness against they neighbor” Ex. 23:1-3). Christian majority viewpoints about “laws” and “nature” have run the table in discussions about LGBTQ people in society-so much that we collectively must first consider their religious views in all discussions and the specter of Christian approval -at best or Christian condescension -at worst. That is Christian (and straight) privilege. People are tired of this undue deference to religious opinions. 

That is what is so deliciously bothersome about Lil Nas X being loud, proud and “in your face” about his sexuality. If for just a moment, he not only disrupts the American hetero-patriarchy but specifically the Black hetero-patriarchy, the so-called “Black Church Industrial Complex”, Neo-Christian Fascism and a mostly uneducated (and/or miseducated) public concerning Ancient Near East and European history, superstitions-and (by extension) White Supremacy. To round up: people are losing their minds because the victim decided to speak out against his victimizer. 

Additionally, on some level I believe people are mad at him being just twenty years old, out and FREE as a self-assured, affirming & affirmed QUEER Black male entertainer with money and fame in the PRIME of his life. We’ve never, or rarely, seen that before in a Black man in the music business and popular culture. But that’s just too bad for them. With my own eyes I’ve watched straight people, friends, Christians, enjoy their sexuality from their elementary youth to adolescence, up and through college and later marriages, often times independently of their spouses (repeatedly). Meanwhile Queer/Gay/SGL/LGBTQ people are expected to put their lives on hold while the ‘blessed’ straight people run around exploring premarital/post-marital/extra-marital sex, love and affection, unbound & un-convicted by their “sin” or God...only to proudly rebrand themselves later in life as a good, moral “wholesome Christian” via the ‘sacred’ institution of marriage with no questions asked. 

Inequality defined.

For Lil Nas X, everything about the society we've created for him in the last 100+ years (re: links above) has explicitly been designed for his life not to be his own. According to these and other Christians (see above), his identity is essentially supposed to be an endless rat fuck of internal confusion, suicide-ideation, depression, long-suffering, faux masculinity, heterosexism, groveling towards heaven, respectability politics, failed prayer and supplication to a heteronormative earthly and celestial hierarchy unbothered in affording LGBT people like him a healthy, sane human development. It’s almost as if the Conservative establishment (Black included) needs Lil Nas X to be like others before him: “private”, mysteriously single, suicidal, suspiciously straight or worse, dead of HIV/AIDS ...anything but driving down the street enjoying his youth as a Black Queer artist and man. So they mad about that?

Well those days are over.  

-Rogiérs is a writer, international recording artist, performer and indie label manager with 25+ years in the music industry. He also directs Black Nonbelievers of DC, a non-profit org affiliated with the AHA supporting Black skeptics, Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists. He holds a B.A. in Music Business & Mgmt and a M.A. in Global Entertainment & Music Business from Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia, Spain. www.FibbyMusic.net Twitter/IG: @Rogiers1

[kabane52]

Is creation Ex Nihilo only in Apocrypha? In an article, Perry Robinson refers to a book "Creatio Ex Nihilo" by Gerhard May, which argues that the doctrine creation out of nothing might be derived from Gnosticism. What is your opinion on this? How we know that creation is created out of nothing? Thanks!

Certainly not. It is taught in Genesis 1. There are two readings of Genesis 1:1. It is either a summary statement of what is to come or an event in its own right. The former is associated with the translation “when God began to create the heavens and the earth” and the latter is “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The latter translation is undoubtedly the right one. The creation week is given a literary recapitulation many times in scripture, enabling us to see from many angles the way the biblical authors took these texts. The “heavens” of Genesis 1:1 is the throne-room of God within which myriads of angels dwell and serve. This is why Psalm 104, which provides a poetic commentary on the seven creation days, begins with a celebration of God’s heavenly ministers. Likewise, Job 38 makes clear that when the “foundations of the earth” were laid, the heavenly courtiers were already present and singing. On the second creation day, God separates the waters below (oceans) from the “waters above the heavens” and names the space in between “Heaven.” This is a visible representation of the throne-room of God which is distinct from the Heaven of Genesis 1:1. That this is the case is very clear from the fact that the architectural representations of the cosmos- the tabernacle and temple- are triply structured, with the upper two levels corresponding to each other and with the middle layer corresponding to the visible Heaven.

Consider that in the Tabernacle and Temple, the Menorah is actually called by the very word identifying the heavenly lights made on the fourth day. The seven branches of the Menorah represent the sun, moon, and five “wandering” stars which are the five planets visible with the naked eye. These seven celestial bodies are representative of the entire visible heaven and demonstrate decisively that there are two distinct Heavens, one of which is higher than the other and the lower of which contains the celestial bodies visible to us. Moreover, the biblical authors refer to two distinct Heavens explicitly. For example, King Solomon speaks of “Heaven” and the “Heaven of Heavens.” The latter is the gathering place of the heavenly council and is thoroughly permeated by the divine presence. The work of the Church is in unifying High Heaven with our world so that the two are interior to each other. The “waters above the heavens” are the bridal veil separating the material cosmos from God’s throne-room until the veil shall be wholly removed and the two shall be married. The binary pair of Heaven and Earth at the beginning of Genesis 1 matches the binary pair of male and female at the end- the first and last creations of God. We see, moreover, that Adam is the “generations” or offspring of the “heavens and the earth”, a clear reference back to 1:1 explained by the union of the Spirit (Breath) of divine Life and the dust of the ground to form the first human being. It is through man that the two spheres of reality are bound into each other’s life intimately.

All of this is designed to accentuate one major point: the “earth” in Genesis 1:1 is what is formless, void, and dark. During the six creation days God forms, fills, and brightens it. But the earth itself, as identified in 1:1, is the raw material out of which the developed and perfected creation is shaped. That means that God is explicitly identified as having first created this raw material and then shaping it. This is reinforced by creation week patterns like the seven speeches giving the design of the tabernacle- the first slot frequently includes the gathering up of all the raw materials out of which all else will be made.

That creation ex nihilo would be attriibuted by anyone to Gnosticism is very seriously mistaken. It is gnosticism which grants an innate and irrevocable place to the world in the inner life of God. Creation ex nihilo is about the reality that God’s creation of the world was free and without any necessity, whether in God or in the world. It is present in Christianity from the earliest antiquity and is clearly at an advantage in prima facie assessments of the New Testament: the creation of the world out of things which were not is most easily read as a reference to creation ex nihilo, and given the fact that we know this to be the normative tradition in Judaism, there is absolutely no reason to seek an alternative reading. Early witnesses alleged to undermine creation ex nihilo usually are simply stating that God formed His creatures out of preexisting material. But He did! That’s not the question. There was one and only one act of creation ex nihilo- the creation of the “heavens and the earth” in 1:1. The heavens are perfect, mature, and do not develop. Angels do not multiply. Heaven is thus the archetype for earth, which is shaped and developed by divine action through history. Man is created in the image and likeness of God to extend the divine work which began in the six day creation. The question is not whether creatures were shaped out of preexisting matter, but whether that preexisting matter was created ex nihilo by God or self-existed. 

I should add that creation ex nihilo is also present in the traditions of other nations who continued to remember from the tradition of their fathers going back to Noah and Adam that there was One who unified all things in Himself, and that this supreme God was incontestably sovereign in relation to the world because it was wholly derived from His power. 

[heartsywritesthethings]

Pick both

Movie Night leading up to Decision

“Why can’t I sit with both of you?” You ask, looking between the two demon brothers. Asmodeus opens his mouth to argue with you, but you nudge him. You can already hear his degrading comment about Mammon, but you won’t allow it to leave his lips. Honestly, Mammon deserves better. 

With your free hand, you pat a small spot next to you for him to sit. Mammon hesitates for a moment before squeezing into the space between you and the armrest.

“See? This is perfectly fine. Now I don’t have to worry about being cold during the movie!” You say, trying to keep things positive while the brothers glare daggers at each other. 

“Looks like someone is popular.” Satan comments as he walks into the room with Levi being pulled in by his ear. 

“Ow. Ow. Owwwww. Make him stop! I don’t want to watch the movie if it’s not one of the Seven Lords!” Levi whines, but his cries land on deaf ears. 

“I just wanted some extra company. There’s plenty of room on the couch for the three of us anyways.” You say, shrugging a little bit and settling back into the couch against both of the brothers. Both of the grumble something under their breath, but you elbow them both.

“I’m guessing Mammon didn’t want someone else touching his prized human.” Levi says, rubbing his ear as Satan lets go of him.

“H-Hey! I just didn’t want them boning in the middle of the movie! It would be so gross!” Mammon says, his cheeks flushing slightly. How cute.

“Sure. ” Levi says, absolutely not believing him even though it is completely possible. He turns to you. “Just let me know if they start fighting so I can blog about it. For some reason, my fans really like hearing about my dysfunctional family along with my amazing commentary about manga.”

“They won’t be fighting. Thanks anyways, Levi.” You say with a shake of your head. Although they don’t have the best track record with keeping the peace, you will do your best to make it through this movie. Beelzebub walks in with six bowls balanced on his arms.

“Hey, Beelz! Any popcorn for us?” You ask, and everyone looks at you like you’re crazy. This is Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony, he won’t share his food–

“Oh. For you, yeah.” He says and hands you a bowl.

–with anyone except you. You let him have your dessert for a few nights and he seems to think that means he owes you his life. That’s fine though, you were really craving popcorn anyways. Mammon’s bottom jaw drops as he watches you take a piece of popcorn and pop it into your mouth.

“Uh…how about for me?” Mammon asks, looking up at his brother. Beelz just snorts and sits down on the loveseat by the couch, arranging the bowls on the cushion next to him for easy access. Levi snaps a picture of you with the popcorn bowl and then a picture of Beelzebub.

“This is historical. Beelzebub just shared his food, everyone mark your calendars. Sent.” Levi reads before posting his new update. He sits down in front of the coffee table, face still glued to his phone screen. 

“Alright, since we’re all here now, I hope we can all enjoy this movie sent to us by the Celestial Realm. The Chihuahua himself sent us this for us to watch and I think it would be rude to turn him down. ” Lucifer says, turning off the lights and turning on the movie. 

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want him tripping over his tail as he cries home to Simeon.” Mammon jokes. 

“This is called Christopher Robin, apparently a human saw Luke in the Human realm and mistook him for a toy bear.” Lucifer says as the movie begins.

“A bear? Not a dog?” Mammon asks and then looks at you. “You humans are weird.”

With that last statement, he pokes you in the side, causing you to jump towards Asmodeus. You hope that Mammon doesn’t put two and two together, but that evil grin on his face makes that hope die out pretty fast. Arms tighten around you and you glance up to see Asmodeus with the same devilish grin on his face as well. It seems that whatever argument they had before is gone and forgotten. As the Disney logo flashed across the screen, Mammon grabs your legs and swings them into his lap while Asmodeus takes firm hold of your wrists in one hand.. You’re about to comment to Asmodeus that he must have a lot of practice holding people down when Mammon slides a manicured finger up your left foot. Your giggle is only muffled by Asmodeus’ other hand which clamps over your mouth. 

Your eyes widen and you look up at Asmodeus. He catches your gaze and leans down.

“You’d better be quiet, human. Just because we have a pact with you doesn’t mean we have to show mercy.” Asmodeus whispers before planting a soft kiss on your forehead. Your eyes then dart to Mammon since begging to Asmodeus was a lost cause. You shake your head, but he just shrugs and starts to scribble his fingers across your bare feet.

You try to kick and squirm away from them, but their hold is firm and you know you aren’t going anywhere. It makes it worse that they both seem to also watch the movie while they torment you. Mammon regularly switches from harsh scribbles to light delicate tickles, both driving you equally crazy. It is only by pure miracle that you aren’t cackling up a storm with how much this tickles. Well, that and the hand clamped over your mouth to keep you quiet. 

“I want a turn,” Asmodeus whispers to his brother and finally the ticklish torment on your feet stops and the hand is removed from your mouth. You take quick gasping breaths, a little dizzy from the lack of air that was allowed in your human lungs. You hardly even register that the two demon brothers are just waiting for you to catch your breath before they can pounce again. 

“Don’t laugh” Asmodeus says to you before they both begin their assault. This time, there are four hands assaulting you. Mammon went for your sides and stomach, fingers scribbling wildly over your skin while Asmodeus uses his position to tickle under your arms. Honestly, his request was just too much to ask.

“AHAHAHAH! Wait! Wait STOP! STOHOHOHOHOP! PLEHEHEHEASE!” You laugh, flailing wildly under the ticklish assault. The lights get flipped back on, but the two brothers do not even slow.

“What is going on here?” Lucifer asks, watching from where he stood with his finger still resting on the light switch.

“MAHAHAHAKE THEM STOP! PLEHEHEHEASE! EEK!” You beg, squeaking as Mammon’s fingers drift over your belly button. 

“Humans are so incredibly sensitive. We were just having some fun.” Asmodeus says, his fingers flittering over your neck and your ears, making you squeal and scrunch up against him.

“Did you try her feet already?” Satan asks calmly from the loveseat, just watching, not at all helping.

“SAHTAN! PLEASE! AH NO!” You shriek. Mammon puts his index finger in your navel, making you screech and buck up against him.

“Wow, she’s worse than you, Mammon.” Lucifer says, and you swear you can see just the hint of a smile on his face. You can’t really get a good look since you’re in ticklish hell.

“I can look up some techniques so you guys don’t accidentally kill her.” Levi said, oh so helpfully from the floor. Was he taking pictures of this?!

“Just feel lucky that Beelz isn’t joining the fun.” Satan scoffs, shivering at just the thought.

“LUCKy?! AH! AHAHAHA I CAHAHAHAN’T BREEHEHEHEHEATHE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH EEEE!” you continue. Great, Asmodeus found out just how ticklish your upper ribs are by your chest. Of course he would find that spot. 

Finally, the torment stops. It seems like it lasted for so long. Too long. You melt into giggles on Asmodeus’ lap and the couch. 

“I donno about y'all, but I like this a lot more than a movie night.” Mammon says, shooting you a wink. You just stick your tongue out at him. Asmodeus slowly rakes his fingers through your hair.

“Me too. Shall we make this a weekly event?” Asmo says, looking up at your brothers. All of them seem to be in agreement.

“Wait–” You begin.

“As long as everyone gets equal opportunity. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.” Lucifer says with a small nod. You look at him in dismay. What betrayal.

“So, who wants to take bets? Fifty Grimms to whoever can get her to laugh the hardest!” Mammon calls out. This is going to be a long night.