Gues what? Something has pissed me off again!

Oh horrors no. not that.

This is something that has bugged me for a while on several fronts.
It involves symbolism, art, literature, and uneducated superstitious Christians.

Mind you - not all Christians are this lame. Plenty of them - most of them I'd like to think, are fine people. the ones who give them the bad name are just the loudest, and often, the stupidest.

Stupid people come in ever color imaginable. I have no problem with variation among people. Just ignorant ones.

I'm addressing the type of Christians who think that if every single word out of your mouth, picture you draw, or book you read isn't a literal repitition of Jesus that you must be the devil's drinking buddy. I've heard them rail against Harry Potter, and Narnia, and all kinds of other music and literature that is perfectly valid as art not to mention having a positive moral message - yet they feel that because there is symbolism that is not acutely Christian, it is automatically evil.

I blew my fuse while looking for some symbols online through google, and came across some asshats page about the band POD(and they are Christian, mind you), and how they must be satanic because of their symbolism on the CD inlays. t shirts, hamsters, etc.

I knew I should have turned back to begin with when they started in about the band logo - which is a symbol of the trinity (father son and holy ghost. It's a catholic thing that I many people don't get. Think GOD in three aspects, like how water can be liquid, solid and gas at different temperatures)

The trinity symbol more or less looks like 3 intersecting ovals with a triangle at the center. This is a christian symbol, naturally, but also a very ancient one. Three has always been an important number because it encompasses such ideas as the stages of life. The triquetra also is featured in celtic art, and the symbol of three is also evident in (GASP) PAGAN art. Oooooohhh. Spooky.

Why? because I think that people, down through time have grasped the significance of this symbol as some kind of spiritual truth no matter what setting it is in.

But this ass hat, goes on in his bible thumping uneducated way to say:

But there's one problem with representing the Trinity, or the Godhead with symbols — it's CLEARY FORBIDDEN in the Bible!
Acts 17:29, clearly FORBIDS such symbology: ". . . we ought NOT to think that the Godhead [the Trinity] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, GRAVEN BY ART [symbols, icons, etc.] and man's device."

Me:(You obviously have no understanding of how symbols work. AT ALL.)

That could NOT POSSIBLY be any clearer!

To represent the Trinity or God as a "symbol" or "image", etc. is strictly forbidden. All throughout the Old Testament the use of graven images are strictly forbidden! The very FIRST of the ten commandments forbids such symbolism!

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exodus 20:3-4
There are many other verses in both the Old and New Testament agains the use of symbols, images, etc. to represent God or any false god.
Not surprising, since symbols are strictly forbidden by the Lord God, symbols are highly esteemed in witchcraft and the occult.

Alright then Mr Sassy Pants, explain to me why the Christian Church - specifically the Catholic Church which was the oldest and original form is SO rich in symbolism?
Are we to do away with all these GRAVEN IMAGES such as icons of saints and IMAGES OF JESUS? If you're the type of Christian I think you are, you've got Jesus everywhere and if you are implying that making ANY images of God is forbidden, then JC has gotta go too.

In fact, according to what you are saying, why stop there? ART is the making of graven images. Is ART forbidden? How can we possibly follow the BIBLE if we have people running around with paintbrushes and making trees and ducks appear on canvas? Won't they eventually fall in with Satan and paint some devil ducks levitating above some esoteric formula for cheerios?!!

Ridiculous.

I will note, that Muslim religion forbids the depiction of Graven images also - but in the form of people, animals, (living creatures) etc. Instead, they use decorative geometric patterns and their own script. The images are beautiful and complex...but according to you this is probably also blasphemy. There is an arabic symbol for God/Allah as well which they feature prominently. Is this another trespass against your God? (ah yes, they aren't deliberately Christian. Of Course)

Let's see what the dictionaries define as a graven image:

graven image: an object of worship usually carved of wood or stone: idol
Graven: alt pp of grave 2
grave 2: 1. to sculpture 2. to impress sharply

So basically, anything that is a sculpture that can be worshipped can be a graven image. If I start worshipping someone's lawn jockey, will the artist be struck down by God? Or will I, for being such a retard as to place that much value on a single object?

Also by this, the author of the article might as well go from church to church and round up all the wooden Jesi for a BBQ.

to impress sharply (like Engrave)....wouldn't that mean basically ANYTHING can be a graven image? Even writing? What about the word GOD? What if we just started worshipping that instead? would we have to do away with the alphabet?

We are visual beings. Sight is one of our primary physical senses. We use symbols and images every day in order to communicate. We use art to express ourselves. It would be impossible for us NOT to have some representation of GOD in whatever form we believe GOD exists in. We have no idea what GOD actually looks like (it's more complex than that anyway), but we do have visual clues to remind us of our faith and belief. we do not "worship" these symbols, we use them as guides to heighten our awareness and thereby reach GOD.

take that, dork cheese. but, oh wait, you're not finished being a dipshit.

This guy goes on to trace three 6's in the trinity symbol (oh wait, the POD symbol as he calls it) Clearly, now we can see how satanic this symbol is. This is exactly the type of uniformed stuper-stitious bullshit that happens with a lot of other things like Harry Potter. Some one has their SATAN goggles welded onto their head, and are deliberately looking for the negative in everything. It's the equivalent of dorks finding da vinci code symbolism in places where there isn't any. it's like seeing Elvis in a bowl of porridge. You see him because you want to.

The amount of tripe on one page is staggering. This guy goes on and on against POD, pointing fingers at symbolism that he does not understand and labels as OCCULT, or ESOTERIC.

OCCULT: 1. hidden 2. secret 3. mysterious 4.of mystic arts such as magic, astrology, etc.
ESOTERIC: Meant for or understood by only a chosen few

So, looking at these two words, the primary definitions are that any symbol which falls under these as a descriptor, has a mysterious meaning that not everyone is going to get.

Being a guy who obviously must read the bible everywhere including on the toilet, you'd think he'd realize just how much of that book IS esoteric... how much of Christian symbolism had hidden multiple meanings that the average person wouldn't discern readily without PERSONAL RESEARCH.

yeah sure. This guy is quoting this and that book with definitions about what these symbols mean, but he still doesn't comprehend them and he makes disjointed comparisons that really have no relevance, beyond that he feels they are serving to make his point. For example - we see a picture of Anton La Vey, a Satanic Mass, a "satanic Salute" cropped out of it's original context somewhere on one of POD's albums.....and then the american sign language symbol for I love you? HUH? I see where he's trying to go, but using a skateboard with cookies for wheels won't get you to Paris. Dumbass.

I guess I won't tell anyone I love them in sign language. God hates sign language.

Of course we also have accusations of preoccupation with Death the "cursed" number 13. Ah, one of the loud Christian's most potent tools, fear and superstition.
This guy really thinks he's telling the truth, but anyone who uses tactics like this, is doing anything but and doesn't understand what they're talking about.

The Narnia Chronicles were attacked in their time for the same reasons - the use of "magic" and "mystical symbols" as well as mention of "witchcraft" made people get their crucifixes in a knot. Harry Potter has done the same in our time.

What the critics of these literary works or bands or "esoteric" symbols don't get is that they are not looking beyond the surface. They are stuck in the idea of the literal - and the fact that they want to see literal evil means they can and will see it everywhere. They have no concept of metaphor - that something can stand for something else and still retain the same meaning plus having a literal meaning. Another word for metaphor is Parable - something that JESUS used frequently in explaining things to his followers. Why? Because sometimes it's easier to understand a practical or symbolic example than it is to just be told straight. (odd as that seems)

Symbol and metaphor are simply a different language than the literal words we use everyday. If was was to write a sentence using nothing but images of vegetables, few people could understand unless they knew what the symbols stood for. Some people, because they couldn't understand it, would be frightened or annoyed because of the potential of what it could mean. They are the ones who are most likely to take a knee jerk stance and say - this is negative.

It is not the fault of the artist, writer, or creator of a symbol that someone's limited comprehension doesn't allow them instant access to meaning. You cannot take everything at face value. Everything - especially humans- are composed of myriad layers and are very complex. Any good symbol is complex and has numerous meanings - some which are intrinsic, and some that are esoteric.

Why must some things be hidden then?
Here's the most bible thumping i will ever do, because it is relevant. Jesus is quoted as saying at one point "Cast not pearls before swine."HUH?
Well what happens when you throw pearls at a pig? They'll either eat it or step
on it.(Hell, they'll eat bacon if offered)they have no concept of how precious or important the pearls are, because their intelligence and comprehension is limited.
So, don't give the really good stuff to the stupid. Seems rather unJesus-like until you realize why this is true.

If you were to tell the bare assed truth, the mystery behind the symbols, glory and all to a guy like the one I've been berating, they won't believe you, or they won't understand you because the truth is not what they are seeking. They'll accuse you of lying, being crazy, dangerous, or even satanic because what you have said has challenged their beliefs and they were unprepared for the news. Pearls + swine equals fear and loathing.

this is why so many LOUD CHRISTIANS are so self righteous and so damn annoying. They are convinced they are right, hell bent on SAVING everyone, when they don't have the knowledge at hand to effectively make any sense in plain english.

Asshat goes on in his article to demonize things like tarot cards, meditation, listening to your subconscious, blah blah you're full of shit blah.

tarot cards , when CORRECTLY used, are a way of communicating with your higher self through symbols. They are not "fortune telling", although that's how most people use them, and many become dependent. Guns don't kill people, people kill people.
Once again, tarot is packed with symbols - many of which are SO ancient...and some even -GASP- Christian. oops.
I read tarot. I read only for myself, and not very often at all. Only when I need to clarify a situation that has been troubling me, or when I've hit some kind of mental block. Often the cards reaffirm what I've been going through and define a plan of right action.

Using tarot is a form of meditation. Meditation is a way to connect with your subconscious. there's a lot of shit floating around in your subconscious that you aren't even aware is there. maybe more than any of us really expects. The point is, that the subconscious exists as a valid part of us, and does not communicate in the same language our conscious mind does. Anyone who has ever remembered a dream knows this. the subconscious speaks to us with symbols, images, sounds,and sometimes broken words. These elements can sometimes be literal, but they always have another deeper meaning. Figuring out these meanings means going inside yourself to figure out just what the specific images mean to you. the meanings are not going to be the same for everyone.

Self knowledge is key to understanding just about anything. it's about how you relate to others, what you believe, and how you choose to act.
ok, more bible strumming, but only a little. it won't hurt.
Jesus said "the kingdom of God is within you"
DURH??!!
Ahem. Note above paragraphs.
If you want to even attempt to know God or understand the world, you gotta know yourself. the knowledge is already there inside you - in the symbols you relate to, in the dreams you remember. The symbols are merely reminders of something bigger. They are not to be feared because of lack of understanding.
You don't know if it's a cookie jar until you look inside, and you don't know what flavor the cookies are until you taste them.

Mr Asshat and others like him would scoff at what I've said, especially since I'm being "esoteric". I think I'll use that word more often in conversation. "my, your dress is looking very esoteric today." " What an occult sofa you have!"

Or maybe I'll just start talking a in language that Mr Asshat wouldn't understand - like spanish, and maybe he'll think that's satanic too. Vaya con queso.

I'm basically sick of people taking everything literally all the time. I am not the most literal person, as I'm very visual and conceptual, and often find actual words to be a difficult medium to speak with. I am often misunderstood as a result. I'm sick of self righteous people whether their agenda be political, racial, religious, made out of crayons, etc. trying to bend the ears and wills of people by being the loudest one to spew incoherent tripe. I have to be forced onto my soapbox by anger, (namely this blog) and i don't like the idea of harping at people to change themselves. that's not my job. I choose to live by example. People bother me less that way.

I wish that the minority and their asshaberdashery would stop ruining the joy we can get out of certain books and music. I'm sure they understand the symbolism behind my middle finger. What bothers me most is that they assume they are SOOOOOO right and that no one else must even be capable of thinking for themselves, therefore they take it upon themselves to do shoddy research and bend it to their self esteem lifting agenda. I feel for the people who actually listen to these bastards.

here's the link to this guy's page, and from taking a brief glance at his site, it's all about hunting witches and saving the righteous.It's called the Dial the Truth Ministries (Like naming a place "Friendly Auto parts" where the staff are all assholes) and it's a tract ministry place. Doesn't that about say it all?

At least Jack Chick tracts are funny and have cartoons.

http://www.av1611.org/crock/pod_sym.html

Jesus Christ this guy is a dork.

Oink, motherfucker.

I would rename this thing the BILE DUCT if I could do so in my profile, but there doesn't seem to be a way to accomplish that as far as I can tell.

I'm going to have a nice day off today. I know this because I am here early to spew and get stupid annoying thoughts off my mind that would otherwise hinder my ability to not snarl.

Half of this is stuff I've complained about before, some of it gets in my head because of such activites like turning on the stupid box, being forced to ride the bus or talk to other people. I'm using this post like granola, so I won't be constipated later on and I can enjoy my day without the onset of diarhea.

That said:

Things that irk me and why I suck as an american.

What is an AMERICAN? besides an artificial pre dyed slice of processed matter that melts at the slightest heat? Do they taste good with bacon?

I am not convinced that I am a model american.
I do not mind the sound of our national anthem. I rather like some specific places in this country. Our flag is even cool as long as it does evolve into tacky forms like shirts or bandanas. We're allowed more freedoms than most countries, certainly.
But to say this is the greatest country on earth is like drinking Busch Beer and turning your nose up at Guinness.

Apparently, being the greatest country on this earth involves a lot of practices that I think are utter crap. We all know that the government is full of corrupt idiots with insider trading information and overly large lungs/egos. Yet, every four years, we are given this illusion of CHOICE, that WE can make a difference in how this country is run by punching little holes in a piece of paper that we hope SOMEONE has the ability to properly count.

If I really thought that making specific holes in paper would change our situation, I'd be making fucking paper snowflakes.

Sure, we get a choice. A choice such as "Would you like to be stabbed in the stomach, or the eye?" "Hmmm, no thanks. I'll have the chicken."

When choice involves figuring out which pile of shit will stick less to your shoes and if it's likely to smell down the road, than I hardly call that a choice.

The first time I voted in a decade was a protest vote, for this very reason. I am glad for this chance to voice my opinion, don't get me wrong, but I would enjoy this freedom much more if I were given the chance to choose something worthwhile.

Perhaps this is a cracked idea, but given that I know I wasn't the only person who didn't like either choice in the past election, and that many people vote for libertarian or green party candidates not even because they'll win but because they don't want to support two other losers, is to offer an actual PROTEST VOTE space on ballots. If given the choice to actively voice the fact that we think your nominees are shit, it could even be possible that people who don't normally vote may actually turn out if they have such a choice presented. If such an idea was used, it would be easier to keep track of how many people are actually voting for candidates because the like them, instead of "Well, this one has nicer ties."

Of course, then there's the problem that could occur - what if the protest vote exceeds the count for either of the candidates.

That would be fucked up, but an obvious message.

Oh, and as for the party system? Fuck it. Republican and Democrat are just labels for bottles and most opinions, views and beliefs within one human are too much to be contained in one weak little bottle. It hasn't been working. Belonging to a party is longing belong to a religion - if you can't adhere to the tenets and dogma presented therein, then you likely will get flack from those who "do" and really don't belong there to being with. there's no sense in fitting a tiny glass slipper on a big foot.

Have I mentioned that our sense of health sucks? Not entirely, of course. There are people who are exercising, healthy, eating right, are actually well balanced, well rested, friendly happy people. Do we hear about them? No.

The MACHINE (which actually runs everything, much like THE COMPANY in Alien)is too busy trying to wrangle our attention and is throwing so many mixed, convoluted and screwed up messages at us all in the name of progess (ie, cash and power)

Most people's diets are NOT what they should be, and in the kind of lifestyle that most people lead it can be hard to eat right because it typically requires COOKING for yourself. there's way too much over processed food with ingredients that we can't name and full of addictive chemicals that keep us eating the crap. But wait! There's more! Why is it, that to get actual JUICE (juice; n. - liquid that is squeezed from fruit)you have to pay more than for this processed dyed sugar water that barely has any juice in it? What is it more expensive to buy food that contains , well, FOOD instead of some scientific genetically altered toast shaped pizza flavored product dyed blue so kids will eat it?

We as a nation are SO over sugared and SO over caffeinated and so over stimulated that it's no wonder we're a bunch of wack jobs winding up on reality TV. Of course, no ones stopped to think that maybe our kids are being diagnosed with ADD because they eat so much sugar, get introduced to caffeine (which is a drug) at an early age, and are observing our frenetic lifestyle which they feel they must copy (or are taught to) in order to surivive?

Ah yes, medication. When your diet is crappy because you believe that eating 15 yards of bacon will help you lose weight off of your previously couch ridden TV watching ass and you still feel sluggish, depressed and have erectile dysfunction, naturally, you must be medicated.

This is a great country! And we'll drug you into believing it! YAY!
Why should purple pills falling from the sky make me happy??! Why do people with herpes always go kayaking?!!

Notice how the MACHINE wants us to wonder if there's something wrong with us by advertising mystery drugs in various fun colors that produce more and worse side effects than whatever "condition" they help? What the hell are all these fuckers for anyway? they won't tell us? You have to "ask your doctor if it's right for you." Ask your doctor, because obviously to have no power or knowledge to police your own body on a regular basis and the drug compaines want their cut. They want to make you feel inadequate, sick or wrong somehow so that you may question your own judgement and buy into their scam.

I'm waiting for drug companies to openly advertise drugs to cover the side effects of other drugs.


Have you noticed that EVERYTHING is becoming a medical condition? (thusly the need for more drugs) If you're upset with your life, sad, can't seem to find anything to care about - it's a medical condition and you need drugs for it. If you have any of a laundry list of sleep disorders (the amount of people claiming them is growing, mind you) than it's becoming a medical condition. There's drugs for that too.
Why are more and more people getting depressed? Angry? Unable to sleep?

Has....anyone bothered to, oh, I don't know....LOOK AT OUR CULTURE? We live in a country whose existence is dependent on our economic power. People are overworked, underpaid, over caffeinated to compensate for sleep lost from stress caused my meeting everyone's demands. We want everything right now -NO-, YESTERDAY. We crack down on sick days, don't allow enough vacation time, screw with people's circadian rhythms, and are so busy trying to crank out products to keep the market flowing that we forget the toll it takes on everyone. Worst of all, we are a throw away society. We make crappy stuff cheap so it breaks and people have to throw it away and buy more.

We adhere to the dogma of business, of bottom lines, of the quarterly revenue. we chant buzz words to our priestly CEO's in that they will grant us salvation through the intangible numbers on our paychecks.

We work and work and work....and to what end? What do we really get out of all this? Sure, people need products and services to survive. But they don't need have the stupid electronic gadgets out there, or the cars that are only fun to drive on the audubon, or the trendy clothing that is only good for a few months before the next season's line.

God Money I'd do anything for you.

We're so free, so very free. That's why everything here is so expensive. We're free...to buy whatever it is our hearts desire and if we can't - we just accept another credit card offer. We're free to be stressed out, neglectful of our health, our children's lives, we're free to zone out in front of the TV after working 10 hours and fill our heads with the very messages we should be avoiding...but we can't because what else are we going to do with our time? we're so tired. We don't have the energy to do much more than pop than frozen salisbury three mile island steak into the freezer and open a can of carbonated syrup to ward off the sinking feeling that we'll be doing the same damn thing tomorrow.

Why do people watch TV? because it's there. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get the TV remote. Why does TV exist? Obviously to sell us things under the guise of entertainment, and to make us feel less about ourselves so that we will buy things so that we feel better.

You know, I just hate waking up and realizing I'm not Jennifer Anniston. I think I'll buy some lipstick and get my legs waxed.

No one seems to want to live their own lives. it's always escape...escape into the lives of others on TV. LIve vicariously through celebrities who are glamourously crunchy on the outside but with a fucked up cream filling on the inside. If the people who used TV as an escape actually DID something with the lives they are so disenchanted with...imagine what could happen. Ooooh Scary. Well adjusted people. boo.

yes, there is entertainment on TV. Not much, but some, and you have to wade through so much shit just to get to it.


Ah yes. I hate cell phones. I hate the cute rings, I hate people who talk on cellphones with no consideration for others, I hate people who design cellphone plans. People have bought into the electronic leash with a fervor. I want people to leave me alone - therefore I don't own one. Sometimes, my friends are lucky if I even answer the home phone.
We are wired to the teeth with phones in one ear, ipods in the other, and palm pilots to organize what gadgets we're going to acquire next.

And silly people keep making these movies about how machines take over the world and kill us. Imagine that.

I don't believe that your ipod is going to develop AI and chew on your head, but I do believe that all the frequencies flying around aren't terribly healthy. Let's push the dark button on the toaster so we toast ourselves to a crisp. We've already got stress, poor diet, and lack of health care on our backs. Expensive gadgets are yummy! Chomp.

Notice how cancer is more prevalent than it used to be? Gone are the days of wasting away with cholera, and yellow fever. We control our own destinies now! Bring on the cancer! I gotta talk to my grandma in the supermarket line for 15 mintues about nothing.

People accuse religion of cornering the market on dogma. Has anyone forgotten science? And business? Dogma is not an exclusive club to which only clergy can join.
it can exist anywhere, like fungus. Even in subcultures that pride themselves on being "alternative", like GOTH.

Even atheists have dogma.
Personally though, I don't believe in the existence of atheists. Even if atheists really existed, it would be necessary to abolish them.

Sigh.

We're all kinds of fucked up in theis country (hell, in this world). Specifically here, though, we've got so many double standards that we don't know who or what to follow anymore, and we can't seem to think for ourselves because we don't have time or energy. We let the MACHINE do the thinking.

We are our own worst enemy.

I've had dreams where I'm playing a character, or a role which isn't me at all - often times is opposite of me or has qualities that I would never want. I play this role for a while then realize somewhere along the way that something is wrong. I'm usually having trouble with something or someone in the dream at this point - being abused or oppressed, putting up with crap that makes no sense and isn't getting me anywhere. At the realization of this, I know I'm dreaming. it's a dream, and I have control over it. I can change my reality however I choose - I don't have to blindly follow this role I've been given.

I wake up inside the dream and face those who abuse me. I turn the tables on those who oppress me. I now that I have the power to be who I am and that everyone who is trying to get in my way has failed. Utterly.

I wake up inside the dream.

It's all a dream. Every last bit.

A Dream.

WAKE UP.