Jesus Tomb - Not!

This post concerns the article on the Discovery Channel website regarding the current "Jesus Tomb" brouhaha. In the final analysis, it's amazing how Discovery, et al., can continue putting out such malarkey over the years without any damage to their credibility.

If you read that article closely, you will see a perfect example of intellectual legerdemain in action. Firstly, they say there's DNA evidence "suggesting" the tombs are those of Jesus, et al. What is this evidence? They took the DNA of the bones and compared it to what? Did they have some DNA evidence that had already been scientifically determined to be that of Jesus? Wow! That IS big news!

From this article, what this so-called evidence appears to be is that the bones in two of the ossuaries - one reading "Jesus" and one "Mary" - are not related. Therefore, goes this incredibly specious argument, they are the bones of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene! The guy who is making all these definitive connections, Jacobovici, was involved in the Jame ossuary hoax - how credible is he? In his declarations, he is already assuming a priori that these tombs are proved to have been those of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Considering that Jacobovici is now trying to prove that the James ossuary came from the same tomb, my suspicion is that all of this sleight-of-hand is an attempt on his part to resurrect his own reputation.

I find it interesting that there is no mention of the work of James Tabor called The Jesus Dynasty, which, not having read, I am assuming is based on the same tomb and which was widely touted on all the talk shows some years ago. Why is he not being mentioned now? Could it be because his work has been discredited since then, and the producers don't want anyone to realize the connection? (This is speculation on my part, obviously, since I haven't followed that debate.)

Furthermore, what about the Jesus tomb found in 1945 in the same Talpiot Quarter of Jerusalem, as I mention in my article on the James ossuary? It had charcoal crosses on it - so why couldn't THAT be the tomb of the "real Jesus of Nazareth?" Perhaps because, as the archaeologists themselves have repeatedly stated about this "new" find (from 1980), there is no real, solid and scientific evidence to that effect? I.e., the archaeologists on neither tomb have made these definitive connections - and that's an important point. Nowhere does Discovery even mention the 1980 tomb's archaeologist Amos Kloner, who pointedly stated, ""It's a beautiful story but without any proof whatsoever."

If the inscriptions are from the Herodian period (1 BC to 1 AD), per Frank Moore Cross, how the heck are they relevant to Jesus and his family? Even if Jesus himself had been born and named by then, did someone predict his marriage to Mary and the name of their son, born decades later, such that these inscriptions were made before either event had occurred, in anticipation that both would be buried there? What nonsense!

As to the conclusion by "Jodi Magness" that the New Testament writings demonstrate Jesus "likely" lived during the 1st century AD/CE - wow! I'd never heard that before. What stellar reportage.

And what is "Matthew" doing in this family tomb? Say, now, that's why the book of Matthew is so "accurate" - because Matthew was in reality one of Jesus's lost siblings! (FYI, that's sarcasm, because the book of Matthew and the other gospels reveal the writers did NOT have familiarity with the topography and geography of Palestine at the time, proving they could not have lived there and been eyewitnesses to the events. For more on the problems with the New Testament, please see my book Who Was Jesus?)

Discovery reports that a scholar has stated that the name "Mary," as in "Mary Magdalene," was probably "Mariamene" or "Mariamne." Well, that's good enough for Discovery, apparently, to conclude that these bones belonged to Mary Magdalene! Never mind that the name "Mary" was common in Jerusalem at the time - and has been found on numerous tombs and ossuaries, including two in this so-called Jesus Tomb itself.

As concerns the silly statistic regarding the names (600 to 1), again, the fact is that the names Jesus, Mary and Joseph were VERY common at that time. The name Mary, in reality, was apparently SO common that there are THREE Marys mentioned in the gospel tale! Indeed, there are few other named females in the gospel tale, such as Anna and Salome, and these are relatively minor characters. Hence, for the major female characters in the gospel drama, we are faced almost exclusively with Marys! What are the odds for that? Could it be that the gospel writers hit upon the names Jesus, Mary and Joseph PRECISELY because they WERE so common? It would be much easier to place them into history because of this commonality - the results of such efforts being that here we are some 2,000 years later squabbling about which "historical" Jesus, Joseph and Mary these characters were!

Based on this sketch at Discovery, what it comes down to here, apparently, is that, because the two sets of bones in the 1980 Talpiot tomb discovery are not related, they are THE Jesus and Mary of New Testament myth. From there, we have the set of bones belonging to a "Judah son of Jesus" that must be those of the son of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene! (As an aside, would Jesus and Mary - had they actually been married and parented a child together - really name their son after the person [Judas] who betrayed Jesus to the authorities?!)

Discovery Channel is obviously the World Weekly News of television. I'd say the National Enquirer, but that august publication is actually far more accurate in its reportage.

Jesus's Tomb Found - Really?

Those of us who have been studying the Jesus myth for long enough not only have seen this coming, but we've already addressed it, because the "Jesus's tomb found!" crowing is as old as the hills. This latest load of hooey pops up, of course, right in time for Easter, when we will be bludgeoned with the hideous tale of the gentle Lord and Savior of the cosmos being brutally beaten and sacrificed - to himself, in an expiatory ritual somehow designed to remove the sins of the weak and beggarly creatures this all-powerful Lord created in the first place.

As outlined in my books The Christ Conspiracy and Suns of God, the creation of holy relics to bolster a flagging faith constitutes ancient priestcraft of the first order. No self-respecting priesthood could be without such fabrication, and this latest bit of legerdemain is hardly anything outstanding within this long line of chicanery and treachery.

Let us look more closely at the sleight-of-hand being foisted upon us in this newest attempt at anchoring the mythical into history. First, some years ago when another such piece of priestcraft, the so-called James ossuary, was being touted as the missing "proof" for the existence of Jesus Christ, I wrote a long rebuttal called "Bone Box No Proof of Jesus," which was published in a three-part series in Secular Nation at the suggestion of Dr. Robert Price. In this article - written in 2002 - I discuss the fact that ossuaries of this type were not uncommon and that inscriptions with the names of "Jesus" and "Mary" were likewise to be found abundantly. I even addressed this latest purported "tomb of Jesus":

... as [archaeologist] Avi-Yonah states regarding the numerous bone-boxes found in the Tombs at Dominus Flevit, which contained "122 ossuaries of the usual type [square]," common names included Jeshua or Yeshua (Jesus) and Maria (Mary). (EAEHL, II, 636.) In one of the surviving family tombs in Jerusalem are 18 ossuaries with Greek inscriptions, one of which contains the names "Joseph" (twice) and "Maria." (EAEHL, II, 635.) By the typical media and religious standards this tomb should have been exalted as that of Jesus's family.

In another example, in the "Tomb Cave in the Talpiot Quarter, discovered in 1945," are found large charcoal crosses on one of the ossuaries, while "two other ossuaries had Greek inscriptions reading IhsouV iou. IhsouV alwq," a phrase that contains the name Jesus twice. "The excavator interpreted the crosses and the inscriptions as expressions of sorrow at the crucifixion of Jesus, an interpretation not accepted by other scholars." The tomb itself dates to the beginning of the first century and demonstrates the commonality of the name Jesus before the purported time of the Christian messiah. (EAEHL, II, 635.) If this Jesus tomb had dated to a few decades later, no doubt the media and faithful would have had a field day in presenting it as the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, thus "proving" the biblical fable, although these two tombs mentioned herein would certainly infuriate the keepers and believers in the "Holy Sepulchre," yet another profitable tourist attraction. It would be surprising that no such incautious and mirthful rush to judgment has occurred concerning this particular Jesus tomb. In reality, at least one sloppy sensationalist author has claimed this tomb to be that of "Jesus of Nazareth," asserting that the tomb also contained the ossuaries of not only a Jesus, but also a Joseph, two Marys and a Jude. The excavation report, however, does not mention these other burials, leaving the question as to whether or not this particular author is prone to fiction, as is suggested by his other writings as well. As is evident, looks can be deceiving, such that caution should be utilized in regard to artifacts.

In Jerusalem there is even a "Tomb of Jason," complete with an ossuary and a scratched image of a warship, which could lead to the conclusion that this is the tomb of the Jason of Greek mythology. "On the walls of the porch are charcoal drawings of ships, a Greek inscription, and several Aramaic inscriptions, the longest of which consists of three lines lamenting Jason, the deceased." (EAEHL, II, 630) Using coins and pottery, the tomb is dated to having been used between the Hasmonean (2nd-1st cent. BCE) and the Herodian eras (37 BCE-70 CE). Although it is evidently the tomb of a real person of that era, true believers in the demigod Jason of Argonaut fame could attempt in the same manner as Christians to "prove" the existence of Jason and his Argonauts, such as Hercules, as "real people."

Indeed, the creation and/or discovery of the tombs of various gods has been a mainstay throughout the world for millennia and centuries, with the Egyptian god Osiris, for example, purportedly buried in dozens of places. The same has occurred with Jesus, as his remains are alleged to be found in Kashmir and Japan, to name a couple of tourist traps. I further explore this issue in my article "Jesus in India?"

Moreover, one of the individuals in this newest scandal happens to have been involved in the James ossuary hoax. Hence, we could hardly consider this find to be any more credible than that one. We also must make note of the fact that the senior archaeologist on the pertinent excavation, Professor Amos Kloner, says of this fictionalized tale - the new "documentary" of which astoundingly includes famed director James Cameron - "It's a beautiful story but without any proof whatsoever."

As an aside and postscript, if Ray Santilli can be busted for the "Alien Autopsy" hoax, then James Cameron should likewise be found culpable for foisting this fraud upon an unsuspecting public. It rankles me to no end that, when it comes to religious tomfoolery, no one is held accountable for their fraudulent behavior.

Muslim Misogyny

I spied a Muslim woman in a store recently, dressed in a black hijab. Over the years, I have beheld many Muslim women in major cities, but I remain disconcerted by the sight. This particular woman kept looking at me, wondering, I suppose, why I was peering at her every so often. I look because I am curious - and appalled.

Unlike countless people who preach "tolerance," I know too much about Islam, which has proved itself one of the most sexist and misogynistic ideologies human beings have ever conceived. In fact, the entire purpose of Islam often appears purely to repress and oppress women. An examination of the blatant sexism and misogyny within Islam would require an entire tome, such wretched perspective occurring so continually throughout Muslim doctrines.

I glance at these women because I am searching for a reason why, in a country as free as any on Earth, they would deliberately cover their hair - or worse, their faces. I frankly feel like walking up to them, pulling the hijab or burkha off them, and saying, "You're free now!" Unlike the deranged savages who exhort their followers to slap, beat, rape or kill uncovered women, however, I cannot engage in violence against another's person.

I also can't turn my face away from Muslim women, because I see such suffering there. In consideration of the disgraceful treatment of women within Islam, I do not think it too harsh to say that Islam is to women what Nazism is to Jews. To me, the hijab is equivalent to the yellow star. As but one sickening example of this horrid notion, every day the genitals of thousands of girls and women are hideously mutilated, per "traditions" largely but not exclusively found in Islamic countries. Each day, women are viciously killed in the name of "honor," completely destroying any meaning of that word. Millions of women are enslaved, beaten, abused in every way imaginable. And on and on it goes, unrelenting, with only a miniscule minority objecting.

Where is the humanity when this type of suffering goes on day in and day out? Why no outcry about this human rights violation? Does the silence exist because "God" is continually invoked in order to justify this vile behavior? What good is "God" then, if such obvious evil is allowed to flourish in "his" name?

As the Greek sage Epicurus (341-270 BCE) said:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

Humanity will only exhibit truly enlightened behavior when it ceases to allow criminal cowards to veil themselves with the patently unprovable and frequently puerile concepts of God. No matter how much one hides behind the sacrosanct concept of God, the fact will remain that abusing women is not religion.

Benny Hinn: Used Religion Salesman

I recently watched a video expose of the superevangelist Benny Hinn, whose tax-free enterprise rakes in some $250 million a year. It is apparent that Hinn is a showman, but he is also quite evidently a conman who is dishonest in his presentation of the "miracles" that fuel his enormous organization.

If the fruits of the labors of telephone psychics are taxable, it makes NO sense to allow the circus run by Benny Hinn to exist tax-free. In fact, it makes little sense not to tax religious organizations, other than because of their charitable occupations. Does God really need the tax break? Why does the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God need money in the first place to spread His Word and Gospel? Hinn, it should be noted, is evidently very stingy with his hundreds of millions when it comes to charitable activity.

Oddly enough, I like Hinn's show, as much as I liked Steve Martin's "Leap of Faith" movie about a conman who fakes miracles in order to make a living. Obviously, in the name of honesty and ETHICS, Hinn's gig should be presented as a SHOW, not reality, because THE FACT IS THAT BENNY HINN IS HURTING PEOPLE with his bogus antics. The offenses that Hinn commits would be VERY scandalous if a medical doctor engaged in them. But, because Hinn invokes God and rants on about the Lord and Savior, etc., ad nauseam, he gets away with such atrocious behavior. Perhaps all conmen and criminals should invoke God - they could then get away with it too! Hinn has obviously gotten help from powerful people as well, so it seems clear that the powermongers gleefully encourage this type of fleecing of the sheeple.

While watching this Benny Hinn expose, I was struck by a few other things. At one point while "healing" someone, Hinn shouts out, "Cancer cannot stand in the presence of the Holy Ghost." So, why does cancer exist in the first place? Is the Holy Spirit not omnipresent? Where is the Holy Spirit not? Does the Devil cause cancer? Maybe the Devil is the cancer? So the Holy Spirit cannot go where the Devil is - until Benny Hinn steps in? Benny Hinn is necessary before the Holy Spirit can work? Or is willing to work? Is the Holy Spirit impotent without Benny Hinn? If not, why can't anyone anywhere access the Holy Spirit to heal themselves? Why are people diseased in the first place, if the Holy Spirit can heal everything? Why isn't the healing Holy Spirit already present to prevent disease?

After Hinn's quarter-of-a-billion-dollar yearly income was revealed, and his lavish lifestyle exposed, one of his naive supporters stated, "It costs money to travel, to bring the gospel of Christ around the world." Again, why would it cost money for human beings to spread the Word of God? Isn't God omnipotent? Can't God spread His Word without making poor people give up all their money? It is astounding that everyone is so eager to give up their money to the most powerful force in the universe, who, if real, surely would not need money.

Wow! What a racket!

At one point Hinn acted out a "miracle" of curing a blind boy, during which the boy was pronounced "healed" and promised a trust fund to take care of him through college. When confronted with the fact that none of this occurred and that the boy was not healed at all, in his reply Hinn referred to his non-medical advisors who tell him someone is "cured":

"When he comes up on the platform, I'm only able to know what happens because they tell me so."

So what happened to the Lord, who was supposedly speaking to Hinn the whole time? How come Hinn has to rely on his staff with no medical credentials?

It is so obvious that Benny Hinn is not speaking to or for "the Lord" and that he is not doing miraculous healings. It is a shame that Hinn is scamming not only himself but so many others. But, alas, it is not unexpected, as such scams and schemes have been going on for millennia with too many used-religion salesmen to count.

Hail Zeus Pateras, God the Father!

So, relatively indigenous people would like their own religion back, but the Greek Orthodox Church feels it has the right to disparage them and discriminate against them, because, in its megalomania and arrogance, it feels it alone possesses the "only truth." Well, I say, "Shove off, Greek Orthodox Church!"

As a philhellenic, I would much prefer to see Greece embrace its glorious past, including its extraordinary ancient mythology, rather than this repulsive foreign intrusion of horse hockey called Christianity. The Greek Orthodox clergy should be considered traitors to the Greek culture, frankly, as they cast aside their homegrown traditions and gods, substituting in their stead a Jewish man to be worshipped as the god of the cosmos. "Out, out, damned spot!"

Naturally, I am not one for bringing back the attendant idiocies of slavery and human sacrifice, or compulsion in worshipping these fabulous gods. Just allow them some breathing room as imaginary friends who can sit alongside the fictional Jesus Christ - or toss his sorry arse out of Mt. Olympus.

Zeus devotees worship in Athens

By Malcolm Brabant

BBC News, Athens

The temple of Zeus has not been long unattended by priestesses

Worshippers who believe in the 12 gods of ancient Greece have held a ceremony at the Temple of Zeus in Athens.

This is a landmark event to celebrate official recognition of their religion by a court last year.

The Greek Orthodox Church has said they are miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion.

But the ceremony went ahead, with crowds watching priests and priestesses, who said the event was a symbol of their civic rights.

In 2003, white-clad worshippers performed an illicit ceremony at the Temple of Hephaestus, just below the Acropolis.

At that time they were chased off the site by ministry of culture staff.

Despite vigorous opposition from the highly conservative Greek Orthodox Church, a court last year officially recognised the revived ancient Greek religion.

The worshippers are loyal to Zeus and the other Olympians

One of its leaders, Doretta Peppa, a writer who calls herself a high priestess, told the BBC the temples were built to respect the gods and now they were going to be put to their proper use.

Ms Peppa said she had been given official permission to use the temple, but there were fears that the culture ministry, which administers the site, might give way to pressure from the church.

The president of the Association of Greek Clergymen, Father Efstathios Kollas, has described the followers of the Olympic gods as a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past.

Ms Peppa and her followers aspire to have the rights afforded to Britain's druids who worship at Stonehenge, and Danish believers in Thor and the Nordic gods who are allowed to perform marriages, baptisms and funerals.

Eye on the Future

From 11:00-12:00 PM EST/8:00-9:00 PM PST tonight, Sunday, January 21, 2007, I will be appearing Hehsehboah's "Eye on the Future" radio show out of Canada. We will be discussing my book Who Was Jesus?

H and I always have much to say about the state of the world, and I always enjoy our shows. I'm sorry to say that she has not been well at all for the past several months.

In any event, tune in if you can!

Eye on the Future Radio Show

Dr. Robert Price's Review of "Suns of God"

I am delighted to announce that I have just now posted online the review by Dr. Robert Price of my book Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled. This review is long awaited, and the hard copy of it, appearing in Price's "Journal of Higher Criticism," is going to press as I write. Bob has kindly allowed me to post this preview copy online. As one can see, after the previous debacle with my book "The Christ Conspiracy," Bob has come forth to prove himself a real mensch.

Dr. Robert Price's Review of Suns of God

Enjoy!

Robert Anton Wilson, RIP

I've just gotten the news that the great Robert Anton Wilson passed away early this morning. Perhaps that's why I couldn't sleep last night.

Although our paths had crossed previously, I had the pleasure of finally meeting RAW several years ago, at Tim Leary's memorial service in a hangar at the Santa Monica airport. Wilson was forlorn, but, as was to be expected, made a humorous send off of that singular character.

Some years prior to that, I had sent Wilson a letter - by snailmail! - giving him the skinny on the origins of Christianity. I was delighted to receive a missive in return from him - again, snailmail! - exhorting me to "convert to Islam, and everything would be all right!" Obviously, he was being his usual funny self. Somewhere around that time, I also became friendly with a person who had spent quite a bit of time with Bob, so I was regaled with Bob Wilson stories for months on end.

The most recent "encounter" I didn't have with Robert Anton Wilson was when conspiracy maven and RAW friend Kenn Thomas and I spent a couple of hours trying to find his home in Santa Cruz, California. We had asked Bob to write the foreword to my book The Christ Conspiracy and were very anxious to see him. Alas, the foreword and meeting never occurred, but Kenn and I did very much enjoy our drive to Santa Cruz and then up the California coast.

Other than those little tidbits and having read several of his books, I don't know all that much about Robert Anton Wilson. He appeared to me to be an extremely creative person who took life by its tail and gleefully ran with it. Certainly, RAW has left an indelible mark in the thinking of hundreds of thousands.

It is gratifying to know that in his last days Bob Wilson was bombarded with reciprocated love and generosity that lifted his spirits. Of course, RAW will be sorely missed on Earth, but we know that if there's a Discordian heaven, it is richer today.

Om shanti shanti om, Bob. Much eternal love to you. Have a great ride on infinity...

The Reason for the Season - AGAIN?

A belated "Christmas" present - a new video based on a conversation between "Infidel Guy" Reg Finley and me:

"The Reason for the Season"

In this long but worthy video, I go into detail about exactly whence the Christmas holiday originates and what it really means, including the following:

--What is the winter solstice?
--When was Jesus's birthday traditionally placed?
--Why are the two intertwined now?
--Who else was born on December 25th?



My vids have been watched by tens of thousands of people. Here is a partial list of Acharya's Online Videos.

Enjoy!

Subway Superman Saves Stranger

Wow - what a moving story! I hope this guy Wesley Autrey has a great life after this. I like the last couple of sentences: Autrey's elderly mother thinks it's "the Lord" saving the men, while his cute daughter wonders if her father is going to become Superman! Indeed, we prefer the latter. Why didn't the all-powerful Lard prevent the man from falling into the subway in the first place? Was He just trying to bring a little excitement into the lives of jaded New Yawkers? Let's give credit where it is due: Quick-thinking Autrey risked his own neck to save a total stranger. He's the hero, not "the Lord."

Look for a movie to be made out of this awesome story...

Subway hero saves stranger
Train passes over pair lying on tracks

Andrew Strickler
Newsday
January 3, 2007

NEW YORK – When Wesley Autrey saw the man suffering a seizure fall onto the subway tracks, he jumped in to save the stranger.

As he tried to pull the man to safety at the Harlem stop, Autrey looked up.

"I saw the two white lights, and said, 'Whoa, you ain't got no time,' " Autrey said.

Autrey, 50, grabbed Cameron Hollopeter, 20, in a bear hug and the pair landed in a shallow trough filled with dirty water, with Autrey on top.

The screeching train missed the pair by the barest of margins.

"In my mind, I believed, I hoped, the train had enough clearance," he said. "It didn't hit my head; it just nicked my cap."

Wesley estimated they were under the train for 20 minutes before the power to an adjacent track was cut so emergency workers could safely remove them.

At St. Luke's Hospital, where Hollopeter was taken for treatment for the seizure and minor injuries, thankful family member Jeff Friedman said Hollopeter was shaken by the experience.

Friedman, 55, of New Jersey, said Hollopeter was the son of his daughter's husband and was studying to be a film director at New York Film Academy.

"He's a talented writer, but he couldn't have written the screenplay any better," Friedman said.

Hollopeter's father was on his way to New York from Massachusetts and sent thanks to Wesley, Friedman said.

"I'd like to buy him a drink, maybe a hundred drinks," Friedman said.

The near miss occurred Tuesday about 12:44 p.m., as Autrey and Hollopeter waited separately for a downtown train.

Wesley, who was taking his two young daughters to meet their mother, said he saw Hollopeter fall on his back on the platform and begin to convulse.

After running to a transit worker to call for help, Wesley said he returned to Hollopeter, who was still convulsing and choking. Wesley got a pen from another rider and forced it between Hollopeter's jaws.

Hollopeter soon appeared to recover, and even stood to walk on the platform, Autrey said.

But then Hollopeter stumbled and fell onto the tracks, and Autrey jumped after him.

A Navy veteran who grew up in Brewton, Ala., Autrey was humble about his heroism.

"I'm just saying, I saw someone in distress and went to his aid," Autrey said.

The No. 1 train pulled in and tried to stop to avoid hitting the pair. Police said at least two cars passed over them before coming to a halt.

Tuesday afternoon, members of Wesley's family gathered at his mother's apartment to cheer Autrey's heroism and give thanks for his survival.

"It was the Lord who did it. Can you picture it? God just moved that train over him," said Autrey's mother, Mary Autrey, 69.

Autrey's daughter had a different interpretation.

"Is my daddy going to become Superman?" Shaqui, 6, asked.

Worldwide Scam Alert!

It has come to our notice that there are groups of people around the world who convince people there's an invisible Jewish man floating about in the sky who will become very angry if they don't do certain things. One of the things these scammers insist others do in order to appease the wrath of this invisible Jewish man floating about in the sky is to give them money for a variety of reasons, including in order to build the scammers' headquarters where they can continue to fleece their sheep with the story about the invisible man in the sky.

There are many scammers and victims involved in this scam - the numbers are staggering, in fact. And the crimes committed by these scammers against unwilling victims are legion. We at the International Church of Astrotheology are currently attempting to set up counterterrorist units in order to battle this fraud.

Intellectual Rapists

For the last couple of days I've had some abusive creep email me about how he's going to beat me up on his website. His vicious commentary is based on his reading of some pages on my website, but he has emphatically stated that he has NOT read my books and does not intend to. Despite his confessed ignorance of my work, he is now on a rampage to attack me as an "expert" on my work. Such dishonesty is not uncommon, as I have been encountering it for years.

Not content with being dishonest and hateful towards me, this individual has threatened me if I don't respond to his reprehensible assault. It appears that people who viciously assault others in the intellectual realm, as this person is doing to me, do not consider that they are a major part of the problem - to wit, divisiveness and hatred based on beliefs.

To put it in blunt terms: Basically what this guy is saying is that, even if I'm not attracted to him, if I don't willingly have sex with him - and enjoy it - he will brutally rape me.

Hence, he is an "intellectual rapist."

Here's a thought - what is it exactly you are trying to accomplish with your personal assaults on others? Are you trying to make the world a "better place" with your violent attacks? Sorry, but that type of mentality is exactly what we are attempting to get rid of.

The Coolest Chick on the Planet

In case anyone's wondering who I am exactly, it is now official - according to Google, I am the coolest chick on the planet.

Oh, I know - it was tough beating out those chick peas.

And you thought I didn't have a sense of humor!

Hee, hee!

MSN also has me as the coolest chick on the planet - and the smartest woman in the world!

Yahoo search also has me as the coolest chick on the planet.

In case you're wondering, folks, this is an experiment in SEO - "search engine optimization." And a fruitful experiment at that. Very amusing to me as well - hey, we all need some comic relief!

Religious Rubbish Removal

The remarks in the following article about religious fanaticism being quite tiresome are well said and much needed.

"Some senior Australian cleric declares that women without hijabs are uncovered meat inviting rape..."

Well, of course, if the men are BARBARIANS who are taught that "women without hijabs are uncovered meat inviting rape!" It is quite obvious where this cleric's rotten mind lies - in the gutter. Moreover, anyone who is interested in raping MEAT is a subhuman in the first place, although an argument could be made that someone who would rape a woman - or a man or, god forbid, a child - is much more diabolical than a meat-rapist...

Gee, here's an enlightened thought: How about teaching the MEN to respect women, with or without the hijab, and enforcing strict LAWS against rape? Wow! How novel, what brilliance! But, no, we have to encourage the psychotic men to behave badly while repressing - nay, enslaving - the women. How very evolved indeed. And "they" wonder why so many of us don't want "them" in our civilized neck of the woods.

Here's a message for Earth's bullies:

"You may be quite pleased by your ability to terrorize 'your' women into covering themselves up, but you will not succeed in forcing the rest of the world's women into doing likewise."

So many morons, so little time.

Tired of all the religious garbage? It's time to become an Enlightenist
Muriel Gray on the need for recognition of all beliefs

GIVEN the uniformly alarmist nature of the news, leaving the country for the half-term holiday felt good this year. Choking in the wake of our carbon emissions was a nutcase Britain utterly obsessed with religion. People were threatening Jack Straw with violence; some woman (we think - for all we know it could have been Paul Gascoigne under that niquab) was claiming her right to mumble lessons at children while wearing a bag over her head, and the pope had made the hilariously Monty-Python
esque declaration that he was "considering" abolishing limbo for unbaptised babies, no doubt making intelligent Catholics squirm with embarrassment at the screaming silliness of heavenly admission by human whim.

But on our return, sadly, there is no let up. Some senior Australian cleric declares that women without hijabs are uncovered meat inviting rape, and now we have arguments over faith school quotas and whether or not 25% of pupils admitted should come from other faiths, including no faith. If I tell you that I am sick, sick, sick, way beyond the back teeth, of all this dark ages, loony tunes, divisive religious garbage then I am making an understatement. The worst thing is that although for the most part all the nonsense can be ignored, when it gets political it simply cannot, and there is nothing more political than how we educate the next generation of British citizens."...

Biblemania is an Addiction

Biblemania, or the "love of the Bible," is a deliberately contrived, socially acceptable addiction no less destructive to the individual and society as a whole than is heroin. The Bible pushers start in on their victims very young, sometimes before they can read, and insidiously and aggressively peddle their wares so that a child will become addicted to biblical junk for his entire life.

Biblemania is a very tough habit to break - and it's meant to be. In order to create Bible junkies, pushers must make their victims uncomfortable and dis-eased, filling them with an intense self-loathing, so that, broken, they will desire and be desperate for a fix. Bible pushers break their victims, so they need to be fixed.

The biblemaniac is armored against rational criticism of his habit - and he has a whole support system of fellow Bible junkies who will viciously defend his addiction. The biblemaniac is in denial that he has an addiction or that there is anything wrong with it. The biblemaniac's junk consists of sweet and sugary platitudes laced with poison, but his addiction will not allow him to see the poison. The Bible junk is no different than sugar - it may taste good on the surface, but a steady diet of it will kill you. In reality, Bible junk is worse than sugar, as, again, it is laced with poison. And Bible junkies often have no other fare to supplement their poison-filled diet.

Bible addiction is no laughing matter. Not only has it caused extreme pathological behavior in individuals, but it has led to the annihilation of entire cultures and the genocide of whole peoples. And, if the addiction is not addressed, it will lead the world into an Armageddon from which it may never recover, as its most virulent junkies - priests, pastors and politicians - stand by gleefully rubbing their hands, waiting for the biggest rush of their biblemania - the mushroom cloud of destruction.

Fortunately, there are treatments for biblemania. The first step, of course, is to move beyond denial and to recognize the addiction and its harmful and destructive affects on relationships and the quality of life. Next, we must find "food for the soul" that is more palatable and healthful, including appreciating the beauty of creation and humankind's enormous capacity for love.

What the World Needs Now is Amma, Sweet Amma

Although I don't find her parochial perception of the cosmos to be very stimulating, I do find the Indian saint Ammachi to be an excellent example of a true human being who has the ability to better the world in a very profound way.

When I first encountered Amma, I trivialized her hugging as so much frou-frou fluff, but in studying the sources of sociopathology and psychopathology - so prevalent on this planet - I believe that her instensely loving modus vivendi is EXACTLY what the world needs. The people who come to her are STARVED for love, tenderness, affection and attention. Human beings are frail and self-contained entities who simply need community and communion. No child should ever be starved for attention, affection and love - yet not only does it happen to heartbreakingly countless millions day upon day, but the most evil abuses are heaped upon them instead. Is it any wonder the world is filled with messed-up adults? When I feel the intense love for a child (my child), I sometimes become sad to consider how other children are not receiving the same - and I become sick to my stomach to consider what many of the ARE receiving.

In the face of such hideous deprivation and abuse, it is outrageous to assert that there is some "loving" personal God somewhere who cares about this planet and its creatures. It just doesn't wash, no matter how many times it is repeated - and abusively shoved down our throats by bibliophilia-demented fanatics who insult us and condemn us to the most atrocious punishments for not subscribing to their evil cult.

I sincerely hope the future of mankind moves away from that disgraceful human-hating mentality and towards replicating millions of hugging, loving Ammas all over the world.

God the Ultimate Child Abuser

Think about it. Not only does Biblegod Yahweh teach us that we should be cruel and hateful towards children, telling them that they are foul, born in sin wretches, but he also on several occasions causes people to slaughter babies and other children. For example, God calls Abraham to kill his child, allowing the poor boy to be terrorized by his father until the last second, when God changes his mind. God then hardens Pharaoh's heart and causes him to kill all the first born of Israel in his attempt to destroy Moses. Then he incites Moses to slaughter all the Midianites, making sure that he has killed all the male children and taken the virgin girls for the men of Israel to rape. God also works through the prophet Elisha, sending bears to kill 42 boys who made fun of Elisha's bald head. And so on, throughout the Bible, with the endless genocide of other peoples.

Proceeding to the New Testament, we find God - having come to Earth as Jesus - fleeing the scene while Herod, like Pharaoh doubtlessly under control of the omnipotent Lord, slaughters thousands of babies and toddlers. But Yahweh the Child Abuser isn't done there. No, his great plan to "save" the hopelessly sinful mankind whom he made badly in the first place is to destroy his own son! So, he sends his Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary - another CHILD - and, voila! He takes birth as his own son in order to kill himself hideously, in a ritual torture suicide mission. So, God kills his own son, first making sure he is viciously tortured. God is guilty of creating a child specifically in order to kill him.

Nice precedents there. The pathology produced by this book and its foul inhuman stories is unimaginable.

Ban the Bible!

It's high time to ban the EVIL BIBLE from schools. And churches, and libraries, etc.

The Bible is full of horrible stories about the "chosen people" going about slaughtering everyone else, including men, women and children - all ordered and condoned by God. All other cultures besides the Israelites are considered evil. The Israelites are given authority to take the young virgin girls for themselves to have their way with. Just check out Numbers 31, for but one example. This short rant doesn't pretend to go into all the atrocities in condoned by the biblical god. There are few books more disgusting than the Bible.

Mom seeks a ban on Harry Potter in schools
Associated Press

ATLANTA — A suburban county that sparked a public outcry when its libraries temporarily eliminated funding for Spanish-language fiction is now being asked to ban Harry Potter books from its schools.

Laura Mallory, a mother of four, told a hearing officer for the Gwinnett County Board of Education last week that the popular fiction series is an 'evil' attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion.

Board of Education attorney Victoria Sweeny said that if schools were to remove all books containing reference to witches, they would have to ban such works as Macbeth and Cinderella."

God needs your money!

Following is a clip of George Carlin's brilliant critique of religion and God, part of "You are all diseased."

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Who Was Jesus?

Good day, folks!

I am delighted to announce that my new ebook Who Was Jesus? is ready and available for immediate download! WWJ is not a long book - about 40 pages - so it should be easy to print out and read. Here's the link:

http://stellarhousepublishing.com/whowasjesus.html

Here's what the 1984 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, David Bergland, Esq., has to say about Who Was Jesus?

"For those who prefer to learn the actual facts that constitute important events in
history, Who Was Jesus? is an eye-opener. It is a gateway to better understanding of the foundation of Christianity. What if that foundation were not what everyone knows?... If there is any reason to believe that the very foundations of the Christ story are not what you thought, wouldn't you want to know about it?

"Who Was Jesus? is a succinct and penetrating examination of the gospels and their internal contradictions as well as a critical look at how the Jesus story was put together by fallible humans. It does not claim to be the whole story. But it is a great beginning to your search for truth about the Jesus myth and the hopelessly muddled foundations of Christianity."

You will note that I am requesting a minimum of $5 donation for immediate access to this new ebook. If any of you are able to give more, I would be most grateful. I will be actively working to get this book ready for hard copy distribution, using print on demand, but I need time to do so.

Well, I sincerely hope you enjoy and/or are edified by my new ebook Who Was Jesus?

The Bible is Repulsive

This is a great video that everyone should watch immediately! The fact is that the Bible is repulsive, and this bizarre psychosis that not only prevents people from seeing this fact but actually allows them to view the Bible as something "sacred" and "holy" needs to be treated as a collective mental illness that is destroying the world.

The people who created this video are wonderful.

Proving the Bible is Repulsive

Is Lance Armstrong a Psycho - or a Victim?

When I first heard about Lance Armstrong's testicular cancer years ago, my immediate thought was, "He's been using steroids." At the time, I figured many people must have had the same thought. Not knowing much about Armstrong or the sport of cycling but basing my thoughts on the doping scandals in other sports, such as the Olympics, I also figured that it was well known and admitted that Armstrong had been using steroids. I found it unfathomable that someone so young and a world class athlete could be riddled with testicular cancer if he had not been doping. Even though the stigma of such activity is quite heavy, I still was quite surprised to learn that Armstrong, when confronted with the issue, had actually denied using steroids and other performance enhancement drugs. Even with such a stigma, many athletes over the years had come clean, so to speak, when confronted with evident difficulties associated with doping - including getting busted. And then there was the sad story of NFL player Lyle Alzado, cut down in the prime of life at age 42 by brain cancer that may have been caused or exacerbated by doping. The assertion that he caused his brain cancer by heavy use of steroids was made by Alzado himself, but it is claimed that no scientific studies have found a solid link. Said Alzado, "Ninety per cent of the athletes I know are on the stuff."

And so, it would seem, are the majority of cyclists on steroids and other such drugs, if the testimony of ex-cycling trainer Willy Voet has any merit. This fact makes Armstrong's denial all that more implausible, particularly with the testimony by his former friend Frankie Andreu and his wife, Betsy, who both claimed they overheard Armstrong tell his doctor that he had used "steroids, testosterone, cortisone, growth hormone and EPO." Armstrong's doctor, however, denies the claim.

The question needs to be asked, is Lance Armstrong a psycho - or a victim? As has been pointed out, he is a role model for athletes and cancer survivors the world over, and he is doing a tremendous disservice to both, if he is lying. How many impressionable kids became cyclists because of him, and then were possibly drawn into the seedy doping world, to risk side effects that could have been prevented if their hero had copped to his use, supposing that he is guilty? Moreover, when my own mother became fatally ill with ovarian cancer, she took strength in Armstrong's recovery, although I did caution her about my suspicions regarding his cancer cause. She was quite disappointed to hear that, and I could sense her becoming deflated in her battle. My beloved mother was very strong, so she turned her mind to other inspiration, but she finally succumbed to the cancer in 2004. In any event, it would behoove Armstrong to tell the truth, presuming he is not.

Perhaps Armstrong is telling the truth and is merely a victim of jealous and vicious gossip? Considering what trainer Voet has said about non-doping cyclists ending up at the "back of the pack," if Armstrong is being truthful, he would have to be hailed as one of the greatest athletes ever. If not, well, he would have to be considered a psycho.

P.S. I'm appending this entry to state that, after careful consideration of information provided by others (thank you, Steve P.), I do believe we must give Lance Armstrong the benefit of the doubt, especially since he's never tested positive for anything. He was apparently a world class athlete long before he began in cycling, when he was a youth who evidently could not have used drugs. As someone who has been on the receiving end of hideous, false rumors from very vicious and vindictive people, I can relate if Armstrong is being unfairly maligned.

P.P.S. The assertion in the following article that "one of the possible side effects of prolonged steroid use is testicular cancer" appears to be controversial, as other claim there has been no scientific evidence linking steroid use to testicular cancer:

"Fears about steroid use also include other cancers, heart enlargement, increased blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and musculoskeletal injuries. Upon closer examination, these too turn out to be overblown. Reports associating heart enlargement, or cardiomegaly, with steroid use often ignore the role of natural, nonthreatening enlargement brought on by prolonged physical exertion, not to mention the effects of alcohol abuse. The relationship is unclear at best. Evidence supporting a link between steroids and ligament and tendon damage is weak, since steroid-related injuries are virtually indistinguishable from those occurring normally. And blood pressure problems, according to Yesalis, have been exaggerated. There is some associative evidence that steroid use can increase the risk of prostate cancer, but this link has yet to be borne out in a laboratory setting. No studies of any kind link the use of anabolics to testicular cancer."

Source: Pumped Up Hysteria

The truth is out there - Cycling - Yahoo! Sports
E.M. Swift, SI.com

Is the truth finally catching up with Lance Armstrong, and is this one race the seven-time Tour de France champion may not be able to win?

In Tuesday's New York Times, two of Armstrong's former U.S. Postal Service teammates admitted to having used EPO, an illegal performance-enhancing drug, at some point in 1999, the first year Armstrong won the Tour de France. While neither said they saw Armstrong do the same, the implication was that the drug use was common knowledge within the team. 'The environment was certainly one of, to be accepted, you had to use doping products,' said one of Armstrong's teammates, who requested anonymity, fearing reprisals from the notoriously vindictive Armstrong, who still wields considerable power in cycling.

The other teammate was 39-year-old Frankie Andreu, a domestique who competed professionally for 12 years and was once Armstrong's close friend and roommate. He's now a motivational speaker and real-estate dealer in Dearborn, Mich. He said he only used EPO 'for a couple of races' and was speaking out in hopes of cleaning up his tainted sport.

More interesting -- to me, anyway -- was the testimony the Times uncovered that Andreu and his wife, Betsy, gave last fall during a lawsuit between Armstrong and SCA Promotions. The company had withheld a $5 million bonus it owed Armstrong after he won the '04 Tour because of doping allegations.

The suit was eventually settled out of court in Armstrong's favor, but in their sworn testimony the Andreus said that when they visited Armstrong in the hospital after he'd been diagnosed with testicular cancer, they'd heard him tell his oncologists that he'd used 'steroids, testosterone, cortisone, growth hormone and EPO.' Their testimony was disputed by the doctor who administered Armstrong's chemotherapy at Indiana University Medical Center. In the same trial, Armstrong testified that his doctors never asked him if he'd used performance-enhancing drugs, and that he'd never used those substances.

Which testimony is more credible? The Andreus' or Armstrong's? Ask yourself which party had the most to gain by lying. And why is that particular testimony significant? Because one of the possible side effects of prolonged steroid use is testicular cancer. It's impossible to prove, but if what the Andreus testified to under oath is true, than Lance Armstrong, role model and hero to so many cancer survivors, may very well have helped bring about his own cancer through his use of performance-enhancing drugs. Young athletes tempted to go down that road need to know if that's the case."

Courageous Woman Criticizes Religious Addiction

Taslima Nasreen is a famous Bangladeshi woman who was compelled to flee her native country because she dared to criticize Islam and to raise up secular ideals in that fanatically Muslim nation. She is especially concerned with the oppression of women, the true extent of which is so appalling it is impossible to look at it for too long without feeling deathly ill. Such courageous and honorable individuals are sorely needed on this planet of vast madness.

Religion has proved itself repeatedly throughout history to be a deleterious addiction that is no respecter of persons or cultures but impels its crazed junkies to destroy anyone and anything in their path for a fix.

Taslima concerned by `addiction to religion

Kolkata, Sept 11: Expressing concern at the rise in 'addiction to religion' among different communities, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has said Muslim countries should embrace secularism and modern values, including in the Madarasa system of education.

Taslima said the 'addiction to religion' could be seen among Muslims, Hindus, Christians and others, and was manifested in the greater number of youths regularly visiting places of worship.

'This shows that youths are becoming conformists, going by conventions, customs and superstitions and not following their own powers of rational reasoning. This does not augur well for a country. One should have the power to debate, to argue, to reason,' she said in an interview.

At the same time, she said, Muslim nations need to embrace secularism and reform their educational systems.

'Muslims countries should embrace secularism, work for instilling modern values among the backward sections and carry out reforms in education, which is mostly centered in Madrasas at present,' Taslima said.

Only by helping the average Muslim to join the mainstream of life could their seclusion be avoided, she said.

Pointing out that she was not against any religion, Taslima said she did not believe in any faith and was a secularist and a humanist who believed in protecting the rights of the oppressed through her writing.

She asserted that she spoke out against the 'pitiable condition' of women in every society, every community - be it Hindu, Muslim or Christian.

Bureau Report

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed

Oh no! How very upsetting. I loved this guy. He was so exciting and amiable, and he brought so much light to the world. The world is poorer tonight. How very, very sad. My heart goes out to his family.

Om shanti shanti om.

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed
37 minutes ago

BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the 'Crocodile Hunter,' was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane.

Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified."

In Search of Religion's Rosetta Stones

I've just had part one of a brand-new three part article published in "The New Archaeology Review," which is a VERY slick magazine. To my knowledge, TNAR is only available online, unfortunately, as a PDR file. I have uploaded it to my site.

My article is entitled "In Search of Religion's Rosetta Stones" and deals with the correspondence between ancient megalithic ruins and astrotheology.

Here is an excerpt:

Today we are in a very exciting period of the relatively new science of archaeology, which has only been in serious development in the modern era for the past couple hundreds years. I say "modern" because it is clear that in ancient times some members of society were as fascinated with the human past as they are today, setting up, for example, remarkable museums and libraries to rival our own. In any event, perhaps it would not be unfair to state that we moderns are just now catching up to our ancestors in some of our scientific capacities, such that we can peer more clearly into our own captivating past. One of the areas in which we are slowly but surely uncovering our amazing roots is the science of archaeoastronomy, or "the study of the knowledge, interpretations, and practices of ancient cultures regarding celestial objects or phenomena," which reveals that many ancient societies were not composed of the barbaric cavemen commonly depicted but possessed astoundingly advanced scientific capabilities. Of course, anyone who has studied the Great Pyramid for even a short while cannot doubt the accuracy of that statement, as concerns the engineering abilities of the people who built it. In addition to such an astonishing building capacity came knowledge of the heavens and earth that even by our supposedly sophisticated standards of today is impressive. I am referring specifically to the astronomical alignments of the world's megalithic ruins, as well as other edifices, structures and sites found around the globe dating back hundreds to many thousands of years. Along with this very profound ancient knowledge of astronomy comes an equally profound, if mystifying, religious development also appearing worldwide. It is to this ancient religion or astrotheology that I would like to turn the reader's attention. It is my conviction that one cannot understand the world's major religions without placing them firmly within their astrotheological context. Devoid of the astrotheological underpinnings, these religions are all shadowy fallacies, no matter how hard one tries to make sense otherwise of them or how much falsified history is attached to them."

Dr. Robert Price and Acharya S on Infidel Guy

The radio event of the decade!

The stage: InfidelGuy.com

The players: Acharya S, Dr. Robert Price and Reg Finley

The event: Dr. Robert Price and I appeared together on Reg Finley's "Infidel Guy" radio program on Friday, September 1, 2006 from 8:00 to 9:00 PM EST/5-6PM PST.

The background: Dr. Robert Price is the author of several books on Christian history and mythology, including Deconstructing Jesus. Some years ago, he wrote an unfavorable review of my book The Christ Conspiracy and revealed in it my real name, published in "Free Inquiry" magazine. Needless to say, this occurrence brought me quite a bit of grief.

In any event, cut to the current scene, Dr. Price has read Suns of God and written a favorable review and sent it for publication in his Journal for Higher Criticism. We have exchanged cordial emails over the months, and have mended the fences to my satisfaction. So, while this
event was NOT the contentious free-for-all that some may be hoping for, it WAS a rare opportunity to hear two of the better known figures in the world of Christian origins and mythology come together for a (hopefully) civil discussion of what I consider some of the most important and interesting issues human beings can think about.

This may be the most important show I have ever done!

Mark your calendars and tell all your friends! Post this message in forums and groups, and start a buzz!

TruthBeKnown Radio

Thanks for tuning in!

Acharya S

P.S. Be sure to check out my books if you want to know more about what we will be discussing, or check out these Christ Conspiracy articles.

The Noble Palestinian Savage?

I've tried to stay out of the neverending mess in the Middle East, as it just seems so futile and useless to take a stance. Historically speaking, neither side is right or wrong, so no one has any clear claim on the territory, which at first glance seems to be at the heart of the struggle. The fact is that very few countries or nations can claim that they were not founded using force, slaughtering and displacing the previous inhabitants, who themselves often had massacred the previous inhabitants. Hence, the argument that Israel has no right to exist because it was founded upon violent displacement of previous inhabitants is as ridiculous as stating that America or Australia, et al., ad nauseam, have no right to exist because of their similar foundings. In other words - and I do not say this lightly, because I am no fan of "Zionism," whatever that term may mean - Israel has as much right to exist as does any other nation, based purely on the aggressive state of human history.

Now, I know well that it is quite fashionable in some quarters to champion the Palestinian cause, as, surprisingly, Jewish-owned or operated media around the world take the "bleeding heart liberal" perspective, which finds a ready audience in aging and vocal hippies. Don't get me wrong - I find all the violence and bloodshed to be despicable and abhorrent, to the point where, if I really inspected it, I would blow chow. It has always been my fervent wish that human beings would just stop fighting - in other words, cut it out already! It is for this reason that I continually stick my neck out and roundly criticize and condemn the diviseness of religion as so much deleterious dementia. As far as I am concerned, no religion is "the one and only truth," and most, in fact, border on retardation. For the purposes of this essay, however, I will not go into great detail about my criticisms of religion, as they can be found all over my website, my blog, my forum, my discussion groups and in my books.

All that having been said, with what I know about the Palestinian culture, which isn't a great deal but which is significant, I have to scratch my head at the rabid liberal perspective that demonizes the Israelis and angelizes the Palestians. In reality, both sides have behaved badly, and neither should be exonerated - which means that the Palestinian culture is not without its serious blemishes that need to be pointed out and condemned. Nay, "blemishes" is much too gentle a word. Horrors is more applicable, in fact. Well, what on Earth am I talking about? And why, if I am correct, are not more people bringing it up in the mainstream media? Why are women's groups in particular not harshly condemning these horrors? These are good questions that can only be answered by the fact of the basic human capacity for denial.

Murder by family

What I am talking about is the rampant honor killings of women and girls that come hand in hand with Palestinian culture, however that is defined. (There are those, of course, who claim that "Palestinian" is not actually a proper name, as these people are not really an ethnicity per se and the term is "manmade," but that argument is quite moot, because it could be applied to all ethnicities and cultures, as they are all manmade and not ordained from on high.) In any event, it is quite common in the Palestinian culture, and elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim world, for women and girls to be brutally murdered by their own relatives, such as brothers or fathers, when it has been determined that they have "brought shame" upon their families. This "shame" frequently comes in the form of the female daring to have sex but also if she is sexually abused or raped. In other words, if a girl or woman is victimized, it is she who is to blame and who is deemed worthy of murder. Because of this brutal and barbaric mentality, countless women and girls have been shot in the head, decapitated, or otherwise murdered simply because they were women whom men could abuse or rape. And, again, this vile practice is common in the Palestinian culture, where women apparently have little value, as dictated by the Koran and other Islamic traditions.

Let us give an example that may be useful in driving home the point that things in the Middle East are a bit more complicated than they appear. Although I do not see Israeli defenders raising these issues - but perhaps they should - according to one brutal honor killer who cut off his own daughter's head in 1997, and who happened to be the Palestinian National Authority attorney general, some 70% of all murders in Gaza and the West Bank were of women and girls, and constituted honor killings. This psychotic individual's assertions apparently have merit, as writer James Emery relates:

"In the Palestinian communities of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel, and Jordan, women are executed in their homes, in open fields, and occasionally in public, sometimes before crowds of cheering onlookers. Honor killings account for virtually all of the murders of Palestinian women in these areas."

"The murder of females in the Middle East is an ancient tradition."

In consideration of the facts that a woman being raped in these cultures is deemed "dishonor" brought by the victim, but cutting off her head, shooting her or otherwise murdering her is viewed as "honorable," is it possible that maybe, just maybe, the Israelis have their hands more full than the rest of the world suspects? If a woman's life holds so little value, and a people find it more honorable to murder a victim of violent crime than to punish her attacker, are we dealing with a rational mindset that is entirely exculpable from bringing on its own troubles? If the heartless "blame the victim" mentality in one culture can be so overlooked, why cannot it be likewise in another culture? In any case, it is clear that the "noble Palestinian savage" is but a myth. There is nothing "noble" about a culture that is engrained with, and avidly practices, so-called honor killings.

Sources:

Reputation is Everything: Honor Killing among the Palestinians
Honor killing demands global response

Is Islam a "Peaceful Religion?"

Anyone who has followed my work knows that I concur wholeheartedly with the assessment that Islam has never been "peaceful" and that it is an ideology designed for world domination. However, I certainly would disagree with the notion that Islam is any less a religion than Christianity or Judaism, both of which are likewise ideologies designed for hegemony. Christianity claims it is the only truth faith and that all others are therefore false. Its proponents further believe that adherents to all other ideologies are destined for hell and that their beliefs are diabolical and should not be permitted to exist. Hence, only Christianity is allowed, if the world is to be free of sin. Jewish holy texts such as the "Old Testament" constantly deem Judaism the "true" religion, while all others are false. The Old Testament further repeatedly asserts that the "chosen people" will reign over the whole world. The fact is that all of these religions have been jockeying for world domination over the past centuries to millennia. The fact is also that Islam currently is poised to blow over us like a terrifying tempest. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Islam Has Never Been Peaceful Nor Is It a Religion
By Dave Gibson (08/16/2006)

While the Christian prophet Jesus sacrificed himself for his believers, the Muslim prophet Mohammed frequently ordered his followers to sacrifice themselves for his own glory. Islam is not a religion at all, but a political movement with the goal of world domination. Islam has a very violent history and the terror now being perpetrated on the West is simply another campaign for world conquest.

The Quran orders Muslims to either enslave or kill those who refuse to worship Allah. The Muslim holy book does not teach love, but hate. Faithful Muslims are directed to kill the 'infidels.'

The following are a few of the violent passages found within the Quran:

'Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you.' (Sura 9:122)

'make war on the leaders of unbelief...' (Sura 9:12)

'Allah has given those that fight with their goods and their persons a higher rank than those who stay at home. He has promised all a good reward; but for richer is the recompense of those who fight for Him.' (Sura 4:96)

'Believers, retaliation is decreed for you in bloodshed.' (Sura 2:178)"...

We must no longer allow Muslims to hide behind the banner of religion. We must shut down their mosques, deport all non-citizen Muslims within this country, and consider internment for American Muslims until the end of the war. If we do not recognize the Muslim threat lurking within this nation...We can look forward to seeing more smoke rising over American cities.

TBK Forums

Woo hoo! I have a cool new enterprise on my site: The Truth Be Known Forums. We will be covering a wide variety of subjects, including, of course, religion, spirituality and mythology. Come on in and join the party!

Amazing Amazonian Stonehenge!

Astrotheology's busting out all over! Ah, how sweet it is. In my books and The Christ Conspiracy and Suns of God, I provide a large amount of multidisciplinary evidence to demonstrate that the world's major religions are in large part based on astrotheology or the study and worship of the sun, moon, stars, planets and nature in general. Numerous archaeological finds over the past couple of decades have borne out this assertion quite amazingly. What a fascinating world it is - and can be, if we can go beyond the fanaticism that blinds us to it.

Another ‘Stonehenge’ discovered in Amazon
Centuries-old granite grouping may have served as observatory
Image: Granite blocks
Gilmar Nascimento / AP file
A grouping of 127 granite blocks along a grassy Amazon hilltop may be the vestiges of an ancient astronomical observatory, according to archaeologists.

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A grouping of granite blocks along a grassy Amazon hilltop may be the vestiges of a centuries-old astronomical observatory — a find that archaeologists say shows early rainforest inhabitants were more sophisticated than previously believed.

The 127 blocks, some as high as 9 feet (2.75 meters) tall, are spaced at regular intervals around the hill, like a crown 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter.

On the shortest day of the year — Dec. 21 — the shadow of one of the blocks disappears when the sun is directly above it."