Transgender

When I was 13 years old and just starting High School I gave my life to Christ as my lord and savior - but found it quite strange that people calling themselves Christians and claiming to love this same selfless loving God persisted in persecuting innocent people for being born gay or transgendered. As if we can ever help being what we are born to be!
Now what "selfless loving God" would that be? Perhaps the one that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because men did despicable deeds with men? Or perhaps the one that specified that homosexuals should be killed?
"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)
Oh wait, perhaps you were referring to the god that created us in the first place.... Christina, if you are looking for the source of gender discrimination, go look at that god of yours and you will find that he is not the "selfless loving" entity you deluded yourself into believing in. Calling yourself Christina Engela and then pointing fingers at alleged gender prejudice on a skeptic forum is indeed bigotry.

G’day all :wink:

I’m on my way somewhere this morning so I don’t have a lot of time to write a long reply or to get embroiled with any further pointless arguing.

First, I see some quotes from my old site that I haven’t got round to editing in some time. It has been up since 2005 and I haven’t made changes since about 2008 or so.

Let me say that I am no longer a Christian. Since I got embroiled in all the hatred for LGBTI people I experienced and saw coming from the religious quarter - in particular from fundamentalist Christians, I evolved to calling myself an agnostic. Since then, in the last year or so I have become an eclectic pagan.

When I was still a Christian, I believed that Christ was not the hateful personage some fascist megalomaniac pastors and church leaders promote him as. In the course of my journey I have had the pleasure of knowing many Christians who shared the same belief and lived it out in their daily lives.

Science demonstrates for a fact that people who are lgbt or i are 100% natural and born so, and therefore any religious belief to the contrary is in error. That is logic. Therefore in my opinion, any religious belief that teaches about a “loving creator god” who hates his/her or its own creation, is full of bullshit and a load of baloney.

In the time that I got involved with human rights advocacy and activism, I learned to turn my back on any religion that preaches hatred and intolerance for other people, in short - I outgrew the need for it. Thus I have taken a stand against religious fundamentalism, both in politics, and in human rights advocacy and in my daily life.

Y’all have a nice weekend now, y’hear?

C

So. A transgender witch. Interesting :smiley:

so, she’s not atheist, just anti-theist? but still spiritual?
and might i add, as for acceptance, christina, do note that we refer to you as ‘she’, not he or it. you know?

... an eclectic pagan.

You emphatically cannot go wrong with one of those! Mrs Mintaka finds them an absolute life saver whenever I forget to replenish the butane.

Mintaka

Actually GCG, I’m just anti-fundamentalist anything. :smiley:

And yes, cyghost - I’m a Wiccan and a practicing witch, among other things. “Wicca” is derived from the celtic word for ‘witch’ or ‘wise ones’. A Wiccan is a pagan, but not all pagans are Wiccan, so I’m not sure if you assumed I’m a witch because I said ‘pagan’. Yes, I know - confusing… :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m not terribly flammable though - but I often say when people offer me a cigarette “no thanks - I only smoke when I’m on fire.”

And on that note, have a nice week :slight_smile:

Ciao.

Apologies Christina …my S/O just pointed out that what I had in mind was in fact an electric frying pan, and not an eclectic pagan. Mrs Mintaka wants me to assure everyone on this forum that she is not the type of person to burn witches as a substitute for butane. Apparently it imparts a strange aftertaste to the creme brulee. :wink:

Mintaka

Bleh. Nutcase type religion. ( Is there any other type ( Pikkiwoki excluded, of course )? )

A weekend is a pagan, but not all pagans are wigwams, and which witch gives up her wand for the free eclectic Pan?

Hold on while I park my broom :stuck_out_tongue:

So, as a matter of curiosity, what exactly do you practice?

Restraint mostly ::slight_smile:

A little herbology, candle magick and the occasional sabbatical ritual circle with some interested parties. I sometimes do a little tarot as well.

Um.

what does herbology consist of?
and what magick arise from the candles (to what purpose and how does it work - DOES it work in your opinion?)
(wtf!!) re sabbatical ritual circle?
and what does the tarot foresee? You read for yourself?

don’t get involved
don’t get involved
don’t get involved

Wow - so many questions… I’ll try answer best I can before I have to rush off to a meeting…

Herbology is the study and use of herbs in magickal rituals or in activities using herbs for the magickal or supernatural properties given them. This could include making bath or massage oils and potions to even using them in cooking, or in purification or protection spells. This is of course the short version. ???

Candles are used in various colors to symbolize different energies for different purposes or uses - a variation of color magick. The energy in the flame is used towards energy workings in rituals or other magickal workings.

There are several times in the year which are significant to Wiccans (or pagans also) and these are called Sabbats - examples are Mabon and Samhain. Mostly they are tied to ancient beliefs about harvest, death and rebirth, renewal and so on. At these times, Wiccans hold solitary rituals to mark the event, or meet for a ritual - casting a circle around them - and then afterwards, celebrating with food and drink and socializing. Not terribly much different from church really in that respect, except there is no “minister” and nobody is in charge or telling anyone what to believe.

Tarot is something more complex to get into, and I haven’t been doing that for very long - it’s all a learning process - but suffice to say I find it fascinating and rewarding.

Must dash :wink:

wow indeed…

Is all of this just a pastime or do you consider these things to be knowledge of at least some demonstrable value? That would be “knowledge” as in “a justified, true belief that would remain both true and justified in somewhat variable circumstances.”

'Luthon64

Is it just smoke detracting from discussing the topic “transgender”?

So your basic homeopathy with some magick thrown in for good measure? How do you contain supernatural properties in order to add it to a mixture? What do you generally perscribe such potions for? Illness for example?

Candles are used in various colors to symbolize different energies for different purposes or uses - a variation of color magick. The energy in the flame is used towards energy workings in rituals or other magickal workings.

Explain please? I understand the use of symbolism of colours, however, please explain the HOW and to WHAT PURPOSE (possibly give me some examples - I’ve got a flat head when it comes to these things)

There are several times in the year which are significant to Wiccans (or pagans also) and these are called Sabbats - examples are Mabon and Samhain. Mostly they are tied to ancient beliefs about harvest, death and rebirth, renewal and so on. At these times, Wiccans hold solitary rituals to mark the event, or meet for a ritual - casting a circle around them - and then afterwards, celebrating with food and drink and socializing. Not terribly much different from church really in that respect, except there is no "minister" and nobody is in charge or telling anyone what to believe.
Sorry, but this just sounds like a load of hogwash to me. Why not just have a braai with all the trimmings and talk about the state of the garden?
Tarot is something more complex to get into, and I haven't been doing that for very long - it's all a learning process - but suffice to say I find it fascinating and rewarding.

WHY? What is fascinating (aside from the lovely graphics on the cards themselves) about it and why is it rewarding - in what sense CAN it be rewarding? What is the attraction to this, believing that a pack of cards can foresee/tell your future and guide you in your life is preposterous to say the least?

Do you believe in free will?

Isn’t that a pleonasm? Homoeopathy already involves several paranormal “effects” that are part and parcel of Aleister Crowley’s “magick”: Banishing, Purification, Consecration, Invocation, Evocation, Eucharist and Divination.

'Luthon64