After a fascinating email exchange with a real life friend who is going to be a psychologist. I thought I'd post this.

Unfortunately religion often preaches a "processed" form of the truth. It is often a gross distortion of the truth. For example, take the word repent:

re⋅pent

1.	to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often fol. by of): He repented after his thoughtless act.

2.	to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent

Whereas it really means a new way of looking at something, that can actually bring joy and warmth if the new way hits the mark.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia:

"Metanoia in the context of theological discussion, where it is used often, is usually interpreted to mean repentance. However, some people argue that the word should be interpreted more literally to denote changing one's mind, in the sense of embracing thoughts beyond its present limitations or thought patterns (an interpretation which is compatible with the denotative meaning of repentance but replaces its negative connotation with a positive one, focusing on the superior state being approached rather than the inferior prior state being departed from)"

Thus repentance should really be a cause for huge celebration, not sorrow.

And sin is not something bad either, it is a bad translation of hamartia - an archery term. It means to miss the mark. So -

Wrong:

sin ¹

n.

1. A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate.

2. Theology

a. Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God.

b. A condition of estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience.

3. Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.

intr.v. sinned, sin·ning, sins

1. To violate a religious or moral law.

2. To commit an offense or violation.

"Shame", lol!

Right:

"Hamartia (Ancient Greek: ἁμαρτία) is a term developed by Aristotle in his work Poetics. The term can simply be seen as a character’s flaw or error. The word hamartia is rooted in the notion of missing the mark (hamartanein) and covers a broad spectrum that includes accident and mistake^[1], as well as wrongdoing, error, or sin.^[2]. In Nicomachean Ethics, hamartia is described by Aristotle as one of the three kinds of injuries that a person can commit against another person. Hamartia is an injury committed in ignorance (when the person affected or the results are not what the agent supposed they were).^[3]"

That is why many religious people are completely screwed up. They think that sin is bad. Babies sin when they take their first steps and fall over. It's simply part of the learning process.

A good example of a sin is to be duped into believing the meaning of the word sin in the dictionary. Oh by the way, did you know they have taken the word "gullible" out of the dictionary?

Another sin is to eat ice cream, dairy, meat you end up in the state my elderly neighbour's brother is, stuck in armchair all day long across the road with a stroke this last 3 months. He eats junk, I took her down the market today and she buys mainly fresh produce for her and junk at the supermarket for him. You reap what you sow.

"The wages of sin is death". Sure it is. You only have to read sites like Processed People to realize that

Sometimes I get really fed up of being around processed people, but what can I do? I feel like an antibody in a bottle of penicillin on times.

OK Rant off.

At least my friends all eat good food.

Right, off to pizza hut to get a pizza.

Yeah, that was a joke, but FFS I went there just to get a name of a pizza and look at this crap:

"We believe eating sensibly, combined with appropriate exercise, is the best solution for a balanced lifestyle. To help you further, we've provided here useful links to Pizza Hut nutritional information so you can make informed choices about what to eat.

***k this, I think I'll go up mount Everest to be alone!!

(edit) back from Everest (the shops ha ha!), It was a nice cool evening walk. Thought of one other thing to add.

Fake Metanoia

I have seen a couple of instances of fake metanoia lately**. There was a quote from one of Dostoyevky's books in Robert L Short's Parables of Peanuts (hard to find these days). Basically a priest told someone they are so far gone they didn't know right from wrong. The "sinner" said father, thank you so much, I am healed now, blah blah blah, but of course he wasn't. I wish I could find that damned quote because I'd like to use it, but I can't. I am going to have to buy the book again if I can find it. You know I once bought every peanuts book there was to try and find meaning in life, that was the late 70s early 80s, they filled up a crate.

I didn't see what happened after that point because it was only a short quote, but I am fairly convinced that such cases can only be resolved by a log period of help from others, OR exorcism! I looked this up yesterday and now I have a completely new view on exorcism. I heard a story of someone who was exorcised, but I need to meet them to validate it, and get their permission to use it. The handy thing is that exorcism results in metanoia in a much shorter period of time, I have found it can even be done alone, with no external person, but it requires a ritual some props perhaps, and a strong will.

I can give an example for self exorcism. My friend R was possessed by the devil (hope you guys know what I mean now). Basically he was really pissed off with his boss at work and generally depressed. We used to spend hours taking about this, then we didn't see him for a while. He was always such a placid guy. Nearly got killed once diving in a cave, but that's another story. He turned up at the pub one day and looked great! He was happy and outward, completely different to what he has always been, I said "How come you are so happy, what happened to your boss, has she been sacked?" R said, "No, I just dealt with it". Me: "How?" R. "I went into the garden, chopped down my shed with an axe, and burnt it". Me "Christ! What did the neihbours say?" R: "No one said a word!". People were looking rather bewildered, and afraid... and it went very quiet then we changed the subject.

I doubt whether R actually had the problem with his boss, but rather I think he identified what was bugging him and mentally put it all into his shed. Then he destroyed it and set fire to it. Whatever it was it worked for him, I think he had carefully planned out that ritual, it wasn't just on impulse. The other one I know about (much better) was planned very carefully for weeks and involved someone trusted close to them, It was reliving bad events from the past, but this time with love added.

The other tale I know is is very peaceful and gentle, but a similar thing, using external objects. I think each person has to plan his own, and decide what participants need to be involved. It is nothing like Blatty's film the exorcist. The subject as to be voluntary,they must want to change. You can't force this ritual. I don't even want to give the real meaning of the word yet, but if someone works it out before I post again I'll give them a pat on the head. My neigbours cat is pestering me for food and attention so I have to go

(further edit)

** in actual fact I haven't but other people have, and having listened to them I think they are correct. This has implications but I'll have to leave that for now