Vexen Crabtree's Alt Journal

Muslim girl strangled by father for not wearing hijab

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:37:28 GMT

Friends of a Canadian Muslim teenager say she was murdered in a family dispute over her choice not to wear traditional clothing. Aqsa Parvez, 16, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries on Monday after police said a man claiming to be the girl's father called them and said he had killed his daughter. Parvez succumbed to her injuries on Monday night.

The teenager's friends said that she often complained of her situation at home. They said that Parvez no longer wished to wear the hijab, and would take it off when she arrived at school and then put it back on before returning home. "People said her brothers and sisters followed her to see if she was wearing her headscarf or not," one student said in a TV interview.

The victim's father, Muhammad Parvez, 57, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with murder. Her brother, Waqas Parvez, 26, is also charged in the investigation with obstructing police.

National Secular Society newsline 14 December 2007

Satanic leadership

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:07:18 GMT

I have added the following paragraph to "The Laws, Sins and Rules of Satanism: How to approach its Legalism" by Vexen Crabtree (2002):

"The Satanic leadership directs through example first, and dominance only second. A person, full of ego, who stands up amongst Satanists and starts dishing out commads will soon find their lives to be a hailstorm of conflict and anxiety. Blanche Barton, High Priestess of the Church of Satan from 1997 until 2002, herself states that the "how dare you question my judgement!" mentality would be "not very Satanic". She continues: "We aren't too keen on taking things 'on faith' and, while we all enjoy wicked posturing once in awhile, members of the Church of Satan deserve more than that"₁. Indeed it would be ironic for the leadership to demand allegiance without explanation, when a cornerstone of Satanic philosophy is to ask questions and to challenge!

Notes:

#1: Blanche Barton in "The Satanic Scriptures" by Peter Gilmore (2007).

Fundamentalists: Hylics and Simpletons

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 13:28:55 GMT

My relaunch of "Fundamentalists: Hylics and Simpletons" by Vexen Crabtree (2003) now has it includes the following new text:

The Roman Empire's early Christians equated textual literalism to be the modus operandi of the hylics, the least spiritual class of Christians. Fundamentalism is in opposition to early Christianity on a number of counts, including scriptual adominitions of legalism. St Paul's "the letter kills, while the spirit gives life" [2 Corin. 3:4-6] is the most famous verse against fundamentalism.

“The Gnostics called those who identified with their body 'Hylics', because they were so utterly dead to spiritual things that they were like unconscious matter, or hyle. Those who identified with their personality, or psyche, were known as 'Psychics'. Those who identified with their Spirit were known as 'Pneumatics', which means 'Spirituals'. Those who completely ceased to identify with any level of their separate identity [...] and realized their true identity [...] transformed the initiate into a true 'Gnostic', or 'Knower'” ["Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review], p156]

In Islam, it is also the case that more those with deeper spiritual connections to their faith consider the literalist to have only understood the first 7 layers of interpretation (which were equivalent to understanding the Koran in seven local dialects, each with slightly different possible meanings for some words).

“Uberweb points out that, according to the mystic, every text of the Koran had 7 or 70 or 700 layers of interpretation, the literal meaning being only for the ignorant vulgar. [...] In the Muhammaden world, however, the ignorant seem to have objected to all learning that went beyond a [surface] knowledge of the Holy Book; it was dangerous, even if no specific heresy could be demonstrated. The view of the mystics, that the populace should take the Koran literally but wise people need not do so, was hardly likely to win wide popular acceptance.” ["History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell, p418-419]

Christianity and Islam have mystical orders. Mainstream Christianity is quite mystical in its liberalism, whereas Sufi Islam is widely held to be the closest equivalent. In both, however, the fundamentalist literalists have a strong presence (overwhelmingly so in Islam). These simple masses, the vulgar and the hylic, surely represent the biggest threat to true religious understanding. To be a literalist is to destroy the majority of depth and emotion of any written religion. The only advantage of the fundamentalist attidude to scripture is that it caters for the simplistic minded.

Forces That Have Secularized Modern Society: Christianity

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:17:00 GMT

I've added a section to "Anti-religious Forces: What are the Historical Forces That Have Secularized Modern Society?" by Vexen Crabtree (2003):

New section: Anti-religious Forces: Christian Intolerance for Magic and Gods

The sociologist Bryan Wilson puts forward some additional observations in the role that Christianity has played in the abolition of the general mindset that lends itself to religion. As Christianity is not pluralistic and does not accept that others can belief in other gods (unlike polytheist cultures, where gods did not claim exclusive right to exist), Christianity has in effect reduced and battled against the general religious mindset, including belief in all kinds of magic except the few bits contained with Christianity (prayer, resurrection, afterlife).
“Those societies most dominated by religious motivations are those in which diverse mysteries, powers, objects and deities are recognized. Paradoxially, considering Christianity's attempt to eliminate magic, alien beliefs and rival theories of deity, religiosity as such is stronger where such multiplicity of ideas prevails. [...] Christianity militated strongly against magical ideas, but in doing so probably eventually - and in the very long run - made acceptance of Christian ideas more difficult. [...] It is no accident that from among the Puritans came a significant impetus in the development of science - the manifestation of a rational spirit. (See Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure, Glencoe, Ill., The Free Press, 2nd edn., 1957, pp574-628)”
"Religion in Secular Society" by Bryan Wilson, p44

French Catholics who don't believe in God!

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:05:05 GMT

A poll earlier this year found that there a lot of French Catholics, but, 51% of them say they don't believe in God. This seems ridiculous... almost as if these people don't know what a Catholic is! They are fundamentally ignorant of basic the facts of religion. The Catholics that do believe in God are obviously not particularly good at explaining what their religion actually is. If they can't explain the basics such as god-belief, how do they expect to succeed in explaining the complex absurdities such as the Trinity?

This phenomenon is not just French. Britain has experienced a similar trend. 72% of the British put down a form of Christian as their religion, yet, only half of Brtons believe in God. 50% of French 'Catholics' don't believe in God, and over one third of British Christians don't either. What causes this nonsense?

Well I believe it falls into a general trend I outlined in "The Numbers of Established Religions become Exaggerated" by Vexen Crabtree (2001).

"The faster and greater the extent of secularisation of a country, the more prominent this phenomenon will be. It is prominent in Western countries that have become very secularized since 1945."

People come to associate themselves on a per familie basis, with a particular religion no matter what their beliefs are. In a society that has abandoned religious belief, it does not bother them what the beliefs of religion are. The French poll mentioned above specifically asked why. "Many said they described themselves as Catholics because it was a family tradition.

Scriptures

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:01:41 GMT

Added to "Pages on Religious Fundamentalism" by Vexen Crabtree:

“Scriptures, n. The sacred books of our holy religion, as distinguished from the false and profane writings on which all other faiths are based.”
The Devil's Dictionary

:-0

Albert Einstein on Religion, Fear and God

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:40:27 GMT

“With primitive man it is above all fear that evokes religious notions - fear of hunger, wild beasts, sickness, death. [...] The desire for guidance, love, and support prompts men to form the social or moral conception of God. This is the God of Providence, who protects, disposes, rewards and punishes.”
"Ideas and Opinions" by Albert Einstein, p36

Einstein was an awesome man... I feel odd about reducing him to small quotations! Nonetheless, as part of my ongoing pages on Death, I have added parts of this quote to two pages:

Many other specialists, psychologists and sociologists have commented on fear and religion, but I thought I'd add Einstein to the fray because, well, his opinions are worth a lot!

Free Will and Determinism in the Christian Bible

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:25:54 GMT

I've added the following to "Free Will - Determinism versus Agency: Free Will in the Christian Bible" by Vexen Crabtree:

“The Bible also says and teaches that there is no free will. Examining Exodus, Ecclesiastes 7, Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2, Romans 8, Romans 9, 2 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians and Revelations, we see that God's plan overrides our free will; those that do good do the specific good that God predestined them to do, and all others are ruled by Satan because God sends "powerful delusions" to them. The Christian Bible frequently states that God creates our future and decides our fates, no matter what our own will is. It constantly denies that we have free will. Some of the foremost Christians in history have taught that there is no free will, including St. Augustine (one of the four great founders of Western Christianity [Russell 1946, p335]), Martin Luther (founder of Protestantism) and John Calvin.”
"The Bible Affirms Predeterminism and Denies Free Will" by Vexen Crabtree (2005)

I've found that Christian defences of free will, and belief in it, are largely emotional and logical in nature, rather than scriptural or theological. It seems that they trust their instincts more than they trust their religion, so, most Christians believe in free will despite what is codified in their bible. This is fine - nothing is worse than someone who sticks to the book in areas of belief and truth - but it becomes confusing for them when they try to debate the subject using Biblical versus!

I personally know that there is no such thing as free will... so this is one of those rare areas where I agree with the general gist of the Christian Bible, although I believe that the Biblical arguments for determinism are based on false premises (that a being called 'god' controls everything, and always gets its way), the conclusion is true for more complex philosophical reasons (that all things have causes; whether or not God is the cause).

Cause of Religion: Fear of Death

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:51:35 GMT

I've added a quote from M. Momen to my "The Causes of Religion: The Fear of Death" by Vexen Crabtree (2007):

Child psychologists say that 'there is no death' in the world of most childen. Others in history, such as Freud, have explained that "dealing" with the learned idea of death is one of the greatest challenges of adulthood. Many, of course, "deal" with it by imagining that death is not real. That, in fact, we somehow survive death, despite that the self is the brain, and the brain dies.

Professional sociologists and anthropologists have often wondered what causes religion, and what psychological purpose it serves. Many have also noted that the fear of death provides a reason for various religious beliefs:

“Later functionalists included the anthropologist, Bronishaw Malinowski (1884-1942). In his principal book, Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays (1948), he wrote that social phenomenon such as religion fulfill a function in relation to human psychological needs. In the case of religion, this function is to provide psychological safeguards against the fear of death and thus give human beings the feeling of mastery over their fate.”
"The Phenomenon Of Religion" by Moojan Momen

Antisemitism and Muslims during the First Crusade

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:11:59 GMT

I've added the following text to "Antisemitism in the 11th-12th Century: Muslims were tolerant of Jews whilst Christian slaughtered them" by Vexen Crabtree (2004):

That Muslims were more tolerant towards Jews than Christians were are evidenced by the Jews reaction to the Christian armies that were murdering Jews en route to their holy lands. They allied with the Muslims. Although Robert Spencer is intensely critical of Islam in his realistic book "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam", he still witnesses that Jews found solace in Muslim lands from the maurading Christians:

“It is unfortunately true that Crusaders targeted Jews on several occasions. Some groups of Crusaders allowed themselves to be diverted from the mission Pope Urban had given them. Stirred up by anti-Semitic preachers, one contingent of men who were making their way East for the First Crusade instead turned to terrorize Jews in Europe, massacring many. Count Ernicho of Leiningen and his followers advanced through the Rhineland, killing and plundering Jews in five German cities: Speyer, Worms, Mainz, Trier and Cologne. [News] spread to the Middle East and led many Jews to ally with the Muslims and fight against the Crusaders when they arrived. Fifty years later, another group in the Rhineland, bound for the Second Crusade, began massacring Jews again.”
"The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam" by Robert Spencer, p142-3

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:05:15 GMT

Added following quote to "Secularisation: Religion Becomes Less Important" by Vexen Crabtree:

“Secularization has gradually permeated the Christian world. It led to the situation in which, by the nineteenth century, Christianity had ceased to have much real influence on the social and political life of Europe. The form was maintained, in that political leaders usually made a great show attending religious ceremonies and were often personally pious. Religion no longer had a role, however, in the shaping of political and social policy. Other considerations and other secular ideologies had taken over. Following the loss of social and political influence, religion became increasingly irrelevant to the lives of ordinary people also.”

"The Phenomenon Of Religion" by M. Momen [Book Review], p480

Marriage Rates in the UK

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:40:00 GMT

Added Marriage Rates in the UK to my page on Marriage, new text reads:

Percent of Religious and Secular Marriages in the UK

The history of marriage rates suggests that secular marriages are showing strong growth, whereas other Christian weddings have been decreasing in number for over 150 years. This prehistory was changed in the period since the 1960s, when the decline of the religious institution in the UK went into full swing.

“Between 1993 and 2003, the number of Jewish weddings in England and Wales slipped by 17%, while Anglican weddings fell by 37% and Catholic unions tumbled by 44%”₈

Total Marriages, UK
1971-1975:	1,996,422
1976-1980:	1,822,654
1981-1985:	1,734,048
1986-1990:	1,726,024
1991-1995:	1,491,598
1996-2000:	1,350,290

The rise in secular marriages from the teens in the 19th century, to 20-something percent in 1900-1930, was not met by a rise in divorces, as many Christians at the time bemoaned would happen. However, as we will see below, social changes have led to massive increases in divorce rates (above all, amongst Christians) since the late 1960s (ignoring the World War 2 aftermath). The overall marriage rate has decreased over the same period; indicating again that society has moved away from the traditional idea of what marriage is. "Marriage: Modern Diversity" by Vexen Crabtree

The Reformation & Science

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 03:33:48 GMT

I've added the following brief text and quote to "Science: It's Methods and Character" by Vexen Crabtree 2006: One movement in the history of religion allowed, in the 16th century, for science to begin flourishing. The Protestant Reformation led to the founding of breakaway churches (such as the Anglican and Lutheran) from the monolithic Catholic Church.

“The development of science was retarded by the Church's imposition of orthodoxy on all fields of thought. The Church claimed to speak in an unchanging and authoritative fashion not only on matters of behavior but also on the behavior of matter. The Reformation, by breaking the power of the Church [...] made way for a variety of thought and for the questioning of tradition which is so vital to natural science.”
"Religion in the Modern World" by Steve Bruce, p21

+2 William James quotes

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:42:22 GMT

“Saint Paul certainly had once an epileptoid, if not an epileptic seizure”
"The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James, p35

Added to "St. Paul, Mithraism and Christianity" by Vexen Crabtree 1999.

“What immediately feels most "good" is not always most "true”
"The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James, p37

Added to "The Search for Happiness and Truth in Satanism" by Vexen Crabtree 2002.

Added "friends"...

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:06:38 GMT

I've added a load of people to my friends list to see if I can kick-start this journal in some way, maybe meet some guys. I merely done a "list users with similar interests" and looked at the first 10 or so, and added most of them. A few of you I already know from elsewhere.

Some of my other websites and journals are:

Antisemitism update

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 01:51:38 GMT

Believe it or not, I never had a section on WWII on my antisemitism page.

"Antisemitism: A Christian History" now contains a section on Hitler's Nazi Germany and the atrocities he commited against Jews in the name of (the Catholic) God.

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:38:48 GMT

I've updated my page on the St Anselm and Descarte's Ontological Proof for the Existence of God with commentary from Prof. Richard Dawkins on the failure of the Ontological Argument.

Religion...

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:23:42 GMT

I am fairly sure my normal, innocent friends are sometimes put off by my continual commentary on religion. So this journal is for me to inform the world when I make updates to my pages on religion & theology.

Bane of Monotheism
Vexen Crabtree