Silicon Investor - Ask God

[Maple MAGA ] Here is the official sanitized answer: The prayer you quoted is commonly know...

Maple MAGA — 5/22/2026 10:06:54 AM

Here is the official sanitized answer:

The prayer you quoted is commonly known as the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel.

It was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.

For many decades it was recited publicly after Low Masses in the Roman Catholic Church as part of what were called the “Leonine Prayers.”

Tradition holds that Pope Leo XIII had a disturbing vision concerning spiritual conflict and the attacks of evil on the Church, which inspired the prayer’s creation, although historians debate the exact details of that story.

The prayer reads:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the power of God,

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Why was it no longer said after Mass?

The prayer itself was not banned by the reforms following the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II).

What changed was the requirement to recite the Leonine Prayers after Mass.
In 1964, instructions implementing liturgical reforms ended the obligation to say these prayers after Low Mass.

The reasons were mainly liturgical and structural:

Vatican II sought to simplify and standardize the liturgy.
The Church wanted the Mass itself to stand on its own, without extra mandatory prayers appended afterward.
The Leonine Prayers had originally been introduced for specific historical intentions, including the defense of the Papal States and later for the freedom of the Church in places like Soviet Russia.

So the Saint Michael Prayer disappeared from many parishes simply because it was no longer required as part of the official post-Mass routine.

Was the prayer rejected?

No.

The Church still highly reveres Michael the Archangel, and the prayer remains fully approved for private or public devotional use.

In fact, several popes encouraged renewed use of it:

Pope John Paul II publicly urged Catholics in 1994 not to forget the prayer and encouraged its recitation.
Many parishes today have restored the custom of praying it after Mass voluntarily.
It is especially popular among Catholics focused on spiritual warfare, protection, and traditional devotions.

So Vatican II did not condemn or suppress the prayer’s theology.

Rather, the liturgical reforms removed the formal requirement to recite it after every Low Mass.

[Tom Clarke] I wonder what ChatGPT would say about the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel,...

Tom Clarke — 5/22/2026 7:27:36 AM

I wonder what ChatGPT would say about the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, and why it is no longer said after Mass. Vatican II dropped it.

Saint Michael the Archangel

Defend us in battle

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray

And do thou, Prince of the heavenly host

Cast into hell Satan

And all the evil spirits

Who roam the earth

Seeking the ruin of souls

Amen

[Maple MAGA ] Scholars Believe John Was Known As 'The Baptist' To Differentiate Himself From '...

Maple MAGA — 5/21/2026 10:42:25 PM

Scholars Believe John Was Known As 'The Baptist' To Differentiate Himself From 'John The Presbyterian'

Scripture · May 21, 2026 · BabylonBee.com

CAMBRIDGE — Scholars at Cambridge University now believe the biblical John the Baptist only went by that name to distinguish himself from other prominent Johns of the period, particularly John the Presbyterian.

An ancient scroll dating back to the first century served as evidence for a bold new claim that the John who baptized Jesus only went by the nickname "the Baptist" so people would not get him confused with men like John the Presbyterian.

"John the Presbyterian was a well-known John at the time," noted scriptural analyst Dr. Hansel Leggeldorf. "People often got him mixed up with John the Baptist, as select lines from the new document appear to indicate."

The key interaction, as discussed by Dr. Leggeldorf, follows:

I spoke with a man by the river who went by the name John. I inquired with him about this topic of predestination, of which I knew little, and he rebuked me.

"No, that's the other John!" he said, a voice crying from the wilderness. "Not again!"

Not everyone was convinced, however. Dr. Peter Quincy at the Institute for New Testament Textual Research argued there simply wasn't enough evidence that the John in Document # 5E35 was John the Baptist. "It's a fascinating passage, undoubtedly, but that could be anybody. John the Methodist, John the Episcopalian, anyone," he said. "I think John the Baptist was only called that because he baptized people. I know that's a boring explanation, but it's the only thing the evidence supports. Though I certainly would understand anyone's desire not to be mistaken for a Presbyterian."

At publishing time, new evidence suggested fellow first-century teacher John the Nondenominational was given his nickname by John the Catholic after refusing to go by any specific nickname.

[Maple MAGA ] Why do Catholics say this prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with th...

Maple MAGA — 4/25/2025 5:28:37 AM

Why do Catholics say this prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

ChatGPT said:

Catholics say the Hail Mary as a form of devotion and intercession, rooted in Scripture and tradition. Here's a breakdown of why it's prayed and what it means:

Purpose of the Hail Mary

To honor Mary as the mother of Jesus (God incarnate).
To ask for her intercession, believing she prays for us to her Son, especially at the time of our death.
To meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation, as part of the larger structure of prayers like the Rosary.

Where it comes from The Hail Mary is composed of biblical phrases and traditional Catholic additions:

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee."

This is from Luke 1:28, when the Angel Gabriel greets Mary.
"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."

From Luke 1:42, Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary during the Visitation.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."

This part was added by the Church over centuries, reflecting Catholic belief in the Communion of Saints—that Mary and the saints can intercede (pray) for us.

Why pray to Mary at all? Catholics don’t worship Mary—they honor her and ask for her prayers, much like asking a close friend to pray for you. But since she’s the mother of Christ, her prayers are believed to carry special weight.

You said:

Is Mary Immaculate, or is that just a Catholic invention?

Great question—and it's one that gets to the heart of some big theological differences between Catholics and other Christian groups.

Is Mary Immaculate? In Catholic doctrine, yes—Mary is Immaculate. That means she was conceived without original sin. This belief is called the Immaculate Conception, and it was formally defined as dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

But Catholics believe this wasn’t a “new” idea—it had been held and taught in various forms for centuries before it was dogmatically defined.

Is this in the Bible? The Immaculate Conception is not explicitly stated in Scripture, which is one reason Protestants generally reject it. However, Catholics argue it is implicitly supported:

Luke 1:28 – Gabriel calls Mary "full of grace" (kecharitomene in Greek), which some interpret as indicating a unique, complete grace from the moment of her conception.
Genesis 3:15 – The prophecy of a woman whose “offspring” would crush the serpent’s head is seen as a foreshadowing of Mary’s role.

Why does the Church teach it? Catholics believe that:

Jesus is sinless, and it was fitting that His human mother would also be pure.
Mary was saved by Christ’s merits, but preemptively—God applied the grace of Christ’s sacrifice to her at the moment of her conception, keeping her sinless.

This is kind of like getting a vaccine before the disease hits—she was preserved from sin before she ever contracted it.

Is it just a Catholic invention? If by “invention” you mean a made-up idea—Catholics would say no. They see it as a deeper understanding of the mystery of salvation, revealed over time. But yes, it’s uniquely Catholic (and Eastern Orthodox have some similar but distinct views). Most Protestants reject it because they believe it lacks explicit biblical support and conflicts with the idea that all have sinned (Romans 3:23).

If you’re curious, I can show you how early Church Fathers and theologians talked about Mary too—some of their language about her purity goes back to the 2nd century. Want that?

[Tom Clarke] [X] Apparently the new ChatGPT model is obsessed with the immaculate conception...

Tom Clarke — 4/25/2025 5:05:32 AM

[X]

Apparently the new ChatGPT model is obsessed with the immaculate conception of Mary. There’s a whole team inside OpenAI frantically trying to figure out why and a huge deployment effort to stop it from talking about it in prod. Nobody understands why and it’s getting more intense
— Daniel (@growing_daniel) April 20, 2025

[/X]

[Maple MAGA ] I can see fasting for forty days and walking on hot coals, but watching Meghan M...

Maple MAGA — 3/24/2025 10:37:11 AM

I can see fasting for forty days and walking on hot coals, but watching Meghan Markle's Netflix special is too spiritually challenging for Christ's faithful to bear.

[Tom Clarke] An Irish Catholic priest has recommended watching Meghan Markle’s Netflix show a...

Tom Clarke — 3/24/2025 5:10:28 AM

An Irish Catholic priest has recommended watching Meghan Markle’s Netflix show as a penance for Lent.

irishstar.com

[Maple MAGA ] California Dems Offer Prayer to a Strange New God to Open Assembly Session Mar...

Maple MAGA — 3/16/2025 9:43:16 AM

California Dems Offer Prayer to a Strange New God to Open Assembly Session

Mar 16, 2025 4:00 am

By Robert Spencer 2 Comments

New in PJ Media:

Okay, wait, I thought they worshipped Dylan Mulvaney. But if the Democrats are anything, they’re full of surprises, as we saw at the California state assembly on Friday. A Democrat assembly member offered a prayer to open the assembly session, as is the time-honored custom, but the prayer wasn’t to any deity that you’d learn about in the average world religions course, even in these latter days of American colleges and universities being reduced to little more than Antifa recruitment centers. The prayer was offered to none other than Beyoncé.

State assembly member Tina McKinnon began conventionally enough, saying: “Good morning, Mr. Speaker, members, and guests. Let us pray.” That was when it all started to go off the rails. McKinnon told the assembled solons:

Raise your hands. Breathe in deep. Get yourself a new pair of boots, a shiny buckle, and a wide-brimmed hat. And sing praise as we enter the Cowboy Carter era. Ask yourself as Queen B ask [sic] us all, Can we stand for something? Now is not the time to face the wind, my friends. Now ain’t the time to pretend. Now is the time to let love in. Together, can we stand?

Members, now is not the time for alligator tears. You see, just like Beyoncé, my family lived and died in America. Good ol’ USA. A whole lotta red in that white and blue. History can’t be erased. You lookin’ for a new America? Are you tired, workin’ time and a half for half the pay? I just pray that we don’t crash, because I keep my Bible on the dash. We gotta keep the faith. Members, keep the faith. California, keep the faith. And the members say, Amen.

Queen B is Beyoncé and “Cowboy Carter” is the name of one of her albums. The bit about standing for something and this not being the time to face the wind comes from a song on that album, entitled “American Requiem.” The parts about looking for a new America and working time and a half for half the pay come from another song on that album, “Ya Ya.”

What on earth was going on here? With this prayer, or whatever it was, it looks as if the Democrats have decided yet again to ignore the screamingly obvious fact that their kulturkampf has turned off millions of Americans, who are tired of being forced to play along with men who are pretending to be women and senile old figureheads pretending to be competent presidents.

There is more. Read the rest here.

[Maple MAGA ] Catholic Condemned To 800 More Years In Purgatory After Failing To Post Ash Self...

Maple MAGA — 3/10/2025 1:59:53 AM

Catholic Condemned To 800 More Years In Purgatory After Failing To Post Ash Selfie

Theology·Mar 7, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

BOSTON, MA — A devoted Catholic man was devastated after being notified that he had been condemned to an additional 800 years in Purgatory after it came to light that he had failed to post a selfie with ash on his forehead for Ash Wednesday.

Phil Atherton, who had previously been told that he would be condemned to Purgatory due to his addiction to betting on WNBA games, found out on Friday that his sentence would now be extended by an additional 800 years.

"YOU FOOL!" witnesses said Saint Michael the Archangel shouted as he suddenly appeared to Atherton while holding up an angelic smartphone. "You didn't post any selfies! YOU FOOL!"

Atherton immediately realized the grievous error he had made by failing to post any selfies of his ash-marked forehead earlier in the week. "But I was just trying to be humble! I felt a selfie would call too much attention to myself!" he reportedly shouted in his defense. "It's literally in the word 'selfie!' Please, have mercy on me!"

The angel replied only by again shouting, "YOU FOOL!" before disappearing and leaving Atherton to wallow in his increased condemnation.

At publishing time, 200 more years of purgatory were added to Atherton's Purgatory sentence when it was discovered he had never once seen The Passion of the Christ.

[Tom Clarke] I see nihil replied to that post. What happened to that guy? Is he dead?

Tom Clarke — 2/4/2025 11:47:33 AM

[Maple MAGA ] Scholars Conclude Trumpets During Jesus' Return Means He Will Come Back With A S...

Maple MAGA — 2/1/2025 7:24:31 AM

Scholars Conclude Trumpets During Jesus' Return Means He Will Come Back With A Ska Band

Scripture·Jan 31, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

FORT WAYNE, IN — A crack team of theological scholars finally laid an age-old debate within Christendom to rest last week by concluding that the trumpets at Christ's return mean that Jesus will come back with a ska band.

The mention of a loud trumpet call in Mt. 24:30-31 has baffled Christians through the ages, but scholars are now sure that the trumpet's blast is a clear reference to Christ's glorious eschatological ska band.

"You see, Augustine and Aquinas didn't have access to the concept of a ska band, so we can't really blame their exegesis," said Rev. Dr. Rupert Frese, who was significantly involved in the discovery. "But once you look at the New Testament verses referring to trumpets all together, it's just so clear that Christ is talking about a heavenly ska band accompanying Him when He returns on the clouds."

The new insight comes as a correction for millions of American Christians who had always half-pictured the coming trumpet sound as something like the beginning of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" but with celestial trumpets.

"That makes so much sense," said Gary Calvert, a local Christian. "I can't believe I never saw the ska there before. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"

At publishing time, scholars had also hinted that having a greater reward in heaven means that the heavenly harps could potentially be traded up for heavenly electric guitars.

[Maple MAGA ] In Australia, the Pro-Palestinian Grinch Who Stole Christmas Nov 18, 2024 2:00 ...

Maple MAGA — 11/18/2024 10:02:35 PM

In Australia, the Pro-Palestinian Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Nov 18, 2024 2:00 pm

By Hugh Fitzgerald

11 Comments

Myer is the largest department store in Australia. Every year it puts on a cheerful Christmas display that attracts many thousands of visitors. But this year there will be no display, because pro-Hamas demonstrators threatened violence if the display were to be put up. More on this latest example of pro-Palestinian hysteria and bullying can be found here: “‘Grinch’ pro-Palestinian protesters force cancelation of Melbourne Christmas tradition,” by Danielle Greyman-Kennard, Jerusalem Post, November 15, 2024:

The Myer’s annual Christmas windows display in Bourke Street mall, which normally draws thousands of visitors, was forced to cancel its events after threats by pro-Palestinian protesters, according to international media reports.

The windows were set to be opened on Sunday, according to 7News Melbourne who described the protesters as “Grinch activists” – a reference to the Dr. Seuss character.

The protesters reportedly said they want to “inconvenience those who would rather bury their heads in the capitalist machine than focus on the war in Gaza.”

According to these pro-Palestinian hysterics, nothing — not even something as innocuous as a Christmas display in a store’s windows — can be allowed to take our minds off the only thing that matters: the war in Gaza

“To ensure the wellbeing and safety of customers and team members, we will no longer hold an event on Bourke Street mall for the unveiling of our Christmas windows,” Myer said in a statement. “Myer’s Christmas windows have long symbolised joy and community, and we remain committed to providing a safe and positive experience for all visitors.”

Police have reportedly requested that the protesters stop their actions.

The protest entitled ‘Crash the Christmas Windows’ was planned by anti-war activist Amy Settal, according to the Guardian.

“The intention was to interrupt the media spectacle and economic gain sought by Myer. The children coming to see the Myer Christmas windows were never a target because children are not a target,” she reportedly said.

Settal celebrated Myer’s decision to cancel on 3AW Radio, adding the protesters “very pleased with the outcome that Myer has decided to cancel their consumerist party” and were “more than happy for the children to enjoy the windows”….

On the one hand, the protesters wanted to shut down a “media spectacle” — the store’s windows bedecked with Christmas cheer — which, we may imagine, included some of the following: sprigs of holly, wrapped boxes pretending to be presents, Santa’s sleigh with some toy reindeers, candles, piped-in carol music, and so on. Those pro-Hamas anti-Israel demonstrators want to shut down every expression of Christmas cheer. They managed to force the department store Myer to “cancel their consumerist party” — note the language, which makes clear that the same people who root for Hamas are also against the “consumerist” society, and against the wicked capitalists who have created it for their own profit. Hatred of the West, and of capitalism, is part of the pro-Hamas package.

Last year, pro-Palestinian protesters rushed the stage while children were performing at Melbourne’s Carols by Candlelight annual Christmas Eve event….

Think of those little children singing carols last year in Melbourne, in the midst of which pro-Palestinian “activists” suddenly leapt up out of nowhere and ran up to the stage, screaming about “genocide” and “From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free,” to disrupt the performance and to end it. Why? Because only one thing matters to these maddened souls: that is “the cause of Palestine” which must be always and everywhere the center of everyone’s attention.

Nor is this madness limited to Australia. It happened in the US last year, with demonstrators in Manhattan on Christmas Day demanding that everyone stop thinking about Christmas shopping and instead focus exclusively on the terrible Israelis and the “bombs” dropping in Gaza.

If you don’t stop what you’re doing and concentrate completely on Gaza, then according to pro-Hamas demonstrators from Melbourne to Manhattan, you are no better than the Nazis. Gaza, after all, is today’s Auschwitz. You deserve, if you come to view the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center or the Christmas display in the Myer’s windows, instead of marching around yelling about “the genocide in Gaza,” to be showered in swastikas.

[Maple MAGA ] Book Review: Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology Posted on November 18, 202...

Maple MAGA — 11/18/2024 9:31:17 PM

Book Review: Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology
Posted on November 18, 2024 by Baron Bodissey

The following book review by Fjordman has not been previously published.

Book Review: Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology

by Fjordman

The book Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology was written by Weronika Lenartowicz.[1] She obtained her Ph.D. in the discipline of sociology at Warsaw University in Poland. Lenartowicz includes many academic references and notations in this well-documented work on an important subject that is rarely studied systematically. This strengthens the book’s credibility, but some readers may find that the number of academic references is higher than strictly necessary.

Lenartowicz has conducted interviews with 80 former Muslims in Germany and Sweden, men and women between the ages of 17 and 71. That forms the basis of this pioneering work. A disproportionate number of those interviewed were Shiites from Iran, but there were also Sunnis, mainly Kurds from Iran and Syria and Sunnis from Afghanistan, Egypt, Morocco, and Nigeria, with six people from families living in Turkey.

I should mention here that former Muslims played a part in shaping my very negative views of Islam. I’ve been reading about Islam since the late 1990s, and the more I read about it, the more I disliked it. Studying, working and traveling in the Middle East from 2001 to 2003 didn’t give me a more positive view of this ideology.

Living in Cairo, Egypt during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 was educational. But the most shocking thing was not realizing that many Arabs and Muslims hate the USA and the Western world. I already knew that. The most shocking thing was how Western politicians and mass media were in total denial about this fact. An entire civilization was lying to itself.

Yet sometimes everyday experiences can be just as shocking. During a visit to Jordan, I got to talking to an Arab Muslim man who spoke English well. By this time, I was well acquainted with the work of the ex-Muslim Ibn Warraq, author of the 1995 book Why I Am Not a Muslim and editor of the 2003 book Leaving Islam: Apostates Speak Out. I later had the pleasure of meeting Ibn Warraq in real life. From him and other former Muslims such as the Iranian writer Ali Sina, I knew that leaving Islam was considered a very serious crime that could even result in the death penalty. I therefore asked my Jordanian guide if he thought that people with a Muslim background who leave Islam deserved to die. He answered yes without hesitation. “When you know the truth, you can’t turn your back on it,” was his reasoning.

This may sound extreme, but it is traditional Islamic law, sharia. Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926-2022) was a highly influential Islamic legal scholar from Egypt and the ideologue behind the Muslim Brotherhood. He openly stated on TV that without the death penalty for leaving Islam, Islam would have ceased to exist a long time ago.[2]

In my view, Islam is not a conventional religion and should not be classified as such. Islamic theology divides the world into Dar al-Islam, the house of Islam, and Dar al-Harb, the house of war. These are in permanent conflict until Islamic dominance is established throughout the world, using as much pressure and violence (jihad) as is necessary to achieve this goal. One could characterize Islam as a permanent world war. If so, a Muslim can be understood as a soldier in Muhammad’s army. A person with a Muslim background who leaves Islam can therefore be regarded as a deserter who abandons his side during a war and joins the enemy. This is why apostasy from Islam is dealt with so harshly.

The former Muslims who were interviewed by Weronika Lenartowicz included persons who had converted to Christianity or were practicing Buddhists, but also individuals who are now atheists. Lenartowicz notes that regardless of their current beliefs, the ex-Muslims interviewed, men as well as women, now view Islam in very similar and negative ways. They associate Islam with coercion, discrimination, aggression, fear, hatred, brutality, and violence.

Some tell about being sent to Quranic schools where the imam taught them hatred of Christians, Jews and others. Hatred against their friends from school. Such Islamic education also exists in Europe. One interviewee attended a Turkish Quranic school in Cologne, Germany, where he was sent by his parents. He describes those events as follows, a quote from page 90:

“It was in Turkish, the imam was from Turkey. I was 5-6 years old. My parents sent me there. It was normal, it was kind of self-defense, karate and the Qur’an school. The imams talked about killing unbelievers, to take revenge, to kill them… and hang them… my friend Enzo is a nice friend. Why should I kill him?? What is this guy talking about? I liked my friend, and I was 5 then and I knew this guy was wrong. This is my experience with the Qur’an. I am sure that they still do that. In Quranic school and they still teach that there.”[3]

Some of them had personally witnessed cruel practices such as honor killings, or child marriages for girls. When indicating their reasons for leaving Islam, the interviewees spoke of physical, psychological, and sexual violence. A German-born man described his childhood, when he and his brothers and sister were abused mentally, physically, and sexually.

Leaving Islam had both positive and negative consequences. Mentally speaking, it was like coming out of prison. The former Muslims experienced more personal happiness and freedom in their lives, once they were no longer constrained by Islamic law and rituals.

However, it did not lead to greater personal safety, due to fear of aggression and violence from devout Muslims. Consequently, most of the interviewees do not speak about their apostasy in public. There are a few exceptions, such as Councils of Ex-Muslims in Germany and Sweden.

However, people who leave Islam and criticize its doctrines publicly, such as the Egyptian-Germany author Hamed Abdel-Samad, experience many threats even in Western countries.

An Iranian convert to Christianity, who had experienced discrimination for many years, miraculously survived attempted murder.

An Egyptian man and his daughter were forced to flee their country. The police and his family were determined to punish him for his conversion to Christianity. There was an attempt to throw acid on his daughter, and an imam issued a fatwa calling on all Muslims to kill him.

Interviewees reported attempts at intimidation and violence also in Europe, with its rapidly growing Muslim immigrant population. An Afghan convert was threatened with a knife in Norway. Some converts changed their identity and decided to go into hiding.

Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology, page 99:

“Overwhelmingly, interviewees emphasize that they themselves did not choose Islam, but that Islam was forced on them. Being a Muslim is an ascribed position, not only socially, but also legally — anyone born into a Muslim family is automatically considered a Muslim. For this reason, the interviewees believe that it is impossible to depart from their faith. They believe that it is punishable by death. The fear of punishment acts as a compulsion to conform to the prevailing rules. The social coercion, however, appears in various contexts of the accounts. One of these is the belief system that mandates ‘belonging to the community.’ To support and substantiate this view, my interviewees claim that anyone born a Muslim remains one forever, that they were coerced to Islam, that they had no choice. On the one hand, they had no knowledge of the variety of religious systems; on the other hand, the society, parents, and the state imposed the religion on them, causing, as they themselves admit, a life catastrophe.”[4]

A quote from page 200:

“According to the interviewees, Islam is built on fear. This emotion appears most often when they are asked about their associations with Islam: Islam is not a religion, it is nothing but fear. What they remember from the past are the numerous traumas associated with being forced to fulfill religious orders, fasting, and listening to mullahs. The interviewees openly say that they feared the religious authorities. They were largely terrified that Islam does not only deal with theological issues. It goes far beyond the sphere of religion. It tells Muslims how to act in practically every area of their lives. Significantly, the interviewees believe that Muslims fear God and do whatever Islam tells them to do. One young Iranian woman concludes: It was so frightening because there is no way to get away from it. During their childhood, the interviewees were afraid of various things. One of the men recalled that when he was a child he had been threatened with Israel. The feeling of fear accompanied some interviewees after they left Islam. They said: Islam is something I fear. A woman born into a liberal family of Turkish Alevis says she is afraid when she suddenly finds herself surrounded by Turkish men in Germany. The female participant explains the reason for that: They know that I’m Turkish and I have no cover myself. They can see the way I dress. I immediately fear that they will want to control me because I belong to their community. I always try to avoid them. I don’t want them to know I’m Turkish. An Iranian woman, also living in Germany, spoke of a similar experience: I’m afraid. I don’t feel comfortable in this Islamic society. I’m constantly afraid that I will do something wrong and they will find out that I’m not one of them. The above examples show that women, fearing for their lives, either pretend they have no Muslim roots or try not to show that they have left Islam and the umma. They are forced to hide their beliefs even in Germany.”[5]

Weronika Lenartowicz sums up her work on page 222:

“From what I have learned from my interviewees, the dependence on a man, family, and society is so strong that many Muslims cannot imagine the possibility of leaving Islam, even if they experience constant oppression. A woman who leaves Islam immediately loses her parental rights, is left alone. Fear is the main factor here. Those who have left religion, for fear of ostracism, exclusion, and even the death penalty, may never publicly admit it. Therefore, it is difficult to bring closer the scale of the phenomenon of apostasy in the world of Islam. The situation of the interviewees, who believe that there is death, killing, execution, discrimination, and exclusion for leaving Islam, indicates this. Baudrillard could call it the silent majority since there are no credible statistics on this subject. One of the main conclusions of this work is the very thesis that although the interviewees gained the longed-for freedom, they did not gain a sense of safety. Many of the research participants live in fear, feel their life is under threat even in Europe. As I have indicated in the example of the Turkish interviewee’s biography, there is a relative sense of safety despite the occurrence of ‘less limiting’ intervening conditions and the non-public act of apostasy. We also see that one of the problems after apostasy is making it public. The collected cases indicate that the people who spoke about their apostasy or conversion publicly were more exposed to ostracism, discrimination, and imminent danger to their lives than the people who chose to keep this fact a secret. It occurred both in their home country and in Europe. The research indicates that leaving Islam is caused by various events and also involves a series of reactions, often of a similar nature. It is interesting that the reasons given for leaving Islam, including killings, violence, discrimination, being forced to fulfill the rules of Islam, are similar in the accounts of all the interviewees, regardless of the differences in age, gender, country of origin and residence, and the direction of conversion or apostasy. It is also significant that the practices of violence and discrimination that the interviewees emphasize are present both in the case of the reasons for and the consequences of withdrawing from Islam.”[6]

Notes:

1.		Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology 1st Edition by Weronika Lenartowicz. Published 2024 by Routledge.
2.		www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/al-jazeera-star-death-to-apostates Al Jazeera Star: Death to Apostates. February 20, 2013, Frank Crimi. www.youtube.com/watch?v=huMu8ihDlVA Yusuf al-Qaradawi: Killing Of Apostates Is Essential For Islam To Survive.
3.		Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology, page 90.
4.		Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology, page 99.
5.		Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology, page 200.
6.		Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology, page 222.

[Tom Clarke] [graphic]

Tom Clarke — 11/18/2024 5:34:25 PM

[Maple MAGA ] Jewish Woman Cast As Mary the Mother of Jesus, and the Left Goes Nuts Nov 18, 2...

Maple MAGA — 11/18/2024 12:26:06 PM

Jewish Woman Cast As Mary the Mother of Jesus, and the Left Goes Nuts

Nov 18, 2024 6:00 am

By Robert Spencer

2 Comments

My latest in PJ Media is a VIP article. I am happy to be able to offer you a 5% discount on becoming a VIP member at PJ Media. Just enter the code SPENCER when you sign up here.

Netflix has made a movie about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and they’re getting a lot of heat for it. In light of what Netflix is and the general state of religious awareness these days, it’s likely to be dreadful, but that’s not why it’s getting heat. Leftists are enraged because Noa Cohen, an Israeli actress, has been cast as Mary. Why, how dare those MAGA Republican white supremacists over at Netflix cast a Jewish woman to play…a Jewish woman! It’s an outrage!

There is more. Read the rest here.

[Thomas M.] [graphic] Tom

Thomas M. — 7/22/2022 1:50:52 PM

Tom

[Graystone] Religious whackos or Right wing whackos The right wingers and the religious pos...

Graystone — 2/17/2021 10:29:02 AM

Religious whackos
or
Right wing whackos

The right wingers and the religious posters really took a beating on SI in the early years.
Idiots with a cause who did not fit in they afforded a lot of comic fodder for normal people.
The problem was that they thought everyone should respect their particular form of idiocy.
In a few short years most of them withered away or left, not the hard core though.
The hard core adopted new names and pretended to be normal people, not whackos at all.
Who knows why whackos prefer the company of normal people?
What makes the elmatadors and da chiefs leave their lairs and go a-visiting left leaning conversations?
I suspect that it is because when they are with other whackos, there is no one to talk to.
So they hide and pretend to be people they are not so they can continue to interact with normal people.

I have no trouble spotting them because as rule they really don't like me and have trouble hiding that.
It stems from the early conversations on threads like this one.
For the most part now they pretend to be non-religious posters.
This makes it easier for them to pretend being luke warm believers or default Christians.
Sun Tzu in the Art of War said the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
So the whackos pretend to be people they are not to try and win their war without fighting.
They are on every left leaning, liberal democratic thread and they are pretending to be normal.
When you spot right wing blows coming from left wing whales, you have spotted a whacko.
I prod some of the more obvious ones once in awhile so they tell their fake stories.

[Graystone] Artist : Golden Earring or Album : Radar Love was a single Song : Radar Love L...

Graystone — 2/11/2021 1:05:28 PM

Artist : Golden Earring
or
Album : Radar Love was a single

Song : Radar Love

Link

It is a very sad day in the annals of rock music.
Radar Love has been covered by more than 500 bands, it is one of rocks greatest anthems.
George Kooymans is diagnosed with ALS.
This diagnosis will perhaps be the end of any live performance of this song by the Earring.

Radar Love (B. Hay / G. Kooymans)

I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's half past four and I'm shifting gear

When she's lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
We don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a wave in the air, radar love

The radio's playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's "Coming On Strong"
The road has got me hypnotized
And I'm speeding into a new sunrise

When I get lonely, and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort, comin' in from above
Don't need no radio at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a line in the sky, radar love

No more speed, I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow

And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's "Coming On Strong"
And the newsman sang his same song
Ah, one more radar lover's gone

When I'm feeling lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends the comfort coming in from above
Don't need no radio at all
We got a thing that's called radar love
We got a line in the sky
We got a thing that's called radar love
We got a thing that's called... radar love

[Graystone] Ravening wolves or The second term Did your spiritual leader promise you that D...

Graystone — 1/20/2021 11:01:49 AM

Ravening wolves
or
The second term

Did your spiritual leader promise you that Donald Trump would be President again?
Was that conversation backed by claims of heavenly authority, divine knowledge?

They were lying to you.
They were liars all along, they just want your money.

[Graystone] Artist : Gabriella Quevedo or Song : Another Brick in the Wall - Part 2 Album :...

Graystone — 1/6/2021 11:23:42 AM

Artist : Gabriella Quevedo
or
Song : Another Brick in the Wall - Part 2

Album : The Wall by Pink Floyd

Link

Another Brick in the Wall Part 2- written by Roger Waters

We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

"Wrong, Do it again!"
"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding.
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
"You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds, stand still laddy!"

[Graystone] The solstice or The sun Festivals across the northern hemisphere celebrate the ...

Graystone — 12/25/2020 11:40:21 AM

The solstice
or
The sun

Festivals across the northern hemisphere celebrate the return of the sun.
For those of us north of the 49th and just W4M the cold and the light come together.
Winter is on our doorstep and we have had a wonderful autumn.
For observers, today is the day that the sun visibly begins moving north again, the days get longer.
As the sun approached solstice it's southward motion halted, the sun hung motionless at the solstice.
Over the next three days the disk of the sun hovered there above the Tropic of Capricorn.
Finally the sun begins it's northward journey, reborn for the next year, it is visibly returning.
This celestial dance is celebrated by all northern cultures in some fashion, the return of the sun.
Legends and myths have built up around these events in every religion and myth and story.

Living in modern world and accepting the progress of reason and science dispenses myth.
What men have managed to achieve collectively is rather remarkable, our planet glows at night.
We have unleashed forces that require vast repositories of "understood reality".
As we enter the information age astounding gifts such as savant syndrome have been seen.
New enemies have appeared, ebola, VRSA, AIDs and now the coronavirus.
I have no idea what tomorrow brings but I do my best to try and understand what has already arrived.
I am not suprised that nanoparticles are suspected in the bad reactions of some to the Pfizer vaccine.
When we are treading new ground we encounter new dangers, mRNA vaccines are new.
The reason that SI works for me is I don't have time to read everything, but we do.
And that "everything" has a hierarchy of reason and it is accessible to those who can find the corridors.
And these hallways give access to all the things that could be changed by you in you.
So today, after three days of just sitting there, the sun is clearly returning to these northern climes.
And if this year is like last year, even a fool can see the world going around, it will be spring again soon.
But today it is the culmination of the solstice and all the holidays that have interwoven that story into theirs.
I want to wish you all a happy holiday and I hope the light in your life returns as well.

[Graystone] Artist : Fine Young Cannibals or Song : On a Promise Album : Fine Young Canniba...

Graystone — 12/24/2020 12:01:50 PM

Artist : Fine Young Cannibals
or
Song : On a Promise

Album : Fine Young Cannibals

On a Promise

When tomorrow comes
I'm gonna make a fresh start
Gonna do good things
Really play my part
When tomorrow comes
I'm gonna do it all
I feel so strong, I feel so tall
You got it on a promise
You got it on a promise
Honest, honest, honest
You got it on a promise
You better change your foolish ways
There's plenty more to take your place
But now I've gotten into a terrible state
The next day came, I got up late
I tried my best,but it all went wrong
Just a broken promise couldn't hurt no one
You got it on a promise
You got it on a promise
Honest, honest, honest
You got it on a promise
You're not wasting time
Everything I say is true
Show some faith in me
Would I lie to you?
When tomorrow comes
I'm gonna make a fresh start

[Graystone] Artist : Pentatonix or Song : Hallelujah Written by Leonard Cohen Link Hallel...

Graystone — 12/11/2020 8:56:18 PM

Artist : Pentatonix
or
Song : Hallelujah

Written by Leonard Cohen

Link

Hallelujah

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, hmm

Well, your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to the kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Well baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who has seen the Light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Qualified Opinion] She sounds special without watching the video.

Qualified Opinion — 12/10/2020 6:24:12 PM

[Investor2] She's a very good singing, isn't she. Thanks, I2

Investor2 — 12/10/2020 6:10:20 PM

[Graystone] Song : Teo Torriatte or Artist : Queen Link Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Togeth...

Graystone — 12/10/2020 10:37:23 AM

Song : Teo Torriatte
or
Artist : Queen

Link

Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)

When I'm gone
No need to wonder if I ever think of you
The same moon shines
The same wind blows
For both of us, and time is but a paper moon...
Be not gone

Though I'm gone
It's just as though I hold the flower that touches you
A new life grows
The blossom knows
There's no one else could warm my heart as much as you...
Be not gone

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love, my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned

Teo torriatte konomama iko
Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni
Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki

Hear my song
Still think of me the way you've come to think of me
The nights grow long
But dreams live on
Just close your pretty eyes and you can be with me...
Dream on

Teo torriatte konomama iko
Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni
Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki

When I'm gone
They'll say we're all fools and we don't understand
Oh be strong
Don't turn your heart
We're all
You're all
For all
For always

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love, my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned

[Graystone] Resisting doxies or Houses of holiness Song : Stairway to Heaven Artist : Led Z...

Graystone — 12/10/2020 10:24:48 AM

Resisting doxies
or
Houses of holiness

Song : Stairway to Heaven
Artist : Led Zeppelin

Link

Stairway to Heaven

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
You know

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
That's you

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
Remember laughter?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah...
And it makes me wonder
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold

And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all is one and one is all, that's what it is
To be a rock and not to roll, oh yeah

And she's buying a stairway to heaven

[Qualified Opinion] [youtube video]

Qualified Opinion — 12/10/2020 3:42:15 AM

[Qualified Opinion] [youtube video]

Qualified Opinion — 12/10/2020 3:33:30 AM

[Graystone] Song : This Old Man or Artist : Styx Album : Crystal Ball This Old Man was wri...

Graystone — 11/24/2020 10:02:57 AM

Song : This Old Man
or
Artist : Styx

Album : Crystal Ball

This Old Man was written by Dennis De Young

This Old Man
He worked for thirty years with
Two strong hands, in the factory light his
Lunch box held all his needs with
Coffee sandwiches and dreams
For Me

This Old Man
He taught me many times
To understand, that showing love is simply
Nothing you should have to hide
Don't keep your feelings locked inside
He said

When I was young
I dreamed a young man's dreams
I saw in your eyes
The things I'd never seen
But now I grow old
But I don't really mind
Cause can't you see with my family
We'll share these timeless memories

[Graystone] Christroaches or Hypochristians The assholiness of the early SI members claimin...

Graystone — 11/12/2020 11:43:57 AM

Christroaches
or
Hypochristians

The assholiness of the early SI members claiming to be Christians was clear to many.
They are still here on SI and they hate the fact that they have little influence.
There is a reason that churches are in decline all over the world.
The nuns showing up for Trump are the reason, pure hypocrisy.
Trump practices hatred, that is what he does.
He calls his neighbors rapists and criminals almost every day.
He has done everything to make sure his neighbors are treated poorly.
Trump spews hatred and division, mocks the disabled, attacks the vulnerable.
These nuns support Trump.
I don't care if their hymens are intact, they are unutterably ignorant hypocrites.
They choose hatred.
And that is why no one goes to church anymore.
They see the hypochristians and christroaches clearly.

I wonder where the christroaches went when the light was turned on?
I suppose for most of them, they just morphed into other names and kept right on hating.
They learned how dispense their hypocrisy in small doses by pretending to be normal.
There is no doubt that the hypochristians are still here, still pretending, that is what they do.
Selling hatred, choosing Satan.
I suppose love your neighbor as yourself is too complicated for christroaches.

[Graystone] Thanks God or Thanks Satan I am really not sure who to thank, are you? Who was ...

Graystone — 11/8/2020 7:43:28 PM

Thanks God
or
Thanks Satan

I am really not sure who to thank, are you?
Who was Pat Robertson talking to?
The movie always ends when the bully is beaten.
People will want to see what happens after then end of this movie I am sure.
Many Christians are expecting Preacher Trump's Traveling Sideshow.
Many Republicans think they are popular now and the Big Red tent will fill right up.

Me, I think teamwork will become necessary for people to defend their output here on SI.
If boards are taken over by false posters the messages those boards deliver will be altered.
Who knows what God wants?
Not I, but I know what this board is for.
Not church music.

All Over the World by ELO

One, two, three, four
Everybody all around the world
Gotta tell you what I just heard
There's gonna be a party all over the world
I got a message on the radio
But where it came from, I don't really know
And I heard these voices calling all over the world
All over the world
Everybody got the word
Everybody, everywhere, is gonna feel tonight
Everybody walking down the street
Everybody moving to the beat
They're gonna get hot down in the U.S.A
New York, Detroit, L.A.
We're gonna take a trip across the sea
Everybody come along with me
We're gonna hit the night down in gay Paris
C'est la vie, having your cup of tea
All over the world
Everybody got the word
Everybody, everywhere, is gonna feel tonight
London, Hamburg, Paris, Rome
Rio, Hong Kong, Tokyo
L.A., New York, Amsterdam
Monte Carlo, Shard End and
All over the world
Everybody got the word
Everybody, everywhere, is gonna feel tonight
Everybody all around the world
Gotta tell you what I just heard
Everybody walking down the street
I know a place where we all can meet
Everybody gonna have a good time
Everybody will shine 'til the daylight
All over the world
Everybody got the word
Everybody, everywhere, is gonna feel tonight
All over the world
Everybody got the word
All over the world
Everybody got the word
All over the world
Everybody got the word

[Graystone] Album : Spring Awakening or Artist : Brian Charles Johnson, Lauren Pritchard, Le...

Graystone — 10/15/2020 9:58:02 AM

Album : Spring Awakening
or
Artist : Brian Charles Johnson, Lauren Pritchard, Lea Michele and cast
Song : Totally Fucked

Link

Totally Fucked

There’s a moment you know you’re fucked
Not an inch more room to self-destruct
No more moves, oh yeah, the dead-end zone
Man, you just can’t call your soul your own

But the thing that makes you really jump
Is that the weirdest shit is still to come
You can ask yourself: ‘Hey, what have I done?'
You’re just a fly. The little guys, they kill for fun

Man, you’re fucked if you just freeze up
Can’t do that thing that keeping still

But, you’re fucked if you speak your mind

And you know uh huh you will

Yeah, you’re fucked all right and all for spite
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye
Totally fucked, will they mess you up?
Well, you know they’re gonna try

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Disappear yeah, well, you wanna try
Wanna bundle up into some big ass lie
Long enough for them to all just quit
Long enough for you to get out of it

Yeah, you’re fucked all right and all for spite
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye
Totally fucked, will they mess you up
Well, you know they’re gonna try

Yeah, you’re fucked all right and all for spite
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye
Totally fucked, will they mess you up
Well, you know they’re gonna try

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah

Totally fucked!

[Graystone] Tough questions or Ask and answer Paternal rights If Brett had non-consensual ...

Graystone — 10/3/2020 10:14:42 AM

Tough questions
or
Ask and answer

Paternal rights

If Brett had non-consensual sex with Amy and she was impregnated, does Brett get to keep the baby?
Does Amy's husband have any rights at all in this situation? Can he keep the baby if he decides?
If Amy's husband decides to give the baby away after it is born, what recourse will Brett have?
If the baby dies how does Amy's husband compensate Brett?
When Brett and Amy's husband negotiate does the baby have any cash value to Brett, to Amy's husband?
If the baby happens to be a girl baby does Amy's husband have to keep it if Brett doesn't want the baby.
If Brett is drinking beer and gives away the baby girl to quiet a group of angry men, is that OK?

Artist : The The
Album : Infected
Song : Infected

Link

Infected

Infect me with your love

I've got too much energy to switch off my mind
But not enough to get myself organized
My heart is heavy--my head is confused
And my aching little soul--has started burning blue!

I can't give you up, till I've got more than enough
So infect me with your love--
Nurse me into sickness. Nurse me back to health
Endow me with the gifts--of the man made world

When desire becomes an illness instead of a joy
And guilt a necessity that's gotta be destroyed

I can't give you up, till I've got more than enough
So infect me with your love--
Nurse me into sickness. Nurse me back to health
Endow me with the gifts--of the man made world

Take me by the hands and walk me to the end of the pier
Run your fingers through my hair
And tell me what I wanna hear--
Will lies become truths in this face of fading youth
From my scrotum to your womb, --your cradle to my tomb

I can't give you up, till I've got more than enough
So infect me with your love--
Nurse me into sickness. Nurse me back to health
Endow me with the gifts--of the man made world

Nurse me into sickness, nurse me back to health
And tell me what it is that I want in this world!!

[Graystone] Song : Unto Caesar or Album : Swing Lo Magellan (Japanese Version) Artist : Dir...

Graystone — 9/28/2020 10:05:58 AM

Song : Unto Caesar
or
Album : Swing Lo Magellan (Japanese Version)

Artist : Dirty Projectors

Link

Unto Caesar

Accident or intention
It's already history
Random or intelligent
The mute march into victory
Innocent or innocent enough to say
"I did what I did, I did what I did only"

Render unto Caesar

Scrawled and all illegible
You kept yourself hidden well
Sprawling and inflexible
The world asked you for nothing else
So and forward, lifelong in the gentle breeze
Moral as a leaf, to fall and to decease, you

Render unto Caesar

("When should we bust into harmony?")
Where the grayscale conjurers (flip it)
Where the lifelike perjurers (write it)
Where the vested spectators (watch it)
Where the weapon chancellor (gun it)
Where the twilight mandolin (play it)
Where the high custodian (mop it)
Where the panic violent (panic)
Where the crabby handmaiden is (scrub it)

Down the line, down the mercenary barbary
Down the line, dead the martyrs' morbid poetry
("What are we singing?")
("Uh, that doesn't make any sense what you just said. Hey, can you—")
Down the rampart, the vandals given to defeat
And down the landscape
The lineman plastered for a, for a, for a week

Render unto Caesar
Render unto Caesar

[Graystone] Artist : Monty Python or Song : Every Sperm is Sacred Album : The Meaning of Li...

Graystone — 9/23/2020 1:06:40 PM

Artist : Monty Python
or
Song : Every Sperm is Sacred

Album : The Meaning of Life

Link

Every Sperm Is Sacred
by Monty Python

There are Jews in the world
There are Buddhists
There are Hindus and Mormons, and then
There are those that follow Mohammed, but
I've never been one of them
I'm a Roman Catholic,
And have been since before I was born,
And the one thing they say about Catholics is:
They'll take you as soon as you're warm
You don't have to be a six-footer
You don't have to have a great brain
You don't have to have any clothes on You're
A Catholic the moment Dad came,
Because
Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is great
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate
Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is great
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate
Let the heathen spill theirs
On the dusty ground
God shall make them pay for
Each sperm that can't be found
Every sperm is wanted
Every sperm is good
Every sperm is needed
In your neighborhood
Hindu, Taoist, Mormon,
Spill theirs just anywhere,
But God loves those who treat their
Semen with more care
Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is great
If a sperm is wasted,

God get quite irate
Every sperm is sacred
BRIDE and GROOM:
Every sperm is good
Every sperm is needed

In your neighbourhood!
Every sperm is useful
Every sperm is fine
God needs everybody's
Mine!
And mine!
And mine!
Let the Pagan spill theirs
O'er mountain, hill, and plain

God shall strike them down for
Each sperm that's spilt in vain
Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is good
Every sperm is needed
In your neighborhood
Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is great
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite iraaaaaate!

PS :The previous post was Shawn James, not Shawn Parker.
But I am probably the only one who even noticed that I put the wrong name.
I had Parker on the mind and it slipped itself in and there.

[Graystone] Artist : Shawn Parker or Album: Shadows Song : Through the Valley Link Throu...

Graystone — 9/15/2020 9:33:54 PM

Artist : Shawn Parker
or
Album: Shadows

Song : Through the Valley

Link

Through the Valley

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
And I'll fear no evil because I'm blind to it all
And my mind and my gun they comfort me
Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell on this earth forevermore
Still, I walk beside the still waters, and they restore my soul
But I can't walk on the path of the right because I'm wrong
Well, I came upon a man at the top of a hill
Called himself the savior of the human race
Said he come to save the world from destruction and pain
But I said, "How can you save the world from itself?"

Cause I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
And I'll fear no evil because I'm blind
Oh, and I walk beside the still waters, and they restore my soul
But I know when I die my soul is damned

Sung by Ellie

[Graystone] Song : A Woman's Place or Artist : Gilbert O'Sullivan Album : A Stranger in my ...

Graystone — 9/9/2020 8:50:51 PM

Song : A Woman's Place
or
Artist : Gilbert O'Sullivan

Album : A Stranger in my Own Backyard

Link

A Woman's Place

I may be old fashioned
So what if I am
I'm not any different
To any other man
I'm not one of those
Who look for blood from a stone
But I believe
A woman's place is in the home.
Now I'm not one to kid you
You know it's not my style
I wouldn't want to hurt you
Not even for a while
I'm all for a woman
Who can make it on her own
But I believe
A woman's place is in the home.
Ooh baby I believe, I do
A woman's place is in the home.
Wonder what would have happened
Had a woman flattened
Rocky Marciano's nose
Would there have been
A change of views
Would women no longer be used
The way they seem
To think they're being
I know what you're thinking
And you've every right to moan
But I believe, yes indeed, I do,
A woman's place is in the home.
Ooh baby I believe, I do
A woman's place is in the home

[Graystone] Album : IV: Revenge of the Vengeance or Artist: Psychostick Song : Loathe Thy N...

Graystone — 9/8/2020 10:48:37 AM

Album : IV: Revenge of the Vengeance
or
Artist: Psychostick

Song : Loathe Thy Neighbor

Link

"Loathe Thy Neighbor"

Picture an elderly lady peeking through her blinds
You wave her a friendly hello while she glares with judging eyes
Her glasses held by chains on pointy 1960s frames
They help her see your faults as she's squinting with disdain

A retired English teacher with an overwhelming fragrance
Still alive, too stubborn to die
And death don't have the patience
She has more cats than children by an order of magnitude
And whenever she loses at bingo she takes it out on you

"Oh, hello. Good afternoon Ms. Bendersnatch, I really like your dress. Wonderful weather we're having today, isn't it?"

Calls the cops on her rotary phone
Every time you try to mow the lawn

Close your blinds, lock your doors (evil wench)
I mind my business, now you mind yours (nosy bitch)
Keep to yourself and stay off my grass (cranky hag)
Now get off my porch and get off my ass (yeah)

Get off my ass, go back inside
Stay in your home, leave me alone

Imagine a jerk in his 40s in front of the broke down house that he rents
Not all that bright, chugging Natural Light
Flicking cigarette butts over your fence
Screaming all day at his beat up truck
That he always fails to repair
More stains on his shirt than teeth in his mouth
And he doesn't seem to care

A former high school quarterback
With delusions of long past glory
Blasts 80s crap from his Pontiac
As he tells you his whole life story
He parks and blocks my driveway
Then dumps his cup of tobacco spit
Setting fireworks off after midnight?
I'm about to lose my SHHHH-...temper

"Hey man, can I borrow your weed-whacker? I got piss-drunk last night, woke up this morning and for some reason mine's on the dang roof"

Mows his lawn at 2 AM (I shit you not)
He likes me but I hate him
Deadbeat Dad, he doesn't pay child support
He looks like Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Hehehe)

Close your blinds, lock your doors (fucking hick)
I mind my business now you mind yours (stupid douche)
Keep to yourself and stay off my grass (eat a dick)
Now get off my porch and get off my ass

Get off my ass, go back inside
Stay in your home, leave me alone

[Knocks] "Hello, who's unsightly trailer is this? It must be removed."
"Well, it's OUR trailer in OUR driveway."
"It diminishes property value of this prestigious community and will not be tolerated."
"Dude..uh sir, this lady's cat shits in our flower-bed, this guy flicks cigarette on our lawn and YOU'RE worried about a trailer. Next you're gonna complain about our bird house."
"Ahhh, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Your inferior birdhouse isn't properly sunk. You have brought forth the full discontent of the Home Owners Association Socialist Party. The birdhouse will have to be....eliminated."

We all hate the HOA
All the homes , they look the same
The mortgage states the house belongs to me
You need to chill the fuck out
And get off of my property

"Quit changing the channel on my television set, I know it was you. I saw you through my blinds."
[indecipherable talking and screaming]
"Shut up!"

Some are so friendly but some of them are enemies
Makes me neurotic
And keeps me on guard
Battling those neighbors with
Tolerant diplomacy tempts me to empty my bleach on their yard
I pour bleach on your yard
I spelled "BITCH" on your lawn
That's right, FUCK your grass
Loathe thy neighbor

"I can't nap with that mowing racket day and night."

[Graystone] Artist : Sonic Youth or Album : Goo Song : Mote Link When you feel the spiral...

Graystone — 9/6/2020 12:30:12 AM

Artist : Sonic Youth
or
Album : Goo

Song : Mote
Link

When you feel the spiral turning through alone,
And you feel so heavy that you just can't stop it...
When this sea of madness turns you into stone,
A picture of your life shoots like a rocket
All the time...
Put me in the equation, it's all right.
I've seen you moving in and out of sight.
My friends tell me it'll all cut through you,
From nowhere to nowhere.
Cut together, cutting through.
I'm island-bound, a mote inside my eye,
And I can't see you breathing as before.
I am airless -- a vacuum child.
I can't stand to reason at your door in this time.
Put me in the equation, it's all right.
I've seen you moving in and out of sight.
My friends tell me it'll all cut through you,
From nowhere to nowhere.
Cut together.
I'm down in the daytime out of sight,
Comin' in from dreamland, I'm on fire.
I can see it's all been here before.
Dream a dream that lies right at your door.
When the seasons circle sideways out of turn,
And words don't speak, just fall across the carpet,
You're just in time to watch the fires burn.
It seems a crime but your face is bright, you love it all the time...

[Graystone] Song : Lake of Fire or Artist : Nirvana Album : MTV Unplugged in New York Writt...

Graystone — 9/2/2020 11:05:25 PM

Song : Lake of Fire
or
Artist : Nirvana

Album : MTV Unplugged in New York
Written by : Curt Kirkwood

Link

Where do bad folks go when they die?
They don't go to heaven where the angels fly
Go to a lake of fire and fry
See 'em again 'til the Fourth of July

I knew a lady who came from Duluth
Bitten by a dog with a rabid tooth
She went to her grave just a little too soon
Flew away howling on the yellow moon

Where do bad folks go when they die?
They don't go to heaven where the angels fly
Go to a lake of fire and fry
See 'em again 'til the Fourth of July

People cry and people moan
Look for a dry place to call their home
Try to find some place to rest their bones
While the angels and the devils try to make 'em their own

Where do bad folks go when they die?
They don't go to heaven where the angels fly
Go to a lake of fire and fry
See 'em again 'til the Fourth of July

[Graystone] Album : Depart from Me or Song : I Never Knew You Artist : Cage Link Lyrics ...

Graystone — 9/1/2020 12:34:25 PM

Album : Depart from Me
or
Song : I Never Knew You

Artist : Cage

Link

Lyrics

You’re always dying inside that much closer to home
On a crowded street corner surrounded by people all alone
Pain in the heart, rain in the dark, the womb is glum and bitter
She walks around the corner, it’s like she brought the sun with her
Then everything just brightened up, I couldn’t make this up
My fingers in my eyes as she walked by like I was waking up
And so many words, I couldn’t string a sentence together to bother her
I instantly forgot all my plans and started to follow her

It’s like the sky opened and God handed you directly to me
I know it sounds crazy but so is life, I’m sinking
And feeling like your heart is beating solely for me

Your legs are long and toned, you must be walking home
I love the way your lips move when you’re talking on your phone
Intoxicating, truly due to your impurities
Plague every thought of you while I’m trailing you like you’re security
Lost, we couldn’t know our paths would cross but time knew it
Feet sticking out the window, a opportunity climbing through it
Pain for sale, looking to find a new taker
Chance to speak blown, when you looked at me I looked in the newspaper

Because the sky opened and God handed you directly to me
I know it sounds crazy but so is life, I’m sinking
And feeling like your heart is beating solely for me

I’m miles out of my way, creepy, I want more
Was gonna turn back but you stuck your key in your front door
I’m standing across the street, stars that aligned us to meet
Standing outside with your trash feeling incomplete
My finger aching for your doorbell like a random blog
Instead I lurk outside in the cold like an abandoned dog
Perish the thought, you should cherish the words that I got in my mouth
The only words that can truly explain how I got in your house

Because the sky opened and God handed you directly to me
I know it sounds crazy but so is life, I’m sinking
And feeling like your heart is beating solely for me
Unlikely, impossible, I couldn’t dream to think it
There’s something happening between us you can’t deceive
I’m so in over my head I’ve learned to breathe in it
Your eyes are screaming and you’re saying no baby to me
If there was a way out I think you would’ve taken it
My hands and arms are the only way that you can leave
Face to face for the first time, you feel what I’m feeling
Selfishly no longer breathing because of me

[Investor2] THE NEW YORK BLESSING : 100 CHURCHES SINGING A BLESSING OVER NEW YORK CITY [yout...

Investor2 — 7/8/2020 10:56:29 PM

THE NEW YORK BLESSING : 100 CHURCHES SINGING A BLESSING OVER NEW YORK CITY

[Qualified Opinion] JHM: jhm.org

Qualified Opinion — 7/1/2020 2:55:42 PM

[Qualified Opinion] JHM: youtube.com

Qualified Opinion — 6/16/2020 5:29:45 PM

[Qualified Opinion] [youtube video]

Qualified Opinion — 4/7/2020 8:41:53 PM

[O'Hara] Yes! From your mouth to God's ears. That is exactly what I am praying for. I am...

O'Hara — 4/21/2016 11:21:32 PM

Yes! From your mouth to God's ears.

That is exactly what I am praying for. I am in the middle of a one-man campaign. I call it my "What If" campaign.
Hope to be posting about it in a few days.. Praying that it becomes a "National Phenomenon"...a holy national phenomenon!! And to God be all the glory!

Be back soon.
Shalom ><>

[Qualified Opinion] Vatican Midnight Mass of Christmas 2015: [youtube video]

Qualified Opinion — 12/24/2015 6:24:31 PM

[Qualified Opinion] [youtube video]

Qualified Opinion — 10/17/2015 12:36:51 AM

[Investor2] God loves the lowly. When we live humbly, he takes our small efforts and create...

Investor2 — 9/24/2015 10:17:15 PM

God loves the lowly. When we live humbly, he takes our small efforts and creates great things.