Article: Florida town casts out Satan (and it's not The Onion)
So I was paying a visit to cnn.com and came across this: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/29/town.satan/index.html"; target="_blank">Florida town casts out Satan</a>
It's a funny story 'n all, but I wonder what it's doing on cnn.com?? -- right next to "War on terrorism 'only beginning'" and "Manhunt under way for kidnapped U.S. reporter".
Huh.
It's a funny story 'n all, but I wonder what it's doing on cnn.com?? -- right next to "War on terrorism 'only beginning'" and "Manhunt under way for kidnapped U.S. reporter".
Huh.
Comments
<strong>It's mindboggling, that in these supposedly rational times (?) there are so many people who are so taken by superstition, fearmongering and medieval dogma. What are these people on? It would be amusing if it wasn't so pathetic and removed from reality. The "devil" is an easy way out of acknowledging human responsibility for conscious mal-intent, of which each and every one of us is potentially most capable.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Are you talking about the mayor of Inglis, or just Christianity in general?
Well firstly, the mayor of Inglis sounds as if she is gripped/overcome by superstition. I have nothing against that, provided her personal beliefs are kept just that: private and personal and not disseminated to the general public on official town letterheaded paper, giving the impression of official sanction. Go for it, ACLU
As for Christianity in general: Christianity encompasses such a huge variety of peoples, races, customs, ritual, dogma, biblical interpretation etc etc. "Satan awareness" is just another aspect. Some Christians will go on and on about "the devil" until the proverbial cows come home whilst others wave their hands in the air and roll their eyes in skeptical bemusement.
To acknowledge Satan gives 'him' more power and standing. Personally, I don't put any credence in "The Beast, Mephistopheles, "666" or any other attempted personification of bad human judgement or malicious intent and conscious decision. "Satan" is so often used to deny responsibility for our actions. Would anyone here give Osama bin Laden (or those Enron executives) the benefit of being excused, for their dastardly actions by transferring their personal responsibility to Satan?
I find it 'amusing' that so many people believe in "The Devil" as an entity, without a shred of scientific or rational evidence. There is far more evidence to support UFOs, alien abductions, bigfoot/yeti, Chupucabra, the Loch Ness monster etc etc...than "Satan as an entity"...yet believers in paranormal (non-religiously orientated) phenomena are branded as kooks and weirdos, but anyone who expresses skepticism of such (outlandish? bizarre?) ideas as virgin birth, resurrection, the devil, gospel accounts of miracles etc etc gets roundly and routinely stomped on.
I remain *extremely* skeptical. As the late Carl Sagan said, and I paraphrase: Extraordinary ideas require extraordinary proof. Just show me the devil in a cage at LA Zoo before I even give this medieval and out-there notion just five seconds of my time.
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> and more <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
I hereby declare Copenhagen Santa-free zone. If he ever show up here he will be shot. And that goes for elfs too.
But remember the old saying: the greatest trick the devil ever played was to convince the world he doesn't exist.
[ 01-30-2002: Message edited by: Outsider ]</p>
<strong>People do so much evil to one another they do not need the help of a super-natural evil doer.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Many people also do so much good to one another they do not need the help of a super-natural good doer. (ie: Jesus)
I've said this before. I think all this religious stuff has gotten out of hand. Fanatics, Televangelists, Satan Worshipers, Pedo-Priests and old incompetent Popes. When's the world going to realize we're all alone here on Earth and what makes the world a good, safe place is us instead of these old fairy tales? Long ways away, I guess.
A different priest once told me a story about his cemenary time. He said that all of the other priests were at dinner or something but he stayed in his room. A man came into his room and spoke to him. The man said something about how it would be easier just to leave the cemenary and go about your life. The priest sat and listened. The man dissapered the next instant. This night happened to be before that priest got ordained.
Just something to think about.
Many years ago I was talking to the head pastor in the church and he told me all those excorcism stuff.
It's very scary stuff
<strong>Some people do believe in Satan as a physical being.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Exuse me for sounding harsh but just because people believe things and see things doesn´t make it true. I respect religion as an alternative way of explaining the world around us with another type of language but when it interfers with the "real" four dimensional space its just laughable.
<strong>My church is the christian alliance.....
Many years ago I was talking to the head pastor in the church and he told me all those excorcism stuff.
It's very scary stuff</strong><hr></blockquote>
So was The Exorcist. Leonis, I believe that whatever sort of religious faith or guidance one needs is their choice. Whatever gets you through the good and the bad.
All the posters though who say, "I heard this", "Someone told me...", "I read about..."...until you see it yourself, let us know.