Staring out the window, watching the gym class, and daydreaming.

I have recently been involved in a discussion thread in the commentary section of Hellbound Alleee’s blog here. I don’t rightly know what to call this. To call it a discussion or an argument would be like calling the chatter of five-year olds a conversation.

Child #1: “I have grape juice”
Child #2: “My daddy is a fireman”

Sort of an illusion of communication. Anyway, It involved a person identifying self as Maureen, and the statements she made just begged to be challenged. Maureen is the kind of person I don’t encounter very often, an evangelizing Catholic. I live in a Catholic neighborhood, and when I say “neighborhood”, I mean region. The Catholics I know, while devout, keep their religion to themselves. The church might be politically active, but my neighbors pretty much leave me alone, and I return the favor. I do however, regularly play with Jehovah’s “Witnesses” that come to my door, and with Baptists on line. Maureen’s proclamations had a distinctly different “flavor”. My imaginary lion extends the tip of his imaginary tongue and reports the flavor of sour breast milk. Quite different from the metallic taste of Satan-fear, or the greasy flavor of Evangelical Slim Jims and Budweiser I have grown accustomed to.

I ponder the difference, and conclude that there is something older, more basic, in the Catholic approach to brainwashing. I think about the statuary, the icons, the little shrines on the side of the road, the little offerings of flowers made to same, and the empty niches in the walls of the Pantheon in Rome. I think about the Pagan gods and demigods, and the little shrines that used to dot the landscape.... gone but not forgotten.... just transformed. “We are the Christians. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.”

Yes, the Church has long practiced the art of assimilating the practices of other beliefs, and making them Christian. The dancing skulls of South America; a perversion of an Aztec perversion. The Nuns; a perversion of Vestal Virgins, and pimped to the elite in much the same way in the early years. The Catholic church has striven to be all things to all people. Not content with the concept of Super-Daddy (God), they have aspired to being the Church of Super-Mommy as well, hence the cult of the Alleged Virgin Mary. Something for every wounded human “spirit”. Ah, that accounts for the sour milk-of-human-kindness flavor! A cheat! A swindle! Patterned on old cheats and swindles, and always for a price. Give up your self-esteem, self-direction, critical thinking, and all hope of self-actualization. In exchange, we will give you loving imaginary parents and the womb-like security of a like-minded community. Come suckle at our Emotional Reassurance bar, - after we have created the hunger by disturbing you deeply of course. Let your mind go back to the early thinking patterns of childhood. We like you that way; fearful and superstitious.

An example of the brainwashing that is taking place, quoting Maureen:

“Islam, that religion of "peace," has led only to a world of suicide bombers and acid throwing fanatics. Judaism--i.e., the cult of those who rejected Christ--has led only to centuries of usury, conspiracy, and sexual immorality, of the kind we see in Hollywood today.Christendom, on the other hand, is the fountain of all beautiful art, sacred music, and true science in the world. And yet, Christians are the most persecuted people in the world today, unable even to practice their faith openly in America today. Blasphemy reigns supreme, and heresies are the common currency of the land.”

Note the word “only” in the sentence about Islam and again in the one about Judaism. Someone has shown Maureen “only” what they wanted her to see. What could we say was the “only” product of Catholicism in Northern Ireland and the exploding pubs of London?

“Sacred” music? Would you sacrifice to it? I love music, but no one piece is worth the life of a hamster. As for science, as I have mentioned before, the Greek and Turkish and Roman mathematicians and scholars and surgeons were indisputably NOT Christian.

This has gone on long enough. I will explore the concepts of “blasphemy” and “heresy” and "persecution" another time.