Post by Andy D on Dec 12, 2016 18:46:56 GMT -5
Warning: Those who may have a very dedicated religious viewpoint may not wish to read any further.
I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan 'Cause I want to hear both sides – Biffy Clyro; God & Satan
The teacher of my sister’s religious studies class said the following thing to her class (which of course Sarah related to us). What is the difference between a religion and a cult? The number of members and the number of years it’s been running.
Becks thought that comment was an insult to religion itself, but I wondered if it was more an understatement on the cult. While the term cult is a very negative term these days, like most words its been redefined over the last hundred years. Previously it was an off-shoot of the main religion. Want to have a cult worshiping St Sebastian? That would be a cult. Not the brainwashing, terrorist activity suicide cult that the name seems to stereotype these days.
Obviously this has been on my mind recently given my forthcoming opponent. It would be easy to simply dismiss Seromine and his followers as a deranged cult who twists the concept of religion into a path of violence and destruction in a similar fashion to how psychopathic tyrants are twisting Islam into a path of violence and destruction.
But that actually doesn’t seem fair. Yes, his methodology seems aggressive and discriminatory. But the basic underlying beliefs may be completely fine. And more importantly, they are “beliefs”. And because of those beliefs being so deeply held, my point of view will mostly likely be ignored at best, and called an outright attack at most.
I recall a British comedian several years ago made a viewpoint on religion and as part of that made some scathing statements against Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Now when he finished those statements, he said that when (not if) the letters [of complaint] would come, they would all probably say that they were all individually singled out to be attacked. This here lies the problem with any religion (cult size or otherwise), is that those who hold too deep a conviction will find any form of comment against them is a complete attack against them.
I can’t help but remember the last ‘cult’ that was around in PCW. The fed, and wrestling in general, is no stranger to religious based individuals and groups, and some are so far off centre they’re the double section on the dartboard. You’re all probably thinking I’m talking about the Black Hand, but they were more of an ideological movement (though the difference is a discussion for another set of scholars who know way more about what they’re talking about). No, the one that is on my mind right now is the Ascension.
A few years ago there was a man in PCW known as Usali Basilisk. Or to give him his full title, the Grand Exaulted One Usali Basilisk. Now Usali had a belief that he was some kind of son of a god, but not the regular ones that we know. Some kind of dragon like ones, headed by some dude called Numaki. I don’t remember all the details as I wasn’t really interested in being a part of his ‘cult’ but he claimed he had power from them, and sometimes that ‘power’ seemed to consume him as it drove him to further harm even those he called allies. Oh and he once raised a guy from the dead… that’s got to be worth a footnote right?
Their methods, ideology and their execution of it in a public state are different, but there are similarities between Seromine and Usali Basilisk. Both believe their version of god is correct. Both believe it grants them power, both try to get more to subscribe to their way of thinking, both weren’t that happy with you when you called them wrong. So if you can’t chose to disbelieve their opinions, how can you ever truly say a comment against them without it being taken as a declaration of war?
Let’s change pace here, but keep on with the similarities to Seromine. My other opponent in my upcoming match is High Tide. Now call him a delusional drunkard if you want, but the man truly believes he is a pirate, 100%. There is nothing you can say or do to convince him otherwise, and in fact doing so will probably lead to anger and violence. Seem familiar to someone else?
In fact the idea of being a pirate may be more like Seromine’s ‘cult’ than you realise. Although being a pirate was done out of the idea of not following a country, government and their rules, you still had rules to follow on the ship. There was a leader, the captain, and the rest of the crew all worked towards the good of the ship. And there are even stories and legends that pirate captains and crews banded together, forming their own pirate codes or even possibly pirate societies hidden away from the rest of the world. Sure that could just be made up as part of the romanticising of being a Pirate, but the basics are all still there.
A set of rules and principles to help guide the actions of the members and their society. A hierarchy of more powerful members who push/entice the lifestyle onto others. The use of alcohol as an important part of the culture. There is a lot of base similarities between Pirates. Seromine’s ‘church’ and religion as a whole.
But what about me? Well as an Atheist, I too may follow some of these basic similarities to religion itself. I may categorise myself under the ‘I just don’t believe in god’ box although I try to keep an open mind about others views, but there are actually more ‘hardcore’ atheists who believe more in science than god and basic religion than the rest of us. Hell, there is even a church of atheism which holds science lectures on physics and evolution, instead of sermons. It may be out of the complete disbelief in something that drives their actual beliefs, but still these people still will refuse to listen to another view point, refuse to accept any other opinion about spiritualism other than their own.
Seromine, High Tide & myself. We are from a background of Religion, Piratism, Atheism respectively. Each one of us are steadfast in our convictions, each of us believe that we are right, that they are wrong. Each of us believe that we will walk out with the International title at Collision Course.
There are more similarities between us three than appears at first glance. The difference I that I accept this instead of dismissing it and claiming superiority. I also don’t have some strange method of killing people I don’t like that involve long pieces of wood. That’s just a part of both Pirates and religion I never understood.
I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan 'Cause I want to hear both sides – Biffy Clyro; God & Satan
The teacher of my sister’s religious studies class said the following thing to her class (which of course Sarah related to us). What is the difference between a religion and a cult? The number of members and the number of years it’s been running.
Becks thought that comment was an insult to religion itself, but I wondered if it was more an understatement on the cult. While the term cult is a very negative term these days, like most words its been redefined over the last hundred years. Previously it was an off-shoot of the main religion. Want to have a cult worshiping St Sebastian? That would be a cult. Not the brainwashing, terrorist activity suicide cult that the name seems to stereotype these days.
Obviously this has been on my mind recently given my forthcoming opponent. It would be easy to simply dismiss Seromine and his followers as a deranged cult who twists the concept of religion into a path of violence and destruction in a similar fashion to how psychopathic tyrants are twisting Islam into a path of violence and destruction.
But that actually doesn’t seem fair. Yes, his methodology seems aggressive and discriminatory. But the basic underlying beliefs may be completely fine. And more importantly, they are “beliefs”. And because of those beliefs being so deeply held, my point of view will mostly likely be ignored at best, and called an outright attack at most.
I recall a British comedian several years ago made a viewpoint on religion and as part of that made some scathing statements against Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Now when he finished those statements, he said that when (not if) the letters [of complaint] would come, they would all probably say that they were all individually singled out to be attacked. This here lies the problem with any religion (cult size or otherwise), is that those who hold too deep a conviction will find any form of comment against them is a complete attack against them.
I can’t help but remember the last ‘cult’ that was around in PCW. The fed, and wrestling in general, is no stranger to religious based individuals and groups, and some are so far off centre they’re the double section on the dartboard. You’re all probably thinking I’m talking about the Black Hand, but they were more of an ideological movement (though the difference is a discussion for another set of scholars who know way more about what they’re talking about). No, the one that is on my mind right now is the Ascension.
A few years ago there was a man in PCW known as Usali Basilisk. Or to give him his full title, the Grand Exaulted One Usali Basilisk. Now Usali had a belief that he was some kind of son of a god, but not the regular ones that we know. Some kind of dragon like ones, headed by some dude called Numaki. I don’t remember all the details as I wasn’t really interested in being a part of his ‘cult’ but he claimed he had power from them, and sometimes that ‘power’ seemed to consume him as it drove him to further harm even those he called allies. Oh and he once raised a guy from the dead… that’s got to be worth a footnote right?
Their methods, ideology and their execution of it in a public state are different, but there are similarities between Seromine and Usali Basilisk. Both believe their version of god is correct. Both believe it grants them power, both try to get more to subscribe to their way of thinking, both weren’t that happy with you when you called them wrong. So if you can’t chose to disbelieve their opinions, how can you ever truly say a comment against them without it being taken as a declaration of war?
Let’s change pace here, but keep on with the similarities to Seromine. My other opponent in my upcoming match is High Tide. Now call him a delusional drunkard if you want, but the man truly believes he is a pirate, 100%. There is nothing you can say or do to convince him otherwise, and in fact doing so will probably lead to anger and violence. Seem familiar to someone else?
In fact the idea of being a pirate may be more like Seromine’s ‘cult’ than you realise. Although being a pirate was done out of the idea of not following a country, government and their rules, you still had rules to follow on the ship. There was a leader, the captain, and the rest of the crew all worked towards the good of the ship. And there are even stories and legends that pirate captains and crews banded together, forming their own pirate codes or even possibly pirate societies hidden away from the rest of the world. Sure that could just be made up as part of the romanticising of being a Pirate, but the basics are all still there.
A set of rules and principles to help guide the actions of the members and their society. A hierarchy of more powerful members who push/entice the lifestyle onto others. The use of alcohol as an important part of the culture. There is a lot of base similarities between Pirates. Seromine’s ‘church’ and religion as a whole.
But what about me? Well as an Atheist, I too may follow some of these basic similarities to religion itself. I may categorise myself under the ‘I just don’t believe in god’ box although I try to keep an open mind about others views, but there are actually more ‘hardcore’ atheists who believe more in science than god and basic religion than the rest of us. Hell, there is even a church of atheism which holds science lectures on physics and evolution, instead of sermons. It may be out of the complete disbelief in something that drives their actual beliefs, but still these people still will refuse to listen to another view point, refuse to accept any other opinion about spiritualism other than their own.
Seromine, High Tide & myself. We are from a background of Religion, Piratism, Atheism respectively. Each one of us are steadfast in our convictions, each of us believe that we are right, that they are wrong. Each of us believe that we will walk out with the International title at Collision Course.
There are more similarities between us three than appears at first glance. The difference I that I accept this instead of dismissing it and claiming superiority. I also don’t have some strange method of killing people I don’t like that involve long pieces of wood. That’s just a part of both Pirates and religion I never understood.