The Return of Paganism
The spiritual crisis afflicting contemporary America has ancient and enduring roots—and so does the cureWhen a 28-year-old person identifying as transgender shot up a Tennessee school in March, killing three children and three adults, the usual grim afterlife of tragedy was underlined by an odd note: One by one, media outlets rushed to apologize for “misgendering” the shooter, who, they explained, had been born female but had recently begun identifying as male.
How to make sense of such a statement? And what to do when a newspaper headline tells you about a “trans woman left sobbing in JFK Airport after TSA agent hit her testicles”? Appealing to reason hardly helps, as J.K. Rowling and others learned the hard way when trying to ask simple questions such as how one might define sex if not according to the chromosomes rooted in literally every cell of our bodies. Instead, anyone wishing to find his way through the thicket of American public discourse these days should start by embracing one simple and terrifying idea: The barbarians are at the gates.
and this,
And that, it turns out, is not an easy task, mainly because “pagan” is somewhat of a loaded term. If you have an appetite for good origin stories, you might as well place the birth of the notion with St. Augustine in the fifth century C.E. Pressed to explain to his readers why Rome had been sacked by the Visigoths so shortly after embracing Christianity, Augustine wrote his famous treatise, The City of God. Its full title? De civitate Dei contra paganos, or The City of God Against the Pagans. The latter, he opined elsewhere, had delivered unto mankind nothing but a “hissing cauldron of lusts” that have so spoiled our souls and driven us so far from God that the downfall was imminent. The moral stain of Augustine’s description stuck, and it often colors both our historical vision and the observation that “pagan” describes a dizzying array of peoples and beliefs—from the Slavic tribes who believed that the sky god Perun had beget all other deities that control nature to the Germanic peoples and their complex mythology of giants, dwarves, elves, and dragons, familiar to us from Wagner’s operas.
plus,
At once the embodiment of innocence and the object of our deepest and most sincere emotions, children, the most vulnerable of mortals, were the ultimate offering to the gods—proof that the pagan believer was so certain in his belief that he would offer up his own offspring to show the gods the strength of his faith, appeasing them and avoiding potential punishment. So prevalent among the heathens of antiquity was the practice of child sacrifice that the Torah issued a strongly worded prohibition against it, in Leviticus 18:21: “Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek.”
And this is startling,
A 2018 study by Lisa Littman, assistant professor of behavioral sciences at Brown, addressed this very question. Teens, Dr. Littman concluded after studying 256 subjects, were highly susceptible to what she called “rapid-onset gender dysphoria.” When spending time, particularly online, with groups of people who favorably discussed the idea of being transgender, teens were much more likely to become gender dysphoric, a phenomenon Dr. Littman described as “peer contagion.”
The paper was accepted by PLOS One, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but after transgender activists protested, the article was removed, and a Brown dean explained that censorship had been necessary because Dr. Littman’s findings “invalidate the perspectives” of the transgender community. Meanwhile, the Reuters report also confirmed that the past four years have seen a doubling of the rates of both hormone therapy and puberty blockers prescribed to teens. This uptick, coupled with school policies that now actively seek to exclude parents from conversations about their child’s gender identity, has led lawmakers in 27 states to draft 100 bills to halt so-called gender-reaffirming care.
Do read the whole thing.
Just catching up on Hamster comments today before going to bed. El Gordo, I haven’t much to show for today’s efforts other than one load of wash including spouse’s and my socks, and those do not dry completely in the dryer because they tend to clump together so only part gets dry. Most of them end up hanging on towel… Read more »
Bedtime has arrived out here once again. Once again I’ve got nothing to show for my efforts today. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get going. Have a good evening you all.
Texpat 7:36 – BFF had her hip replacement done from the front – I had mine done from the back. Ath the time, none of the Methodist did the frontal approach, so she decided to go to whoever was the guru of that type replacement at the time. Her recovery was not bad at all, but I did not know… Read more »
Bsue… I am using the elbow cream on it and it seems to be helping. I must’ve strained some ligaments or something.
Tedtam, don’t know if it’ll do any good for what’s ailing your knee… but I was diagnosed many many years ago with osteoarthritis in both knees – had to have one scoped because of a meniscus tear, and had visco-supplementation injections in both knees every 6 months for several years, while taking osteo-bi-flex (or the equivalent)… And still take it… Read more »
Check out this story on Jeffrey Epstein. This was one evil SOB. In the fall of 1982, a money manager named Harold Levin got a phone call that would change his life. A lawyer representing Leslie H. Wexner, the founder and CEO of the women’s apparel retailer The Limited, said Wexner was looking for a financial adviser. Would Levin be… Read more »
Texpat – my wife is on the tail end of about a three week long battle with bronchitis, finally doing better. She is a horrible patient, does not like feeling bad at all! Topped off with she does not react well with breathing treatments or any OTC sinus/cold medications, makes her mind go nuts with anxiety, talks out her head.… Read more »
Jaime Dimon was a protege of Jeffrey Epstein who with Leslie Wexler helped him finagle his way into taking over JP Morgan.
Dimon plays all side of the game. He is for ESG and then he is against ESG, etc, etc, etcetera.
Barron’s is reporting Bud Light sales nationally are now down 26% and falling as of April 2023 sales returns.
It was the best selling brand of beer in America…once upon a time.
If it were April 13th 1912 Jaime Dimon would be saying….the Titanic? why she’s unsinkable! The soundest ship on earth by gawd.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/second-largest-us-bank-failure-history-first-republic-bank-seized-fdic-sold-jpmorgan
As of today, Her Highness is scheduled to have a right hip joint replacement surgery on July 12th. Oh boy, this is going to be interesting. HH is not a good patient and is given to whining and complaining a lot. I will have to draw on deep reservoirs of patience and tolerance. She is the exact opposite of me… Read more »
I gambled and wasted $5.00 on a copy of the Wall Street Journal today to get the dead tree imprint of the Jeffrey Epstein leak story.
I wasted my money because there wasn’t anything in there we don’t already know from numerous reports in conservative media.
Maybe they have more. I don’t know.
35 Shannon
I thought the Sahara Desert dust kept the hurricanes away from the Gulf. Of course, El Gordo likes hurricanes a lot so he probably hates the dust too.
ARS Rescue Rooter is a plumbing outfit that has been around Houston forever.
They’ve always had a huge budget for very expensive local television advertising.
But until now, I’ve never seen them use their TV ads to recruit new hires – even clerical staff.
I’m tired of this Sahara Desert dirt blowing in here every year.
I say we just go over there and pave it over.
Make a nice 3.6 million square mile skateboard park.
Looks like the pedestrian murderer has given the Woke FBI the slip once again. Believe me, if they wanted to catch that guy they would already have him.
Between the Seaweed Monster and Sahara Desert dirt headed our way we are all doomed.
#31 – *shudder* – the ONE thing that scares the crap outta me on 2 wheels is low or no visibility!
The crashes involved 40 to 60 passenger cars and multiple tractor-trailers, two of which caught fire, Starrick said. At least 30 people were transported to hospitals with injuries.
#29 One of our rental properties already has parking issues. There’s a large apartment complex across the street, and our side of the street is full of duplexes that were built for the military back in the ’30s and ’40s. Our tenants can have only one car off-street, and its like that for several other properties. Our idiot neighbor keeps… Read more »
#28 – I got nuthin except what IDJITS! (I’m in Katy)
If I had a nickle for every ‘ADA type’ street corner wheelchair ramp I’ve seen that leads to a GRASS lawn (there’s no sidewalks!!) – I could fly us all to Hawaii!
*no smiley*
For those of us in Houston, I found this in my inbox. As with all city “improvements,” this won’t.
https://www.safesidewalksclearstreets.com/
Knowing that most people kill house plants by overwatering,
He’s been spying on me. Where do you think the two pretty pots for the two new plants came from?
To be honest, I just think the really cool hurricane fern just didn’t like me. Now, the last plant…yeah, probably overwatering.
I have this variegated rubber plant gifted to Fay by her daughter three or four years ago. So, I am honor-bound to take care of it well. Which I haven’t done. It came in a six inch pot, in which it lived for several years. Rubber plants don’t mind being a bit root-bound, so that’s the excuse I used for… Read more »
The latest sad Biden moment. I agree with the author’s statements: What’s not speculation is that it’s very sad. It’s elderly abuse. It should be criminal, and it’s most definitely immoral. I dislike Biden passionately —…— but stuff like this stirs some sort of sympathy for him, and that makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to feel those sorts of… Read more »
Hubby and Handyman are working on installing the replacement water pump for my sky water tank.
That will be a blessing.
I’m glad I married a handy man. Otherwise life would be vewy, vewy expensive.
I managed to garden, carefully working around the precariously functional knee. I had two indoor plants that desperately needed to be released from their nursery pot prisons, so they are finally ensconced in their pretty indoor pots. The two tomato cuttings that I’ve been trying to root in water were placed into their own big boy homes in the garden,… Read more »
Morning, gang. I’ve got chores, but no energy to get started.
I have a photo that was featured on invitations to the wedding of Ken and Peggy. Until the invitations were brought out and distributed at the birthday buffet, I think most of us thought Ken’s sudden proposal was spontaneous.
Dr. Adrian Gaty is a pediatrician over in Round Rock, north of Austin. He writes at Substack and has this warning for parents and families at The Federalist. Since most of us are grandparents around here, the most important thing is to make the parents of your grandchildren aware of what’s going on in the pediatric profession and the American… Read more »
#15
Loved the Elon/Bill Maher interview. I take exception to Maher’s claim he’s always been at the same place politically, everyone else changed – he was full tilt lefty wacko once upon a time, still keep my radar out when I find myself liking him.
My#19 I found a 1982 calendar that sold on-line and I started to link it but decided if anyone was interested they could Duck Go it.
I’ve been getting my little office back in order this morning. I started out installing the baseboards and that took a whole 10 minutes with my trusty Bostitich Finishing Nailer. Dang what did we do before these fancy power tools? Oh wait I’ know, I’ve been there done that. Since I moved out all the furniture except my computer desk… Read more »
Texpat 0926hrs:
GJT #9 supplied the link. I hope everything goes well at the Dr. Please share with us the good report.
#3 GJT, since this is Alabama the NFL draft news has been on TV a lot and Will Anderson has been talked about more than Bryce Young.
I tried to install a hyperlink to the article in the OC. I’m sitting in doctor’s waiting room and can’t get it work from this phone.
The article is by Liel Leibovitz at Commentary magazine.
I will fix the link when I get home.
I was able to light a candle for Texmo & Family yesterday. Going to do that every week.
Hope you’re doing as well as can be expected, Texmo, and God bless you and your family. May you have peace and comfort for your coming journey home.
Childers wraps up with the 21 minute interview that Maher had with Elon: https://twitter.com/unhealthytruth/status/1652850409789063168 I want to see that, but I’ll have to come back to it later. My BGS is almost done and I have things to do… Among many other things, the two discussed free speech and the “woke mind virus.” It’s a terrific interview, and no matter… Read more »
Biden beautifully sums up his administration, and the puppets clap.
https://twitter.com/alx/status/1652500887548444674
Also in yesterday’s bonus edition, I argued the case that the Biden Administration has decided it wants to run against Trump, and I speculated that we’ll be seeing corporate media pivot against DeSantis to make sure Trump becomes the Republican nominee. Biden’s big problem is democrat voters are dispirited and unenthusiastic, as this next recent montage of interviews from ABC… Read more »
More proof that Epstein didn’t kill himself. As Salcedo said this morning, the Epstein docs won’t be revealed, they’ll have to be leaked: The Wall Street Journal ran an explosive story this weekend headlined, “Epstein’s Private Calendar Reveals Prominent Names, Including CIA Chief, Goldman’s Top Lawyer.” Apparently the Wall Street Journal received a “trove” of new Epstein documents. It did… Read more »
Stunning and Brave! Local WISH Channel 8 ran a story last week headlined, “Indiana county councilman comes out as woman of color.” They were referring to white councilman Ryan Webb. Here he, er she, is, the Muncie, Indiana councilperson: [insert image of a balding white guy] Let’s just say that panties are wadding again, all over the left. At least,… Read more »
TRANSFORMING ☙ Monday, May 1, 2023 ☙ C&C NEWS Roundup: Good morning, C&C, it’s Monday! And we have a great roundup to match this morning’s terrific weather: the Associated Press tries to backpedal on its definitional choices; thoughts on the worldwide trans agenda; Indiana councilperson Ryan Webb identifies as Native American woman of color and the Left doesn’t like it;… Read more »
I believe this is the OC link.
https://www.commentary.org/articles/liel-leibovitz/paganism-afflicts-america/
I feel like an early 20th anthropologist.
Searching for the missing link.
Texpat… Maybe it’s this phone, but I don’t see the link.
As far as the OC read…I highly recommend watching the movie”Nefarious”.
It explains a lot.
And for the last four days my right knee had been in the fritz. It hurts fairly constantly and the first few steps when I get up are iffy. All weekend I was wrestling with this. I had my steroid cream for my elbow, so I’ve been using it on my knee. I think it’s finally helping, but if this… Read more »
I’m up but my computer decided to go through some protracted system update or something. I did manage to find and print the installation instructions for the new oven. While I was watching LD2 receive Communion for the first time, he’d bought a package of chicken. He planned to cook it for his lunches this week .. Then realized he… Read more »
Super Dave
The Texans traded up to #3 to pick Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr, so Alabama players went #1 and #3 in the draft. Lot of sports talking heads are predicting Anderson could be one of the best NFL LB’s ever, potentially.
I’ve been watching the local news and they mentioned that Alabama produced 10 of the NFL draft picks including #1 Bryce Young, Georgia 10 and Auburn 5, can you say S.E.C.?
Cool and dry here in LA and it’s going to be a great week. Did y’all know that it’s May the oneth? Dayaam!
Mornin’ Gang