How Bad Is Satanism Really?

 So, I just got done watching a documentary on Hulu called 'Hail Satan?' For me personally, I was always confused on what it really is and just figured Satanism was just bad. I'm not into religion but I do believe in a God and have my own thoughts on what God really stands for.

This documentary was very interesting. It wasn't just all about Satan. It did talk about what they really stand for, the battle between them and Christians and when both Christians and Satanism wanted to have their monuments at a state capital. This is what made it interesting to watch and learn something knew.

First, I do think church and state should always be separated. Everyone believes in something different and no one religion or God should be forced onto another nor should everyone follow the same beliefs from one religion. It's wrong. Therefore I think having any religious monument on any state property shouldn't be allowed. If there is one, others should be allowed as well, period. No one religion is better than the other.

Watching this documentary, I got a more insight of who true modern Satanist are and my initial thoughts just like everyone else's I'm sure, is wrong. They actually seem to be a decent group of people. They are basically Atheist but decide to come together and stand up for human rights especially if something is trying to force religion onto someone else. They don't actually worship evil and demons. 

The movies, media and religion has painted an un-true picture of them so now everyone has wrong thoughts in their head. There are of course bad ones who call themselves Satanist and do bad rituals, killings and worship demons. Those two groups are completely different and should be looked at as such. There are both good and bad in every group of people and that is what we should always remember before judging others.

The conclusion, one should always educate themselves about something before passing judgement on others, there is room for all beliefs and they are not bad people; they are like us just trying to get through this thing called life. I highly recommend this documentary. As I end this, below is their seven tenets which is like the ten commandments. They are pretty standard and just like some of the commandments, people in general should follow.

"The mission of the Satanic temple is to support empathy between people, freedom, unwillingness to tyrannical power, and protest against injustice,"

The seven tenets are as follows:

1) One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.

2) The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

3) One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

4) The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach  upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.

5) Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.

6) People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.

7) Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

A Messiah

I recently watched the Netflix show Messiah (review of it click here). While watching it, it got me thinking about things so besides doing a review about it, I decided to do this regular blog.

How do you think the world would react if all of a sudden someone claimed to be the new son of God? I am sure on a daily basis there is someone saying they are God or a son of God but those people sadly have something wrong in their brain. So would we react any different if there was an actual new son of God here on earth? Would what it take for people, for you to believe that what this person is saying is true? Even if you haven't seen the show or don't even believe in a God, what would make you believe?

Just like in the show, I am sure some would believe and follow, some would not believe and the government would want to investigate thinking he might be a terrorist or a dangerous cult leader if certain things happened. I think that's what helps make that show great, it pretty much shows how collectively the world would behave.

Since everyday there is someone out there claiming to be the word of God, God himself or his son, I think a real Messiah would have to really prove himself to be legit. Although, we would probably just think he was an illusionist. It would have to take some real "magic" to make most of us believe he was the real thing. Just automatically believing a guy like that can be dangerous if they are mentally ill and/or just trying to start a cult.

So let's say it has been proven he is the real deal, now what? If you talked to him, what would you ask? How would you feel knowing that there is a God and his son is standing before you especially if you didn't believe in a God beforehand? How would the world change by him being here?

I like to think the world would be able to heal and become better. There might be religious wars on the street and chaos at first. Places like North Korea might be harder to break through since they cut tend to cut themselves off from the world. Maybe he will have answers on how to fix our planet and to end the "religion wars" that we tend to have. He would be able to set the record straight. I know he wouldn't be able to give away all the answers but I like to think he could answer a lot of them.

Since I believe in a God but not religion, it would just confirm my beliefs. I have no idea what I would ask. Maybe things like, what does he think about all the "sins" people say are against God? How does he really feel about LGTBQ, horror movies, exorcisms and other paranormal things. Does things really do happen for a reason? How is my mom doing and can she really hear me when I talk to her? How can the world fix things like hunger and the homeless? I am not sure how I feel if he was to stand before me, probably cry and my anxiety would probably kick in. The only thing I would want from him is to cure the few health issues I have going on that can sometimes interfere with my life.

So those are my thoughts and feelings. If I had the right microphone and didn't have anxiety, I would probably do some Youtube videos and this blog would be one video I would make so I could read other people's thoughts on this subject and more. Maybe someday.

Buffy: How many times did Giles get knocked out?

While watching Buffy the vampire slayer tv shows over the years, I've come to realize that Giles (the watcher), has been knocked out way too many times to still be able to function. I looked on-line to see exactly how many times but there is nothing. I decided to try and do that count myself. I didn't think to write down the episodes he got knocked out etc until after I already did the count and I wasn't about to watch them all over again since that is a lot o episodes to go through. Anyways, here are my results for those who are curious.

Times knocked out in the series: 9 times, most of it happened in the earlier seasons.
He also was tortured but Dru, chloroformed and had his head banged up against the wall several times in one episode. He was beat up pretty bad and almost died in the episode where Willow is all powerful and in the very last episode of the series, he is banged up pretty bad.

WOW! There is no way that Giles could get out of all of that without being messed up or dead. He would be in a coma, have brain damage or just  dead. Good thing it's just tv.

So there you have it, a short run down on how many times Giles was knocked out and banged up pretty bad. 

Exorcisms/Possession - Real, Fake or Metal Illness

Exorcisms come up a lot in the paranormal and religion cultures and even in movies. Some believe in it and others don't. For me personally, well I have mixed feelings on it and that is why I decided to write a blog about it.

First lets look at the movies. Usually the face of the possessed becomes very creepy, things happen that the human body can't do and anything else they throw into a movie to make it scary. Even if it's so called based on true events, they make it seem like it's one of the most scariest thing on the planet. They have to in order to draw people in and to scare the shit out of us. Even if possession is real, they over dramatize it (not a bad thing though)and have us wondering how much of it is true. Some of those movies are terrifying to me and others are kinda boring.

Getting into the religion/paranormal aspect is confusing and spreads out into different branches. You have the group of religious people that use it to control people. What I mean by that is, if someone does something that is against their beliefs, they automatically say that person is possessed. They use possession to try and keep people inline. This makes it hard to believe in possession because we all know that person doesn't need an exorcism, they just need to leave that group of people/religion. This way of exorcisms gets abused especially if it's real or a mental illness.

You have people who are into voodoo that have their own different views of possession/exorcisms which can also be complicated on it's own. I really don't know much about so I can't really get into it, I just needed to bring it up since they also believe in it and practice it.

You have others that believe in true possession (not the kind that is used to control people). The Catholic church has gone back and forth on this subject and from what I hear, there needs to be extensive investigations into each case so everything else can be ruled out before the send a priest to do an exorcism. This is the more common one and the one that is more believed or easier to believe in. I don't know what other religions believe in when it comes to this subject. There are so many different religions, it would be almost impossible to do that research. Maybe someday if I have the time, I can start that research and write about it. 

You have the people who don't believe in it at all. Then there is the thought that maybe it's a mental illness of some sort. This can be a very real possibility, or is both real and mental illness? Then there is just plain fakes.

Lets take a look at some of the side effects of what one may go through if they are possessed. Speaking in a different language (usually a dead Latin language), foaming at the mouth, super human strength, another voice coming through that sounds demonic, floating or walking up walls, foaming at the mouth and other weird things that most people just don't do. 

A lot of those can be easily faked. Some are hard to believe that they really happened even if a witness swears by it and other things they can be done especially if someone has a mental illness. 

Lets take a look at the mental illness issue. There are a lot of mental illnesses that causes people to behave in weird, scary and violent ways. Centuries ago before we knew anything about the brain, people thought the simplest thing was something evil, someone must be possessed there for they need an exorcism. All along, it was just a mental illness that doctors couldn't explain. With lots of research, they figured out the weird behaviors were just a mental illness. Although, some people still believe that a mental illness is caused by the devil and they need to be exorcised (basically what I talked about above) which can be pretty dangerous.

Even though we have come along way with mental illness, there is still so much we still don't understand about the human brain and about the different illnesses that are out there. Because we still don't understand it and what it is really capable of, what if these possessions are just some form of mental illness that we haven't discovered yet? The brain is very powerful and if under some kind of short term illness, it can unlock something in our brains to have us behave in certain ways like speaking in tongue, growling, not liking religious stuff, foaming at the mouth etc. It doesn't explain floating, walking up walls or other paranormal stuff that a "normal" human usually wouldn't be able to do but those things can also be faked; look at illusionist they can seem like they are floating all the time. Plus, just because someone says it happens or shows a video, doesn't mean it is real.

It is very possible that something clicks in our brains to cause us to have a short mental breakdown and do these things. Yet, no one seems to look into it, that I know of anyways.

My thoughts, I am really on the fence about possession. I think it might be a short mental illness (if it isn't just flat out faked)from stress or something big going on in our lives. I can't explain the really paranormal things that may or may not happen but then again, maybe that is faked with the help of a family member so they can get help from a priest since they think it is possession. In the end, I just don't know and I REALLY DON'T want to find out. This is one paranormal thing I want to stay on the fence about. What are your thoughts? 

New Kids On The Block Mixtape Concert 2019

I have been a fan of New Kids On The Block since the 80's and I will continue to be one. Luckily I have been able to see them in concert every single time including the ones since they have been back. I have never been able to get a ticket to meet them backstage but one day I hope to do so. I did get a chance to meet Joe McIntyre two years ago when they were here in Denver. I just stood by the tour buses and he came out to great the few of us that were there (yes I am that fan 😃 ). This year I couldn't stand by the buses because it was raining off and on.

I was so excited when I found out they were going to do another tour. The other people that are touring with them are Debbie Gibson (which I was pretty happy about), Tiffany (that it would be cool to see her), Salt and Pepa (only like a couple of songs of theirs but still cool) and Naughty by Nature (don't really know their music so this was meh for me). They call their tour this year the mixtape tour. 

The guys came out with two new songs and added them to the anniversary album of Hangin' Tough. I love the new song 'The boys in the band' and couldn't wait to see it live. It's a great song that pays tribute to boy bands. The video is funny and cool which you can Click Here to see the video.

When the tickets went on sale, I couldn't get them because I didn't have the money (which is usually how it happens) so I was hoping to be able to get a good seat later on. Then something really bad happened in my life; On Jan 12th, 2019, I lost my mom to cancer that nobody knew she had even her. She didn't get really sick till towards the end (I may write about all of that at a later time). Well when my sister, my dad and I were going through her stuff, we found a little bit of money that she had. 

My sister and I split it and decided to do something nice for ourselves with it. One of the things I did was get a ticket to see NKOTB. I could have used what I had to get a VIP ticket but I also wanted to get tickets to see someone else I like, The Piano Guys (you should check them out, they are pretty cool) and hopefully some photography stuff. I also wanted to bring one of my roommates with me since she is a fan but I couldn't find 2 tickets that were decent seats that didn't cost too much so I just got the one sadly. The good part in all of this, I was able to get second row from the stage on the side. This was the best seats I have ever had at any concert and made me more excited but sad at the same time.

Finally the day came, June 7th at the Denver Pepsi center. The whole night gave me mixed emotions but I still loved every minute of it and I so needed that night to happen after what I have been through this year (not just my mom but other things too).

The show was supposed to start at 8:00. When I got to my seat, I was VERY happy where I was sitting. Eight came and the DJ from Naughty by Nature and one of the other guys from the group came out onto stage 2 which was a small circle stage by the back of the place. They played a mix of mostly 80's songs getting the crowd pumped up (not that really needed it lol). A little after 8:30, the guys came out. I can't remember for the life of me what order they sang their songs in (I was living in the moment) but I know it was their older songs. At one point Donnie looked and pointed at me, it helped made my night. I'm not one to be "OMG so and so pointed/looked etc at me" but it still feels nice to be seen by someone you like. 

After a few songs, Debbie Gibson went onto the 2nd stage and sang a few songs then Tiffany on the main stage. I think NKOTB came back, then Salt and Pepa, Naughty by Nature, etc etc. It was like that the whole night, all of them taking turns being on stage. At one time Joe sang with Debbie when she sang 'Lost in your eyes'. I loved that. The last song was one of NKOTB's new song '80's baby' which also has Debbie, Tiffany, Salt and Pepa and Naughty by Nature singing. So all where on stage bringing the house down one last time. 

During the guy's new song 'The boys in the band', they went into different parts of the audience. They also had the cheerleaders from our football team the Broncos come out. They went down the side aisles and up onto the stage dance with their pom poms (they have cheerleaders in the video for that song so during the tour, they have them too). That was pretty cool and they stayed for a few songs. They guys did end back up on the stage with the girls. They guys also had a small mix of 80's songs play while they pumped up the crowd even more. Donnie said that so far we were the loudest crowd yet and I believe it because I had to plug my ears when the big screaming happened. I still walked away with plugged ears for 2 days and sharp pains happening every so often.

I had a blast and loved every minute of it (even when my ears hurt and during Naughty by Nature). Like I said, I did have lots of different emotions going on that night and wanted to cry more than once. I really wish I had the money to get my roommate a ticket because it can get lonely being at a show by yourself, she would have enjoyed it and she needed it too. They at one point had a kiss cam on couples, I missed my hubby during that time. I also thought about my mom a lot, it felt like she was there with me. Even though I had an amazing time, I wish I could give it back to have her alive again. Since I can't, I enjoyed and celebrated life that night the best I could.

I love NKOTB and seeing them live. They give so much energy (don't know how they do it night after night) and love, you can feel it. It's one of the best feelings. I can't wait to see them again and hope I can get those VIP ticket(s). Their set list is on spotify so I can list the songs that were played (not in the order they sang them): 80's baby (sung by everyone), you got it (the right stuff), step by step, I'll be loving you forever, tonight, hangin' tough, push it, o.p.p, single, the way, summertime, please don't go girl, lost in your eyes, I think we're alone now, cover girl, boys in the band, keep on smilin', if you go away, hip hop hooray, shoop, only in my dreams, my favorite girl, electric youth, jamboree, whatta man, dirty dawg, could've been, didn't I blow your mind and thankful. 

Schools: Sex Education, Should It Be Taught?

This debate has been going on for awhile. My question is why? Why is this generation so sensitive to everything and feel like they need to complain and fight things they don't like?

I went to high school in the 80's. When I got to the 10th grade, we had to take a sex education class. If I remember correctly, we had to take home a consent form so our parents could sign it if they were okay with their child being in that class. This should happen today if it doesn't instead of a group of people trying to take something away from everyone.

Some say that sex should be taught at home. Well, not every parent teaches their kid(s) about sex nor do so in the right way. If it's a class, they get all the information they need and then some. If a child has questions afterwards, then they can go to their parents. Also, some kids don't feel comfortable talking about it with their parents and would rather go to another trusted adult. I would rather my kid learn it from me or a teacher than from "the streets" were they can get wrong information.

I'm not sure what grade this class starts these days but I think certain levels should be taught in different grades starting with 8th. It can just be more about the changes teens go through (not just the obvious body ones), about relationships, abuse in relationships, self body image etc. Have it be more of an intense, deep health class. I hope by this age they know about sex and what changes are already happening to them.

As the kid gets into higher grades, that's when it can get into actual sex, pregnancy, sexual diseases etc. I just don't understand why this is becoming an issue. The teacher's belief's about birth control etc, needs to stay out of the classroom and just give the kids the information they need. If a child is too embarrassed, they don't have to speak up. The teachers should also teach about bullying even though it's not a sex thing (it can be though) and talk about peer pressure, drugs/rape drugs and rape.

The name should be changed from sex education to just health and talk about everything that has to with one's body, relationships etc. Basically, schools should go back to having health classes and each grade level is taught something different. First aid should also be taught in this class because everyone should have some kind of knowledge of what to do in a life emergency. If it has to do with your body, it needs to be taught in class and not just at home.

I'm also seeing a debate about having LGTB relationships talked about in school. I say why not, it's apart of relationships, sex and the body. The teacher(s) again shouldn't talk about their beliefs or how it's wrong or right. A part of STD talks has to do also with same sex partners and that is very important to talk about. The teacher(s) will not be there to glorify it or say it's wrong, they will be there to say that there are all these different types of relationships and feelings one can get. I realize some people think being gay etc is wrong and that is why it shouldn't be taught but kids are going to know that it is out there AND is a part of life in the world so they NEED to be educated on it without trying to have their beliefs infringed upon.

Sometimes it amazes me that in the year 2019, we are still living in the dark ages with certain things. Does it really take us this long to evolve into better humans? A group of people should never tell others what is right or wrong for them and their family. This is exactly what is going on and it's pretty sad. Kids need a better education on their bodies and health especially since they get the wrong information from their peers, on-line and the media. It is BOTH the parents and school's job to educate them on these kinds of things. Schools isn't just about learning math and English, it's about learning things about life in general. So I think people need to get off their high horse and let sex education/health be taught in schools along with all types of relationships. Let's start giving our kids what they need to succeed in life and stop trying to shield them from important life things that they will and do know about.

Baby It's Cold Outside and Other Controversy's

My God I don't even know where to start with this. So much is going through my head about these things that people have been talking about.

I guess I will start with the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving since it's the shortest. Some people were/are in an uproar that the black kid is sitting all alone on one side of the dinner table while all the white kids are sitting on the other side. To be honest, I don't know the real reason why it was drawn that way and nobody should speculate as to why without finding out the real truth.It was a very long time ago and during that time it was more excepted to show something like that. The cartoon shouldn't be pulled off the air, it's a classic and we should appreciate it for what it is and realize we have come a long way , be proud of that. Bottom line, we just don't know the REAL reason behind it so stop making up something and assuming.

Now for Rudolph. Yes I will admit that this cartoon shows teasing, bullying even from Santa and sexism. But I also see Rudolph refusing to change for others and to except himself for who he is. I see him proving to the others that they need to look beyond his deformity and to except him for who he is. In the end, that reindeer kicked ass and THAT is what we and kids should be taking away from this. To love yourself and show others to look beyond the thing that is "causing" others to be assholes. In order to tell a story about someone over coming something bad and to put out a good message from it, you need to show the bad. I think Rudolph teaches kids the positive things in this story and I think people need to leave this classic story alone.

Now for the bigger one. On the surface, the song 'Baby it's cold outside' does seem to sound like the guy is trying to force the girl to stay with him and coming up with every reason in the book to convince her to stay when she really doesn't want to. I can also see how this can trigger some people especially if they have gone through abuse or rape. I will be talking about the other half that likes to nitpick at things to find something wrong with it. 

If one was to REALLY listen to the song, it is easy to tell that it is far from a rape song. All one has to do is look up the lyrics on line, read it and understand what is really being said. I will break it down starting with the first part of the song:

"I really can't stay (baby it's cold outside)
I gotta go away (baby it's cold outside)
This evening has been (been hoping you'd drop in)
So very nice (I'll hold your hands they're just like ice)
My mother will start to worry (beautiful what's your hurry)
My father will be pacing the floor (listen to the fireplace roar)
So really I'd better scurry (beautiful please don't hurry)
Well maybe just a half a drink more (I'll put some records on will I pour)"

It's clear she is enjoying herself and doesn't want to leave. She just doesn't want her parents to worry. He is simply trying to reassure her everything will be fine and that's it's cold out.

"The neighbors might think (baby it's bad out there)
Say what's in this drink (no cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how (your eyes are like starlight now)
To break this spell (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell)(why thank you)
I ought to say no, non, no sir (mind if I move in closer)
At least I'm gonna say I tried (what's the sense of hurtin' my pride)
I really can't stay (baby don't hold out)
Baby it's cold outside"

She is now concerned what others will think. The part where she says "what's in this drink" is being takin' way too far. They didn't have date rape drugs back then and I am sure slipping something in a drink wasn't a thing back then either. Having the me too movement on people's brain is making them automatically jumping the gun here. She obviously really likes the guy and wants to stay but feels like she can't for fear what others might think. He is simply trying to let her know she doesn't need to be so concerned about what others think.

"Ah, you're very pushy you know
I like to think of it as opportunistic

I simply must go (baby it's cold outside)
The answer is no (but baby it's cold outside)
The welcome has been (how lucky that you dropped in)
So nice and warm (look out the window at that storm)
My sister will be suspicious (gosh your lips look delicious)
My brother will be there at the door (waves upon a tropical shore)
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious (gosh your lips look delicious)
Well maybe just a cigarette more (never such a blizzard before) (and I don't even smoke)"

The first two lines are just them flirting with each other. Now she is concerned what her sister will think, her brother would "kill" her if she was late or didn't show up that night and her aunt would go overboard with her thoughts and probably spread rumors. She really shouldn't stay but she keeps finding reasons to stay. He is just trying to let her know that what others think isn't a big deal and apparently it's really bad outside and possibly too dangerous to drive which says he is also concerned for her safety.

"I've got to get home (baby you'll freeze out there)
Say, lend me your coat (It's up to your knees out there)
You've really been grand (I feel when I touch your hand)
But don't you see (how can you do this thing to me)
There's bound to be talk tomorrow (think of my life long sorrow)
At least there will be plenty implied (if you caught pneumonia and died)
I really can't stay (get over that old out)
Baby it's cold
Baby it's cold outside
okay fine just another drink then"

It's very obvious that she is very worried about what others would say and think and that is the only reason why she wants to go. Finally she gives in her to her feelings for him and decides to stay. He is obvious concerned for her safety and is really enjoying her company. This song is very innocent and if you think about the time it was written, you can understand the song even better. 

This song has nothing to do with rape or anything close to it. I am so tired of this day and age, people are being so sensitive about things and read too much into things. There are a lot worse songs out there that are all over the radio and yet they get played all the time. We need to use our time and energy towards more important things that are going on in the world instead of worrying about an innocent song and classic cartoons that are not as bad as it seems.

Taking the song off the radio is pure censorship and that is a VERY dangerous road to cross. This is where it starts. What we need to be doing is fighting against these things from happening and demand that this song gets put back on the radio and to leave other classic things alone. Just enjoy the freakin' holidays and give to those who need help instead of being so damn sensitive about every little thing to where it starts fringing on our rights. We don't need other people to tell us what we should and shouldn't listen to or watch.

If one doesn't like the song/cartoons and/or it triggers them, that's fine; songs, cartoons etc are not going to be liked by everyone and that's okay. What is wrong is trying to force opinions down others throats and just because one or a few think a song/cartoon is wrong, it doesn't mean those things should be censored and removed to where no one can enjoy them. It will start with a song, then a cartoon then lord knows what else. Pretty soon what we hear, watch or read will be so heavily watched and will be controlled. We will loose our freedoms. That is a VERY scary thought and we need to make sure that NEVER happens. 

It seems like in some ways our world is improving and in other ways, things are getting worse. I really hope next year is the year that we start to put a stop to all this crazy non-sense sensitive crap. I hope we can truly understand what is being said, done, watched and focus on more important issues at hand. It's scary to think what will happen if this continues and gets worse. Us people obviously have a voice, we use it all the time on the net even when it's being an ass; so we need to use our voices for good and nip this craziness in the butt before it becomes something that we can't control anymore. This is how I'm using mine. 

The me too movement is important but we can't use that as an excuse for everything and to stop innocent things. Racism is also very important and we should be careful how we approach things BUT at the same time, we need to not over due it and claim that everything is racist etc. The net is a powerful tool, let's use it for good and calm down about everything. Please, for the loved of God before we will destroy ourselves and our freedoms.