Senior Study of Mandaeans

Beginning of December, I had to present my senior study topic and hand in a proposal. I have narrowed my topic to the Mandaean gnostic sect within Iraq and Iran.

I believe that they are a pre-Christian sect. They are the one true surviving Gnostic religious group. Will begin reading The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran by E.S. Drower tomorrow. More to come...(hopefully)

Senior Study

Currently, my senior study will be on the Mandaeans of Iraq. My interest in Gnosticism led me to the dualist Mandaeans and Manichees, and I think I've decided the former, mainly because they were prior to the latter.

Wednesday Night Devotion

This past Wednesday I went to a Wed. night meeting with my church. For lack of a better topic, the leader just decided to circle the room asking everyone where they were spiritually. It seemed as though everyone was telling approximately the same story...until it came to me.

I told how a single church is not adequate in understanding the divine. I have spent the past year touring various churches ranging from the Pentecostal to Unitarian Universalist. In my mind, I have only a small portion of the reality of God, because I am only a human; incapable of truly seeing the divine reality. The only way to gain a broader view is to hear the differing opinions, or every Sunday the message will be uniform and express the narrow view of God that belongs to that congregation.

The leader responded to about three of the twelve testimonies that night...I was one of them. His speech made it seem to me as if I was only making a mistake in visiting these places. Now, I held back greatly that night, but it took a lot of guts to be able to proclaim my varied experiences. I feel strongly that I am in the right (not that they are in the wrong, only that I am not) in searching for my personal experience.

The single congregation can never hold to have the Truth! It is not capable of holding the infinite being of God within a church. Therefore, it is necessary to experience something outside one's home church to broaden one's view of the indescribable God.

Tarot, Quantum Theory and Wicca

Recently I've read everything from Arthur Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot to Brian Greene's Fabric of the Cosmos. My hypothesis on tarot: the subject modifies the results and/or their consciousness to fit their personal life. I have conducted four readings on four different subjects; three subjects reported a surprising relevancy. I'm thinking I give a survey prior to a reading and immediately following and chart the differences...

The Final Freedoms

I have just checked The Final Freedoms and downloaded the PDF. Will look at this soon.

What is a Christian?

I'm reading for Philosophy of Religion class tomorrow, and find a sentence that expresses my view on the Christian church. Charles Hartshorne says that his father was "not a fundamentalist, that is, not a Christian who confuses worship of God with worship of a certain set of ancient documents written (and translated) by human beings" (Hartshorne 65). Those that regard the Bible as the infallible, inerrent Word of God are only creating an idol to which they can direct their worship. I know that many would claim this is their way of understanding the divine, but then one is only following the pattern of the apostles of two millennia ago.

Also, I have decided to do my report on Jim Jones and the People's Temple. The mass suicide will be an interesting topic. How can anyone be convinced to die for the doctrine given them by a solitary man?

Sociology of Religion Presentation

I have a presentation to do on cult groups for Sociology of Religion. I'm not sure if I want to do Charles Manson and Helter Skelter (I'd love to play the song to set up my speech) or Jim Jones and the People's Temple. I think Jim Jones would be very easy, just following the events leading to mass suicide. However, I also think many people do not really understand Charles Manson, his supposed intent and his followers. I'll probably go with the People's Temple, as it is simply an amazing occurrence.

Leonardo da Vinci

Earlier, I said that there is no proof da Vinci was involved in any occult group, including the Priory of Sion. However, I am now reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and they speak of the Dosiers secrets. In these documents, a list is given of supposed leaders of the Priory. This list includes Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and others ranging from 1188 to 1918. I do not think this document was mentioned on Breaking the Da Vinci Code, so just thought I'd put it out. (Baigent 131)