A Response to Rep. Rick Saccone

If you live in Pennsylvania, you have probably heard by now that the state House of Representatives has passed legislation to recognize 2012 as the "Year of the Bible". The bill was passed after some sleight of hand. Some who voted for it later stated that they were deceived into voting for the bill.

The bill's sponsor, Rick Saccone, states that the purpose of the bill is simply to illustrate the importance that the Bible has had with regard to the founding of the Commonwealth and the nation as a whole. Like most ardent Christians in America, Rep. Saccone tries to distort history and would have you believe that our nation and it's founders were absolutely immersed in the blood of Jesus. But even a brief glance at history proves otherwise.

A page at Saccone's website about his bill offers up evidence from some of our founders about what he believes is proof of their Christian faith. While it is true that many of our nation's founders were Christian, Saccone simply can't accept the fact that many were also deists, including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, and James Monroe.

Honestly, Mr.Saccone -- of all the bills that you could have sponsored that might have had any real impact on the well-being of the Commonwealth, you choose this? Nothing more than a silly resolution in an attempt to make yourself feel good and promote yet another opportunity to shove your religion down the throats of your constituents? Our governor is raping our state's education system, we're drowning in debt, we're 27th in the nation in unemployment, and you want to eviscerate the First Amendment by reminding us that we're in your god's hands? Do you're damned job, Mr. Saccone: start taking care of your Constituents and not your fragile ego.

To the House members who voted in favor of the bill, only to later realize that they've been duped and apologetically distanced themselves from the bill, good for you. Now, from now on, read the damned bill, especially when it says "non-controversial"!

To the House members who voted in favor of the bill and stood firmly by their vote, you have slapped the face of non-believing taxpayers across throughout the Commonwealth, violated the First Amendment, and continue to promote a religion that is based on a book is filled with rape, murder, incest, abortion, child abuse, genocide, child sacrifice, and war. Most, if not all of you, have no absolutely no idea of the true, mythic origins of your religion. If any of you want true equality and freedom in Pennsylvania, then start by repealing or amending Article 4, Section 1 of the State Constitution.

Illuminated manuscripts and DNA

The next time you go to Philadelphia, do yourself a favor and visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. My wife and I went there a couple of years ago, and I was kicking and screaming as she was dragging me away. The place is just awe-inspiring, no two ways about it. It's one of the few times that I truly felt insignificant. We're going back in May to visit the Cezanne exhibit. I can't wait.

If anything positive ever came out of the Dark Ages, it would be the beauty that can be found in the statues, woodcuts, and paintings of the Great Masters. The very first exhibit I saw at the museum was the armory. To you and I, the butt stock of a rifle is just a piece of wood. But to a skilled craftsman 500 years ago, a butt stock is like a blank canvas. The level of detail in the swords, hammers, shields, and firearms in the armory are simply mind-boggling. After spending a few hours fawning over the arms, paintings, and sculptures, I finally took my first look at an illuminated manuscript, and my jaw simply hit the floor.

A researcher from the University of North Carolina has found a way to gather DNA evidence from these manuscripts. The data gathered will help scientists and artists alike determine where and when these manuscripts originated, as well as the type of animal skin these manuscripts were written on.

Who says art and science don't mix?

Remembering Hypatia

Author Brian Trent recently released a novel based on the life of Hypatia titled, Remembering Hypatia. Until recently, I had never heard of Hypatia, but now that I have, I'd like for you to hear about her story, too.

Hypatia was a Greek mathematician and astronomer, a woman who believed in reason and logic in an age of rampant mysticism. Born in Greek Egypt, she was the daughter of Theon Alexandricus, who was the last known mathemetician at the library of Alexandria. Her accomplishments include compiling celestial maps, writing The Astronomical Canon, and possibly creating the hydrometer. It is also suggested that Hypatia created the astrolabe.

In 415 A.D., Hypatia was taken by force by Christian monks to Caesareum in Alexandria, where she was cut to pieces by oyster shells, and subsequently incinerated. Jealousy, rage, whatever the case may have been, Christianity once again raised its ugly head to silence the voice of reason and curiosity. Her death marked the beginning of the Dark Ages, and the search for knowledge took a nosedive for the next 600 years.

You can read about Hypatia's story here, here, and here. Click here to learn more about Remembering Hypatia.

Thank you to Brian Trent for giving this great woman well-deserved, long overdue recognition by the rest of us who seek truth and knowledge.

A brief word on church

Every Sunday, millions of the faithful darken the doors of their nearest house of worship, yet most, if not all of them, have no idea where the word church comes from. If they spent any real amount of time doing any real research into the etymology of the words used in religion, particularly Christianity, I would dare say that the faithful would lose their faith, nearly overnight. The bad news is, people don't want their faith shaken. The good news is, people are slowly starting to wake up as a result of their faith being shaken. They're angry. And that makes me happy.

So what about church? What does it mean? Where does the word come from? Is it even important? To better understand the concept of church, we should break the word down into two categories; the first being a building where people go to worship, the second a gathering of people. Let's take a look at the physical structure first.

The word kuriakon, or kyriakon, is Greek, and literally means, "The house of Kurios (Lord)." No big deal here. Now let's take a look at the variation of church that relates to a gathering of people, starting with a brief glance at the Tyndale Bible.

The Tyndale Bible is the first English bible, and was translated in the mid 1520's. It is named after William Tyndale, a Protestant reformer, who was burned at the stake in 1535 for heresy. Tyndale's translation, however, never used church to refer to any kind of Christian gathering or a building, but rather assembly or congregation. It does, however, refer to church as a place where pagans gathered in honor of their gods and goddesses, and can be read in Acts 19:37. Although most other biblical translation means temple, the original Tyndale translation is church. In this passage, the deity being referred to is Artemis, Greek goddess of fertility (of course), hunting, and the forests. Her Roman counterpart is Diana.

At any rate, the word church was used to describe pagan houses of worship, and it slipped through the radar of modern christendom. In the New Testament, the term used for a gathering of people is the Greek word, ekklesia, and is interpreted as, "calling out," or "a gathering," while the Jewish equivalent for ekklesia is qahal. Although the term generally applies to Christians, it also held true for gatherings of pagans in antiquity.

Ahh! The plot thickens!

Today, the word we use to describe either a gathering of the faithful, or a physical structure where they meet, is church. The Anglo-Saxon word for church is kirk. The root word for kirk, is kirke, or circe. The origin of the word circe is the Greek goddess/temptress/sorceress, Circe, mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, written around 800 B.C.

Circe was the daughter of the Greek solar god Helios, and Perse, an oceanic nymph. Circe had the power to allure men into her home, where she would offer them potions that would turn them into animals, often forcing them into a life of servitude. This description resembles the church as it is today; a place where people are turned into mind-numbed servant pets of society.

Circe's name derives from the Greek word, kirkoo, meaning "to secure in rings." I'm still scratching my head over that one. Circe also had the power to tame the roaming beasts around her island home. Interestingly, Circe's name is responsible for many of the words that we use today, including circle, circa, and circus.

Anyway, I'm done ranting. If you're a church-goer, please start to question what your priest/pastor is telling you, and stop believing everything you hear on Sundays. It annoys me.

The Solstice is the Reason for the Season

"Thy birth, O Christ our God, rose upon the world as the light of knowledge;
for through it those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness and to know Thee, the Sunrise from on high.
O Lord, glory to Thee."


Yep. It's that time of year again. As much as I hate the holidays, I promised my wife that I would try very, very hard to be full of good cheer this Christmas. And trust me, I'm trying hard.

Regardless of my feelings for the holidays, particularly Christmas, it's once again upon us. So it is the perfect time to discuss what Christmas is really all about.

Our story begins, of course, with Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. However, Christ wasn't a name, but rather a title. It derives from the Greek word, christos, meaning "anointed one". The Jewish translation of christos is the word mashiyach. Mashiyach is also the same word used to for the terms messiah. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for oil or any oily substance, is shemen. You do the math.

Theologians and apologists state that no one truly knows when Jesus Christ was born. It wasn't until 350 C.E. that Pope Julius I declared that Christ's birth would be celebrated on December 25th. It is believed that he was trying to sway pagans, particularly in Rome, from their pantheon of gods who were also born on December 25th, namely the followers of the god, Sol Invictus. As with Christ, Sol Invictus isn't so much a name as it is a title applied to a deity. This title was given to at least 3 solar deities including Mithras. Others contend that December 25th was chosen to coincide with the celebration of the Saturnalia, a holiday celebrated by the Romans that occurred on between December 17th to the 23rd.

Saturnalia itself was dedicated to the Roman god, Saturn, one of the oldest gods of antiquity. To the Greeks, he was Kronus. To the Ammonites, he was Moloch. Throughout the Hebrew world, he was known as Remphan and Chiun. But before he was known as any of these titles, he was known as El, and worshipped by the ancient Hebrews. The ancient symbol for Saturn was a 6-sided star, that the Israelites likely lifted from Egypt. Again, you do the math.

While there are many gods that have the same attributes as the "messiah", one that holds the most striking resemblance to Christ is Mithras of Persia. Mithraism was most rampant in the late Roman empire, but its origin can be traced to Northern India and Iran, where he was known as Mitra. Mitra was known as the protector of the Hittites, and his name supposedly means, "contract", and was likened to the blazing Sun, according to the Vendidad, a collection of ancient Zoroastrian texts within the Avesta.

Many solar deities were said to have been born on or around December 25th, and Mithras is no different. While some say he was born of a virgin (Anahita), there is little evidence to support this claim. It is more widely accepted that Mithras was formed from a rock, and that the his birth was named, Dies Natalis Solis Invicta, or the Birthday of the Invincible Sun. Mithraism has had such a huge influence in the formation of Christianity around the first century that you could almost trade one for the other. Blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, baptism, an epic battle between good and evil, and perhaps even communion, have all played a part in forming Christianity. Even some aspects of the Egyptian cult of Osiris have played crucial roles in the formation of Christianity.

Anyway, I'm getting a little off topic here. Let's look at the annual solstices.

Summer begins on June 21st, the day of the summer solstice, as the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky in the Northern hemisphere. Shortly thereafter, the Sun begins its annual descent into the southern sky. As the Sun rises every morning from around June 24th to December 21st, it does so at a rate of approximately 1 degree per day. But on December 21st, the Sun reaches it's lowest point in the Northern hemisphere.

But something interesting happens for approximately 3 days. The Sun appears to rises in the exact some position in the east, not rising or falling. But on December 25th, the Sun rises 1 degree toward the North. Therefore, it can be said that the Light of the World has risen, offering hope, the eternal cycle of life, warmer days, and renewal.

If you go out on Christmas Eve and look toward the east around 7:00 P.M., you can see the constellation Orion, provided you have a clear sky. There are three stars that are of particular interest regarding the Christmas story. They are the "belt stars" of Orion, Alnitak, Mintaka, and Alnilam. In many ancient cultures, these three stars were called what they are sometimes still referred to -- the Three Kings. More on these three "kings" in a moment.

If you draw a straight line through these stars and follow them toward the east, you will see Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky, which rises just before 8:00 P.M.
At approximately 3:00 A.M. on Christmas morning, the constellation Virgo, the Virgin, rises completely in the eastern sky. By 7:00 A.M., the Sun has risen.

Let's see what we have here: 3 stars, that the Egyptians referred to as the Three Kings, that point toward a bright star rising in the east, followed by Virgo, then the Sun on December 25th. Sound familiar? It should.

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Gospel of Luke 1:29-34

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they say the star, they were overjoyed.

Gospel of Matthew 2:7-10

Christian apologists will argue, of course, that the idea of the story of Christmas is a completely astronomical event false and misleading, particularly that the story of the magi. Apologists will state that the Gospel of Matthew does not record 3 magi, but only that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh, and that this is where the idea of 3 people arriving to worship Jesus comes from. However, numerous texts have stated that the magi were indeed three, including Marco Polo's, The Travels: The Description of the World, that address them as Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior. Which brings us back to the Three Kings.

Balthazar is likely a variation of Belshezzar, the Babylonian king named in the Book of Daniel. Oddly enough, the name means, "god protect the king," or "the king's protector." But which god? None other than Ba'al, whom Christians and Jews alike refer to as Ba'al Zebub, Beelzebub, or the Lord of the Flies. The faithful refer to this figure more commonly as Satan.

Gaspar, or Jasper, is likely a corruption of the name Caspar. The Acts of Thomas possibly refer to him as Gondophares, the first Indo-Parthian king. Finally, Melchior, arguably derives from the melech, the Hebrew word for "king,"or "ruler". Interestingly, melech may likely be a form of Moloch, a Canaanite and Phoenician deity, whose worshippers offered him infants through sacrificial burning. Ergo, the Three Kings.

Err, Magi. Sorry.

As with many stories from antiquity, the story of the birth of Jesus Christ is found in the stars. Is it any wonder that the Bible tells its followers to stay away from astrologers? From the Egyptians and the ancient cultures throughout Mesopotamia before them, nearly every event in the New Testament has occurred in other mythic tales long before the advent of Christianity.

Stay tuned.