Something Worth Reflecting On
This is a good post from the wedgewords blog on the suburbs and Faith. It sort of reminds me of this post from the Go Sit in the Corner blog from a few months back. Happy reading!
posted by Arturo Vasquez @ 8:50 AM
13 Comments:
Where do you want to live than
COMPTON or LONG BEACH???
Also Vanilla is a good flavor. I don't know about dying for it.
Suburban church architecture is the worst.
The old ethnic Catholic churches in inner cities are very beautiful with different styles. Lots of work and dedication.
Even some Protestants have some decent architecture.
But in the suburbs there is a feeling of a gymnasium. A big conference room. Not a dimensional portal like a Eastern Catholic or Orthodox Temple. Not the feeling of the Divine with Gregorian chant singing in a Medeival Cathedral. Just a gym or conference room. Not much architcture that follows worldview or theology.
Suburbs like small towns can produce Romeo's and Juliet's.
There are diverse suburbs and also isolated people in cities based on geography or "protection" by money and class.
Too much driving in the suburbs.
No sense of meaning for some.
Too many spoiled kids, fucking too early and doing to many drugs they can't handle.
Smoking marijuana is not a sin.
Female lesbianism is better than male homosexuality from a moral and spiritual perspective so should not be discouraged as strongly by Christians.
Malls are bad testaments to architecture and culture generally.
Don't let your daughters be mall rats.
What do you think of Seraphim Rose?
What do you think of the writings of Seraphim Rose?
Mr. Broadus (a.k.a Snoop Dogg),
Thank you for reading my blog. I know it must be difficult to do so between smoking all those blunts and mackin' on all those freaks, but your readership is still appreciated. Maybe you can make a slight donation to my blog, or at least hook me us with some serious bling.
Sincerely,
Arturo
P.S. This is my favorite video of yours. Holla.
That perhaps is the best Snoop Doggy Dog video and song EVER.
perhaps on par with Palestrina
Snoop Dog is sublime
You have the best choice in videos
QUESTION:
Was Bishop Williamson really a Snoop Dog fan? during your time with the SSPX
What do you think about:
1. Seraphim Rose (the Russian Orthodox in America monl)
and
2. How do you know Snoop Dog's name if you were in a SSPX seminary and subsequently in a Coptic monastery?
and how does Snoop Dog's urban vision intersect with the post you link to in this thread
What if words have two meanings?
What if there is a code, not just in the now fairly debunked Torah or Bible code but the long established tradition in Judaism of Gematria and Kabbalah where there are numeric codes to letter equivalent or word equivalents.
So there is a code based on Hebrew letter and math that is needed to read the Torah. Or the Serifot or other symbols.
or symbols as in the occult that one must meditate upon and get in an alternative state of consciousness to open those symbols
Christianity seems to be filled with symbols and hidden and deeper meanings and secrets--not a la the relatively silly DaVinci Code.
But Pelicans, and fishes, and Phoenixes, and lambs, and Trees, and analogies, and other religions.
You cite Mystery religions--the story of the cat god idol falling to the baby Jesus
What did Jesus learn in the Flight to Egypt--the library at Alexandria would of been standing.
The Coptic Jews would of existed although without the Ark of the Covenant in Axum perhaps.
Jesus would of been exposed to PLATO, PYTHAGORAS in Egypt as well as Mystery religions and the traditions of Egypt.
If Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox or Miaphyte/Monosphyte Oriental Christianity) is merely the older pagan philosophy you say--than why would you preclude esoteric teachings--the initiations you speak of go much deeper and are somewhat but poorly recreated without much understanding by masonic ritual.
Please respond.
I will one day do a post on Fr. Seraphim Rose.
As for Bishop Williamson, everyone knows that his favorite rapper is Jay-Z. This video is perhaps his favorite.
Please do a post on Serpahim Rose.
(and for the Latins please do a post on Hans Urs von Baltasaar)
I found his book the Soul after Death (Rose) very interesting.
I did like his:
1. Criticism of Kubler Ross, Moody et. al. on their life after death or Near Death experiences.
It was the first time that this was done by an "Orthodox"(Catholic would apply here also) perspective>
Some Evangelical Christians have criticized the near death and life after death experiences but only as agreement it is good or such a knee jerk reaction that it is from demons without any analysis.
2. His critique of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead (especially in light of the popularity of Tibetan Buddhism and the media icon personality of the Dalai Lama) was also very interesting.
3. HOWEVER, his aerial tollhouses was not something I was buying into especially in light of his criticism of the Latin Purgatory concept and the disturbing similiarities to some pagan and pre Christian and occultic beliefs that at least seem similiar.
Also, after I die I am not interested in more temptation and chance at hell, although am willing to consign myself to punishment to purge to get to heaven.
4. Seraphim Rose does not seem very ecumenical even in a good sense(assuming there is a good sense which I think there is) and even anti-Roman Catholic--much more so than other Orthodox writers.
5. On the positive note, I think his following of the Rene Guenon approach (Which he later rejected the individual conclusion or path of Buddhism) of engaging the traditional form(s) of orhtodoxy and orthoprax rather than the syncretic and ecclectic approach to religion for many in the West and especially in the US--he seems to have a genuine monastic and spiritual approach and a strong intellect and analysis.
6. supposedly a homosexual or at least experimented pre-Orthodox conversion--not sure if that matters but it could
7. He seems to have influenced many devout Orthodox and others in monacistism and a spiritual life.
There are miracles attributed to him
Seraphim Rose is no doubt interesting and certainly someone who seriously engaged religion and spirituality.
In terms of being sensitive, nature of comments--humor is good
so says Sean Connery in Humberto Eco's in the Name of the Rose.
Also, plenty of Orthodox Greeks, and Oriental Armenians invested in hip hop and rap in your homeland of Cali--there are plenty of SSPX kids, and members of Opus Dei and others who listen or at least listened to rap, hip hop, Snoop Dog, Dre, Cube etc--and did not turn out completely debauched.
ALSO, even with the many many problems with modern culture I think it is good to be aware and sometimes engaged--you seem to be aware of modern culture while being a true Christian. However, some of these rap videos do seem to be occasions of sin if not sin per se, and the rappers have many philosophical errors. There is a certain generational thing going on in terms of awareness or recognizing any good in any of this.
Does Too Short really go to a Traditionalist Chapel in Oakland?
Is it Indult, SSPX, or sede vacante?
Most of Too $hort is just really, really, really wrong.
And I believe he resides in Atlanta now.
"I never really cared about popular fame
It's all about sittin on top of the game."
Could you do a post on St. Msgr. JoseMaria Escriva de Belaguaer y Albais? and Opus Dei?
I am certain the recent Spanish saint is not a fan of Too Short even if he did know him nor Snoop Dog nor JayZ.
I am very fond of Opus Dei (not a member) but am not overwhelmed by the theology. The people in Opus Dei are very very very smart but usually in secualr professional areas and not necessarily in religious or spiritual studies.
For example, lack of knowledge of the Eastern Rite or desire to know much nuance as it could affect the spiritual path (they could be right). Even a Professor of Theology and member of Opus Dei said that whereas Hans Urs Von Baltasar was a founder second and a theologian first--St. Escriva was a founder first and a theologian second.
Opus Dei, in my opinion, is a great organization but I am interested in your opinion.
There is a primal male, perhaps natural in a certain sense, reality and impulse that Too Short taps into that makes him so influential and powerful.
I personally liked Playah for Life
and Better Playah than me (couldn't be)
I also think, like South Park, it is meant tongue in cheek--that Too Short is making fun of the game and hip hop and players--it is sarcasm.
Just some thoughts.
Even St. Augustine could of liked Too Short pre his TAKE AND READ epiphany experience.
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