In all the antique religions, mythology takes the place of dogma; that is, the sacred lore of priests and people... and these stories afford the only explanation that is offered of the precepts of religion and the prescribed rules of ritual.
quote by William Robertson Smith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Communion
Ive touched some objects of faith more precious than pieces of eight.
Seen sacred places and ritual ways, but for communion lets go to my place.
I learned to pray on my knees.
Been taken in hand, if you please.
Had my own revelations, ideas about fate, but for communion lets go to my place.
So as the body, so as the blood, sacred as the soul is to love.
Dont be mistaken if you dont understand, divinely simple.
Part of the plan.
Take!
Eat!
This is my body!
I give it to you.
Take!
Drink!
This is my blood.
Do it in remembrance of me (so you wont forget me).
Now, Ive been a witness of grace.
Ive stared sacred days in the face.
The long long parade of ritual ways, but for communion lets go to my place.
Sacred stories are told.
Theyre passed on like pieces of gold.
So make your conclusions, consider your fate, and for communion lets go to my place.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for communion?
song performed by by Blondie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Then he saw also that it matters little what profession, whether of religion or irreligion, a man may make, provided only he follows it out with charitable inconsistency, and without insisting on it to the bitter end. It is in the uncompromisingness with which dogma is held and not in the dogma or want of dogma that the danger lies.
Samuel Butler in The Way of All Flesh
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Shills
Shills of rancid lifeless priests
Indolent waves of amber hypocrisy
Religions of national honor
Ply your strife and pale armies
Here comes the fall of kings
Hide from the poor and sick
Wave your banners and flags
The hypnotized children of temples
They have chains of religion without God
Sharia law is repressive and of men
Follow men rather than love
False prophets
Only Jesus Christ sets free
Capitalism is a secular religion
My kingdom is not of this world
They try to tell you one country is better
They preach brands and money
Militarism, imperialism, colonialism
Steal the land or enslave the people
State religions are so evil
Nationalism the idolatry of power
God by the gun
Spirit of a mob
The shills of religion and states
poem by Joseph Narusiewicz
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Shake Narrow Preachings Off
All races have their origin in one cell.
All the blacks, whites and browns are one.
Were you grown in wombs for ten months
to die early for the cause of religions
and leave the mothers to weep till their end?
Religions catch them young
and teach them obsolete imports from the holy books
and transform a cross-section of them
into open or hidden extremists.
The stocks of narrow ideas are replenished often
with false interpretations of the holy books.
The politicians take the sharp arms of religions
either to seize the throne or not to lose it
If cunning is called intelligence,
the priests in all the cults are brilliant
in shaping the minds of the young
to be martyrs for their cult.
When some countries are in political turmoil,
grown out of religious terror,
the rich people get reprieve for migrating
to nations where peace prevails.
The poor die in cross-fire
in their own mother lands.
When all religions leading to one God,
the priests make them criss-cross,
and whatever the situation may be
heads the priests win and tails the poor lose.
When the earthquakes, volcanos and tsunamis hit,
let not religion and racial animosities
disturb the peace of this earth.
poem by Rajendran Muthiah
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In The Fulness Of Time Story Poem
The high priest cleansed the altar stone.
Prepared it for the sacrifice,
this task was his and his alone.
No lesser person would suffice.
The voice of God spoke through his priest
and no man dared to disobey
from the greatest to the least.
The high priest held the power to slay.
The sacrifice a comely youth
was not coerced he volunteered.
He had no doubt it was the truth
that for his life all debts be cleared.
Then suddenly a blinding light.
White fire consumed the altar stone,
the high priest fled in mortal fright.
The voice of “God” was but his own.
The Goddess made her wishes known.
A demonstration of her power,
she had destroyed the altar stone.
No longer need her people cower
beneath the high priests cruel rule
The could return to the old ways,
he high priest was power mad fool.
Who had perverted ways to praise
The Goddess for all that she supplied.
To keep her children clothed and fed
Her laws to everyone applied
from their birth ‘til they were dead.
There would be no more sacrifice
of pretty maid or comely youth.
Their honest worship would suffice
The Goddess re -proclaimed the truth.
That men should live in amity
obey her laws and they would thrive.
That they had strayed so foolishly.
The Goddess could and would forgive.
Beware of self appointed priests.
They do not, cannot speak for me.
But treat them as you would wild beasts
which threaten your security.
My yoke is not too hard to bear.
Just listen to your inner voice
and heed the quiet words you hear.
Be glad my children and rejoice.
I watch and ward and will protect
my children who obey my rules
The disobedient can expect
the punishment reserved for fools.
For they will surely come to grief.
No false priest can usurp my place
and propagate his false belief.
I am the guardian of your race.
Though fierce invaders seize control.
Forbidding you to worship me.
They will never achieve their goal
believers worship secretly.
In sacred groves and forest glades
as I have always bid them to.
The loyal youths and faithful maids
to my commands will remain true.
Religions come, religions go
as new religions take their place.
But as my true believers know.
Only the goddess rules by grace.
The old religion ever new
although sometimes its underground
or camouflaged but in full view.
In all religions I am found.
Still worshipped under different names.
Regarded as a saint sometimes.
Like children’s silly party games
I will endure through trying times.
My faithful daughters know its me
but let the priests think otherwise.
Their stiff necked pride won’t let them see.
What’s happening before their eyes.
In time I’ll take my rightful place
be worshipped universally.
Return men to a state of grace
where everyone lives peacefully..
15-Apr-08
Http: //blog.myspace.com. /poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Proud Pagan
Sky clad we dance the circle round.
Sing hymns of praise to Mother Moon.
The sacred grove was filled with sound
as we gave thanks for good fortune.
We harm no one, this is our law
but rather helped all whom we could.
We are well versed in herbal lore.
because Goddess ruled that we should,
The Christians came and tried by force
to make us change our allegiance
With dire penalties of course
if we refused obedience.
We quickly learnt how to deceive
the foreign priests, seem to obey.
But secretly we still believe
and worship in the age old way.
The Christians may rule the land
but can’t command our loyalty.
We know they do not understand.
They will not change us easily.
The old religion did not die
although the Christians thought it would.
The Goddess’ symbol in the sky
made certain that it never could..
So we still worshipped secretly
Still sky clad danced beneath the moon.
Pretending Christianity
but dancing to an older tune.
Although this happened long ago
The goddess rules us still today.
Deep in their hearts the faithful know.
The old way is a better way.
Today we worship openly
as we have every right to do.
Protected constitutionally
we need not hide from public view.
We face no persecution
except from fundamentalists.
Bigots of all religions,
who show that hatred still persists.
We do our best to do no harm
to anyone in any way.
Though some still view us with alarm
This is still true I’m sad to say.
I am a pagan proud to be.
A family tradition
I try to follow faithfully
the laws of my religion.
14-Mar-09
http: // blog.myspace.com/poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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The Mass Want To Be Fooled
Introduce surprises
To make stories interesting.
inser wonders
To make legends inspiring.
Enter the improbable
To make epics awesome.
Put in the impossible
To make mythology holy.
Incorporate miracles
To make religions obscure.
People will enjoy fooling
Themselves in the falsehoods.
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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I'm usually working on my own mythology, my own realm of created characters. Stories in mythology inspire me, though I may not be conscious of it.
From the age of fifteen, dogma has been the fundamental principle of my religion: I know no other religion; I cannot enter into the idea of any other sort of religion; religion, as a mere sentiment, is to me a dream and a mockery.
quote by John Henry Newman
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Indians are converts
Some religions converted the people.
Some religions converted the shrines.
Some religions converted the kings.
The Vedic sect adopted local gods.
I am a descendant of forefathers
Who might be converts to many faiths.
If I segregate one on one's religion
It'd mean I insult my forefather's.
05.05.2012
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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But, strictly speaking, this mythology was no essential part of ancient religion, for it had no sacred sanction and no binding force on the worshippers.
quote by William Robertson Smith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Religion now had to have its compartment, almost its social place. The frontier had ceased to exist. And the religions it had bred were beginning slowly to die. In the old days, when men, often of little education, had needed only to declare themselves ministers, people would have seen themselves reflected in the expounders of the Word. This quality of homespun would have made the religions appear creations of a community, personal and close and inviolable. Now a certain distance was needed.
quote by V.S. Naipaul
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Stories For Boys
Theres a place I go,
And it is far away.
Theres a tv show,
And I can grow.
Sometimes the hero takes me,
Sometimes I dont let go.
Theres a picture book
With more than moans and groans.
Theres a comic strip
That makes me laugh.
Sometimes I let it take me.
Sometimes I dont let go,
I wont let go.
Stories for boys.
Stories for boys.
Theres a place I go,
And it is far away.
Theres a radio,
And I will crawl.
Sometimes the hero takes me.
Sometimes I dont let go.
Stories for boys.
Stories for boys.
Stories for boys...
song performed by by U2
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Any religion...is for ever in danger of petrifaction into mere ritual and habit, though ritual and habit be essential to religion.
quote by T.S. Eliot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Well, religion has been passed down through the years by stories people tell around the campfire. Stories about God, stories about love. Stories about good spirits and evil spirits.
quote by Andrew Greeley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sonnet- God's Creation Is Good
Each flower has some nectar for each Bee;
Each flower has some beauty rather deep;
Each flower has some perfume that is free;
Each flower makes the observer's heart leap.
All religions have good precepts to give;
All religions depict God's love for men;
All religions help mankind better live;
All religions show men way to Heaven.
We ought to take the good things in our life;
We ought to shun all evil thoughts and deeds;
We ought to face in life all kinds of strife;
We ought to plant, to reap better, good seeds.
God made all things with definite purpose,
Expecting man's soul come back in pure dress.
poem by John Celes
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It is in the uncompromisingness with which dogma is held and not in the dogma, or want of dogma, that the danger lies.
quote by Samuel Butler
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ritual is the way you carry the presence of the sacred. Ritual is the spark that must not go out.
quote by Christina Baldwin
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Where you have no religion, you are sure to have no government, for as religion disappears, anarchy takes place and fixes a compleat Hell on earth till religion returns.
quote by Daniel Morgan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Religion is the solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man toward God.
quote by Gouverneur Morris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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