h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm inclined to agree, paulie.

you see, while I'm sure the bible is based at least somewhat on fact, there's a lot of it that just doesn't sit well with me. It's far too chauvanist a work to be the primary manuscript of a god that claims to be all-loving. upon close reading, the bible is full of anti-female propaganda. Why are we unclean at "that time of the month"? why are we to be treated like belongings? why can't we have a voice of our own? why can't we marry whomever we please?

it sounds to me like god's "prophets" got a little too caught up in their petty machismo and twisted the message from "love thy neighbor" to "love thy neighbor, as long as he's male".

portraying mary magdelene as a prostitute, when she really might have been a powerful/influential woman, would fit right in with that line of reasoning. wiccan priestesses recognise sex as a very powerful form of magick; wouldn't these narrow-minded men see that as prostitution? wouldn't they want to portray a powerful woman as a sex object, so that other women wouldn't follow her example and live as independent, sexually liberated women?

think about it, and don't believe everything you read.

theres no reason why she couldnt have been a wiccan. except for the fatc that the only reference to her anywhere is in the bible and it makes no mention of her being a priestess

.....i don't think you quite comprehended my last post... did you read it?

yes. i did. and i concluded that while the evidence could conceivably point to her being a wiccan, it looks hughly unlikely, what with absolutely no mention of wiccan pracitce invovled...

The problem for me is that:

* It is POSSIBLE that Magdalene was misrepresented

* It is POSSIBLE that she was a powerful woman in many ways

* It is POSSIBLE that she was a priestess of a non-Hebraic religion, in much the same manner as Jezebel (who IS cited as a priestess)

* It is POSSIBLE that she was a temple dancer

Many things are possible, but there is no evidence I know of, either literary or physical, to support any claims about her.

I think it's fair to speculate, and to say "this is my speculation", but I don't think it's fair to assert something as fact without supporting evidence. I don't think that's harsh, really.

Yeah, but _possible_ can be such fun.
It's also possible the Jesus had a twin sister who was edited out of the bible since her brother got to have the publishing rights. Not only possible it's documented in the works of the esteemed Robert Rankin that come the second coming (nice combination of words there, eyh? ) Christeene will be determined her brother Christ won't take centre stage in this act.

Wrong no where in the bible does it ever call her a prostitute. She was possesed by 7 demons and thats really about it.

where in the bible does it say THAT?

Yes chapter and verse please.

Luke 8:1-3:Afterward [Jesus] journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

The myth that Mary was a prostitute is in reality a confusion of her with another biblical woman who is never named. Not once in the New Testemant is it ever stated. If you don't believe me I recommend reading the gospels. Show me the verse that states she was a prostitute instead of quoting popular myth to me. Also I ask again where does the idea she was a pagan preistess come from?

fair.

my brain is currently being more fried by st paul, though. i hate my degree.

Do a search on the internet. It's not my speculation, it's someone else's - thus I won't claim it as mine.

You're taking the lore of one religion against the lore of another. Don't disregard the belief just because Christianity is a majority religion and Wicca isn't.

I'm growing tired of this argument. "She wasn't! You can't prove she was a priestess!" Well, it can't be proven to the contrary so let's agree to disagree. Until someone creates a time machine I guess we'll never know for sure.

Ok one the only historical accounts we have make no mention of her being a priestess. Its historical revisionism and inconsistent with the actual account(unless you believe pagan priestesses were regularly possessed by no less then seven evil spirits). That a modern religion has chosen to rewrite that is its own business but with out proof its meaningless speculation. You're right I can't prove she wasn't a pagan priestess then again I can't prove Santa Claus doesn't exist. It is impossible to prove that some thing is NOT that is why the rules of logic demand you prove that it is. So why don't we just agree its about as useful a speculation as the idea that Elvis is not dead he just went home.

Did you consider the possibility that the "seven evil spirits" were simply the Christians' way of describing the physical manifestations of her powers? By your own logic, you can't prove that Mary Magdelene was literally a woman posessed by seven evil spirits. So who's to say I'm wrong?

Besides, there are too darn many Marys in the bible to keep them all straight. I'm inclined to believe that was also a ploy on the part of the authors to keep women classified as nameless, faceless entities.

Interpretation of the bible is just that: Interpretation. You say poTAto, i say poTAHto... you get the idea. I just don't think we're going to come to an agreement that makes you happy, and for that I apologize. Opinion is rarely something that can be changed due to arguments.

And maybe fundamentalists have it completely right and all pagans worship demons disguising themselves as gods. Its just as provable as the idea Mary was a pagan. Either offer evidence or admit the idea is as serious as Santa Claus.

As to calling it interpritation its not. Its a wild guess based on a complete lack of evidence. Sides if your going to comment on the bible why not try being familiar with what it actually says? As opposed to spouting ignorant propoganda like that it ever says Magdaline was a prostitute.

Now, now, there's no need for demands, ultimatums or insults.

As for my familiarity with the bible, I was raised as a pious Catholic for the first fourteen years of my life. I'm familiar enough for my liking, thanks.

No, fundamentalists do NOT have it right and we do not worship demons disguising themselves as gods. I can prove that myself, as I have a far more extensive knowledge of Wicca than the fundamentalists do, as evidenced by their vehement dislike of it. If they had even the slightest clue what it was about, they wouldn't have any arguments whatsoever.

Furthermore, you might want to reconsider your Santa Claus allusion. The mythology attached to the tradition of Santa Claus states that there was, in actuality, a man named Nicholas (later Saint Nicholas) who gave gifts to children on christmas. The fact that we carry on this tradition in memory of what he did is much like the rememberance of the birth and death of a man called Jesus, who we cannot exactly prove existed.

You're doing exactly what you're accusing me of doing: spouting ignorant propaganda. Please think about what you're saying before you go insulting people. It's rude and counterproductive to your argument.

Here, I'll put this in terms you cannot possibly misunderstand: I WILL NOT SAY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY. I AM EXPRESSING MY BELIEFS AS I SEE THEM, AND AS I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THEM THROUGH WICCA. YOUR OPINION, THOUGH VALID, DOES NOT CHANGE MY OPINION.

There. Are we finished?

theres no more reason to suggest that mary's seven demons point to wicca as it does to zoroastrianism. there is no reason to suggest that mary was a wiccan priestess: the bible is by far the oldest source on the matter, and it doesnt mention anything. anyway, in the gospel of mark, mary is, at the end, one of the very few people (her and the other two women) who come off even remotely good. the rest of the disciples - all men - are soundly lambasted.

jesus utterly and indubitably existed. no doubt whatsoever. he might not have been the son of god though.

St Nicholas did exist. A fat old guy who rides a sleigh pulling reindeer does not. I know he doesn't because no evidence remotely exists to prove his existence. Yet I CAN'T prove he does NOT exist any mroe then you can prove pagan gods are NOT demons. Note to that I use the word pagan not wiccan. Wicca is a modern religion a hybred of a half dozen pagan traditions, elements of Jewish Kabbalah, Eastern mysticism and a little bit of Crowley's ideas thrown into the mix. It's a hundred years old at most. Paganism is a blanket name for a wide range of religions dating back thousands of years which modern witches chose to pick and chose there favorite parts of to form a NEW religion(unless you can show me a historical culture that worships oh say Pan and Isis at the same time as some witches do).

Your oppinion about Mary Magdaline is an imagined speculation. You have no evidence to support it instead you pull out the cheapest of all logical fallacies "well you can't disprove it." As to being raised Catholic good for you to bad you seemed to miss the understanding(ie the fact Magdaline is NEVER called a prostitute any where in Scripture and you yourself admitted to getting the Marys of scripture confused). Mary Magdaline was demonicly possessed. I base this on the historical account that exists. If you have an alternate account to support your won story by all means offer it other wise give it up. I can't prove she wasn't but then again its your responsibility to prove she was not mine to prove your wrong(thats basic logical reasoning by any defenition). At any rate I"ll prove she wasn't a pagan when you prove the presents that appear under my chrismass tree weren't put there by an immortal old obese fae who lives at the north pole and flies.

Please go to google.com and search:

wicca "mary magdalene"

Cut and paste so you get the spelling right. I have better things to do than make you a study guide. Have a perusal. See how many other people share my "imagined speculation".