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

Remember those monks who used to beat themselves for others sins? actually do they still exist?? Weirdos

Think so.. the Agnes Dei crowd in Eire are still at that, if what I heard is to be believed. Mortification of the Flesh, I believe it's called.


Strikes me as just bad manners, myself

BUT WHY DO IT!!??

Mortification

A feeling of shame, humiliation, or wounded pride.

Discipline of the body and the appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.

Pathology. Death or decay of one part of a living body; gangrene or necrosis.


URGH

Why "anything"?


No one ever said it had to be nice!


Stuff like that just "is"
(And in my opinion better left avoided. Life's too short to worry about weirdoes like that!)

Y'see this shows a basic misunderstanding about religions. As soon as you start asking questions (be they why? or how? or even when?) this proves you have failed to grasp the most basic concepts.

As for the Jews, since Jesus was a Jew (since it is matrilinear I believe) and if you you believe all the extant writings applicable to the time, and not just the ones your particular branch of the judeo-christian-islamist religion espouses, then Jesus had a bit of a thing with a young lady (Mary Magdalene I believe) during his 32 yrs on this planet (and even if not, the bible does say that Jesus experienced all emotions a human can experience) so therefore, there is at least a chance that there are those alive in the world today who are descended from Jesus. Just a shame the Judaism doesn't recognise Jesus as the son of god, else they'd have the ultimate trump card! I am the son of the son of the son of the son of the son of (balh) God.
(oooh, how many eligions have I just insulted?)

Erm, all of them, I think, Ictoan!

So, is it comfy in that underground concrete bunker of yours? (I *presume* that's where you're posting from?)

RF

My dad's a vicar, I'm sure he'kll intervene on my behalf. Oh wait a minute, he's into liberation theology. So most of the major religions consider him a dangerous thinker anyway. Bum.

I think may be an appropriate smilie here!
Are there any Zoroastrians still going?

say what??

Go away for a couple of days and the para thread turns in to the god thread
mox

Yeah Im...upset! I avoid discussion about religion, being an agnostic who got an A in religion.

Also...I dont know...I thought it was about paranoia and then people jumped and said it included guilt...but Im paranoid without guilt and...oh dear

Para takes a variety of forms and can sneak up on you all by its self or for a double effect, pair its self up with a bit of guilt, insecurity , jelousy, anxiety and many more.
We humans are such straightforward creatures.

My worst case of para was a few years ago now. When I look back it was so ridiculous. It was my first job after graduating, it was really stressful and at the same time my relationship broke down and I became a single Mum. The para was all around work. I used to think my boss was following me to check up on what I'd been doing. In reality, i was working harder than I ever should have been and I ended up hanging on to my sanity by the ends of my finger nails. I will never ever ever put so much in to a job again.
Mox

Wow that's....considerable!

My big paranoia to date is current. Vanishing all my friends because i think they're all ganging up behind my back and I don't need them and can get along in life with only a few people who could never in the world know each other and so I'm safe.

Of course there's also the whole stupid thing of people following me, people in the room, someone standing behind me, etc etc.

Oh and Nick had a lady in purple on a bicycle, and a man with a gun who followed her around and stood behind the door etc. Confused the hell out of me! I never worked out how she knew they were out to get her and not actually protect her! She refuses to talk about them now...mabe they've gone or she's learnt to ignore them...who knows.

or they weren't there in the first place

*blows a raspberry*

okay okay I know they were never REALLY there but still!

tis my oppinion that religion can contribute to paranoia. If i believed that god will damn me the second i do something wrong, I'd be constantly looking over my shoulder too. My religion allows a bit more freedom than that, but it can be scary

what IS your religion?

I am a member of a religion that all my friends tell me is more of a belief system and should give up it's tax exempt status to something more worthy

I am...

A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST in all my lack of glory

howsabout u?

agnostic. Im not going to waste time praying when I could be out and about appreciating the world and throwing pine cones at police cars

Back on topic
No matter how hard I try, I only ever get a few answers to a any question i ask on Ask H2G2. I'm sure I must be doing something wrong with the title of the thread, or the question itself.

Either that or my invisability talent/curse extend from Real Life(tm) into H2G2. (cue, "who said that?" jokes)

Oh I always get that too. I have yet to find the secret to a good thread.

Have you ever considered bottling your invisibility and selling to people?