[MR] it's perception...not just the facts...

[Alan MacNeill]

As we all know, if it's on the Internet, it *MUST BE TRUE*.

I'm so very tempted to go register "ChurchofSatanBingoandCrosses.com"
and put a bunch of crosses on the front page, heck, maybe some towers
and a unicorn or two, so noone can use it in their heraldry, cus it's
associated with Satanism.:

- If your faith is so shaky that the sight of someone wearing or
wielding a Pentacle or Pentagram can damage your personal relationship
with your God, perhaps you should spend more time in Your Church
praying to Him or Her for a closer relationship instead of reenacting
past history.  Someone who is strong in their faith should be able to
ignore such things with a dismissive internal discussion of how
foolish they are.  You don't need to confront them, you don't need to
avert your eyes.  It's paint on a board...it can't hurt you.  Honest.

- Noone outside of folks who don't think independently give a rat's
rear end if someone wears a pentacle.  The sites that will ban us
because "ZOMG!  They're satanists, look at that one person over there"
are sites that, frankly, we don't wanna be at anyhow, as paying to be
there supports idiocy, and I don't particularly want my money
supporting morons.  Yes, that includes some Churches.  It does not
include all churches, as most understand the difference between an
Organization and it's members.

- Pentacles, Pentagrams, and many other "Satanistic" symbols (they
aren't Satanistic symbols...but if it makes you and your preacher
happy on sunday, go ahead and believe they are) were used in Period in
Coats of Arms.  We do period Heraldry rules (more or less).
Therefore, their use is appropriate in a group that is allegedly
trying to improve the quality of their reinactment.

- Wicca (or Satanism, or whatever derisive name you want to give any
religion that isn't yours) is nowhere near as organized as your
preacher would like you to believe.  There is no national organization
that says "Believe this or you can't be part of our club" for Pagan
beliefs...that's kinda the main idea of those Pagan beliefs.  There's
a few that have claimed to have that authority, but they are generally
laughed at.

- Our "thou shalt do no religion" clause only bans *official*
religious practices or services.  You as a Christian are perfectly
free to have a prayer meeting whenever you like, just as a Pagan is
free to cast a circle, or a Moslem believer can kneel to Mecca at
their whim.  What you cannot do is do it as an official part of the
event, nor can you use SCA funds or equipment.  Common courtesy
dictates that you should have your service away from the general
masses, so those who don't want to share in your religion don't have
to.

Can we *PLEASE* return to subjects that we have some chance at
resolving peacefully...perhaps Coleman Chairs, or combat Archery, or
hell, maybe making the next Rapier Champion King.

Speaking only for myself
Gorm of Berra

Yes, I have a religion.  No, it's probably not the same one as yours.
No, I don't want to hear about yours.  No, I'm not interested in
telling you about mine

On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 8:52 AM, Roy B. Scherer<rscherer at infionline.net> wrote:
> At 06:40 PM 7/22/2009 -0700, you wrote:
>>
>> Go onto the web site for the church of satan and bingo, the pentagram is
>> on the main page.
>
>        "the church of satan and bingo"?  Would that be Luterans, or
> Episcopalians, or who?
> -- Britton