A new study in Psychological Science explores the relationship between religion and support of extreme forms of parochial altruism, such as suicide attacks. The researchers have found that support for such activities is related less to what religion one practices, and more how often one participates in collective religious rituals. First, they surveyed Palestinian Muslims on their attitude towards religion, how often they prayed, went to masque, and whether they supported suicide attacks. The result was that those who attended masque more than once a day were more likely to support such, while devotion to Islam and frequency of prayer did not play a strong role in the opinion. Second, they surveyed some Israeli Jews living in West Bank and Gaza about their synagogue attendance, prayer and support of suicide attacks against Palestinians. Result, 23% of those asked about synagogue attendance supported the attacks, contrasted with 6% questioned about prayer. Lastly, the researchers surveyed six religious majorities – Mexican Catholics, Indonesian Muslims, Israeli Jews, Russian Orthodox in Russia, British Protestants and Indian Hindus – to check the theory across a spectrum of cultural contexts, and again the results showed that support for extreme parochial altruism was influenced by religious services and unrelated to frequency of prayer. This study helps further the understanding of group psychology’s influence on the self-destruction of the individual and revealing of organized religion’s violent origins (see: Rene Girard on the single victim mechanism). The research was authored by Jeremy Ginges and Ian Hansen from the New School for Social Research and psychologist Ara Norenzayan from the University of British Columbia.

Study Suggests Collective Religious Rituals, Not Religious Devotion, Spur Support for Suicide Attacks, PsychologicalScience.org

A long time ago, Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, when he was over a hundred years old, made a three year long journey from India to China to meet with Emperor Wu. The Emperor himself was a Buddhist, tho unfamiliar with Zen, and wanted to brag about all the charity he performed for the religion.

"I have endowed many temples and authorized countless ordinations - what is my merit?"
Bodhidharma replied, "None at all."
Then the emperor asked, "What is the first principle of the holy teaching?"
Bodhidharma said, "All is empty, nothing holy."
The emperor was upset and asked, "Then who am I’m talking to?"
"How should I know?" answered Bodhidarma and walked away.

In a step forward for freedom of religion, or a step back in the battle against Satan, depending on your perspective, the pentacle has been added to the list of emblems allowed on government-issued military headstones in national cemetaries. A settlement on Monday between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Wiccans calls for pentacle grave markers currently awaited by eleven families nationwide to be placed in the Virginia cemetary within the next 14 days, the agency also agreed to pay $225,000 in lawyer fees. Wicca, sometime referred to as the Old Religion, is a term applied to a vague body of pre-Christian paganism and European witchcraft as popularized by Gerald Gardner in 1954. It focuses mostly around nature worship, with the pentacle representing the five elements: earth, air, water, fire, and spirit. Mystically speaking, the regular pentacle is not an ‘evil’ sign, as it symbolizes spirit being above the other elements, the soul in control of matter. It is when it’s reversed, as is usually found in Satanic ritual, that it becomes unholy, representing the soul being enslaved by base substance. While Wicca is essentially a bitheistic religion, with the God and Goddess forming a complimentary balance, many Wiccans emphasize the Goddess, with certain versions, like feminist Dianic Wicca, eliminating the God altogether. Even in the bitheistic versions, the male part is often portrayed as the Horned God, adding to the Satanic connotations of the religion. Regardless of its incompatibilities with Christianity, which has over a dozen accepted emblems for its various manifestations, Wicca is one of the fastest growing modern religious movements, and to allow emblems for Eckankar, Soka Gakkai Int., and Seicho-No-Ie (their symbol has a swastika!), while rejecting the pentacle, seems like outdated superstition. Now let’s pour libations for the 39th authorized emblem.

Wiccan symbols allowed in U.S. national cemetaries, CTV.ca

Dear President Bush,

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.

[received via the MySpace grapevine]

Tantra is an esoteric system of ritual and yoga in the Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist traditions. It is characterized by complex uses of chanted mantra, the visual meditations on symbolic diagrams or mandala, and the imporantce of female deities called Shakti. Tantric practices include cremation-ground practices such as meditation of corpses and the ritual use of wine, meat, and sexual intercourse. These practices use ritual and meditation to unify the devotee with the chosen deity. In Buddhism, rituals that appear to break basic moral precepts have for the most part been dropped, but the complex meditation practices have been retained.

Hindu Tantra

There are two different paths: dakshinachara and vamachara, translated as Right-Hand Path and Left-Hand Path respectively. Dakshinachara consists of traditional Hindu practices such as asceticism and meditation, while vamachara also includes ritual practices that go against the grain of mainstream Hinduism, including sexual rituals, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants, animal sacrifice and flesh-eating. The two paths are viewed by as equally valid approaches to liberation. Vamachara, however, is considered to be the faster and more dangerous of the two, not suitable for all practitioners.

There are three classes of devotees: The animal devotee, one who is still mired in darkness (tamas), performs rituals with material symbols, following the teachings even when lacking understanding of their meaning. The heroic devotee, driven by activity (rajas), uses the five elements, called the five m’s: fish (matsya), meat (mamsa), wine (madya), aphrodisiac cereals (mudra), and sexual intercourse (maithuna) in his development. The divine devotee, in whom goodness (sattva) predominates, symbol and ritual are internalized, making it possible to awaken kundalini energy.
The universe is a manifestation of pure consciousness, divided into two interdependent poles. Shiva, the masculine element, is static, and is identified with unmanifested consciousness. It has the power to be but not to become or change. The other, Shakti, is the feminine aspect, which is dynamic and creative. She is the mother of the universe from whom all form is borm [Note that in Buddhist Tantra, or Vajrayana, in contrast to the Hindu, the female principle of ‘wisdom’ (prajna) is seen as static, whereas the male, or ‘means’ (upaya), is active].

The human body is a microcosm of the universe. In people, the feminine Shakti element is called Kundalini. The practice of Kundalini Yoga aims to awaken this feminine energy and make it ascend through the chakras (psychic centers) along the spine to the crown of the head, where it merges with the masculine Shiva element. Each of the chakras corresponds to one of the elements of which the world is composed. Muladhara represents solidity; Svadhisthana, liquidity; Manipura, the gaseous; Anahata, the aerial; Vishuddha, the etheric, or space. Hence, the ascent through the body is symbolic of one through the macrocosm of the universe. The Kundalini is usually pictured as a fiery serpent, while the chakras are represented as lotuses. The increasing number of lotus petals in ascending order may indicate the rising energy vibration frequencies of the chakras. When the serpent reaches a flower, the petals open and the lotus lifts, symbolizing the activation of its energies; when it leaves, the lotus closes and hangs down, it’s energies assimilated into the Kundalini. Once the snake reaches the last chakra, Kundalini merges with Shiva and the duality is dissolved in an ecstatic union. Afterwards, the serpent slowly descends back to the root chakra.

Taoist Alchemy

In Taoist tantra, the main aim is the search for immortality or at least a long life. Likely influenced by the Kundalini forms of Hindu tantra, Taoist tantric alchemy involves breath, muscle control and concentrates on retention of vitality. Most men can repopulate an entire continent with a single ejaculation, while most women are born with enough eggs to generate hundreds of lives. Consequently, when the hormones and nutrients of sexual activity are not used towards procreation, they should be harnessed to make our own life longer, healthier and more enjoyable.

The practice relies very little on external objects, focusing mainly on internal processes. The Taoist Canon recalls a group of Aryans who were shipwrecked on the South China shore thousands of years ago. They did not die, nor have children, and became known as the Shining Ones. They transmitted their secret magical and healing practices to the shamans. When Buddhism came to China, shamans were persecuted, like witches in the west, so they became Taoists, rivals to the Buddhists, and continued their practices in secret, using only internal energy, internal alchemy, without the use of accessories to identify themselves. The saying goes "you cannot tell a sage by his clothes."

A clear tantric parallel with Kundalini yoga can be seen in the Taoist Golden Light or Microcosmic Orbit Meditation. This technique uses a visualization of a ball of energy (sometimes a serpent), which represents jing, [’essence’, sometimes synonymous with semen but feminine (yin) in nature, the dense energy residing in the genitals] that slowly rises from the base of the spine to the back of the brain, where it is absorbed by the Nirvana Chamber in the brain’s center, mixing with shen, [the ’soul’, the male (yang) element, residing in the head], and then returns downward, replenishing the body’s vital energy. While there is some disagreement concerning the exact location of energy centers/chakras, the underlying concet is the same.

The third major type of energy is qi, or ‘breath’, seen by extension as ‘life force’ or ’spirit’ that is part of everything. It is harnessed through meditation and the practice of qigong, or ‘qi work’, which uses the coordination of various breathing patterns, physical postures and motions of the body to manage the breath and promote good health. While bearing some resemblance to hatha yoga, qigong is more dynamic, as it aims at a perpetual circulation of energy.

Get behind me, Satan, for you are a scandal to me.
Jesus Christ (Mt 16.23)

French philosopher Rene Girard has a fascinating theory of mimetic desire and the single victim mechanism (scapegoating).

All desire is inherently mimetic. We want what other people want. This is most evident in today’s society, when we are barraged with advertisements for things and lifestyles that will supposedly make us the shiny happy people smiling that at us from the TV screen. However, as anyone who’s pursued this way of life knows, this approach is not sustainable. As newer better things come into production, the old lose their value, and given enough time, what once made you the most popular person on the block, can turn you into an object of ridicule. What’s worse, though, is that chasing these material dreams locks us in mimetic rivalry with each other. We compete with our neighbor in perpetual one-upmanship, trying to have the better house, car, computer, as if having better things than the next guy will make us happier. Further, studies reflect that relative income is more important to happiness than absolute income. This is the mimetic cycle, the work of Satan the Seducer.

Because our neighbor is the model of our desire, he is also our rival. We try to protect ourselves with laws and prohibitions, but in time they are inevitably transgressed. This leads to mimetic crisis and scandal ensues in a community. There is all this tension and frustration between people, since they are competing with each other in a never-ending race. Befuddled, they look for someone to blame. This is the time, when someone casts the first stone, the role of Satan the Accuser. A victim is chosen and blamed for all the problems plaguing the community. Once he’s isolated and defenseless, the anger of the many converges on the scapegoat, without the least fear of reprisal. Effectively, the community focuses the blame for thousands of scandals scattered throughout it on a single victim substitute. This ganging up of all-against-one unites a previously divided group, as they hunt, torture and destroy the accused individual. Since the group really believes the scapegoat to be the source of their problems, once he is eliminated, the community experiences a sudden harmony, purified of its tensions, divisions united. So, the single victim mechanism has a dark but logically explicable ability of restoring peace to groups ravaged by internal conflict. In the words of high priest Caiaphas, “It is better that one man die and that the whole nation not perish.”

I See Satan Fall Like Lightning, Rene Girard

Ever wonder who this Valentine was anyway? The Catholic Encyclopedia lists not one, but three St. Valentines, all martyrs, who died on February 14. One was a Roman priest, another a bishop of Interamna (Terni), the last an obscure martyr from North Africa. The feast of St. Valentine was first declared by Pope Gelasius I in 456. Later, in the 19the century, Pope Gregory XVI donated various relics associated with St. Valentine to Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, making it the hotspot for pilgrimage on February 14. However, in 1969, the Catholic Church removed Valentine’s Day from the official holiday calendar, because of its largely legendary origin. But, this didn’t end the celebration of Valentine’s Day, the popularity of which had been blossoming in America since the 19th century, when Esther Howland first mass produced valentines of embossed paper lace. Today, February 14th is the second largest card-sending holiday after Christmas, with over a billion cards sent annually.

Abstract: The fundamental revelations to the founders of the three monotheistic religions, among many other revelation experiences, had occurred on a mountain. These three revelation experiences share many phenomenological components like feeling and hearing a presence, seeing a figure, seeing lights, and feeling of fear. In addition, similar experiences have been reported by non-mystic contemporary mountaineers. The similarities between these revelations on mountains and their appearance in contemporary mountaineers suggest that exposure to altitude might affect functional and neural mechanisms, thus facilitating the experience of a revelation. Different functions relying on brain areas such as the temporo-parietal junction and the prefrontal cortex have been suggested to be altered in altitude. Moreover, acute and chronic hypoxia significantly affect the temporo-parietal junction and the prefrontal cortex and both areas have also been linked to altered own body perceptions and mystical experiences. Prolonged stay at high altitudes, especially in social deprivation, may also lead to prefrontal lobe dysfunctions such as low resistance to stress and loss of inhibition. Based on these phenomenological, functional, and neural findings we suggest that exposure to altitudes might contribute to the induction of revelation experiences and might further our understanding of the mountain metaphor in religion.

Why revelations have occurred on mountains? Shahar Arzya, Moshe Ideld, Theodor Landisb and Olaf Blankea

St. Malachy, a.k.a. Maolmhaodhog ua Morgairm, Maol Maedoc, and Malachy O’Morgair. Born in 1094 at Armagh, Ireland. Died November 2, 1148 at Clairvaux. He was the first Irish saint to be canonized by the pope, Clement III in 1190. He was reported to posses many powers, including levitation, healing (by laying on hands), and clairvoyance. He even correctly predicted the date of his death (though theoretically anyone could make a self-fulfilling prophecy like that, if they really want to).

While on his way to the Vatican to assume the post of papal legate of Ireland, he fell into a trance and had a vision of the 112 papal reigns from the succesor to Innocent II- Celestine II - through to the last pope, identified as Peter of Rome. Each pope was assigned a short description, rather than a specific name. However, these mottoes seem to refer at different times to family names, birthplace, coat-of-arms, or office held before papacy (e.g. Pius II, who reigned for only 26 days in 1503, was described De Parbo Homine - from a little man - his family names was Piccolomini, Italian for “little man”; Clement XIII, connected with the state of Umbria, whose emblem was a rose, Rosa Umbriae, Rose of Umbria). He presented the manuscript to Pope Innocent II, but it was forgotten until 1590.

The Last 10 Popes

1. Ignis ardens, The Burning Fire. PIUS X. 1903-1914. This Pope showed a burning passion for spiritual renewal in the Church.

2. Religio depopulata, Religion Laid Waste. BENEDICT XV. 1914-1922. During this Pope’s reign saw Communism move into Russia where religious life was laid waste, and World War I with the death of millions of Christians who were carnage in Flanders Field and elsewhere.

3. Fides intrepida, Unshaken Faith. PIUS XI. 1922-1939. This Pope faced tremendous pressure from fascist and sinister powers in Germany and Italy, but he was an outspoken critic of Communism and Fascism which enraged Hitler.

4. Pasto angelicus, An Angelic Shepherd. PIUS XII. 1939-1958. This Pope had an affinity for the spiritual world and received visions which have not been made public. Peter Bander says Pius XII “has emerged as one of the great Popes of all time,” and he “was in the truest sense of the word an Angelic Pastor to the flock…”

5. Pastor et nauta, Pastor and Mariner. JOHN XXIII. 1958-1963. John was a pastor to the world, much beloved, and the Patriarch of Venice. The connection to “mariner” is thus remarkable.

6. Flos florum, Flower of Flowers. PAUL VI. 1963-1978. Paul’s coat-of-arms depicts three fleurs-de-lis, corresponding to Malachay’s prophecy. His coat of arms included three fleurs-de-lis (iris blossoms).

7. De medietate lunae, Of the Half Moon. JOHN PAUL I. 1978-1978. John Paul I was elected Pope on August 26, 1978, when there was a half moon. He reigned 33 days, that is, about one month, when he died, although many think he was murdered. He was the 109th Pope - is “De Medietate Lunae” (Of the Half Moon). The corresponding pope was John Paul I (1978-78), who was born in the diocese of Belluno (beautiful moon) and was baptized Albino Luciani (white light). He became pope on August 26, 1978, when the moon appeared exactly half full. It was in its waning phase. He died the following month, soon after an eclipse of the moon.

8. Labor solis, The Labor of the Sun. JOHN PAUL II. 1978-2005. Pope John Paul II was the most traveled Pope in history. He circled the globe numerous times, preaching to huge audiences everywhere he went. He survived an assassination attempt. He has written a book which has enjoyed a large circulation. Like the sun which never ceases to labor and provides light daily, this Pope has been incessant. He was born on May 18, 1920. On that date in the morning there was a near total eclipse of the sun over Europe. Prophecy - The 110th Pope is “De Labore Solis” (Of the Solar Eclipse, or, From the Toil of the Sun). Like the sun he came out of the East (Poland).

9. Gloria olivae, The Glory of the Olive. The Order of St. Benedict has said this Pope will come from their order. It is interesting that Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives. This Pope will reign during the beginning of the tribulation Jesus spoke of. The 111th prophesy is “Gloria Olivae” (The Glory of the Olive). The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil.

10. Petrus romanus, PETER THE ROMAN - This final Pope will likely be Satan, taking the form of a man named Peter who will gain a worldwide allegiance and adoration. He will be the final antichrist which prophecy students have long foretold. If it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. The 112th prophesy states: In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis diruetur, & Iudex tremêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis. “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Petrus Romanus, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End.”

Papal Prophecies, Crystalinks.com
Prophecies of the Popes, Wikipedia.org

A.D. 1139, Saint Malachy O’Morgair, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, wrote down a list of 112 future Popes, each followed by a short phrase in Latin (except for the last one, who gets a lengthy apocalyptic description). Much has been made of this, since most popes have taken the names suggested in the prophesy (albeit, it is possible that the well-known existence of the prophecy makes it a self-fulfilling one). I could bore you with eariler examples, but seems it would be more fun to check out the new pope.

Benedict XVI, Malachy’s motto: Gloria Olivae, the glory of the olive. The olive branch is one of the symbols of St. Benedict (which led some to suspect that he’d be a Benedictine), hence the choice of name is clear. But that’s not all, Joseph Ratzinger was born April 16, the feast of St. Benedict Joseph Labre the Holy Pilgrim; Joseph, Benedict, weird. The olive branch, of course, is the symbol of peace, Benedict XVI chose Pax, peace, as his papal motto. Perhaps an omen, on the opening day of the conclave Cyprus elected a Turkish president who’s trying to bring together the two sectors, the Cyprus flag has two olive branches. Interestingly, some suggested that the prophecy referred to St. Benedict the Black (the Moor), patron saint of African Americans, thereby implying that this pope would be black. However, St. Benedict himself wasn’t Black. Some just mistook the Italian il moro to mean he was a Moor.

Soon, based on the prophecy and Mt 17:1-8, Benedict XVI will suggest that three buildings be builit in Jerusalem: a temple, a church and a mosque, to make the city a place of love and worship. He will work towards world peace, but ultimately fail. Soon after he dies, World War III will break out. This should take place circa 2010. The next pope is the last one mentioned in Malachy’s prophecy.

So we have a new pope now, neat. Here’s some info from the Vatican website peppered with commentary.

Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dean of the College of Cardinals. Born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. So, he just celebrated his 78th and three days later he’s elected pope. Son of a police officer, he grew up in Traunstein and was called into the auxillary anti-aircraft service in the last months of WWII. According to the US Airforce website, the Fifteenth AF (composed of 80 B-17’s and B-24’s) bombed Traunstein on November 15, ‘44, so it’s probably American planes Pope Benedict was gunning, but then again they were dropping bombs on him. Besides, there hasn’t been a good warrior pope since Julius II, and we already have a warrior president. He studied philosophy and theology (hey, like me!) at the University of Munich and at the higher school in Freising. Ordained priest in 1951, he got a doctorate in theology in 1953 with a thesis called "The People and House of God in St. Augustine’s doctrine of the Church". 1959-69 he taught dogma and fundamental theology in a couple German universities. 69- he was the Vice President and professor of dogmatic theology and of the history of dogma at the University of Regensburg. At age 35 he became a consultor at Vatican Council II. At 49, Paul VI made him Archbishop of Munich and Freising. A few months later, Paul VI made him Cardinal. After various honors, he was elected Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals, 6 November 1998, and Dean on 30 November 2002, and Pope on 19 April 2005. Here’s what he had to say:

Urbi et Orbi Blessing (for the city and for the world)

Dear brothers and sisters, after our great Pope, John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in God’s vineyard. I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers. In the joy of the resurrected Lord, trustful of his permanent help, we go ahead, sure that God will help. And Mary, his most beloved Mother, stands on our side. Thank you.

Dr Charles Townes, a physicist who shared the Nobel Prize for helping to invent the laser (not to mention the maser), was announced as the winner of the $1.5 million Templeton Prize, awarded annually for progress or research in spiritual matters. Keep in mind that currently the Nobel Prize is $1.3 million, making Templeton the world’s biggest score. Past recipients of the prize include Mother Teresa, former Indian president Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Princeton’s Dr Freeman J Dyson and Rev James McCord, and Seton Hall University’s Benedictine monk astrophysicist Rev Stanley L. Jaki (NJ represent).

Dr Townes, 89, a longtime professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has long argued that science and religion are more alike than different and are destined to merge. In his seminal paper titled "The Convergence of Science and Religion", published in 1966 in the IBM journal "Think", he wrote: "Understanding the order in the universe and understanding the purpose in the universe are not identical, but they are also not very far apart."

Physicist is Awarded Templeton Prize in Spiritual Matters, New York Times
TempletonPrize.org

Vatican archeologists believe that they have identified the tomb in Rome’s St Paul Outside the Walls [S. Paolo fuori le mura] basilica, following the discovery of a stone coffin during excavations carried out over the past three years. The effort was guided by 19th-century plans for the basilica, which was largely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1823. An initial survey enabled archeologists to reconstruct the shape of the original basilica, built early in the 4th century. A second excavation, under the main altar of the basilica, brought the Vatican team to the sarcophagus, which was located on what would have been ground level for the original 4th-century building, brilliantly hidden behind a marble plaque that reads, "Apostle Paul, martyr."

"The tomb that we discovered is the one that the popes and the Emperor Theodosius (379-395) saved and presented to the whole world as being the tomb of the apostle," says archeologist Giorgio Filippi, but "nobody ever thought to look behind that plaque". I’m not sure if archeologists are getting lazy, or maybe all the good stuff has already been found, but I don’t know how finding a coffin where the tombstone is qualifies as news. Nor do I know why someone is digging up an apostle; fame, relics, DNA sample?

Archeologists discover St. Paul’s tomb, Catholic News.
Tomb of St. Paul found?