Tag Archives: exodus

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Magic

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Nathan

The word “magic,” with or without the K at the end that Aleister Crowley preferred, derives from “magus,” a term for a Zoroastrian priest. I’ve seen indications that it might have referred to a specific tribe or caste. When the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is Saul Also Among the Prophets?

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Nathan

It’s pretty obvious that the Bible contains a lot of contradictions, although those who believe the whole thing to be the totally accurate Word of God tend to either ignore them or come up with convoluted workarounds. The way I … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, History, Judaism, Middle East, Mythology, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Too Pooped to Koop

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Nathan

Mamma mia! It’s a Super Mario Bros. cartoon! Several of them, in fact. The Mark of Zero – Our first parody for the week is of Zorro. I can’t say I know that much about the character, but I did … Continue reading →

Posted in African, Animals, Art, Cartoons, Christianity, Donkey Kong, Egyptian, Food, History, Humor, Judaism, Magic, Mario, Monsters, Music, Mythology, Religion, Star Wars, Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Television, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Bible Says a Lot of Things

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Nathan

One thing I’ve found is that, when someone discusses the Bible from a secular perspective, there will be devout believers who get angry about it, even though no one is actually attacking their faith. I guess part of the problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Fundamentalism, Greek Mythology, History, Judaism, Middle East, Mythology, Norse, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

This Matrimony Is Full of Holes!

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Nathan

I seem to recall reading that the phrase “sanctity of marriage” wasn’t used until fairly recently, and was pretty much just a response to how marriage is changing in our society. That must not be entirely true, because a quick … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Economics, Families, Greek Mythology, History, Judaism, Mythology, Relationships, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Shekel a Dozen

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Nathan

It’s well attested that ancient Israel was made up of twelve tribes, but exactly what those tribes were varies from one list to another. Typically, they’re said to be Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Zebulun, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Ethnicity, Etymology, Greek Mythology, History, Judaism, Middle East, Mythology, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legends of the Levant

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Nathan

Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times, by Donald B. Redford – This was an interesting read. The prose was rather dry and a LOT of information was packed in, but I guess I’m putting my history degree to use. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christianity, History, Judaism, Middle East, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

A Long Walk Off a Short Pyramid

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Nathan

Dr. Ben Carson has been the subject of much mockery for a lot of reasons, but one of the most prominent is that he thought Joseph built the pyramids to store grain. Apparently he didn’t even make this up; it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Cartoons, Christianity, Conspiracy Theories, Current Events, Futurama, History, Judaism, Middle East, Religion, Science, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Art of Darkness

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Nathan

It seems like, whenever a pop culture phenomenon involves magic, there are fundamentalists complaining that it’s evil. Strange, because I’ve never seen any evidence of people actually working the spells in Harry Potter or Dungeons & Dragons, whether for good … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Characters, Christianity, Fairy Tales, Fundamentalism, Harry Potter, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I’ll Take Canaan

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Nathan

This post on Unreasonable Faith depicts a page from a newsletter for conservative Christian homeschoolers, teaching how to confront atheists who cite “the most ridiculous stories in the Bible.” Wait, so the person who wrote this is ADMITTING that there … Continue reading →

Posted in Bronze Age, Christianity, History, Judaism, Middle East, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments