04 Jul 2004
Lest we think they've changed ...

Before anyone comes back after my previous tale with the notion that Christianity today is different than it was a thousand years ago, I offer the following:

The sleepy suburb of Pallavaram, especially around Periamalai area, today woke up to tension and tumult as a temple idol was found smashed to smithereens by unidentified miscreants. A trident and a previously mutilated peacock statue in the temple were also found broken.

This morning the authorities of the local Balamurugan temple found the Dakshayini Amman idol destroyed (presumably with a sledgehammer), with the pieces strewn all around the place. The Amman's sari was torn and found spread over a nearby thorny bush.

The temple's main trustee, Raghupathy, who has been looking after the temple affairs for the last several years, immediately alerted the police and filed a formal complaint. The police, who arrived at the scene, have taken the broken pieces for further investigation. Though officials were tight-lipped on who could have committed this shameful act, the locals were more vocal.

Many residents of the area were openly pointing fingers at a Christian group that was 'notoriously active' in the area. The names of a local Panchayat leader and a Pastor were openly bandied about by the residents.

The Periamalai area was already sitting on a communal powder keg due to the confrontational and provocative attitude of a Pentecost group that specifically targetted the local Balamurugan temple. The group, which used to be very active on full-moon nights (yesterday was one), has a history of creating trouble for those coming to worship at the temple.

The residents had made several complaints that the cult group had chosen the place to carry out their brazen expansion activities 12 churches have come up in the last few years within the small circumference of Pallavaram.

The religious group also used to gather up at Periamalai (a small hillock) regularly and shout out taunting remarks at Hindus and openly deride Hindu Gods.

Locals say the Christians brought in women, who were purportedly Hindus, and then asked them to throw their mettis and thalis into a fire.

After the locals took up the issue with the police, a check-post on the entry road to the hillock was put up a few years back to prevent any meeting in the night. But some time later, the check-post was damaged by some miscreants and the night show of evangelism continued.

However, the locals applied pressure with the authorities and got another check-post in the area. Long-time residents of the locality also got a Court order some time back restraining the Christians from 'encroaching' into the land belonging to the Murugan temple.

After last night's act of vandalism by some bigoted minds, security has been put up at the temple.

The tension in the area is palpable and looks like the residents of the sleepy suburb are set for some sleepless nights.

(link) [News Today]

via Pagan Prattle

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More News on the Home Front

Moo-dini wasn't the only thing happening here last week: we actually got a sign up in the front yard advertising chikens and eggs, along with the requiste permissions from the local government to sell such things, and we finally located a Federally inspected slaughterhouse: which means we will be able to sell our beef and lamb across state lines (and even internationally, I believe) via the Internet. I haven't got anything up on our sales site yet, but hope to have some packages put together by next weekend.

Thanks to the sign, we've sold out of eggs every day, and have even been selling some of the eggs from the hens we keep up at Kevyn's place.

Our meat chickens are really growing - they'll be ready for their trip to the processor in about three weeks - and we haven't lost too many (probably a dozen or so, as it's really tough to count them right now). We had to move them out of the brooder and into the barn, which has made things a lot roomier for them, but a lot smellier for us. By the gods, chickens stink!

We have identified the rare breed chick we got free: it's an araucana, which actually lays green eggs! So, when Kevyn's porkers are done, we're going to have a breakfast of Green Eggs and Ham, for real! And we'll like them, I'm sure!

Kris also started a full time job, as a courier with Special Dispatch in Indy. She loves it, so far, and while it might put some extra miles on the good truck, it'll bring in some much needed cash relief as well.

Hopefully, I'll be able to maintain a better posting habit this week than I have been: but on the other hand, that would mean things are slowing down, and I'd rather be active making money right now. I'm actually getting some confidence back that the farm will make it, financially - a confidence that has been waning of late, as sales have been lackluster and bureaucracies have tried their best to stymie our little operation. But the sky is looking bluer every day... and hope remains.

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Moo-Dini

It's been a busy week at Hammerstead, in case you hadn't noticed I've not been posting much. But today is a holiday, and I'm back at the keyboard, trying to catch up on a bunch of stuff.

Our excitement started last Friday, when Kevyn took Peanut to a vacation bible school thing in downtown Lebanon. I'd teased him about taking our Heathen calf to Noah's Ark ... little did we know. Here's the tale from last Saturday's front page of the Lebanon Reporter:

For those who can't read the text without bifocals (like me!), here's the tale:

Kylie Hendry, 8, pets "Peanut," a Scottish Highland calf, at the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon, Friday morning. Hendry's visit with Peanut occurred shortly after the cow made a quick escape from his pen at the church and led locals on a chase through downtown Lebanon.

Kevin Miller of Thorntown, and Dave and Kris Haxton of Dover, were kind enough to bring a variety of animals to the church in celebration of the last day of a Noah's Arc-themed vacation Bible school week. But Peanut escaped while briefly off his harness and bolted east down Main Street. Church members, Lebanon Utilities workers and the Lebanon Police Department all worked to corral Peanut, before Lebanon Street Department employees eventually caught him near the intersection of Main and Grant streets.

Kevyn had taken off Peanut's halter so a lady could get a better picture of him with her kid: the rope came off, the tail went up and Peanut hit the street running. Past the courthouse, down Main Street and up Meridian until he finally ran into a yard with fence on three sides, and Kevyn (with the aid of the police, the street department and various passers by) was able to corral him! What a hoot! Our "We told you not to take that Heathen cow to church!" taunts and teases to him have been unending... but wait! there's more!

Not content with one escape, we took the now "famous" calf to the Thorntown Market the next day: here's the tale from last Tuesday's Reporter:
'Moodini' does it again!

Peanut, that lovable teddy-bear with hooves, better known as the runaway Highland calf who raised the cardiac rate of several Lebanon residents last week, made another break for freedom at the Thorntown Community Market on Saturday. Making his third public appearance in three days proved to be another chance for Peanut, (now dubbed "Moodini" after Saturday's headline in the Reporter) to get up close and personal with the public on Saturday morning. Kevyn Miller, part owner of Peanut, was able to wrangle the 75-pound two-month old calf under control without incident. Peanut is one of the youngest members of a herd maintained on the Miller Stock Farm.

The breed is prized because of their intelligence and high grade of beef. (This is the only type of beef eaten by the Queen of England.) Miller, who subscribes to multiple tier organic practices in his meat and produce operation, specifically chose this breed because they not only provide a high quality product, but are highly intelligent and are naturally protective of the calves and sheep that share the pasture, making unnecessary to keep guard animals.

When we took Peanut to the farmers market at Trader's Point last Friday, we found folks from Channel 8 and the Star on hand. Our little bottle baby has become something of a local celebrity - and we're milking it (pun intended) for all it's worth!

We'll try to let you know if the TV station puts any video up on the web (but they hardly ever do, and without a TV it's gonna be kinda hard for us to see it live) and when the Star runs it's piece.

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Pope insists on Europe's roots in Christianity

Well, I agree with the old boy on one thing, anyway:

"The roots from which one is born cannot be cut," he said.

Indeed, they cannot. But how many Europeans (or peoples of European descent) know of their roots? How many know exactly how this "vicar of peace" came to be enthroned in Rome, claiming the whole continent for his Middle Eastern deity?

Here's a small part of the tale of the conversion, from King Olaf Trygvason's Saga reproduced here for your edification: it concerns Raud the Strong, a Heathen who refused to bend the knee to the new gods from the South.

87. OF RAUD'S BEING TORTURED.

Bishop Sigurd took all his mass robes and went forward to the bow of the king's ship; ordered tapers to be lighted, and incense to be brought out. Then he set the crucifix upon the stem of the vessel, read the Evangelist and many prayers, besprinkled the whole ship with holy water, and then ordered the ship-tent to be stowed away, and to row into the fjord. The king ordered all the other ships to follow him. Now when all was ready on board the Crane to row, she went into the fjord without the rowers finding any wind; and the sea was curled about their keel track like as in a calm, so quiet and still was the water; yet on each side of them the waves were lashing up so high that they hid the sight of the mountains. And so the one ship followed the other in the smooth sea track; and they proceeded this way the whole day and night, until they reached Godey. Now when they came to Raud's house his great ship, the dragon, was afloat close to the land. King Olaf went up to the house immediately with his people; made an attack on the loft in which Raud was sleeping, and broke it open. The men rushed in: Raud was taken and bound, and of the people with him some were killed and some made prisoners. Then the king's men went to a lodging in which Raud's house servants slept, and killed some, bound others, and beat others. Then the king ordered Raud to be brought before him, and offered him baptism. "And," says the king, "I will not take thy property from thee, but rather be thy friend, if thou wilt make thyself worthy to be so." Raud exclaimed with all his might against the proposal, saying he would never believe in Christ, and making his scoff of God. Then the king was wroth, and said Raud should die the worst of deaths. And the king ordered him to be bound to a beam of wood, with his face uppermost, and a round pin of wood set between his teeth to force his mouth open. Then the king ordered an adder to be stuck into the mouth of him; but the serpent would not go into his mouth, but shrunk back when Raud breathed against it. Now the king ordered a hollow branch of an angelica root to be stuck into Raud's mouth; others say the king put his horn into his mouth, and forced the serpent to go in by holding a red-hot iron before the opening. So the serpent crept into the mouth of Raud and down his throat, and gnawed its way out of his side; and thus Raud perished. King Olaf took here much gold and silver, and other property of weapons, and many sorts of precious effects; and all the men who were with Raud he either had baptized, or if they refused had them killed or tortured. Then the king took the dragonship which Raud had owned, and steered it himself; for it was a much larger and handsomer vessel than the Crane.

The "religion of peace" shows it's roots, indeed. Funny how you never hear of the heathen martyrs, eh? But some of us still maintain our true roots. We were a heathen folk for tens of thousands of years before the invasion and usurpation of our souls by the desert god - and we shall be a heathen folk again. Europe's roots are anything but Christian, and I applaud the EU for it's action in recognizing this fact.

Pope John Paul II said Europe cannot sever itself from its Christian roots, days after European Union leaders failed to include a direct reference to the faith in a planned constitution.

(link) [Indianapolis Star]

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