And on the Isle of Wight (a late convert to Christianity)
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I think that where summit crosses are a part of the local tradition, they’re sort of sweet and interesting. I think there’s a big difference between evangelizing or other dominance behaviors and peaceful behaviors like contemplation, pilgrimage, and/or sanctification.
For my in-laws and people I know through them who are from the Alps, the summit crosses aren’t really Christian, but just “a thing” or “Austrian thing” or “mountain thing,” depending on who you are talking to. Of course, none of these people are devout. Most of them don’t even rise to the level of being “Christmas and Easter Catholics.” So maybe some people see it differently.
To me, I see this is sort of thing as not a pagan continuance, but a continuance of a folk practice dating back to pre-Christian times. My feeling – and I’ve got fuck-all for evidence – is that these mountaintops have always been special in one way or another, as that’s a general human notion and that there’d be stupas there if Buddha had beaten the Pope to the Alps. It’s just whatever material way people have of marking the place as special.
But, from what little I know, I imagine the Irish Catholic context is more fraught.
(NB: I also like that some folks got together and put a big phallus on a mountain top. That’s cool too.)
[edit: spotted a typo]
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It’d be fun to put the monuments up in extremely inaccessible areas, like deep woods Alaska, and alternating deserts. Just to keep them busy and on their toes.
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Thank Cernunnos that Stonehenge is really big and heavy.
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Are there no shovels in Ireland?
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And far away.
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I don’t even know where to start with this one… except that if you can convince people to believe in an invisible sky deity, apparently they will believe any damned thing they can make up.
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All those philosophical discussions of how first contact with alien life coming to Earth would go - now we know.
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If only they knew Christianity’s ‘pagan’ roots.
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The weirdest thing about all this is that these guys reference “alien overlords”. . . what exactly does the existence of alien life mean to someone who believes in the creation myth of the Bible?
How do you know the aliens aren’t also Christians, but on their planet Christ was killed by being hung on a metal monolith. These guys might actually being tearing down “the cross.”
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That’s not News. When they’re pumped up enough about Jesus to love everyone, refrain from casting stones, and treat others as they would like to be treated, now that will be News. Good News, even.
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That reminds me of a novel I once read, where in an alternate universe believers used the sign of the noose.
I wish I could remember the name of the novel. (That, and another, way off topic novel.)
Today’s internet has a winner, folks!
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Why are Christians so anti-alien all of a sudden? Consider that Jesus:
- Came from the heavens
- Shared his healing touch
- Made a bunch of friends
- Had an uncomfortable encounter with local authorities
- Died
- Came back to life
- Ascended back to the heavens
I mean that’s a straight-up E.T. story right there.
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Meh… Catholicism is very nearly done here.
Some 1.25 million (out of a population of 3 million) people showed up to see Pope John Paul II in the Phoenix Park, Dublin in 1979.
The next papal visit was in 2018 and only 130,000 people showed up. It looked like the trump inauguration
There are still a few high profile mouthy assholes, but their numbers and their credibility is declining. In another few years they’ll be gone.
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By the definition used in that film there are 220-250 mountains in Ireland
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The fundy thumpers always have been, because the proven existence of extraterrestrial life would inherently negate their Hero’s Journey narrative, and diminish their power worldwide.
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