The Chronicles of Mysticwicks

[Greenwolf]

So I was talking to a girlfriend about spirituality and theology and we always have the most interesting discussions! This time we were sort of discussing the bible and the idea of epistles came to me and I mentioned to her that all they were were letters from other people to a guy named Paul who discussed his own theology with them and the best way to run their churches according to their time period and culture and their beliefs about the mandates of their God.

So one thought lead to another led to another and I wound up with the idea that this is what these communities like Mysticwicks is all about and if someone printed off the conversations between members and a list of the rules of cunduct and stored it away but taught their children and their children's children, the beliefs that they came up with from these conversations what would happen over the centuries?

Could we in a way be writing our own bibles so to speak? With all the books out there on Spirituality with all the on-line communities, what might things be like in say a couple thousand years from now, if a fragment of conversations and books survived?

Anyone up for speculation and discussion?

[lightdragon]

over the years I saw any conversation online wether it was a chat session or forum. you always have an important topic where something either goes off topic , a flame war or a troll comes in. usually the first part is the most common at about 90% or so.

it would be possible in an edited version.

[Aeon Flux]

In my opinion anything that is edited to leave out the "bad" and only leave in the "good" is not a good idea.
If you hide dissent, conflicting opinions and things of a similar nature, you've missed the point.

The thought of someone taking MW conversations, cutting out what they consider to be "bad" and leaving in what they consider to be "good", and that edition surviving to later days makes me nauseous.
Another kind of "bible" is the last thing this world needs. More dogma that paints people out as devils or bad people and elevating others to the sky? Not a good idea. Though maybe something that isn't all too unfamiliar to this community.

[lightdragon]

In my opinion anything that is edited to leave out the "bad" and only leave in the "good" is not a good idea.
If you hide dissent, conflicting opinions and things of a similar nature, you've missed the point.

not those parts but direct harassment and/or trolling statements.
like for example, you are talking about meditations with a few people. then all of a sudden some guy comes in and says he wants to have sex with one of the posters and vuglarly describes what he would like to do with them sexually. it would have totally have nothing to do with the topic. Would you really want that NOT edited out.

Another kind of "bible" is the last thing this world needs. More dogma that paints people out as devils or bad people and elevating others to the sky?

I think we all have some bible we follow. Some are more concrete than others.

Not a good idea. Though maybe something that isn't all too unfamiliar to this community.

can you explain?

[Aeon Flux]

not those parts but direct harassment and/or trolling statements.
like for example, you are talking about meditations with a few people. then all of a sudden some guy comes in and says he wants to have sex with one of the posters and vuglarly describes what he would like to do with them sexually. it would have totally have nothing to do with the topic. Would you really want that NOT edited out.



I think we all have some bible we follow. Some are more concrete than others.


can you explain?

But the question is, why would do the editing? Not everybody has the same views on what is trolling and harassment or not? What one person can do things to another, and that's not considered harassment, and then another person can do the same thing to a third, and that is considered harassment, just because you happened to feel differently about the person doing said thing.
Not everybody has the same opinion on what trolling is either. Some would consider anything that brings science into a thread about meditation trolling. Some would consider it valuable insight from another point of view.
There's no telling what an editor would leave in and take out.

Blatant sexual harassment is never right, but maybe I wouldn't want to see it edited out. To show that these things happen everywhere. That there is no such thing as a completely safe haven. *shrugs* I don't know, cause I haven't seen it happen quite that way personally.

Meh. I don't have a holy text/bible. I don't need one, and I don't want one.

People of this community get demonized or sanctified, more or less, very often. It all depends on who said what to whom. Two individuals can do the exact same thing, and one is called insightful while the other one is called arrogant. One is called honest and straight forward while another is called rude. *shrugs* It's happened a lot of times during the time I've been here, and it can depend on anything from a persons belief, or lack of belief, political views or just because they got a bad rep since they got into an argument with someone one time. Most of us has been in that situation in some way or another during our stay here.

[*GrumpButt*]

Slippery slope is slippery?

[Tiberias]

A part of the cultural environment that the Epistles grew out of was the scarcity of text, the use of parchment over paper, and the general lack of literacy. All of those things worked together to make books a precious, long-lasting commodity preserved carefully by those who could use them. With the printing press, cheap, short-lived paper, widespread literacy, and the thoroughly disposable and ephemeral nature of online communication, that's just not going to happen with anything you see on MysticWicks, no matter how interesting the discussion.

[lightdragon]

But the question is, why would do the editing? Not everybody has the same views on what is trolling and harassment or not?

What one person can do things to another, and that's not considered harassment, and then another person can do the same thing to a third, and that is considered harassment, just because you happened to feel differently about the person doing said thing.

Not everybody has the same opinion on what trolling is either. Some would consider anything that brings science into a thread about meditation trolling. Some would consider it valuable insight from another point of view.

good question. it could be done in possibly two ways. one would be take all points of view and combine it. and the people who said stuff would be either omitted or put together.

or two or more people would decide what parts would be included or ommitted.
There's no telling what an editor would leave in and take out.

Blatant sexual harassment is never right, but maybe I wouldn't want to see it edited out. To show that these things happen everywhere. That there is no such thing as a completely safe haven. *shrugs* I don't know, cause I haven't seen it happen quite that way personally.

not recently. i think maybe in about three years or so. and years ago when someone would give lectures on various metaphysical subjects someone would barge in and ruined the mood.

Edit :not so much here but on other boards,chat sessions,etc/

Meh. I don't have a holy text/bible. I don't need one, and I don't want one.

now being that you follow no holy text. that could be in a way a bible of it's own.

[Greenwolf]

A part of the cultural environment that the Epistles grew out of was the scarcity of text, the use of parchment over paper, and the general lack of literacy. All of those things worked together to make books a precious, long-lasting commodity preserved carefully by those who could use them. With the printing press, cheap, short-lived paper, widespread literacy, and the thoroughly disposable and ephemeral nature of online communication, that's just not going to happen with anything you see on MysticWicks, no matter how interesting the discussion.

Don't be so sure! We are only beginning to scrape the tip of the ice berg on knowlege that some of the ancients had whether it was space and science or herbalism. Spells and energy sending these were common knowledge in certain ancient civilizations that was lost for thousands of years.

What would happen if there was a natural disaster and the power went out? What if it didn't come back on? Ever. What would we lose? How does your water come to you? How does your furnace run? Basic survival and remembering what people knew just a hundred years or less ago is going to take immediate precedence over anything. There is no internet no shopping malls etc. What if all the computer chips were fried from a major solar flare which according to NASA could happen. What about all those off the grid homes that rely on computer chip technology for their solar and wind power?

The hospitals are out of commission all the food in you fridge goes bad depending on the time of year. Books are used for keeping warm not education but a few people in a few places have a small stash of books and maybe some topics from places like MW with things that were too precious to them to destroy for any reason. So Mark Twain and Homer and most of our knowledge in books goes up in smoke and ashes to keep warm but the few precious things that really mean something to people are treated with reverence.

This reverence is then passed down to their children along with their belief systems and each person down the line keeps what is sacred and these precious feww pages tattered and torn and a few books tattered and missing covers and pages maybe are passed down like family heirlooms from parent to child and a little more knowledge is lost or changed as time goes on and memories dim mankind rises out of the ashes once again.

Now what?

[Greenwolf]

In my opinion anything that is edited to leave out the "bad" and only leave in the "good" is not a good idea.
If you hide dissent, conflicting opinions and things of a similar nature, you've missed the point.

You misunderstand me. I am not talking about a person covertly cutting and pasting and making a "bible" I mean they print off a few conversations or points or notes that really meant something to them. Things happen and things get passed down.

The thought of someone taking MW conversations, cutting out what they consider to be "bad" and leaving in what they consider to be "good", and that edition surviving to later days makes me nauseous.
Another kind of "bible" is the last thing this world needs. More dogma that paints people out as devils or bad people and elevating others to the sky? Not a good idea. Though maybe something that isn't all too unfamiliar to this community.

Maybe the original letters were never supposed to be cut up and re-arranged and no one was supposed to be demonized. What I think the original Epistals were were letters from friends to friends in other places lending comfort, support and advice. Not too different than what goes on here really. People being people the good, the bad and the ugly. censorship didn't come in until several centuries later because a Pope decided for political reasons there had to be a set standard. Again people being people.

[Sundragon]

It is fully my intention to ensorcel you all with my words until a faith forms around my august personage and teachings. It'll start out small but it will grow into an overwhelming global presence eclipsing all other faiths.

:hailmol:

All hail HelioDraconis
(Sundragon to the uninitiated)

In my case it is true that the messenger is indeed greater than the message.

[Greenwolf]

Hey Sundragon..... Got any plans for dinner? I was thinking of a bonfire and bbq! We'll start you out on that path with martyrdom...

[Sundragon]

Hey Sundragon..... Got any plans for dinner? I was thinking of a bonfire and bbq! We'll start you out on that path with martyrdom...

That would serve my purposes grandly.

After my martyrdom I would reincarnate into the body of a newborn baby who my devotees would notice still contained my divine essense. And like the Dalai Lama I would keep being reborn as head of my religion.

I welcome the flames for like a pheonix I will be reborn.


)o( Blessed Be,

Sundragon

[Xentor]

I've been here 8 years, posted a lot, and read just about everything that was posted by others.

These forums contain a lot of dribble and a small amount of serious discussion. There's lots of stuff that has little bearing on spirituality, morality, or ethics. There's a lot of conflicting views and fights that will not resolve because the participants refuse to budge. No single point of view, no single mode of ethics.

Pray tell, how would one set about to assemble all that into a bible?

[Greenwolf]

I've been here 8 years, posted a lot, and read just about everything that was posted by others.

These forums contain a lot of dribble and a small amount of serious discussion. There's lots of stuff that has little bearing on spirituality, morality, or ethics. There's a lot of conflicting views and fights that will not resolve because the participants refuse to budge. No single point of view, no single mode of ethics.

Pray tell, how would one set about to assemble all that into a bible?

How much do you suppose actually really needs to be saved? It wouldn't be MW alone. It would be a few meaningful transcripts or conversations that are saved like the Epistles of Paul or Timothy everything else is a bit of this a bit of that and a crap load of interpretation or mis-interpretation. Maybe between MW, IW,SOTR, AAW and a few others with similair goals a few people here and there print off things or they swipe ideas from here or there and email them to this friend or that friend who prints them off so they can look at them every day there are all manner of ways the general point could happen.

Then there are the few books people can get their hands on or are too precious (to said individuals) to burn. Years blend into decades into centuries and millenium then what happens?

(Don't worry we'll brainwash Sundragon, or keep him locked in a closet or something! :toofless: Can't let him take over! We'll hijack his religion and water it down and serve it up with a hefty dose of ....Jedi/Twilight/Tolkien hybridization! Mwaa haa haa haa haa! )

Ahem! Scuze me, sorry my evil twin took over for a moment! :bigredgri

Anyway this is the scenario. Things happen, shit hit the fan we are slammed back into the dark ages at best. Many generations later bits and pieces of old literature on spirituality and religion survive some of it may be from here or other online groups. How does it look to you?