I was reading an article recently - it's about a month old now, but I just found it (sorry!). In essence, the Church of Scientology in Boston is buying an old building in the South End, and plans to renovate it, and is going to move out of their location in the Back Bay once that's done. Article is linked here.
On the first read of the article, I thought, oh, that's nice, they'll be renovating an old building. Then my mind started reeling. Wait a sec! They're moving out of the Back Bay? But they've got that huge complex! I assume they'll keep the church, and maybe the library, but are they going to sell the office buildings? They've got this whole motif thing going, and they're going to renovate a hotel and move in there?
I was, in short, very distraught.
A moment later, it occurred to me that I was confusing Scientology with Christian Science. The Scientologists will be moving to the South End. The Christian Scientists will stay in the Back Bay.
Remember when I toured the Mother Church of Christian Science? I thought the disclaimer at the beginning of the tour (we have no affiliation with the Church of Scientology) was not only needless, but a sad comment on our society. Well, it turns out that even I get them confused. So that disclaimer is still a sad comment, but apparently not needless.
Don't forget to catch Mormania!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Clinton Snubs Sikhs
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 12/18/2007:
I saw an interesting article a while back - Hillary Clinton canceled an appearance at a Sikh festival in Bakersfield, CA due to "security concerns." The Sikhs weren't pleased. Nor am I.
I find this idea astounding. If there's any group I'd feel safe in the middle of, it's Sikhs. In fact, if I had a confirmed security concern, I would want to surround myself with as many Sikhs as possible.
Here's all you need to know about Sikhs:
1. They're tall. Way taller and bigger than your average Indians.
2. They always have knives on them. It's part of the religion.
3. They believe in honesty, fidelity, and never bowing to tyranny. Again, part of the religion.
There's other stuff, but that's basically what you need to know.
The first time I went to the UK, the customs officers at the airport were huge Sikh dudes wearing turbans, sporting beards, and essentially giving me the message that if I had any plans on screwing with their country their feet would be up my ass in a heartbeat. And if not, I had nothing at all to worry about. That's a very nice feeling to have when you're law-abiding like the Bartman.
So I can see canceling an appearance at a Stargate convention due to security concerns. That many Richard Dean Anderson fans could be a little creepy. But a Sikh festival? Forget it.
Check out the rest of my blog!
I saw an interesting article a while back - Hillary Clinton canceled an appearance at a Sikh festival in Bakersfield, CA due to "security concerns." The Sikhs weren't pleased. Nor am I.
I find this idea astounding. If there's any group I'd feel safe in the middle of, it's Sikhs. In fact, if I had a confirmed security concern, I would want to surround myself with as many Sikhs as possible.
Here's all you need to know about Sikhs:
1. They're tall. Way taller and bigger than your average Indians.
2. They always have knives on them. It's part of the religion.
3. They believe in honesty, fidelity, and never bowing to tyranny. Again, part of the religion.
There's other stuff, but that's basically what you need to know.
The first time I went to the UK, the customs officers at the airport were huge Sikh dudes wearing turbans, sporting beards, and essentially giving me the message that if I had any plans on screwing with their country their feet would be up my ass in a heartbeat. And if not, I had nothing at all to worry about. That's a very nice feeling to have when you're law-abiding like the Bartman.
So I can see canceling an appearance at a Stargate convention due to security concerns. That many Richard Dean Anderson fans could be a little creepy. But a Sikh festival? Forget it.
Check out the rest of my blog!
NOT Scientology
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 12/12/2007:
As previously mentioned, our hotel was near the mother church of Christian Science - THE First Church of Christ, Scientist. (Branch churches never have the THE.) Here's a view of the plaza when the world isn't completely gray. Just mostly.
Before looking around and taking too many pictures, I decided to take the free tour of the church building. I happened to show up at the same time as a younger couple, so we headed in together. We were met in the sanctuary by our guide. Here's the building where we started:
It's a nice little neo-Byzantine number built 1906-ish. Everything is edge-supported, so when you're in the sanctuary you're staring way, way, way up at the domes. Inside there's lots of natural light. In short it's a stunning effect, and very impressive.
Incidentally, it's home to an enormous Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. One of the biggest in the blah blah blah. It's big.
We sat down in a pew and our guide gave us her opening line: "We are not affiliated with Scientology." Yes, one of the venerable original American faiths, that has been around more than a century, and they let us know right up front that they're not affiliated with Cruise, Travolta, et al. A sad, sad state of affairs.
Turns out the big building is "the extension." The original church building was constructed a scant 12 years prior, in 1894:
Slightly different style, obviously. This small neo-Gothic church is easily dwarfed by the new structure:
Although, if you look at it a certain way (which I spent a long time looking for), they kind of line up:
Or, you can just enjoy the clash of two very different styles:
Inside the original building, I noticed two things. First, it was way, WAY smaller. Way smaller. You can see why they had to expand. Second, it felt a lot like the church I grew up attending. I guess that makes sense, since they were built around the same time.
At the end of the tour, we were offered a free copy of 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.' Originally I wasn't going to take one (especially since they hinted that even though it was free, they'd appreciate a $1 donation if you took it), but then I took a look at the back, and the economist part of my brain started doing somersaults. The reason - the retail price. US, $9.95. Canada, $14.95. UK, 5.99 (I don't know where the funky L sign is...). In short, if you take into account recent changes in exchange rates, how could I afford NOT to take the book? I tossed a dollar coin in the till and went on my way.
There's a whole plaza full of Christian Science-related buildings. It's an insane mish-mash of architectural styles. You've got the Mary Baker Eddy Library, a sterotypical 1930s building:
Then there's the Sunday School building, built in the 1960s (go figure):
Also built around this time was the plaza itself, along with a couple of office buildings to hold church administration as well as the Christian Science Monitor:
I tried to get the full scope of the wackiness all in one photo, so let's see what you think:
So if you're in the Back Bay and like church buildings, stop by for the tour.
Check out the rest of my blog!
As previously mentioned, our hotel was near the mother church of Christian Science - THE First Church of Christ, Scientist. (Branch churches never have the THE.) Here's a view of the plaza when the world isn't completely gray. Just mostly.
Before looking around and taking too many pictures, I decided to take the free tour of the church building. I happened to show up at the same time as a younger couple, so we headed in together. We were met in the sanctuary by our guide. Here's the building where we started:
It's a nice little neo-Byzantine number built 1906-ish. Everything is edge-supported, so when you're in the sanctuary you're staring way, way, way up at the domes. Inside there's lots of natural light. In short it's a stunning effect, and very impressive.
Incidentally, it's home to an enormous Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. One of the biggest in the blah blah blah. It's big.
We sat down in a pew and our guide gave us her opening line: "We are not affiliated with Scientology." Yes, one of the venerable original American faiths, that has been around more than a century, and they let us know right up front that they're not affiliated with Cruise, Travolta, et al. A sad, sad state of affairs.
Turns out the big building is "the extension." The original church building was constructed a scant 12 years prior, in 1894:
Slightly different style, obviously. This small neo-Gothic church is easily dwarfed by the new structure:
Although, if you look at it a certain way (which I spent a long time looking for), they kind of line up:
Or, you can just enjoy the clash of two very different styles:
Inside the original building, I noticed two things. First, it was way, WAY smaller. Way smaller. You can see why they had to expand. Second, it felt a lot like the church I grew up attending. I guess that makes sense, since they were built around the same time.
At the end of the tour, we were offered a free copy of 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.' Originally I wasn't going to take one (especially since they hinted that even though it was free, they'd appreciate a $1 donation if you took it), but then I took a look at the back, and the economist part of my brain started doing somersaults. The reason - the retail price. US, $9.95. Canada, $14.95. UK, 5.99 (I don't know where the funky L sign is...). In short, if you take into account recent changes in exchange rates, how could I afford NOT to take the book? I tossed a dollar coin in the till and went on my way.
There's a whole plaza full of Christian Science-related buildings. It's an insane mish-mash of architectural styles. You've got the Mary Baker Eddy Library, a sterotypical 1930s building:
Then there's the Sunday School building, built in the 1960s (go figure):
Also built around this time was the plaza itself, along with a couple of office buildings to hold church administration as well as the Christian Science Monitor:
I tried to get the full scope of the wackiness all in one photo, so let's see what you think:
So if you're in the Back Bay and like church buildings, stop by for the tour.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Don't try to Save me when I'm tired
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 10/16/2007:
This was an interesting "first" for me - a missionary knocked on my door last Saturday morning. No, it wasn't the Mormons. It was a Jehovah's Witness.
Normally I'm down with talking some wacky-ass theology, but I had just awakened, and the house was in no fit state to have a stranger sit down. So I dismissed him as politely as I could.
It occurs to me that, in the final analysis, that might be a fatal flaw with door-to-door missionary work: do you really feel comfortable inviting someone inside your house, unannounced? I don't even feel comfortable buying girl scout cookies from a girl scout at my door. If she wanted to come inside I'd freak.
As far as performance goes, for the brief time I was with him, I wasn't impressed with the Witness's delivery. His opening line sucked - "Why do you think bad things happen to good people?" Well, from what little I know of Jehovah's Witness theology, the answer is either they're not really good people, or we live in a world ruled by Satan. Either way, that question invites a quick one-liner followed by a door in the face. You need a question that people can't close the door on.
I'm kicking myself now because I should have asked for a complimentary copy of 'The Watchtower.' That's what they do, right?
Now, if we were to meet at a third party location with some advance warning, I might be interested in talking. I could ask the guy whether he was one of the chosen 144,000; what Armageddon was going to be like; and why Jesus didn't start His millennial reign in 1975 like they said he would. (Seriously, that would have royally pissed me off if I'd been alive then. Imagine, I could have been born into a world in which Our Lord and Savior was reigning o'er his earthly kingdom... if the Jehovah's Witnesses hadn't screwed the pooch on the date.)
Bottom line is: don't try to Save me when I'm tired. I'll turn you away & go right back to sleep.
Check out the rest of my blog!
This was an interesting "first" for me - a missionary knocked on my door last Saturday morning. No, it wasn't the Mormons. It was a Jehovah's Witness.
Normally I'm down with talking some wacky-ass theology, but I had just awakened, and the house was in no fit state to have a stranger sit down. So I dismissed him as politely as I could.
It occurs to me that, in the final analysis, that might be a fatal flaw with door-to-door missionary work: do you really feel comfortable inviting someone inside your house, unannounced? I don't even feel comfortable buying girl scout cookies from a girl scout at my door. If she wanted to come inside I'd freak.
As far as performance goes, for the brief time I was with him, I wasn't impressed with the Witness's delivery. His opening line sucked - "Why do you think bad things happen to good people?" Well, from what little I know of Jehovah's Witness theology, the answer is either they're not really good people, or we live in a world ruled by Satan. Either way, that question invites a quick one-liner followed by a door in the face. You need a question that people can't close the door on.
I'm kicking myself now because I should have asked for a complimentary copy of 'The Watchtower.' That's what they do, right?
Now, if we were to meet at a third party location with some advance warning, I might be interested in talking. I could ask the guy whether he was one of the chosen 144,000; what Armageddon was going to be like; and why Jesus didn't start His millennial reign in 1975 like they said he would. (Seriously, that would have royally pissed me off if I'd been alive then. Imagine, I could have been born into a world in which Our Lord and Savior was reigning o'er his earthly kingdom... if the Jehovah's Witnesses hadn't screwed the pooch on the date.)
Bottom line is: don't try to Save me when I'm tired. I'll turn you away & go right back to sleep.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Bart and the Temple, Part Deux
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 6/20/2007:
So... I did another one of those things that only I would do. Visiting a Mormon temple and visitor's center. Again.
Like the other temples I've photographed, the Oakland Temple sits on a nice big lot (which also houses a visitor's center and a big church administrative center and theater), so there's a feeling of remoteness and tranquility. The stream running down the middle helps with that too. This temple is architecturally unique, as it has 5 spires and no Angel Moroni statue.
Here's another view of the main building:
It was definitely a sunny day, and the sun hung in the sky at just the right angle to make getting certain pictures a big challenge:
Once you climb up the stairs to the temple's terrace, you get a better view of the grounds...
...and a tremendous view of the Bay Area; you can see downtown Oakland, and beyond it, San Francisco proper.
Down below the terrace, there was a nicely landscaped area. Here we have a bronze statue of a little boy, little girl, and puppy enjoying some Mormon-style scripture:
Here's another view of the bronze. I like that the puppy looks confused. "Huh? He got this out of a rock in a hat?"
Here's a close-up of the friezes on the front and back of the temple. FYI, another architectural distinction: it's the last LDS Temple to have decorative friezes.
I'm sure the second one would have looked better in the morning. It's just a hobby, people. I can't sit at a site all day to take pictures. The nerve.
I ended up going to the visitor's center on site, despite my previous unimpressed-ness at the visitor's center at the Los Angeles temple. Imagine my surprise, then, when it was... just what a visitor's center should be! Their big attraction was a first-edition Book of Mormon (that the nice young ladies working there were happy to describe using a replica), but they had a bunch of other high-tech displays as well.
I told the Sisters about my previous disappointment in Los Angeles. I was assured that the visitor's center there was undergoing renovations. I wonder if my constructive criticism had anything to do with it? Doubtful, but still.
So if you'd like to see a nice building, visit the lovely Oakland Temple. If you want to be the center of attention of a bevy of overly friendly, nicely dressed, college-age girls... visit the lovely Oakland Temple visitor's center. Seriously. That may be the most female attention I've had in my whole life. It bordered on embarrassing. If I didn't know it was their job to be friendly, I might have let it go to my head.
Check out the rest of my blog!
So... I did another one of those things that only I would do. Visiting a Mormon temple and visitor's center. Again.
Like the other temples I've photographed, the Oakland Temple sits on a nice big lot (which also houses a visitor's center and a big church administrative center and theater), so there's a feeling of remoteness and tranquility. The stream running down the middle helps with that too. This temple is architecturally unique, as it has 5 spires and no Angel Moroni statue.
Here's another view of the main building:
It was definitely a sunny day, and the sun hung in the sky at just the right angle to make getting certain pictures a big challenge:
Once you climb up the stairs to the temple's terrace, you get a better view of the grounds...
...and a tremendous view of the Bay Area; you can see downtown Oakland, and beyond it, San Francisco proper.
Down below the terrace, there was a nicely landscaped area. Here we have a bronze statue of a little boy, little girl, and puppy enjoying some Mormon-style scripture:
Here's another view of the bronze. I like that the puppy looks confused. "Huh? He got this out of a rock in a hat?"
Here's a close-up of the friezes on the front and back of the temple. FYI, another architectural distinction: it's the last LDS Temple to have decorative friezes.
I'm sure the second one would have looked better in the morning. It's just a hobby, people. I can't sit at a site all day to take pictures. The nerve.
I ended up going to the visitor's center on site, despite my previous unimpressed-ness at the visitor's center at the Los Angeles temple. Imagine my surprise, then, when it was... just what a visitor's center should be! Their big attraction was a first-edition Book of Mormon (that the nice young ladies working there were happy to describe using a replica), but they had a bunch of other high-tech displays as well.
I told the Sisters about my previous disappointment in Los Angeles. I was assured that the visitor's center there was undergoing renovations. I wonder if my constructive criticism had anything to do with it? Doubtful, but still.
So if you'd like to see a nice building, visit the lovely Oakland Temple. If you want to be the center of attention of a bevy of overly friendly, nicely dressed, college-age girls... visit the lovely Oakland Temple visitor's center. Seriously. That may be the most female attention I've had in my whole life. It bordered on embarrassing. If I didn't know it was their job to be friendly, I might have let it go to my head.
Check out the rest of my blog!
The Right Reverend Bart is in the heezy
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 5/24/2007:
I previously mentioned that an uncle (my favorite uncle, truth be told) is getting married, and there was a possibility I would be called upon to officiate. I don't think my services will be needed, but I had already set the wheels in motion and this week got a nice little certificate in the mail.
So thank you, Universal Life Church of Modesto, California. You totally ordained me. Now I can perform marriages. I already have a robe, so check that box. Or for you Baptists out there, I can wear a suit. Whatever.
And I was assured that, while I might not be doing the ceremony, I am the official backup minister for the weekend. Good to know.
When asked what I preferred to be called, I decided on "The Right Reverend". Adds a little high-church flair.
But if I do officiate... holy crap, will there be pictures.
Check out the rest of my blog !
I previously mentioned that an uncle (my favorite uncle, truth be told) is getting married, and there was a possibility I would be called upon to officiate. I don't think my services will be needed, but I had already set the wheels in motion and this week got a nice little certificate in the mail.
So thank you, Universal Life Church of Modesto, California. You totally ordained me. Now I can perform marriages. I already have a robe, so check that box. Or for you Baptists out there, I can wear a suit. Whatever.
And I was assured that, while I might not be doing the ceremony, I am the official backup minister for the weekend. Good to know.
When asked what I preferred to be called, I decided on "The Right Reverend". Adds a little high-church flair.
But if I do officiate... holy crap, will there be pictures.
Check out the rest of my blog !
Popin' name
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 4/9/2007:
Over the years I've assumed a number of nicknames designed to fit various situations: hacker name, DJ name, biker name, etc.
But this weekend it was suggested to me that I might be called upon to officiate a wedding in the next couple of months. Apparently the previously-picked officiant had backed out, but the exact details are still shrouded in mystery.
My first reaction was that, if I was going to do the ceremony, I'd want to wear a pope hat. Not that I, or the bride or groom, is Catholic - it's just that when I think of liturgical vestments, I think of the pope.
Then it occurred to me that if I were to dress up like a pope, I'd need a popin' name. Every pope gets one. Some pick their own names, some take another. Some combine an old one with a new one. In that tradition, I decided on this name:
Pope Urban Justice I.
Tell me that would not kick ass. "Today, Pope Urban Justice announced...." "President Perot today wrapped up a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Urban Justice." And so on. My motto would be "takin' it to the streets", but in Latin.
All things considered it's probably better that I'm not Catholic. They'd kick me out for stuff like this.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Over the years I've assumed a number of nicknames designed to fit various situations: hacker name, DJ name, biker name, etc.
But this weekend it was suggested to me that I might be called upon to officiate a wedding in the next couple of months. Apparently the previously-picked officiant had backed out, but the exact details are still shrouded in mystery.
My first reaction was that, if I was going to do the ceremony, I'd want to wear a pope hat. Not that I, or the bride or groom, is Catholic - it's just that when I think of liturgical vestments, I think of the pope.
Then it occurred to me that if I were to dress up like a pope, I'd need a popin' name. Every pope gets one. Some pick their own names, some take another. Some combine an old one with a new one. In that tradition, I decided on this name:
Pope Urban Justice I.
Tell me that would not kick ass. "Today, Pope Urban Justice announced...." "President Perot today wrapped up a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Urban Justice." And so on. My motto would be "takin' it to the streets", but in Latin.
All things considered it's probably better that I'm not Catholic. They'd kick me out for stuff like this.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Architectural Gems of La Jolla, Part II
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 3/21/2007:
While I was in La Jolla for the Salk Institute tour, I decided to stop off at another truly notable piece of architecture:
Yep. Mormon temple. I knew the grounds were open to non-members, but even so I was a little nervous about getting proselytized while I was going around taking pictures. As I've said before, any sales pitch makes me uncomfortable, including those for religions. (Although there were a lot of visitors taking pictures - maybe there weren't enough missionaries to go around.)
At any rate, you may wonder, why is it notable? Well, peep this wide view:
Bold architecture. Fanciful, yet down-to-earth. Or something like that.
Notice the people at the bottom of the picture? It was a wedding party taking pictures. The couple had just gotten "sealed" inside the temple. I like to call it MegaMarriage, as it's supposed to keep you bonded for all time rather than being 'til death. Personally, I think that would be a bit much to ask of Mrs. Bart. I mean, Heaven is full of eligible bachelors. She may want to play the field a bit once she's in the afterlife.
So the happy LDS couple was there after being sealed, and during an interlude in the picture-taking I walked past the party to get to the other side of the temple and snap some more pictures. As I did, one of the bridesmaids gave me some serious Stink-Eye. That at least dispels the rumor that all Mormons are friendly. She could probably smell the Gentile on me.
Here's a side view from the parking lot:
To get a better idea of scale, I got closer to the tower with the trumpeting angel. Here's the top half:
And here's the bottom half:
The lobby's at the very bottom there, through the glass. That's the only entrance, although there's emergency exit doors at various spots, and a loading dock in the back. (Being a real estate guy, I'm still kicking myself that I didn't think of taking a picture of the loading dock!)
Strolling along the grounds on the far side, you can see just how close it is to Interstate 5:
This temple didn't have quite the serenity of the temple grounds in Los Angeles, probably due to the proximity of the 12-lane highway. But there was some nice landscaping, as you can see here (notice the couple still in the background taking pictures, and notice more picture-taking visitors to their left):
So how did I feel about my visit?
Pretty darn OK.
So: one neighborhood, two cool pieces of architecture, opposite ends of the spectrum (science & religion).
Tomorrow: last of the San Diego pictures, promise!
Check out the rest of my blog!
While I was in La Jolla for the Salk Institute tour, I decided to stop off at another truly notable piece of architecture:
Yep. Mormon temple. I knew the grounds were open to non-members, but even so I was a little nervous about getting proselytized while I was going around taking pictures. As I've said before, any sales pitch makes me uncomfortable, including those for religions. (Although there were a lot of visitors taking pictures - maybe there weren't enough missionaries to go around.)
At any rate, you may wonder, why is it notable? Well, peep this wide view:
Bold architecture. Fanciful, yet down-to-earth. Or something like that.
Notice the people at the bottom of the picture? It was a wedding party taking pictures. The couple had just gotten "sealed" inside the temple. I like to call it MegaMarriage, as it's supposed to keep you bonded for all time rather than being 'til death. Personally, I think that would be a bit much to ask of Mrs. Bart. I mean, Heaven is full of eligible bachelors. She may want to play the field a bit once she's in the afterlife.
So the happy LDS couple was there after being sealed, and during an interlude in the picture-taking I walked past the party to get to the other side of the temple and snap some more pictures. As I did, one of the bridesmaids gave me some serious Stink-Eye. That at least dispels the rumor that all Mormons are friendly. She could probably smell the Gentile on me.
Here's a side view from the parking lot:
To get a better idea of scale, I got closer to the tower with the trumpeting angel. Here's the top half:
And here's the bottom half:
The lobby's at the very bottom there, through the glass. That's the only entrance, although there's emergency exit doors at various spots, and a loading dock in the back. (Being a real estate guy, I'm still kicking myself that I didn't think of taking a picture of the loading dock!)
Strolling along the grounds on the far side, you can see just how close it is to Interstate 5:
This temple didn't have quite the serenity of the temple grounds in Los Angeles, probably due to the proximity of the 12-lane highway. But there was some nice landscaping, as you can see here (notice the couple still in the background taking pictures, and notice more picture-taking visitors to their left):
So how did I feel about my visit?
Pretty darn OK.
So: one neighborhood, two cool pieces of architecture, opposite ends of the spectrum (science & religion).
Tomorrow: last of the San Diego pictures, promise!
Check out the rest of my blog!
The Temple connection
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 3/14/2007:
Old Town San Diego's Heritage Park has a great building from 1889 - Temple Beth Israel, the city's first synagogue.
Not only is it really neat-looking, front and back...
...but it's also very well preserved inside.
A little austere, perhaps, but that wouldn't be unusual for a religious building of that period. Plus, as the land slopes away to the West towards the ocean, you get a fantastic breeze when the doors / windows are open. Soooo nice.
A rather amusing fact about Temple Beth Israel is, if you go straight out the front door and straight down the stairs...
...the very, VERY first thing you will come to is...
...one of those Mormon places that only I seem to visit.
If you're not feeling as amused as I think you should be, then you probably need more historical background. I would recommend skimming over the very nice Wikipedia article on Mormonism and Judaism. Or if you want the cliff notes: the LDS church is very philo-Semitic. So much so that their San Diego visitor center is next to a Jewish temple rather than their own rather impressive temple.
Picture show continues...
Check out the rest of my blog!
Old Town San Diego's Heritage Park has a great building from 1889 - Temple Beth Israel, the city's first synagogue.
Not only is it really neat-looking, front and back...
...but it's also very well preserved inside.
A little austere, perhaps, but that wouldn't be unusual for a religious building of that period. Plus, as the land slopes away to the West towards the ocean, you get a fantastic breeze when the doors / windows are open. Soooo nice.
A rather amusing fact about Temple Beth Israel is, if you go straight out the front door and straight down the stairs...
...the very, VERY first thing you will come to is...
...one of those Mormon places that only I seem to visit.
If you're not feeling as amused as I think you should be, then you probably need more historical background. I would recommend skimming over the very nice Wikipedia article on Mormonism and Judaism. Or if you want the cliff notes: the LDS church is very philo-Semitic. So much so that their San Diego visitor center is next to a Jewish temple rather than their own rather impressive temple.
Picture show continues...
Check out the rest of my blog!
Back from Holiday Hiatus / Picture Show
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 12/27/2006:
I'm back from the land that broadband forgot... now for some pictures!
One of the stops I made when I was in Washington DC for Thanksgiving was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Long name, fancy church. It was pretty dark inside, so picture quality suffered a little.
There were a number of niches with interesting themes, dedicated to areas all around the world. One had a Black Madonna:
This is where they keep the Host with the Most.
Although I did notice something in this long shot:
On closer inspection:
Jesus is in no mood to mess around, people!
Check out the rest of my blog!
I'm back from the land that broadband forgot... now for some pictures!
One of the stops I made when I was in Washington DC for Thanksgiving was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Long name, fancy church. It was pretty dark inside, so picture quality suffered a little.
There were a number of niches with interesting themes, dedicated to areas all around the world. One had a Black Madonna:
This is where they keep the Host with the Most.
Although I did notice something in this long shot:
On closer inspection:
Jesus is in no mood to mess around, people!
Check out the rest of my blog!
Druze: Top Secret Religion
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 11/16/2006:
I came across a reference to the Druze faith when I was reading a Wikipedia article on the demographics of Israel. Don't pretend like you haven't done the exact same thing.
The Druze Wikipedia article starts out well enough: distinct religious community; offshoot of Islam but influenced by Greek philosophy; active part of Israeli society, including the military (they were originally excluded from army service, but at their request Israel started drafting them like everyone else).
Then it gets interesting. The Druze keep the tenets of their faith secret, they don't accept converts, and they really try to keep their own people from converting out. This isn't unheard-of; they wouldn't be the first religion to be pretty cloistered. And apparently they've had some trouble over the years being a religious minority. So they've learned to just keep it to themselves. I think it gives them a nice air of mystery.
Then it goes from interesting to WAY interesting. About 90% of the Druze aren't permitted access to their holy literature. They're known as al-Juhhāl, "the Ignorant". The other 10% are al-ˤUqqāl, "the Knowledgeable Initiates". A further 10% of the al-ˤUqqāl (or 1% of the overall population) are al-Ajawīd, the actual spiritual leaders.
I'm not saying that more than 1% of any given population needs to be full-time spiritual leaders. And I can certainly understand keeping your religious beliefs a secret from outsiders, if you've had persecution problems. But keeping them a secret from 90% of your own people? That is hard core. The "need to know" principle translated to the religious world.
Non-Druze: "Hey, so what do you Druze believe in?"
Druze: "Look, if they won't tell me, I'm certainly not going to tell you."
Check out the rest of my blog!
I came across a reference to the Druze faith when I was reading a Wikipedia article on the demographics of Israel. Don't pretend like you haven't done the exact same thing.
The Druze Wikipedia article starts out well enough: distinct religious community; offshoot of Islam but influenced by Greek philosophy; active part of Israeli society, including the military (they were originally excluded from army service, but at their request Israel started drafting them like everyone else).
Then it gets interesting. The Druze keep the tenets of their faith secret, they don't accept converts, and they really try to keep their own people from converting out. This isn't unheard-of; they wouldn't be the first religion to be pretty cloistered. And apparently they've had some trouble over the years being a religious minority. So they've learned to just keep it to themselves. I think it gives them a nice air of mystery.
Then it goes from interesting to WAY interesting. About 90% of the Druze aren't permitted access to their holy literature. They're known as al-Juhhāl, "the Ignorant". The other 10% are al-ˤUqqāl, "the Knowledgeable Initiates". A further 10% of the al-ˤUqqāl (or 1% of the overall population) are al-Ajawīd, the actual spiritual leaders.
I'm not saying that more than 1% of any given population needs to be full-time spiritual leaders. And I can certainly understand keeping your religious beliefs a secret from outsiders, if you've had persecution problems. But keeping them a secret from 90% of your own people? That is hard core. The "need to know" principle translated to the religious world.
Non-Druze: "Hey, so what do you Druze believe in?"
Druze: "Look, if they won't tell me, I'm certainly not going to tell you."
Check out the rest of my blog!
Catholicism: #1 producer of Latin prayers
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 11/15/2006:
Based on the first two posts this week, I guess it's Religion Week on This Man Must Be Stopped.
In 'Gangs of New York', both Liam Neeson and Leonardo DiCaprio say a prayer before doing some street fighting, which I thought was a great touch. It put me in mind of 'Pulp Fiction', where Jules thought that Ezekiel 25:17 was a cold thing to say before popping a cap in someone.
The prayer used in 'Gangs' is called the Prayer to Saint Michael. Here's the English version:
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host —
by the Divine Power of God —
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
And, since it's Catholic-originated, the original is in Latin:
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio.
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis,
Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute, in infernum detrude.
Somehow, things always sound much more impressive in Latin, in the same way that things sound more romantic in French, or how anything in German sounds like you're under arrest for crimes against the fatherland.
The prayer was reportedly composed by pope Leo XIII, who liked it so much he said...
It's Popetastic!
Don't believe him? The dude was officially infallible, so it's no use arguing.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Based on the first two posts this week, I guess it's Religion Week on This Man Must Be Stopped.
In 'Gangs of New York', both Liam Neeson and Leonardo DiCaprio say a prayer before doing some street fighting, which I thought was a great touch. It put me in mind of 'Pulp Fiction', where Jules thought that Ezekiel 25:17 was a cold thing to say before popping a cap in someone.
The prayer used in 'Gangs' is called the Prayer to Saint Michael. Here's the English version:
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host —
by the Divine Power of God —
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
And, since it's Catholic-originated, the original is in Latin:
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio.
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis,
Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute, in infernum detrude.
Somehow, things always sound much more impressive in Latin, in the same way that things sound more romantic in French, or how anything in German sounds like you're under arrest for crimes against the fatherland.
The prayer was reportedly composed by pope Leo XIII, who liked it so much he said...
It's Popetastic!
Don't believe him? The dude was officially infallible, so it's no use arguing.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Bart and the Baha'is
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 11/14/2006:
This is a shout-out to the good folks at Baha'i Views - thanks for linking to my post about almost visiting the Mormon temple in Los Angeles. Reading their blog led me to further contemplate this subject and one of my statements in yesterday's post.
My views on the Baha'i faith may be skewed because, literally, the nicest person I know is a Baha'i. You often hear people say "oh, he / she is the nicest person", but I only say that about this one person. Because you can really only know one "nicest", can't you? Everyone else would be "one of the nicest".
Ready for some butchered theology? (Please, no corrections. Let me revel in my generalities.)
It occurs to me that if key tenets of a religion are that the bulk of (if not all) other faiths have cores of truth and are worthy of respect, and that humanity is one big family... well, it seems to me, all else being equal, that faith would tend to attract (for conversions) and create (for children raised in that faith) nice, tolerant, friendly people.
As a logical exercise, I considered whether the opposite was true - if a religion founded on drunk driving and punching old people in the face would tend to attract and create major a-holes. I have concluded that it would.
So it's really no wonder that my friend, brought up in the Baha'i faith, is the nicest person I know. She is genuinely tolerant and friendly. And genuineness of that sort is really endearing (when combined with such desirable traits).
As far as religious architecture goes, the Baha'is are keeping it real. Their House of Worship in Wilmette, IL is fantastic, and they have a good batting average elsewhere. A picture of The Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel is one of my favorite computer desktop pictures.
Check out the rest of my blog!
This is a shout-out to the good folks at Baha'i Views - thanks for linking to my post about almost visiting the Mormon temple in Los Angeles. Reading their blog led me to further contemplate this subject and one of my statements in yesterday's post.
My views on the Baha'i faith may be skewed because, literally, the nicest person I know is a Baha'i. You often hear people say "oh, he / she is the nicest person", but I only say that about this one person. Because you can really only know one "nicest", can't you? Everyone else would be "one of the nicest".
Ready for some butchered theology? (Please, no corrections. Let me revel in my generalities.)
It occurs to me that if key tenets of a religion are that the bulk of (if not all) other faiths have cores of truth and are worthy of respect, and that humanity is one big family... well, it seems to me, all else being equal, that faith would tend to attract (for conversions) and create (for children raised in that faith) nice, tolerant, friendly people.
As a logical exercise, I considered whether the opposite was true - if a religion founded on drunk driving and punching old people in the face would tend to attract and create major a-holes. I have concluded that it would.
So it's really no wonder that my friend, brought up in the Baha'i faith, is the nicest person I know. She is genuinely tolerant and friendly. And genuineness of that sort is really endearing (when combined with such desirable traits).
As far as religious architecture goes, the Baha'is are keeping it real. Their House of Worship in Wilmette, IL is fantastic, and they have a good batting average elsewhere. A picture of The Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel is one of my favorite computer desktop pictures.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Bart and the Temple
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 11/13/2006:
If you go to LDS.org (web site of the Mormon church) and click 'Places to Visit', you can find this statement: "Whether you're taking a break on a business trip or vacationing with family and friends, there are many opportunities to learn about the rich history and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Yeah, right you say. Who would possibly want to do that?
Er, well...
This requires two points of explanation:
1. The Mormons and I go way back. I dated a Mormon girl for a time in high school. Whenever I met anyone whose faith was different from mine and it had some sort of behavioral manifestation (for example, my Muslim friends would fast during Ramadan; my Baha'i friend was nice to everyone, which I found suspicious), I would try to learn as much about their religion as possible so I'd understand the root causes. Given that I was actually dating a Mormon, I read voraciously on their history, beliefs, and criticisms thereof.
2. I'm a big fan of religious architecture. You could look at my time in Europe as hopping from one really old church to another. In Turkey, I loved gettin' my mosque on. But for my money, the Mormons are putting out some of the best new religious architecture out there. Like any faith, they have their share of stinkers (check out pics of the Dallas, Texas temple) but they also have some great ones, old (like in Logan, Utah) as well as new (one under construction in Rexburg, Idaho).
There is a catch to religious tourism with Mormon temples... most people can't go inside. Even if you're a Mormon in good standing, you need to have a special pass, wear special clothes, and make an appointment to go inside. So, besides looking at pretty pictures online, you may ask what's the point of stopping by.
Well, the Los Angeles temple is one of the few that has an accompanying visitor's center. Anyone can stop by one of those. And, it's on the temple grounds, so you get a nice feel for the landscaping and general ambiance.
I took this picture of the temple from the visitor's center parking lot. The temple is located on Santa Monica Blvd in the most Los Angeles-y part of Los Angeles. It's a stone's throw from UCLA. The architecture fits in very well with the rest of the neighborhood, and you can see the steeple as part of the area's skyline.
The visitor's center itself is somewhat less inspired, style-wise:
It does, however, have a very nice group of bronzes out front, with accompanying quotes from the Book of Mormon. There are two themed areas, one about women, and one about the family.
What can you expect to see and do at the visitor's center? Per the LDS.org web site: "A place free from life's cares, the Los Angeles California Temple Visitors' Center showcases a representation of Thorvaldsen's Christus amidst beautiful surroundings. Guides are available to give you a free tour of the visitors' center. Interactive exhibits will help you learn about Jesus Christ, the importance of temples, and the purpose of life."
Well, this description is partially true. The picture of me above is with the replica of the Christus statue. Apparently all the LDS church has is replicas; the original is in the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen, but the Mormons have really taken a shine to it.
A very nice young lady was available to give me a tour of the visitor's center. In fact, wherever you happen to go to an LDS visitor's center, you will find them almost exclusively staffed by nice young ladies. When young Mormon men do their "missions", they're typically sent overseas. Young ladies tend to be assigned to shorter and inside-U.S. duties. My guide (Sister Reed) would spend part of her day at the visitor's center, and the rest doing door-to-door work in Inglewood.
I have to say, however, as far as exhibits, interactive or not, the center fell very far short. They did have two videos I could watch (a 20-minute one and a newer hour and 10 minute one) but I decided to save that for another time. Beyond that, the only other informative thing was an illustrated timeline of Joseph Smith's life.
I'm no fool, and I knew a big purpose of the visitor's center would be recruiting. After all, if a non-Mormon makes a special effort to come there, they're pretty well ripe for the plucking, aren't they? My guide started early with the preliminary questions: was I married (yes), did I have kids (no), did I believe in the Jesus (Methodist, so draw your own conclusions), did I have a book of Mormon (yes, thanks to a motel room in Utah). I let a couple of things slip, though, that let her know she was dealing with someone who's done some homework. Eventually she asked "Uh, well... do you have any questions for me?" I didn't want to upset her with anything too complicated or controversial, so I said no.
Sadly, due to the overall lack of content, I have to give the Los Angeles LDS Temple Visitor's Center a thumbs down. My travels will likely take me to Oakland at some point, so I can check out the visitor's center there - it looks more substantial. Ultimately, to get the real experience, I will need to spend some time in Salt Lake. They've got some kick-ass architecture, and that's where the wholesome Mormon action is. Jello, anyone?
And by the way, memo to other American religions: if you put up some interesting attractions, I'll come visit you too.
Check out the rest of my blog!
If you go to LDS.org (web site of the Mormon church) and click 'Places to Visit', you can find this statement: "Whether you're taking a break on a business trip or vacationing with family and friends, there are many opportunities to learn about the rich history and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Yeah, right you say. Who would possibly want to do that?
Er, well...
This requires two points of explanation:
1. The Mormons and I go way back. I dated a Mormon girl for a time in high school. Whenever I met anyone whose faith was different from mine and it had some sort of behavioral manifestation (for example, my Muslim friends would fast during Ramadan; my Baha'i friend was nice to everyone, which I found suspicious), I would try to learn as much about their religion as possible so I'd understand the root causes. Given that I was actually dating a Mormon, I read voraciously on their history, beliefs, and criticisms thereof.
2. I'm a big fan of religious architecture. You could look at my time in Europe as hopping from one really old church to another. In Turkey, I loved gettin' my mosque on. But for my money, the Mormons are putting out some of the best new religious architecture out there. Like any faith, they have their share of stinkers (check out pics of the Dallas, Texas temple) but they also have some great ones, old (like in Logan, Utah) as well as new (one under construction in Rexburg, Idaho).
There is a catch to religious tourism with Mormon temples... most people can't go inside. Even if you're a Mormon in good standing, you need to have a special pass, wear special clothes, and make an appointment to go inside. So, besides looking at pretty pictures online, you may ask what's the point of stopping by.
Well, the Los Angeles temple is one of the few that has an accompanying visitor's center. Anyone can stop by one of those. And, it's on the temple grounds, so you get a nice feel for the landscaping and general ambiance.
I took this picture of the temple from the visitor's center parking lot. The temple is located on Santa Monica Blvd in the most Los Angeles-y part of Los Angeles. It's a stone's throw from UCLA. The architecture fits in very well with the rest of the neighborhood, and you can see the steeple as part of the area's skyline.
The visitor's center itself is somewhat less inspired, style-wise:
It does, however, have a very nice group of bronzes out front, with accompanying quotes from the Book of Mormon. There are two themed areas, one about women, and one about the family.
What can you expect to see and do at the visitor's center? Per the LDS.org web site: "A place free from life's cares, the Los Angeles California Temple Visitors' Center showcases a representation of Thorvaldsen's Christus amidst beautiful surroundings. Guides are available to give you a free tour of the visitors' center. Interactive exhibits will help you learn about Jesus Christ, the importance of temples, and the purpose of life."
Well, this description is partially true. The picture of me above is with the replica of the Christus statue. Apparently all the LDS church has is replicas; the original is in the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen, but the Mormons have really taken a shine to it.
A very nice young lady was available to give me a tour of the visitor's center. In fact, wherever you happen to go to an LDS visitor's center, you will find them almost exclusively staffed by nice young ladies. When young Mormon men do their "missions", they're typically sent overseas. Young ladies tend to be assigned to shorter and inside-U.S. duties. My guide (Sister Reed) would spend part of her day at the visitor's center, and the rest doing door-to-door work in Inglewood.
I have to say, however, as far as exhibits, interactive or not, the center fell very far short. They did have two videos I could watch (a 20-minute one and a newer hour and 10 minute one) but I decided to save that for another time. Beyond that, the only other informative thing was an illustrated timeline of Joseph Smith's life.
I'm no fool, and I knew a big purpose of the visitor's center would be recruiting. After all, if a non-Mormon makes a special effort to come there, they're pretty well ripe for the plucking, aren't they? My guide started early with the preliminary questions: was I married (yes), did I have kids (no), did I believe in the Jesus (Methodist, so draw your own conclusions), did I have a book of Mormon (yes, thanks to a motel room in Utah). I let a couple of things slip, though, that let her know she was dealing with someone who's done some homework. Eventually she asked "Uh, well... do you have any questions for me?" I didn't want to upset her with anything too complicated or controversial, so I said no.
Sadly, due to the overall lack of content, I have to give the Los Angeles LDS Temple Visitor's Center a thumbs down. My travels will likely take me to Oakland at some point, so I can check out the visitor's center there - it looks more substantial. Ultimately, to get the real experience, I will need to spend some time in Salt Lake. They've got some kick-ass architecture, and that's where the wholesome Mormon action is. Jello, anyone?
And by the way, memo to other American religions: if you put up some interesting attractions, I'll come visit you too.
Check out the rest of my blog!
My Tyler Durden moment
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 9/20/2006:
I've been getting someone else's mail at my house. It's a forwarding issue. My guess is this person wrote down the wrong address on their forwarding card, and now the mail comes to my house. It's annoying, but there's not much I can do - my only real option is to write "not at this address" and drop it back in the box. I've done that with several pieces of domestic mail. My hope is this person will eventually figure out that he's not getting mail, and fix the problem.
Yesterday letters to this person from banks in India and Singapore showed up in my mailbox, and I had a little doubt as to whether they would make it back to their originators if I returned to sender. So I did some research to see if I could locate him. It turns out he is a minister with the Mar Thoma Church - it's a Christian Church based in India, which tradition says was founded by Saint Thomas (hence the name Mar Thoma) in AD 52. They were never Romanized, so their worship was heavily Judaic, except it incorporated a belief in Jesus. Kind of what you would expect, actually, of a church founded around that time and that stayed pretty separate over the years.
Later on, of course, they got pushed around - the Portuguese who landed in India apparently took exception to people not worshiping saints, etc, so they tried to "reform" the Mar Thomas folks. Nowadays this church is in full communion with the Anglican church.
After doing this research, I had what I think of as my Tyler Durden moment - what if I'm really this guy? If, when I think I'm sleeping, I go out and preach to East Indian Christians? If I'm traveling to India, Singapore, and wherever else, and just don't remember?
I got the names and numbers of the Mar Thoma churches in the area with the idea of locating this person, but my Tyler Durden moment had freaked me out and I didn't call. Because I didn't want to ask if Rev. Patel was there, and be told, "You're Rev. Patel. Is this a test, sir?"
So I think I'm going to let this one go, and just return the letters. If I have a secret life, it's secret for a reason and I'm going to keep it that way.
Check out the rest of my blog!
I've been getting someone else's mail at my house. It's a forwarding issue. My guess is this person wrote down the wrong address on their forwarding card, and now the mail comes to my house. It's annoying, but there's not much I can do - my only real option is to write "not at this address" and drop it back in the box. I've done that with several pieces of domestic mail. My hope is this person will eventually figure out that he's not getting mail, and fix the problem.
Yesterday letters to this person from banks in India and Singapore showed up in my mailbox, and I had a little doubt as to whether they would make it back to their originators if I returned to sender. So I did some research to see if I could locate him. It turns out he is a minister with the Mar Thoma Church - it's a Christian Church based in India, which tradition says was founded by Saint Thomas (hence the name Mar Thoma) in AD 52. They were never Romanized, so their worship was heavily Judaic, except it incorporated a belief in Jesus. Kind of what you would expect, actually, of a church founded around that time and that stayed pretty separate over the years.
Later on, of course, they got pushed around - the Portuguese who landed in India apparently took exception to people not worshiping saints, etc, so they tried to "reform" the Mar Thomas folks. Nowadays this church is in full communion with the Anglican church.
After doing this research, I had what I think of as my Tyler Durden moment - what if I'm really this guy? If, when I think I'm sleeping, I go out and preach to East Indian Christians? If I'm traveling to India, Singapore, and wherever else, and just don't remember?
I got the names and numbers of the Mar Thoma churches in the area with the idea of locating this person, but my Tyler Durden moment had freaked me out and I didn't call. Because I didn't want to ask if Rev. Patel was there, and be told, "You're Rev. Patel. Is this a test, sir?"
So I think I'm going to let this one go, and just return the letters. If I have a secret life, it's secret for a reason and I'm going to keep it that way.
Check out the rest of my blog!
Seriously Baptist
Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 10/18/2006:
OK, that was one seriously Baptist church, and one seriously Baptist funeral.
To brutally rip off Jeff Foxworthy:
-When the Lord's Prayer is displayed on an enormous screen at the front of the church while we're reciting it, it may be Baptist.
-If one of the songs sung is "I'll see you at the Rapture", it may be Baptist.
-If the homily is on how death is a pretty good deal if you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour, it may be Baptist.
And they're tricky, too, the Baptists. When I avoided the visitation last night, I figured I'd dodged a bullet (I don't really look forward to viewing the deceased; it's not how I roll). When I entered the church with the other family members & saw the closed casket, I figured, sweet action, it's going to stay that way. NOPE. At the end, they propped it open and let the attendees file by.
Look, people, maybe in olden days this sort of activity served a purpose. You could prove that the person was dead, and there was no tomfoolery. But nowadays you have to get death certificates, coroner's reports, filing the will, probate court... there's documentation a mile long when someone dies. I am 100% willing to take someone else's word for it. I don't need to see the body. And if that means that during my life one relative, friend or loved one slips through the cracks and fakes their own death with no one the wiser, well, good for them. We talk about going to a better place, but giving society the slip and heading down to Brazil with a few hundred thousand in insurance money sounds like a pretty good place too.
I'll be back on a regular schedule tomorrow. Thank God, all this time off in the middle of the week is making my brain hurt.
Check out the rest of my blog!
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