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#priest

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No Kings, No Priests

I was wandering around Bilbao this summer with my son, and my Basque friend A., and we stumbled across this bust of John Adams, which I thought was a very peculiar thing to find in the Basque Country. But when I read the inscription, it said:

“Biscay (Letter IV, a Defence of the constitutions of the government of the USA 1787)…this extraordinary people have preserved their ancient language, genius, laws, government and manners without innovation, longer than any other nation of Europe.”

In 1779, Adams and his sons were on their way to Paris to sign a commercial treaty with Great Britain and to end the Revolutionary War. Weather forced them into the Bay Biscay and they had to travel to Paris by land, stopping first in Bilbao. There he visited the Gardoqui family, which had helped fund the American revolutionaries. Adams was appalled at the incredible poverty he saw through Spain, particularly in comparison with the incredible wealth of the Church, writing “I see nothing but Signs of Poverty and Misery, among the People. A fertile Country, not half cultivated, People ragged and dirty, and the Houses universally nothing but Mire, Smoke, Fleas and Lice. Nothing appears rich but the Churches, nobody fat, but the Clergy.”

The actual quote on his statue in Bilbao leaves out an important context. What he actually said was: “While their neighbours have long since resigned all their pretensions into the hands of kings and priests, this extraordinary people [the Basque] have preserved their ancient language, genius, laws, government, and manners, without innovation, longer than any other nation of Europe.” He went on to say: “It is a republic; and one of the privileges they have most insisted on, is not to have a king.” He was not, however, completely sold, criticizing the fact that the vote was only extended to “… a few noble families, unstained, both by the side of father and mother, by any mixture with Moors, Jews, new converts, penitentiaries of the inquisition, &c.”

Did you know that #demonic possession haunted 17th-century nuns?

In Aix-en-Provence, in 1609, a novice #nun was sexually abused by a #priest. She soon exhibited symptoms of #possession.

All exorcisms failed & another nun got infected.

After extensive #torture, the priest was burned at the stake & the nuns banished. One recovered, but the other remained possessed until her death.

The ashes of the burned priest spread the possessions to other cloisters for the next 20 years...

Having finished my term running Scum & Villainy for my group, I get to play again—this time in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th ed).

We all rolled characters, and I scored a human priest. A bit boring compared to (say) being a professional graverobber, but still potentially interesting. I've chosen to have him worship Verena (goddess of justice and order), so we'll see how *that* goes.

Naturally I've gone and drawn him.

Orthodox #priest Nikolai #Savchenko was arrested for taking a photo 11 years ago holding the flag of #Ukraine

According to him, security forces detained him right in the church, from where he was taken to court

In 2014, the priest published photographs from the anti-war action on #VK with the #Bible quote: Do not go and start wars with your brothers

The court said the flag was an extremist symbols of the "Organization of #Ukrainian Nationalists". He was given 14 days of administrative arrest

If ya think depriving girls of “fair competition”…
Is the top priority for school kids…
You’re woefully ignorant of all the ways #kids are truly “damaged”…by society…& their own family.

I notice…none of these folks are as furious over…
Health & #education inequities.
To parents, every kid’s a future pro #athlete …right?

A #teacher #priest #coach or #pastor is a bigger threat to your kids than a #trans kid on their #sports team.

apple.news/AXIoagz1cR3e7Y5dmuP

apple.newsStephen King's reaction to Governor sparring with Trump goes viral — NewsweekAuthor Stephen King's declaration that he's "proud to be a Maine man" after Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills told President Donald Trump "See you in court" has gained significant attention online.