Re: Your post to Religioholics Anonymous

-
I'm sorry, Regina, but you've obviously misunderstood the purpose of this group. We do not accept proselytizing of any kind, whether from Christians, Pagans, Jews, Muslims, atheists or any other group who believe that their program is the only true/right/permissible way. That's precisely the sort of attitude that stands in the way of the Kingdom of Heaven, if you would but see it....and it is people like you, in the general sense of being insistent upon the absolute rightness of their beliefs and their absolute right to impose them on others, who are the cause of the Tribulation in this world, regardless of whom or what they say they follow.

That is why I say that "the meek shall inherit the earth" -- because they have no compulsion to force others to do as they do 'or else', no herdlike need to make others conform just as they do. The absolutists -- your side and all the other belligerent sides who want their faith to dominate the globe -- are not the peacemakers, are not the merciful, are not those who seek justice, are not those who truly hunger and thirst after real righteousness. They are not the followers of Christ, yet they have seized upon his name and taken it in vain, have latched it to their own pathological agenda of social control and insular security.

Christ did not seek to rule the world as a kingdom -- far on the contrary, he sought to free humanity from the domination of religious authorities and their stranglehold on the defining of morality. Don't ask me how I know these things, unless you care to pit your received beliefs against my direct...revelations. I know things that you do not. I know that you are being led, as many are being led, to preach that which they do not understand and demonise that which, again, they do not understand. Your screed of a creed is but the religious equivalent of a chain-letter....you haven't thought it out for yourself, and perhaps you've never really thought at all about the depth of these things you trot out so earnestly from the Scriptures. God will not punish people for not evangelizing (a virtuous example is more important than all the preaching in the world), but there are grave consequences for setting people against each other in the name of faith, and for doing violence against people's souls and minds in the name of faith.

Your mission to "spread the Word" is not needed. What is needed is your ability to follow virtue for yourself in your life, regardless of what others do or do not do, without trying to force them onto your path. Every person's soul is their own affair -- between them and God, as the expression goes -- and you do not help them by exhortations and threats. Carry your own cross, instead of telling others how to carry theirs -- live your own life that stands as your own example. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear -- but don't go bludgeoning them over the head if they don't jump to and fall into line.

Tend your own field. If the harvest is truly good, then others will see that it is so and follow what you do. But there are other good harvests elsewhere whose methods may be better for them to follow, and they all are part of the same universal yield. Let the matter go -- manage what you have in your trust already (as you imply you are a minister), but let others manage what is theirs. And accept that you do not know what path is best for all -- they must find that out for themselves, of their own choosing and call. It's called free will, and you do need to respect its continuing existence as part of the plan.


Peace,

Aureantes


P.S. -- As for achieving the requisite "Good Heart Condition" you mention, I strongly recommend oatmeal. Lowers bad cholesterol, you know.


[(Edit. 8/31/08): The font of the passages below was much larger, but I downsized it so as not to be quite so hard on the eyes -- it is otherwise verbatim.]
===========================================================
Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:28:30 -0000
To: Religioholics_Anonymous@yahoogroups.com
From: "Regina" <sanctifyhisname@yahoo.com>
Subject: What Satan Doesn't Want You To Know

The hourglass is nearly empty. The Great Tribulation has begun and Armageddon looms in the very near future. There are a total of TWO things that you need in order to obtain Eternal Life and Man-Made Religion is not one of them. (1) An Acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior. (2) A Good Heart Condition.

We urge those who wish to obtain Eternal Life in Christ's Kingdom to read the following very important message. We don't aim to twist arms or convince anyone of anything they aren't ready or willing to believe as their hearts will ultimately dictate what they perceive to be truth. However, it is also our responsibility to warn those who do not accept this Truth, will face Judgment at Armageddon. For this reason we pray that the eyes and hearts of all who read our message are opened to the Truth whether that is now, or in the near future when our words come to pass.

The Kingdom Message of Salvation is the Truth and validity of the Bible as a whole. As ministers with the Light of Life Ministry, we are doing as we are commanded within the Scriptures. Because we have been enlightened to the Truth, we have a heavy responsibility to pursue our Ministries. 1 Corinthians 9:16 warns of the necessity and woe to those that do not declare the Good News.

"For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"

This is because once we have acquired Wisdom about the Truth, it is our duty to spread the message as far as we can over all of creation. If we fail to warn others, the Creator holds us accountable. To walk away is to be overshadowed with negativity. Ezekiel 3:17-18 gives insight on this.

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked person: You will surely die, but you do not warn him—you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood."

OUR MESSAGE OF TRUTH

The main theme of our Message of Truth is that those who wish to have eternal life must declare Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior. This must be done in order to be one with His coming Kingdom.

We realize that many will challenge our faith and the faith of others who also declare Jesus to be Lord. They will say that we must meet certain requirements of water baptism, a belief in the Trinity and other man-made religious ideals. If those people have the right heart condition, they will see the Light. If not, they will remain opposed to what is ministered to them. That is their Free Will choice. Even if they claim to be foot-step followers of Christ, they will be deemed not worthy of Salvation unless they exhibit the Holy Spirit from within them. If they believe falsehoods about Christ, cling to their man-made religious belief systems and reject the truth will be marked accordingly by the Cherubic Order of Angels. All people are judged by what is really in their hearts.

As part of our Ministry to those that oppose the Truth, we point out that a humble heart is the only thing that saves anyone. Without it, you are endowed with negativity. What your heart is filled with is what springs forth with abundance from the mouth. Luke 6:45 is clear on this point:

"A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart."

Proverbs 4:23 is clear on the need to safeguard your heart against the wickedness of negativity being stored there:

"Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life."

By knowing and understanding the Truth of the Word, you treasure up within your hearts what guides you (the Holy Spirit) so that you do not sin knowingly against Christ or his Father.

"I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You." Psalms 119:11.

The problem with sin is that it cultivates negativity. From the mind where it begins or originates, it creeps down into your heart. Then you're in trouble. That's why it's not a sin to think a bad thought, if you dismiss it. You did not act on it. Therefore, it is not a sin. But if you dwell on the wrong thought, it will creep on down into your heart and become a part of you. So, above all else, safeguard your hearts.

ALL WHO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO CHRIST ARE ACCEPTABLE

People of all nationalities, regardless of race, color or religion are open to the Salvation of Christ.

"Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people." Revelation 14:6.

"Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world, both low and high, rich and poor together." Psalms 49:1-2.

"Then Peter began to speak: "In truth, I understand that God doesn't show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him." Acts 10:34-35.

REMEMBER - IT'S A FREE WILL CHOICE

Everyone has Free Will Choice in the decision and are able to choose one way or the other. That's why we will not try to force the Truth on to anyone.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the LORD your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the LORD swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"But if it doesn't please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD." Joshua 24:15

"If you carefully obey My commands I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in season, the early and late rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied. Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the LORD is giving you." Deuteronomy 11:13-17

"This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands." 1 John 2:3

SALVATION - KINGDOM MESSAGE COMPLETED

Now, either you will accept or reject the Truth we have ministered to you. Since everyone should come to understand that actions result in consequences, we deliver the following warning. If you decide to refuse the truth, then you will know what is ahead--even if you reject that also, at this time. Later on, you will see our words come to life. If you accept the Truth now but are later tempted to cultivate negativity within your heart, then the warning we share might help to prevent that from happening.

YAHWEH'S BITTER-SWEET WARNING TO ALL PEOPLE OF THE EARTH

He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life. He that disobeys the Son will not see life. The Wrath of God remains upon him.

"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36

Once you have been given the Message of Truth, if you do not obey it you are exercising your Free Will choice. However, it will result in eternal death at the Judgment. Just as Satan and his angels cannot have free reign in creation - neither will it be permitted of those that exercise that choice. Your fate is upon your own head.

"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of everyone's blood, for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God." Acts 20:26-27

The above scripture reveals we will be clean from the blood of those who make the wrong choice. If you are so cultivated with negativity that you hear and know that what we speak is Truth and you continue to sin willfully by rejecting that Truth, then you will lose the Sacrificial Hope of Salvation. Time will eventually run out. Armageddon is the final Judgment Chapter.

"For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" Hebrews 10:26

"to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of our God's vengeance..." Isaiah 61:2

"The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a case against the nations. He enters into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword [This is] the LORD's declaration." Jeremiah 25:31

"I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak." Matthew 12:36

"When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." Ezekiel 33:8

WHO WE MINISTER TO AND SANCTIFICATON OF THE CREATOR'S NAME

This GOOD NEWS of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth and bear witness to all the nations. The nations will be made to know Yahweh. His Name must be sanctified before the nations.

"I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh"—the declaration of the Lord GOD —"when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight." Ezekiel 36:23

"So I will make My holy name known among My people Israel and will no longer allow it to be profaned. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel." Ezekiel 39:7

ARE THERE ANY FREE RIDES TO ETERNAL BLISS?

Anyone that believes they can get a free ride through eternity without going through Christ, please read:

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Once you have received the Truth, you are under obligation by the Creator.

"Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7


The Ministers of the Light of Life Ministry

Freedom of Religion: The Mayflower vs. the U.S. Constitution

-
The main disjoint between the United States and itself, of course, is that of its traditional earliest settlers -- i.e., the 'Pilgrims,' 'Puritans' or Anabaptists -- and the other religious malcontents who followed suit in emigrating to the New World. In contrast to Spain, who enforced restrictions against 'heretics' settling in its colonies because they were intent on converting the natives to Catholicism, England saw it as a convenient way of getting the dissidents and deviants out of the way -- even if they weren't guaranteed to get along with each other. This made America, by default, the first truly heterodox territory-nation in the Western Hemisphere -- or at least since the diplomatic empire-building of Alexander the Great.

The Puritans wanted 'freedom of religion,' as everyone knows.....well, they wanted freedom of their religion against the corruptions of everyone else's, is more like it. The Anabaptists had already found the Netherlands too liberal and tolerant for their tastes, if that's any indication of enduring differences. Their colonies had a sizeable dominance over New England -- yet their denomination was never officially denoted as a 'state religion' -- only a 'city-state religion.' Rhode Island and Pennsylvania also gained charters of their own, but they were not Puritan colonies, and it is notable that the first instances of interdenominational strife in the colonies (though to those involved it might as well have been interreligious entirely) were those of the Puritans refusing to tolerate other sects/denominations in their vicinity -- harassing, assaulting, whipping, tarring & feathering those who did not follow the Puritan ways (which is why Rhode Island was founded in the first place, as a haven for 'heretics' and freethinkers being persecuted elsewhere in the greater region).

So, the first trend that one group of co-religionists started once free of the (real or imagined) pressures inhibiting the practice of their faith....was to start pressuring and inhibiting others from practising any other faith or manner of living. They acted as if they had been granted a charter not merely to settle but to subjugate -- and thus we have the birth of the Religious Right, before the nation itself had been founded.

But what is older is not always better, though it tends to have a strong hold on cultural attitudes -- as the fitful pace of civil rights legislation/saturation in this country has been demonstrating for generations. When it came to creating a framework for the new nation as a whole, the men who were most closely involved with the final product had a definite desire that no religion nor denomination should be enabled, whether through apppointment nor through negligence, to assert itself as the state religion over others. And they were close enough to the past to see what could happen in such an unregulated situation. They said what they thought was necessary, and no doubt thought that posterity might listen -- yet, on the grounds that they were all nominally Christian-or-some-variant-thereof-but-at-least-not-atheist, people have since claimed erroneously that "America Was Intended to Be a Christian Nation."

America was not intended to be a Christian nation. America was 'intended', if anything, as a way to get rid of disruptive domestic elements from England, France and other parts and make their toil productive for their overseas sovereigns. The first rallying cry of the American Revolution was "No taxation without representation" -- that is, everyone deserves a say in the way that things work. Originally that was restricted to white adult male landowners...then the property requirement was lifted...then race, then sex, though there's still the educational dilemma of whether a populace can be considered informed enough to vote unless they can read the dominant language. But it is well worth noting that the legal framework of the Constitution, despite any references to God/Creator/Maker in the seminal documentation of the nation, never restricted any rights according to religion. That, my friends, has all been the work of tradition, social prejudice and entrenched nativism, but was never meant to be a legal disbarrment. Hence, whatever their other social assumptions regarding race, class, education, sex, etc., one must conclude that the United States as a nation was intended to have religious equality and freedom for all -- not just some, not even just a majority of co-religionists or faiths of similar moral conservatism, but all.

That does not mean lack of freedom for religions (unless those religions commit crimes against others); it does not mean the banning of religions from all public expression, as under Communist regimes. Let's get it cleared up -- the only thing that is required of a religion in this country is that it not obstruct the rights and basic freedoms of others, and that is the basis for every advance of explicit civil rights (as not everything can be foreseen two centuries ahead) that elicits cries of "State persecution!" from traditionalist religious denominations today. They are not being oppressed. They are not even being repressed. (Now you see the non-violence inherent in the system)

As it was stated, so let it be guaranteed under law, with no equivocations and panderings to the "born-again" ministers of state and their voting blocs -- America must guarantee not only the freedom to worship, and the freedom to worship/commune as one feels is right, but the freedom not to worship, and the freedom not to live in fear and trepidation of being persecuted for not following the rules based solely on religion's pervasiveness in former days. Freedom not to worship rules made by and for other religions, and not to be punished for offending those sects' delicate sensibilities, whether by one's daily life and livelihood, by one's own spiritual practice, by one's visible relationships or by one's very existence as a visible person. If the laws do not allow for an encompassing view rather than one that caters to an established religion, they are not laws that can be fairly applied to all citizens. In short: state-enabled rule by excuse of religion is effectively the same thing as endorsing a state religion (albeit with slightly less in the way of purges and executions)....and that is against the law of this nation as it still fundamentally stands. Our Founding Fathers did not foresee nor have the power to root out all the blue laws and moral objections that would linger on for centuries as dead-hands on the practice of our freedoms...they are our weeds to uproot, as this nation is our garden to tend, regardless of religious faith or the lack thereof. But let us have faith in something that is not bound to either extreme of militancy.

I am glad that I have an education and the ability to think for myself -- some people are never allowed to get that far in viewing the world they live in. And then there are some who consider themselved educated by dint of higher schooling but apparently haven't learned much. Those many who now believe in American theocracy as a sacred mission have a pitifully poor sense of this nation's prenatal history as a free range for religious social tyranny and extremism. They don't remember history -- and I think you know the rest of the quote. Even in the present crisis, the best answer to one religious extremism is not another extremism, and it never was. It is only in the assertion and rediscovering of the "self-evident" truths of human equality, of dignity and responsible freedom, that the best of our nation and of human civilization can be preserved against those -- all those -- who truly do wish to destroy those truths in the name of their gods.


Things to Do: clean out the lawbooks, dust out the irrational social mores, and remember how far we've come -- and how much farther we need to grow if this nation's ever going to grow up for real.

[For further information on the "Blog Against Theocracy" project, see http://blogagainsttheocracy.blogspot.com/]

Petition comments re federal hate crimes legislation

[For a truly impressive piece of thorough and verbose cultural-religious paranoia, check out the comments to this post...]
-

K. Aurencz Zethmayr has sent you an important action alert - read below for more info, and take action at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/126365544

As you may or may not know, I have a few subscriptions to various 'action alerts' and petition topics -- and the latest one that I've weighed in on is this one supporting the addition of the Matthew Shepard Act to existing federal hate-crimes statutes. Here's what I said, and the link is below if you want to follow it and have your say:

'I believe that this is one of the most badly-needed pieces of civil rights legislation at this time in history, as a large number of criminal acts, both graphically notorious and generally unreported out of fear, are committed on the sole basis of hatred against those of different sexual orientations and genders. There is no excuse for that, regardless of the number of people who may share similar prejudices and thus seek to minimize or rationalize away such unwarranted and antisocial behaviours. Hate crimes are never justified, no matter who the aggressor is and who the victim is -- unfortunately, many people need this spelled out to them, both in the field of law enforcement and in the general population at large, and will continue to think that "queerbashing" is permissible because of their personal and/or religious views unless this category is specifically and prominently added to existing hate-crimes legislation.'

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/126365544

Thanks for the read, and pardon the inevitable crossposting -- feel free to pass this on if you like the way I phrased it, etc....

Aurey

------------------------------------
ThePetitionSite.com provides tools and empowers individuals to make a difference and effect positive change through online activism. Get connected with the causes you care about, take action to make the world a better place, and start your own petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/!

ThePetitionSite.com is powered by Care2.com, the largest online network for people who Care2 make a difference. With over 5 million members, we make it easy for you to live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle and protect the environment, human rights, education, women's rights, animal welfare, and much more... all in one place! Join our community at http://www.care2.com/

Children should not be raised on kiddie-tailored propaganda

=========================================================
Publisher aims to teach kids right from left
A Torrance executive says he sees too many children's books with liberal views. His titles aim to tilt the shelves the other way.
=========================================================

There's a radical concept that I'd like to put forward....

Instead of complaining about "liberal" bias and putting out rightwing children's books in the name of ideological balance/overbalance, why don't people focus on finding and conveying the truth, regardless of whose "agenda" it may seem to support? Afterall, especially when some of these books are being marketed as "nonfiction", shouldn't they actually be supported as 'not being fictions' set up just to argue a point of view?

If you're going to make a story for kids that's supposed to teach them about the real world and how it works (or doesn't), base it on something that has actually happened in reality, and in the same reality that you're setting it in. Don't take your lemonade-stand fable from a Communist milieu and call it typical American liberalism; maybe let your gay penguins have the non-happy ending and one dump the other for a wife (which is what actually happened). That's life -- if you're calling it realistic then stick to what's really there. Princes and fairytales are accepted as being of the realm of fantasy and metaphor, but don't sell contrived propaganda to 'impressionable young minds' and call it an honest perspective. You know what?--Heather really did have two mommies. And she's just as perfectly well-adjusted as (and possibly a lot moreso than) any kid raised in a standard mom-&-dad sex=gender dichotomous household. That's truth. It happens and has been happening for years now, it's real, it's as functional as anything. Same with little Buster Bunny's travels, 'cause that's really information too. Truth. Real people, real existences. You don't like it, then get out of the business of even pretending to have an objective viewpoint.

I feel very strongly about children's books and what they teach. I've read a wide range of literature aimed more-or-less didactically at kids, from Grimm's Fairytales to Tootles to The Chronicles of Narnia. You know, the first tome actually has more enduring worth in it than those more-modern examples, even with all the religious assumptions and violence and dubious magic and what-have-you. Those fairytales do less of the mental violence of being targeted at children to shape them as thoroughly as possible, and are far more psychologically realistic despite all their fantasy -- they're not even as sexist as C.S. Lewis comes across (ever read the Narnia books and gleaned his attitudes?).

In my opinion, kids deserve to have better than mere lessons and manipulations at every turn, and any author or publisher who sets out trying primarily to entrain them into an ideology -- regardless of the nominal agenda -- does not deserve to be in a position of reaching them via those words. At that age, I'd consider it child molestation -- just as I tend to consider formal religious instruction (as well as formal anti-religious instruction). Children deserve to be treated honestly and with respect, not just as future party members or mini-activists. If you can't manage that, I think censorship may be in order, and precisely where most people would never think to apply it.

(And just to be clear on my values, I also hated that "socialist" one with the beautiful fish giving away his shining rainbow scales just to be accepted by others. Bollocks. Self-betrayal is never a defensible virtue in my book.)

Another one leaves the temporal fray; the words go on.....

==============================================
KURT VONNEGUT: 1922-2007
His popular novels blended social criticism, dark humor (Los Angeles Times)

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies at age 84 (AP release, via Yahoo News)
==============================================

If you've been reading this poor underfed blog through its sketchy history so far, you'll notice that I was similarly distraught (is that too strong a word?--no, not really) at news of Hunter S. Thompson's death ("The best minds of our generations...")....and that certainly applies now as well, even though Vonnegut didn't take his own life -- the pressures, and the general insanity in modern American life, were certainly felt the same, though expressed somewhat differently, and in a way this is a general continuation of the same mourning, the same memorializing.

I met Kurt Vonnegut earlier, though as with many authors and artists I was not quick to jump on the bandwagon of becoming a full-fledged devotee -- as a matter of fact, due to my general wariness of fads and fashions, it took me a while to make the connection between the 'popular' and absurdistly sci-fi author whose books my other siblings collected and the almost-classically serious author who'd struck my mind with a brief and bluntly-tragic tale that came across as disturbingly real and completely un-'comical' to me when I was still in my single-digit years. "Harrison Bergeron" was one of the first short stories I read as a child that really made an impact on me -- in seeing how the world can treat those that it fears, how the tallest stalks are (more or less ruthlessly) cut down to enable the 'emotional security' of a general mediocrity, the blandness of a society without peaks and storms or genius or even the sometimes-tyranny of natural strength and beauty. Every tall stalk on the mental/creative order recognizes this story when they see it...I'm not sure about the rest.

Here's what I said in my hyperlucidity group, insofar as loss and meaning:

"The memorials of great and notable individuals remind us what we're missing now, and highlight the themes that may have been let pass by too many for too long, so that they can be remembered and seen and even heeded again. I remember that Mr. Rogers' death was reported on an "orange-alert" day, during the 'Terror' of the post-9/11 push into war...we lose people when we need them most, when the world needs to be exposed to more, not less of them, not to have no more of their voices atall. And not for them to be passed over in the public eye for those who have/had nothing to say, nothing to make their lives worthwhile in the greater scheme of things -- not even the attempt to bring something of meaning -- or even the meaningful denial of "meaning" as commonly and comfortably assumed -- into the reality we share. Damn mere 'celebrity' -- especially the type that's crassly built on denying and deriding anything more than its own shallowly-gilded edifice or slick contemporary trend...this is what really matters."

Yes, I'm tired of Anna Nicole Smith....and Donald Trump, and all the other people whose significance is bound to their wealth, their bodies, their lovers and spouses, their power while they live and nothing more. I have many and various reasons for being disgusted with that, as my role models and affinities have always been those who've done more and/or otherwise than merely conquer or rule, or look good to the camera, or share beds and obscenely-large fortunes. They may retain fame after death, but they do no good to anyone but themselves and their coterie (and tabloid reporters). I believe there's a poem by Sappho on that subject....in this translation I found, it's titled "To an Uneducated Woman":

When dead you will lie forever forgotten,
for you have no claim to the Pierian roses.
Dim here, you will move more dimly in Hell,
flitting among the undistiguished dead.

--Sappho, fragment 55 V

--though, these phrases are the ones I remember better, from the first translation of it that I saw in college and still have somewhere stashed in my bedroom -- "Rich as you are, death will be the end of you. [...] You had no share in the Pierian roses. [...]"

Et cetera. I think the gist is fairly clear. We don't need more models or millionaires -- or even another "people's princess" to pull at a nation's/world's voyeurism and heartstrings alike. But we do need more people who can show the rest something more, especially in the concerns of their own consciousness and humanity, and prod them inside to claim their own possibilities and not be led like sheep.

And more people who understand what "Pierian roses" really means.