Brad Pitt Says Christian Upbringing Was ‘Stifling’

What a pity…

 

Brad Pitt stars as a 1950s Texas man—a “lost soul in the modern world”—searching for the meaning of life in Terrence Malick’s new film, “Tree of Life.”

But the Missouri- bred Pitt has not found solace in traditional religion himself.

“When I got untethered from the comfort of religion, it wasn’t a loss of faith for me, it was a discovery of self,” explained Pitt. “I had faith that I’m capable enough to handle any situation. There’s peace in understanding that I have only one life, here and now, and I’m responsible.”

“I got brought up being told things were God’s way, and when things didn’t work out, it was called God’s plan,” Pitt told reporters at the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. “I’ve got my issues with it. Don’t get me started. I found it very stifling.”

Pitt’s parents are Southern Baptist Conservatives and Pitt’s younger brother Doug is very active in his large church outside of Springfield, MO.

“I always had a lot of questions about the world, even in kindergarten,” Pitt told Parade magazine several years ago. “A big question to me was fairness. If I’d grown up in some other religion, would I get the same shot at heaven as a Christian has?”

Pitt said he found himself after abandoning the religious beliefs he grew up with…

The great human delusion and the starting point of all sin: Self-sufficiency - I’m the master of my own destiny… apart from God.

Oh, and the ‘stifling’ rules? Well, they’re actually there for our protection Mr Pitt. And I’m really sorry that you’ve never bothered to look a little deeper, or ask someone who knows…

Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Sanctuary of Greek Goddess

Demeter:

A temple of Ancient Greek goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone has been discovered by a team of Bulgarian archaeologists near the town of Sozopol on the Black Sea.

The archaeological team of Prof. Krastina Panayotova found the Ancient Greek temple Tuesday during excavations on the Skamniy Cape where the archaeologists are exploring a fortress wall and a church that were part of a Byzantine imperial monastery.

Panayotova explained that the figurines and ceramics found in a concentrated spot are clear evidence of the cult for Demeter and Persephone.

“We have come across pieces before but this time the finding is concentrated in one location, in the wall of the tower that was built above it. It is connected with the cult for Demeter and Persephone. As there is a church here, we naturally expected a sanctuary from the Antiquity period,” the archaeologist explained as cited by Focus.

The sanctuary is near the monastery complex “St. Apostles and 20 000 Martyrs” built in the first half of the 14th century by Anastasios Palaiologos, brother of the Byzantine Emperor.

Sozopol, whose name as an Ancient Greek colony was Apollonia, was a traditional Byzantine stronghold during the Middle Ages even though its hinterland was in Bulgarian hands. The town itself was conquered by the First Bulgarian Empire under Khan Krum in 812 AD but was later recaptured by Byzantium.

Sozopol was conquered by the Ottoman Turkish Empire only in 1459, six years after the fall of Constantinople; Bulgarian archaeologists have found evidence that the monastery “St. Apostles and 20 000 Martyrs” was set on fire and the town was ravaged during the invasion.

Sozopol appears to be one of the earliest centers of Christianity…

Video of the Persecution of Christians in Iran

Dear Lord…

Please pray for these persecuted believers… And share this with others:

A two minute video which highlights the persecution Christians in Iran have been suffering in recent months.

The Religion of Apple

From here:

Why have companies like Apple and Google grown so explosively in the past few years and why do the brands garner such loyalty from their customers?

A team of neuroscientists scanned the brain of an Apple fan and it showed that the brand was stimulating the same parts of the brain as religious imagery does in people of faith.

This goes to show that mankind’s innate need to have faith in something is so strong that, when we stop believing in God, we will substitute any convenient banality…

The above was here.

Be sure to check out the short video too.

Google Map of Where the Twelve Apostles Died

Following tradition (?) Geographic Travels has done the work:

View Larger Map

The Forgotten Quarter?

People who come to Jerusalem are so fixated on things like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on matters of Jewish and Christian religion, that one quarter in particular tends to be overlooked. The Armenian Quarter is a place full of history, a place settled by a people who sometimes feel forgotten.

In 301, the Armenian king Tiridates III made Christianity the national religion. Armenian Christianity is very ritualistic and similar to that of the Coptic and Syriac churches.Today in Armenia there remains a small Jewish community and two synagogues.

The early twentieth century is a sad memory for Armenians. Between 1895 and 1920, the Turks killed a million Armenians. The Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem contains a number of plaques and memorials explaining the Armenian Genocide. 

The millions who come on Holy Land trips would do well to spend some time in this quarter of the Old City and read the history as well as learn more about Armenian Christianity, which has roots in very early times. No Journey to Jerusalem is complete without learning this ancient people who have filled a section of the Old City with devotion and faith.

The above was here.