The Musings Of The Consensus

In response to a recent comment I got concerning the subject and since I've been having some odd issues responding to comments on my blog, this post should be my reply to the following comment: " regarding the above condemnation of cuckoldry (traditionally interpreted as a wife cheating on her husband with another man behind his back) I am curious of what you think of the gender-inverted "cuckquean" fetishism and how it might relate to the practice of plural marriage (1 husband 2+wives) like we see among Mormons. Haven't read enough of your blog yet to discern what type (ie Catholic, Prodestant, etc) of Christianity you promote, but am curious of what you think of the practice of a husband taking on more than 1 wife and how it may relate to bible passages about marriage." This is my response: First off, I'm a non-denominational Christian. I owe no allegiance to any particular sect or ideology and bear none any hatred or animus. I have no quarrel with ...

Something I find often on Steam I LOATHE and find utterly detestable is finding games that are obviously left to rot by developers who could at least ensure it will function on modern PCs when bought. Two games in particular this is odious on are Fallout 3 and Deus Ex: Invisible War The first one admits it's not gonna run well on anything newer than Windows 7 and requires several fan patches to fix issues that the official developers could have taken twenty minutes out of their lives to do themselves. Considering one usually has to still buy Fallout 3 and use it as one half of the Tales of Two Wastelands Mod just to run it on the Fallout New Vegas engine (which is modern computer friendly), and considering they still expect people to pay money for it and it has a very active modding community even now, you'd THINK Bethesda could be bothered to care. Nope. They are too busy running customer goodwill into the ground with that trashfire called Fallout 76. As for Deus Ex:I...

I recently have gotten insulting comments from people who are trying to go out of their way to piss me off and all they doing is amusing me. For the benefit of the confused, they are one of two: 1. One is some assblasted manchild who constantly sends occasional messages I need to be lynched or that I should kill myself either via my DeviantArt account page or this very blog. I rarely visit the former these days, and the latter I HAVE COMMENT MODERATION ON YOU IDIOT, YOUR COMMENTS NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AND I DELETE WITHOUT GIVING THEM A SECOND GLANCE. They appear to be someone very mad I got rid of examples for the Complete Monster trope on All The Tropes (one or both of the branches of it), and they think wishing very hard I should die is gonna fix things. Honestly, I pity someone that petty, they can always find something better and less pathetic to do with their time. 2. My other a-logs are the same assholes I quit regularly posting on the Kiwi Farms to get away from ...

It's said godly truths can come from the most unlikely sources, and since I'm a robot anime fan, I believe the anime franchise Mazinger Z has a moral Christians should do well to consider. Mazinger Z was created by Go Nagai as a kids show like series where the hero Koji Kabuto (his name is a pun, his last means helmet, he pilots the machine from the head region via a device called a Pilder) pilots the title robot against the mad scientist Dr. Hell (the most obviously evil name you could ever have, as if the fact he looks like Santa Claus's evil purple skinned twin wasn't obvious enough) and his mechanical armies. The conflict is over Dr. Hell wanting to seize the title robot and it's power source, Photon Power, for his own ends of world domination, and the implications of the show have a nice moral tale to them. The title machine comes from the Japanese words "Ma" meaning "demon" and "Jin" meaning "God", and the dual tit...

I haven't done a post where I rage and moan about something mind-bendingly stupid in awhile, so here goes, brace yourself for me bemoaning galaxy-brained individuals being foolish. Recently, some evidence came out some people were sockpuppeting, and I advised who gave me the information to report it to Wikia Staff. For the crime of doing so, I got comments on this blog (which I have site moderation on to prevent) and my DeviantArt account saying I need to be lynched and got middle finger emojis, all for having the audacity to give some common sense advice to someone. Apparently, just doing my job on Wikia is enough to get people to want to see me swing from a gibbet. Honestly, if that is what I deserve for that, I'd love to know what these insanely butthurt people think should happen when I do something that is actually wrong. I also got another instance where someone I blocked for being a raging jackass contacts me on Reddit to alternate between asking me to unblock ...

One game I enjoy on Linux is "MInetest", a free, open-source clone of Minecraft, and in some way, I deem it superior. 1. It's FREE: Might as well start with the best aspect, I pay nothing to play. Granted, I don't regret spending money on Minecraft when I did, it was worth it, but you cannot beat absolutely nothing in terms of price. 2. MODS. Yeah, I know, Minecraft has mods too, but unlike Minecraft, I pay nothing for all of Minetest's mods, and the modding feature is way more granular, meaning I can strip a Minetest game down it's barest essentials if I please, while I can't do the same to Minecraft 3. Open-source. When Notch sold Microsoft Minecraft, all hope the engine would ever be completely free for anyone to mess with to whatever extent possible died. Prior to their acquisition of Minecraft, modders had been doing a lot of fun things unfettered by limits, now it comes with oversight by a third party over the core source and price tags on mod...

A recent anime discussion has prompted me to write about the most cringe-inducingly stupid moment of the second season of Code Geass and how it could have been avoided. And I mean THAT moment, the one where Zero gets backstabbed by the Black Knights over what amounts to a biased set of witnesses, a bunch of paranoia, a lot of poorly reasoned assumptions, an idiot seeking short-term gains making a judgment call they had no good reason to be making in the first place, and a leader whose biggest flaw was understandable but made the situation worse. Let's dissect the situation and analyze the stupid, shall we? 1. Zero (Lelouch vi Britannia) is accused of planning to sell out his own subordinates, based on an out of context conversation recorded between him and a member of the enemy with an obvious axe to grind (Suzaku Kururugi), and said proof is provided by another enemy (Schneizel El Britannia) who has every motive to profit from sowing dissension. This alone should have mad...

I'm currently using Linux MInt 19.2 as the only OS on my laptop currently, and since I discovered a few weird quirks of RPG Maker VX Ace and earlier (MV has native Linux support), here's a few points to things that won't work well and some issues to work around. 1. If using Steam, even though Proton works just as well as non-Steam Wine to make RPG Maker work fine, some things to keep in mind. A. Due to some weird issue, if you don't create a folder to dump all Steam Workshop items into and redirect all VX Ace projects to it, good luck trying to access the folders outside of the program itself. While Windows does this just fine, Linux is bit dense on this topic and forces you to do the step I just mentioned if you want to add resources to the project in any way, thanks to the goofy way Linux handles the Windows file structure and how Steam Workshop saves VX Ace projects. B. The X window interface and DirectX can mostly play nice, but any scripts that dynamically re...

Note: The original version of this post contained an error concerning Mormon positions on caffeine. There are Mormon beliefs advising against coffee and tea consumption, but not caffeine in general, this latter topic tends to vary in some Mormon circles. I would like to thank Sstavix of ChristCenteredGamer for the correction. Before I address the main topic the title addresses, I feel it important to get my own personal views about alcohol consumption out of the way first. I'm a teetotaler entirely by choice. I do not consider drinking to be a problem when done in moderation, and for those that can enjoy the occasional drink without it becoming a substance abuse problem I have no issue with. The Bible generally seem to concur with my personal beliefs on this topic, and I consider it's admonition against allowing alcohol to be a snare to sin and foolishness to be sensible for reasons of morality and health. That said, let's address how Christianity views the topic. C...

Note: I'm single, but I still highly respect the concept of commitment and marriage as an honorable institution, especially as God intended it to be. I also would like to dedicate this post specifically to Jason Gress, co-founder of ChristCenteredGamer and someone I personally know to take their marriage vows as seriously as Jesus advised all men should. Marriage is a concept that gets treated with shockingly callous indifference in this day and age, and while I have no plans to get married and am happy single, I respect anyone willing to do so and stick with it, because that requires some long-term commitment, and if you marry as Christians are supposed to, that takes SERIOUS commitment, because you just aren't bound by mortal laws on the topic, but spiritual ones. Another reason marriage is important aside from the obvious commitment is that God made a direct comparison between marriage between a man and woman is the same as his commitment to us. Making a mockery of marri...

Note: I have gone on record I'm a non-denominational Protestant, yet I do not actively hate anyone of any faith or no faith, but I wanted to explain why I cannot buy into the tenets of several belief systems in particular and why from a personal perspective. Atheism: While this is technically the absence of faith or denial of a higher power, I'm covering this first just to cover all the bases. My reason for not buying into atheism is that, if you apply logic, it has a pretty hopeless message. Apparently, we live, die, and that's it. Our memory may exist for future generations, but if humanity as a whole dies out, our existence ceases to matter. I can understand agnostics a little better than I do atheists, but flat out saying we were born, will die, and that's it for our existence is one of the most fatalistic things I've ever heard, and I refuse to believe human life is that pointless. Scientology: Let's pretend I don't believe L. Ron Hubbard wa...

I once told one of my bosses at ChristCenteredGamer I have a somewhat liberal take on the Bible, and since that is a bit vague, I believe I need to explain that further. First off, in general, I consider the Bible, while a record compiled by Man and thus flawed and imperfect, it's still an authoritative compendium of all the basics any self-respecting Christian should adhere to, that is NOT up for debate as far as I'm concerned. However, I do have the following caveats, based on the same ones Christ Himself and His Father made clear concerning God's law: 1. As for the things not up for debate, like "do not steal", that's a pretty clear and straightforward command, you'd be hard-pressed to argue against that or saying it has some wiggle room. 2. As for the laws with extenuating circumstances, I take the more liberal view. For instance: "do not kill". First off, it would be more properly rendered "do not murder", as there are se...

If there is one fallacy many Christians have, albeit it often comes from the most well meaning motives, it's the belief that trying to influence the world using magic and the occult, contrary to the instructions of God, will actually have an effect on this planet or the people on it as regards events that cannot be explained. They agree doing so is immoral, and they are right, but they would be foolish to believe it has an effect either way without God's assent, nothing supernatural occurs without him signing off on it happening. This is also missing a very basic point God himself made numerous times about why no one but him and those he gave power should ever trifle with the supernatural, and it wasn't so much he feared we'd do damage in a supernatural way if we tried, but more that we'd be fools to do so because we really have no power outside what he gives us. He proved this several times in Scripture, showing Man's various attempts to substitute his powe...

Note: I would like to credit ChristCenteredGamer for the inspiration behind this post, based on a discussion on the CCG Discord channel when discussing the topic covered below. There is a common fallacy in both real life and fiction that evil means used for good ends can somehow have the evil origins of the means negated by using them for the noblest of causes. That could not be farther from the truth, especially for Christians. For a popular fiction example, the comic book hero Batman is a good example of being very aware of this problem. Batman knows he has no moral or legal right to pass judgment on any criminal he stops from committing a crime, hence why he leave them to be apprehended by the police to dealt with by the legal system. He knows if he allows himself to believe he has the right to kill in cold blood, even of the most evil and depraved of people who "deserve it", he will quickly become just like them, and no matter how much the world might be better o...

In case anyone wants to know exactly what I or any other reviewer of games and other media does at ChristCenteredGamer , here's a brief overview: 1. We get to pick, if we don't have a huge backlog of review keys, whatever we'd like to review, especially if we are volunteer reviewers. I'm a volunteer reviewer, but if we have a lot of review keys we need to check out, those go to the top of the pile. As for paid reviewers (regular employees who draw a fee for what they write, which is not a lot since CCG is a nonprofit), they generally handle the review keys first and foremost, but if they manage to get some free time, they can cover their own projects. Note: All reviewers must do at least two reviews of two games of their own choosing prior to getting any regular requests to do game reviews, this is so CCG can get an idea of your competence and writing ability in general. 2. If we use a review key, we have to sign a contract prior (only the first time) stating we...

Note; I dedicate this post to Jason and Cheryl Gress of ChristCenteredGamer, whose bravery and candor in their ministry for Christ has inspired me to be brave in my own life, and I owe both an immeasurable debt of gratitude for giving me the courage to say what is said below. For those who have not realized I write for the website ChristCenteredGamer  under my real name, I am named, in real life, Daniel Cullen. I commonly go by GethN7 on most sites, Arcane or Arcane21 on Wikimedia wikis. I have decided to quit hiding my real name for a few reasons I want to share, with both friends and enemies alike. 1. I'm at the point I refuse to be afraid of people trying to dox me. When I decided to have an internet presence, I knew it was a risk I'd run into, and for the longest time I was paranoid, especially because some malicious parties once tried to dox me with the intent of causing me all sorts of harm. More recently, some of them have threatened to dox me just to scare ...

https://www.christcenteredgamer.com/index.php/reviews/pc-mac/7096-dragon-quest-heroes-the-world-tree-s-woe-and-the-blight-below-pc Writing this post to confirm that I do indeed write for ChristCenteredGamer, a fact I'm very proud of, as both a gamer and servant of God. For the record, I want to get a few things out there for both my new employers and anyone else interested. 1. I admit I'm a sinner, unworthy to look up towards Heaven, but as someone who wants to glorify God, I will do my best to write work that does just that. 2. As a gamer, I've long bemoaned the horrible state of gamer journalism, and I have now become one (at one of the more honorable outlets for it from where I'm sitting) in the hopes of reversing the trend. It is my intention to be honest and honorable in this regard. 3. I will sublimate my personal moral opinions for the sake of CCG's standards, which are effectively neutral towards all Christian denominations and still strive to pr...

This post will be dedicated to discussing the original Passover festival as detailed in the Book of Exodus, and the Eucharist (the "Lord's Supper") as detailed in the New Testament Gospels. The latter is derived from the former and shares some interesting differences with it in both meaning and history, so below I will cover both and any trivia associated with both. Passover: Alternatively called "Pesach", it is a spring festival to celebrate the liberation of the Jewish people from their bondage in Egypt as depicted in the Book of Exodus. The rite was originally celebrated in the month of Abib, which would correspond to the month of March on the contemporary Gregorian calendar used in most countries as of the writing of this post. The month of Abib was to be the first month of the Jewish year, meaning, much like in Islam, which begin the first year of it's calendar based on the migration of the Prophet Muhammad to city of Medina, the Jewish calende...

The biblical book of Deuteronomy (which means "second law") contains a recap of most of Leviticus and Numbers, but ti also includes some new laws and expansions on older ones those books do not cover. The new material will be covered in this post, with any specific historical trivia not explained in the original text noted. One Place of Worship: The Israelites were commanded to worship only at the place designated by God, all other places were to be destroyed, especially those where sacrifices to other gods were made. It further notes God would designate a suitable place in the lands of each tribe. Prophets: Anyone who claimed to be a prophet who advocated worship of any god other than God was to be killed by stoning by the whole community. Prophet whom God ordained would be the only ones authorized to perform supernatural feats, and then only on God's behalf. Idoltary: Any place or city encouraging idol worship was to be burnt to the ground as a...

See here for Part 1; https://gethn7.blogspot.com/2019/05/biblical-weights-and-measures-guide.html Lengths: Measures of width and distance. Finger: About 8/10ths an inch, or the width of a finger measured horizontally. Handbreathth: About 3 inches, or the measure of 4 fingers horizontally. (minus the thumb) Span: 9 inches. Cubit: 18 inches. Would have been the ancient equivalent to the American foot of 12 inches. Long Cubit: 20 inches: A rarely used measurement mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel. Fathom: 6 feet. Would have been used most often as a nautical measure. Note: Survived to see more modern usage. Mark Twain's pen name is derived from the term "Twain", which would have been four fathoms, or 24 feet. Reed: 8 cubits, around 9 feet (rounded up) Furlong: 1/8th mile/650 feet. A measure of distance mentioned in Revelation, relating to a span of distance crossable by horses. Stadion: Around 700 feet. Alternatively used with furlong in some cases....

The Bible often makes references to various weights and measures in common use at the time it depicts, but little or none of them are used today. Most Bibles contain a summarized conversion table in their index pages of the ones mentioned in the text, but this can still be confusing to modern readers. The Old Testament period was set during the Bronze Age, before the common usage of currency in Mediterranean societies and thus instead of using a standardized currency based on coinage, items such as gold and silver were given value as established by their weight. This system sufficed until the Classical Era, which takes place post Babylonian captivity and through the rest of the Old Testament, when early forms of currency emerged. The New Testament takes place around the time of pre-modern societies, like the Roman Empire, which had long promulgated standardized currency to replace assessing value as was done in the pre-currency days, though some weights and measures were still us...

I wrote a previous post on the book of Leviticus and the laws of the Israelites, this post shall cover the laws in Numbers, many of which elaborate or clarify those mentioned in Leviticus. Portions related to the "story" will be skipped, this is merely a summarized version of the laws and their details. I have also skipped specific offerings that were non repeated and done for specific individual events at the time, unless otherwise noted. Unclean People: Anyone who had a bodily discharge, was a leper (had any kind of disease), or was defiled by a dead body had to live outside the main camp so to not defile the main camp with impurity. Restitution for Sin: Those who wronged another had to make it right had to make a sacrfice equivalent to the sin in question (as documented in Leviticus), had to add an extra fifth of the value of the original sacrifice, then it had to be given to the wronged party, but if that person was unavailable and a close relative could not be f...