Shintoism is a religion from Japan classified as an East Asian religion by scholars. It is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as a "nature religion." Religious scholars sometimes call its practitioners "Shintoists," although adherents rarely use that term themselves. With no central authority in control of Shintoism, there is much diversity of belief and practice evident among practitioners. A polytheistic and animistic religion, Shinto revolves around supernatural entities called the kami (神), who are believed to inhabit all things, including forces of nature and prominent locations.
These shapeshifting kami are worshipped at kamidana household shrines, family shrines, and jinja public shrines staffed by priests, known as kannushi(those who deal with the kami), who oversee offerings of food and drink to the specific kami enshrined at that location. This is done to cultivate harmony between humans and kami [shapeshifting spirits, apparitions, ghosts, genies, poltergeists, elementals, ghouls, monsters, tricksters, fairies, gargoyles, or other invisible beings] and to solicit their blessings. Other common rituals include kagura dances, rites of passage, and kami festivals. Public shrines facilitate forms of divination and supply religious objects, such as amulets, to the Shintoists. The religion places a major conceptual focus on ensuring purity, largely by cleaning practices such as ritual washing and bathing, especially before worship. Little emphasis is placed on specific moral codes or particular afterlife beliefs, although the dead are deemed capable of becoming kami. The religion has no single creator or specific doctrine and instead exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms.
Yōkai are also referred to as ayakashi (あやかし), mononoke (物の怪), or mamono (魔物). Some academics and Shinto practitioners acknowledge similarities within the seeming dichotomy between the natures of yōkaiand most kami, which are generally regarded as relatively beneficent by comparison. Shintoists classify the two as ultimately the same type of spirits of nature or of a mythological realm [3]. Their behavior can range from malevolent harm or mischievous trickster pranksterism to benevolent towards humans. More: yōkai
Mormonism: the theology and religious tradition of the Latter-Day Saint movement of RestorationistChristianitystarted by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, it has been applied to various aspects of the movement, although since 2018 there has been a push from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to distance itself from this label [1]. A prominent feature of the theology is the Book of Mormon, a 19th-century text that describes itself as a chronicle of early Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their dealings with [the white man's] God [2]. This theology combines mainstream Christian beliefs with modifications stemming from belief in revelations to Smith and other religious leaders.
Atheism: knowing that there are no Gods (theos); in the broadest sense, an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are certainly no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which is the belief that at least one deity exists.
NONTHEISM: The position that whether there is a God(s) or not, that has no bearing on an individual's enlightenment, liberation, deliverance, salvation, emancipation. (Why? The gods/Gods are caught in this samsaric rounds just as other beings are). It is a range of both religious [1] and non-religious [2] attitudes characterized by the absence of espoused belief in the existence of a God or gods.
It has generally been used to describe silence towards the subject of gods (deus, theos, dīvus) and differs from atheism, which is an active disbelief in any gods. It has been used as an umbrella term for summarizing distinct and even mutually exclusive positions.
(We apologize in advance if our statements have offended any FSMists; it is never our intention at WQ to offend, diminish, mock, or otherwise find fault with the religion or nonreligion of anyone's choosing. Do carry on believing and never mind our backwards ways. In fact, everyone should convert to this religion and/or make up their own, such as George Costanza Sr.'s Festivusism. We ourselves are nontheists, Buddhists yes, but nontheists.)
FSM Pastafarianism
One day the eternal Creator Deity blessed humankind with starch but cursed it with gluten
The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is the supreme deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster [of the latter-day tortellinis], an ironic, satirical, and parodic new religious movement that promotes a light-hearted view of religion [3]. The parody originated in opposition to the teaching of intelligent design in public schools in the USA. According to adherents ("Pastafaris"), Pastafarianism (a portmanteau of pasta and Rastafarianism 🌬️) is a "real, legitimate religion, as much as any other" [4]. It has received some limited recognition as such [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. More
SUMMARY: Police said the right-wing suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, drove his American flag strewn pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS in Michigan before firing, killing and injuring a dozen people, and setting the building on fire. Police then killed Sanford in a shootout, officials said.
Church shooter opened fire on hundreds of Mormon worshippers is pictured in Donald Trump shirt
My warrior may have shot up Church, but Israelis shot Charlie Kirk, not me, uh, I mean, did not...
(The Independent) A Sunday worship [yesterday, Sept. 28th, 2025] service turned into a scene of horror when an American gunman [Iraq War veteran and mass murderer] rammed his Chevy pickup into a Mormon church in Michigan before opening fire on congregants and setting the building on fire, killing four people and injuring at least eight others.
Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, was identified as the suspect, police said during a press conference on Sunday evening. The attack unfolded around 10:25 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, about 50 miles north of Detroit, according to police.
Hundreds of people, including children, were inside at the time of the shooting. After the suspect smashed his pickup truck with two American flags affixed to the bed through the front doors of the church, Sanford emerged with an assault rifle and began firing on worshippers, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said.
Look, Jeffrey Epstein, this capital is MY capital. I'll see you on Kiddie Island soon.
His reign of terror continued as he intentionally set a fire that turned into a massive blaze, police said. It was brought under control just before 1:00 pm. As the suspect fled the church, he exchanged gunfire with two officers and was killed. More: the-independent.com
(Kim Iversen) Details do not add up. Accused 'shooter' Robinson
Look at us, Everybody, we're televangelists!
(The Jimmy Dore Show) Guest Host Misty Winston: Will Israel get full narrative control of this assassination and murder/glorious death penalty execution of patsy Mormon gun nut (and accused assassin) Tyler Robinson (who by 9/13/25) is nowhere mentioned even as a "suspect" on the Killing of Charlie Kirk - Wikipedia page. Interesting. We know the names of the alleged decoys who were not the shooters but who were present and calling attention to themselves so that the real assassin could escape unnoticed.
(The Jimmy Dore Show) Why was Kirk terrified of being killed by Israel
I confess. Kash Patel caught me.
Then all the footage of the gunless alleged shooter leaving a roof and going into a nearby neighborhood or supposed "wooded area" nearby with a towel and giant rife and scope to set it down...Who's buying this nonsense? The Mossad/CIA showrunners can't even get the details of the official narrative right! If it were just their narrative being aired, it would not make sense. Then Bibi immediately goes out on a Denial Tour (Jewish, Israeli leaders call for prayers and end to political violence after Charlie Kirk is shot | The Times of Israel), having known of Charlie Kirk's DEATH before anyone else and mistiming a social media release saying so. (See The Kim Iversen Show coverage). Who told Netanyahu that Kirk had died before anyone else? The same showrunners who told Trump, "You can be the one to announce we have the patsy in custody"?
Brown rightwing racist FBI Kash Patel
Kash Patel's 'Valhalla' tribute to Charlie Kirk sparks online outrage, Netizens call him 'cringe' (Republic World) Sept. 13, 2025: FBI Director Kash Patel’s 'heartfelt' tribute to Charlie Kirk has set off a storm of emotions and debate online. During his speech, Patel referred to “Valhalla,” a term [not] from Norse mythology meaning the “Hall of the Slain” [but from modern MAGA, Neo-Nazi, fringe rightwing ideation] where brave warriors are believed to go after death. While many saw the remark as a moving gesture of respect, others found it controversial, sparking intense discussions across social media platforms. The emotional farewell took place just days after Kirk was shot dead on September 11 at a university in Utah. Meanwhile, authorities quickly detained the suspected shooter, demonstrating their commitment to pursuing justice. #CharlieKirk #KashPatel #FBI
Never mind Kirk plot. Look over here!
(Forbes) Trouble in London, England, as Brits clash with police
Misty Winston, Kurt Metzger, The Jimmy Dore Show; Ashley Wells, Pfc. Sandoval, Shauna Schwartz (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
SLC Punk! is an American comedy-drama film written and directed by James Merendino. The film centers around Steven "Stevo" Levy, a college graduate and punk living in Salt Lake City during the mid-1980s. SLC Punk!, which was released in 1998, was chosen as the opening-night feature at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival [2]. Merendino created the film based on his experience growing up in Mormon-heavy Salt Lake City. Although the film is not autobiographical, Merendino has said that many characters were based on people he knew [3]. More
What's so punk about Buddhism? Well, it is anti-authoritarian, into direct experience rather than intermediary priests. It is about questioning and going "against the stream." Just ask punk Buddhist Noah Levine, his Buddhist dad Stephen Levine, or his long-time teacher Jack Kornfield.
[Mormon] Jesus saves? Buddhism is all lies? - Are you envious of lay people, and do you regret?
Western monk explains his choice of Theravada. - How can we know and be sure? Bodhi
Not until I was sure did I claim to know and see.
It is so sad to hear this last man's words. The same accusations were hurled at the Buddha in his day by Brahmins and doubters. While it may sound reasonable to us as we assume, it is completely wrong. The Buddha DID NOT follow his own thinking or take a "best guess" and the meaning of life. It was about awakening to the Truth he could never have imagined. It has so little to do with "thinking" and so much to do with directly experiencing. But he did not stop there. He verified again and again and taught a path of verification and purification. Buddhism is not a belief system, as much as people try to treat it that way or make a "religion" out of it. It is a path-of-practice, a set of instructions. One must practice (walk) the path to verify it for oneself. There is nothing to believe or accept on blind faith. There is everything to investigate and see for oneself. What is the most "punk" sutra? That would have to be the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha's invitation to self-inquiry. "Don't believe anything I say just because I say it -- or even that of your teachers or books or traditions. But you yourselves must know and see" is the gist of what the Buddha is saying to the Kalamas, a group of people who rightly doubted him as "just another teacher about to exalt himself and condemn others." The Buddha shocked them when he didn't do that but still managed to teach them the Dharma.
How can anyone know anything?
The Buddha gives a standard: Start from what you already know to be true from your own experience.
In the Kalama Sutta the Buddha lists the criteria by which any sensible person can decide what to accept as true or not: Do not blindly believe religious teachings, he tells the Kalamas, just because they are claimed to be true, or even through the application of various methods or techniques.
Direct knowledge grounded in one's own experience can be called upon [as the deciding factor]. The Buddha advises that the words of the wise should be heeded and taken into account, but he does not propose passive acceptance.
Rather, the Buddha promotes constant questioning and personal testing to identify truths that verifiably reduce one's own disappointment, suffering, and misery (dukkha) and that of others.
The Kalama Sutta (also called the Kesamutti Sutta) states [3]:
Do not go on what has been acquired by repeated hearing (anussava), nor upon tradition (paramparā), nor upon rumor (itikirā), nor upon what is written in scriptures (piṭaka-sampadāna), nor upon surmising (takka-hetu), nor upon axioms (naya-hetu)... More
Standup comedian Jimmy Dore may be an Irish Catholic Bostonian, but out west in California, he's gone spiritual and more New Age. Now he has a lot of powerful Hollywood friends -- Al Pacino, William Neeson, Vince Vaughn, Jim Gaffigan, Mitts Romney, Barry H. O'Bama, Candace Owen, maybe Diddy himself, and too many more to mention.
Some of them called in this week to spill the beans and dish the gossip.
Jimmy, don't air our dirty laundry.
It's a tough time for Holy Roman Catholicism, or at least for the child m'lesting officials of the Church. Child sexual abuse victims by Catholic (homosexual, incel, bisexual, omnisexual) priests. The Los Angeles Archdiocese has had to pay more than a billion dollars ($700 million before and another $800 million now owed with millions in lawyers' bills) after dragging their heels, declaring bankruptcy, trying to avoid any kind of healing, confession, repentance, or reconciliation with the sodomized molested parties, and totally not molesting any new child victims.
(Oh wait, they are still ritually doing the devil's work of sacrificing virgins to God, namely young altar boys and anyone else Catholic parents entrust to them). Some of us here were Catholic, so we know what goes on. Jimmy knows, too, as apparently does famous comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Ex-Mormon reacts to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
(Alyssa Grenfell) Sept. 12, 2024: Everyone said these women “aren’t that Mormon.” I jumped into the show and realized just how thoroughly Mormonism is dominating these women’s lives. Who was the favorite person on the show? It's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) not Mormonism.
[COMMENT: If Amish Mafia was fun, this show will seem like a blast, peering into the lives of sugar addicts going bonkers by taking prescribed drugs and excitotoxins killing off their neurons.]
Ex-Mormon reacts to standup comics George Carlin's 10 Commandments
(HailHeidi) Aug. 14, 2024: Thanks so much for watching this reaction and hearing me share my thoughts as a recovering Mormon. (Sound like comedian Carlin is a recovering Catholic). This bit made me laugh because it is thought-provoking. Thanks for the recommendation!
Original video credit: George Carlin - 10 Commandments
To watch up next: • Why Are There So Many Mormon Influence...A few resources I mention in the video:
*Watch the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu: https://shorturl.at/fueYW
*Link to all my notes about the show: / reaction-to-111800221
*BOZE vs. the WORLD reaction and recap of original MomTok Drama: • ex-christian curiously watches mormon...
*Jordan and McKay reaction and recap of original MomTok Drama: • Mormon Swinging? Ex-Mormons Take You ...
*WHO'S WHO of MOMTOK master post: / whos_who_of_momtok_master_post
*Mormon church’s response to Hulu show: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/2/...
*Mormon church’s video about temple ceremony clothing and garments: • “Mormon Underwear” is the Temple Garm...
*Survey responses about wearing garments: https://www.lds-women-and-garments.co...
*Whitney discusses RSV clip on the show: https://www.tiktok.com/@secretliveson...
*Mayci’s video addressing whether or not she is “Mormon”: https://www.tiktok.com/@maycineeley/v...
*Taylor Franke Paul arrested article: https://nypost.com/2023/09/06/soft-sw...
*My YouTube video about being trained to be a TradWife: • Brainwashed Mormon Mommies?
*The many rules of Mormonism: https://www.mormonsspeak.com/2019/09/...
Other resources that may interest you:
*Why I left the Mormon Church: https://www.mormontruths.com/why-i-le...
*My Mormon endowment explained video: ( • Secret Mormon Temple Ceremony Explain... )
*Mormon garments explained video: ( • Mormon Garments Explained )
*Every rule I followed as a Mormon: ( • Every Rule I Followed as a Mormon (Co... )
*My Mormon mission was a waste: ( • Mormon Missions Explained (Why I Regr... )
*Complete story of my Mormon wedding: ( • Mormon Temple Weddings Explained (Sor... )
where to find me -
Patreon (ad free & bonus content): https://shorturl.at/8bpnw
TikTok: / alyssadgrenfell
Instagram: / alyssadgrenfell
Blog: https://www.mormontruths.com
Email me: alyssadgrenfell@gmail.com
support my channel -
Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Alyssa-Grenfell
Judge approves lawsuit against CIA and Pompeo over Assange illegal surveillance
(The Jimmy Dore Show) Dec. 29, 2023: #TheJimmyDoreShow
Richard Roth is the lead attorney suing the CIA and former CIA head Mike Pompeo for spying on journalists and lawyers for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange while he was living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
A judge recently ruled that the lawsuit can go forward, rejecting the CIA’s contention that illegally copying data from visitors’ electronic devices was perfectly aboveboard and not secretive spying in violation of their right to privacy.
Watch Jimmy Dore’s interview with Roth about the case and the outrageous CIA overreach in the Assange case.
Women Talking
(PG13
•
1 hour 45 mins)
Based on the best-selling novel by Miriam Toews, Women Talking follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony [think Amish, Mennonite, or Mormon] as they struggle to reconcile their [Germanic Christian Puritanical] faith with a series of sexual assaults [rape, child molestation, forced impregnation] committed by the colony's men.
Now playing at:
Landmark Theatres, Pasadena, Los Angeles County. Genre: Drama.
Director: Sarah Polley.
Cast: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley.
Bernie beat Buttigieg, but Petey takes credit for DNC manipulation that screws Sanders
(Late Night) "Politics makes strange bedfellows." We never thought we'd have anything good to say about Mittens Romney (his real name) or bad to say about Peter Booty-judge (not his real name).
Senate GOP, except for Romney, acquits Trump in predicted removal from office trial
If the DNC screws me again, I'll back Biden!
Seth Meyers takes A Closer Look at Senate Republicans completing their cover-up of impeached (officially indicted) President Trump’s crimes today when they acquitted him after a removal from office/impeachment trial that banned witnesses because what he did wrong was not in question. The only thing in question was whether or not he should be removed from office for it. Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers weeknights 12:35/11:35c on NBC.
Look at these two sell-outs. They're no better than Klobuchar or Clinton. I'm an Independent.
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