When I visited the site, the feature article was about stigmata, which are mysterious wounds or skin markings that correspond to the wounds suffered by Jesus before his death on the cross. Individual cases of stigmata go back to the middle ages, or possibly even to Saint Paul, but a good part of this article is devoted to modern cases such as that of the well-known stigmatic Padre Pio.

An unusual article called “The Evil Eye” discusses the belief (or superstition) that certain individuals are able to cause harm or even kill simply be means of their eyes. It says that people can protect themselves by wearing a horn-shaped pendant called a cornicello.

In addition to the articles, the site also features podcasts, book and movie reviews, and a store.

At the time of my visit, the forum about new weapons included threads on subjects such as killer robots, Russian stealth jets, the AK-47, the Gauss rifle, and the Dazzler. I learned that a Gauss rifle is a weapon that uses magnetic propulsion to fire its bullets, and that a Dazzler is a device that produces a brilliant flash of light intended to cause temporary blindness and disorientation.

In a forum called “Paranormal Studies”, I found threads about such subjects as ghostly cell phone images, psychic abilities, ghosts of famous dead people, and demonic possession.

To visit this site, go to Above Top Secret.

Although I didn’t get angry, I was startled by what I read in several of the articles. This would include the articles about the birth of Jesus, the family of Jesus, speaking in tongues, and demonic possession. There was also surprising information in the discussions of Barabbas, Mary Magdalene, Golgotha (the place where Jesus was crucified), stigmata, and the Beloved Disciple.

The article about the search for Golgotha contains a map of ancient Jerusalem showing the location of the traditional site of the crucifixion and a photo of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which was later built there. The article discusses the evidence that this is the right location, but also mentions that some historians have doubts.

The discussion of possession by demons suggests that this belief is an attempt to explain psychological disorders such as schizophrenia. But because it is a primitive idea, some Christians find it embarrassing that the gospels describe several incidents in which Jesus expelled demons from people.

According to an article about cases of stigmata, some people believe that these mysterious wounds (or skin blotches) can appear spontaneously as a sign from God. But the author describes several possible natural explanations for their occurrence, including the possibility that some people have secretly wounded themselves, or even painted fake stigmata onto their skin.

The discussion of the birth of Jesus contains several items that surprised me. First, Mary was probably only thirteen years old when she became pregnant with Jesus. Second, Joseph wanted to back out of the marriage when he found out about the pregnancy. Third, Mary may have left her hometown for three months to avoid the public disgrace. And fourth, there was a report that a Roman soldier was the father of her unborn child. All of this is very different from the traditional story of the divine conception and virgin birth.

The article on the family of Jesus mentions the common belief that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life, but then points out gospel passages which indicate that she had four other sons besides Jesus, and at least two daughters. This means that she must have given birth at least seven times. And not only did she go through that hardship, her husband Joseph apparently died before all the children were grown.

Another section of this article discusses passages which say that other members of Jesus’ family opposed his decision to begin his ministry and tried to forcefully bring him home. One passage even says that they thought he was “out of his mind.” But later they apparently became convinced of his messiahship and joined his other followers.

If you want to peruse this site, go to www.gospel-mysteries.net. You will find a variety of articles plus a gallery of famous works of art.

The article about demonic possession says that possessed people can be identified by traits such as an evil eye, superhuman strength, fits and convulsions, personality changes, ability to predict the future, and ability to talk in foreign languages that the person never heard before. According to the article, the usual remedy for the condition is to expel (or exorcise) the demon from the victim’s body, but this can sometimes be difficult because of resistance by the demon.

In the Christianity section, I found an interesting article about Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who made the final decision to crucify Jesus. The article suggests that Pilate underwent an inner conflict because he believed that Jesus was innocent, but also felt a political need to stay on good terms with the Jewish religious authorities, who wanted Jesus to be crucified. Of course in the end he acted in his own self-interest by taking the side of the Jewish leaders, whose collaboration he sometimes needed on other matters.

In addition to the scholarly articles, the site also has a section in which visitors can submit their own writings. Go to The Mystica to see everything that is available.