The Brother From Another Planet

July 6, 2006 6:46 PM

"White people call them Unidentified Flying Objects." This blog covers the incorporation of contemporary UFO myths into the Nation of Islam's peculiar pigmentational eschatology. It includes a link to a fire-and-brimstone speech by Reverend Farrakhan himself on this topic. (Due to subject matter and racial themes, these might not be the best links for work.)
posted by jason's_planet (11 comments total)

The Mothership ain't nothin' but a party, y'all.
posted by Opposite George at 7:16 PM on July 6, 2006

Ezekial saw the Wheel
Way up in the middle o' the air
Was a wheel in a wheel
Way in the middle o' the air!

And the little wheel turned by faith
And the big wheel turned by the grace o' God
Ezekial saw the wheel
Way in the middle o' the air!
posted by longsleeves at 7:34 PM on July 6, 2006

Traditional
posted by longsleeves at 7:36 PM on July 6, 2006

A high school choir singing Ezekiel Saw The Wheel.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 8:13 PM on July 6, 2006

I once ate a pork rind that looked like Mohammed.
posted by mischief at 8:16 PM on July 6, 2006

That sounds kind of haram, mischief.
posted by Meatbomb at 8:57 PM on July 6, 2006

So Farrakhan/Ward et al put their own spin on traditional Islamic beliefs, added equal parts of upper level Dianetics, and then use this new faith to acquire capital and influence?

That, is like totally unbelievable and completely unlike the popular perception of the Nation of Islam.

Insincerity aside, this is an interesting post and I really like the phrase "peculiar pigmentational eschatology"
posted by Joybooth at 11:17 PM on July 6, 2006

That blog strikes me as a bit questionable... the guy didn't really have much new light to shed or anything of much substance to say about any of this. Otherwise, the Wikipedia entry and the Farrakhan speech were word-for-word same on the topic of the motherplane or whatever... For that matter, the blog guy took most of his quotes from Wikipedia and/or the Farrakhan speech, far as I can tell. So in the end I think I've been directed around in a big circle and I'm not sure what, exactly, was the point of this post...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:27 AM on July 7, 2006

Just another sect of fundamentalist mythologists.

Persons must decide whether to be rational or to embrace a version of the magic man in the sky...

Like Ms. Slick once sang, "Two thousand years of your goddam glory" is more than enough for me.
posted by aiq at 7:42 AM on July 7, 2006

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

If the white man ain't the devil, how come every time a UFO comes down and picks one up, they kick his ass?
posted by Divine_Wino at 9:28 AM on July 7, 2006

I'm not sure what, exactly, was the point of this post...

I wanted to use the batshitinsane tag.

I'm also very interested in crank literature, in crankish, counter-factual, counter-logical narratives. I like the creativity that goes into them. Most religions, for me, are forms of crank literature.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone who contributed!
posted by jason's_planet at 8:05 AM on July 8, 2006