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the-jim 28-Jun-17, 16:12 |
 Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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stalhandske 28-Jun-17, 20:20 |
the_jim I think it is important to distinguish between the Bible as such (I assume that my version is equivalent to the KJ version) and various interpretations of it. Differences between these interpretations have resulted in different factions of Christianity, some of which are quite radical. As a scientist, I consider some of these interpretations erroneous because they have been directly refuted by the scientific method. A main one concerns the age of the Earth - the scientific evidence is overwhelming that Earth is very much older than the few thousand years believed by Young Earth Creationists. To my knowledge the Bible does not give the age of the Earth - the Young Earth believers have interpreted it that way. A second one concerns evolution of man which the Bible, of course, describes quite differently from what modern evolution theory suggests. |
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I Concur with Itchy For early efforts in philosophy the texts reveal fairly sophisticated thinking for tribes comfortable with human slavery, corporal and capital punishment for trivial crimes. We no longer kill women for the crime of adultery, and frown on cultures where that practice continues. Jesus set an example, setting the woman accused of adultery free. Some modern interpretations are that Jesus must have known she was falsely accused, for had she been guilty she should have been righteously executed by blunt force trauma. There is wide disagreement over every passage, just as there is with every other work of man. Consider how often our own courts misinterpret modern laws written by the best legal minds of our own time. Every reversal of a supreme court decision represents just such an error. With religion misinterpretation is vastly more common, as each person has their own goals. Religion, like law, is a social construct. It is a human invention. Science too is a human invention, but the key difference here is that science must conform to nature, not to our own personal wishes or desires. Nature does not care what we think. Even the many world's hypothesis, the Copenhagen Interpretation, while an observation forces the collapse of a wave function to a single state, the desire ofthe observer does not play any role. That cat lives or dies independent of any hope or dream of the observer. That, at least, is MY interpretation of the science. |
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stalhandske 29-Jun-17, 07:03 |
shiva |
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L.S I would add that it's not one text but rather a collection of various texts, written at different periods. Some of them being a written transcription of oral traditions. Some of the texts are natives from other parts of middle east than the Canaan country (the Genesis story is very similar to old Mesopotamian myths, for ex.) |
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Carl Sagan |
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Pale blue speck of dust “Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” ― Carl Sagan |
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the-jim 29-Jun-17, 12:14 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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The Gospels The Gospels were all penned several decades later, with John (the youngest apostle) being written as much as 60 years after the events portrayed. It is widely reported that when John was executed, he asked to be crucified upside down, as he was not worthy to be killed in the same manner as Jesus. John is also reputed to have written Revelations, though claims of this authorship are now widely disputed. Modern Bible scholars don't believe John lived long enough to write these books, but that they were penned within another twenty to thirty years after his death. en.wikipedia.org |
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Pauline Epistles Certainly the most preachy and judgmental attitudes prevalent in the evangelical Christian churches sprouts primarily from the writings of Paul. |
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Damascus I am very sorry I will never get to see beautiful Palmyra, destroyed by religious ignorance and political stupidity. I was in Amman, Jordan. I didn't go north, but I went south to see Petra, the city carved out of sandstone featured in the second "Raiders of the Lost Ark." To the east was Iraq, but it was a long drive and through hostile territory, so I didn't go that direction either. At one point our driver pulled up behind a big panel van surrounded by Muslims, way out in the middle of the desert far from any sign of civilization, and for a brief moment I was concerned, and contemplated what weapons I could lay my hands on to kill the driver should things begin to go awry. Always good to take along a guide into the afterworld, especially if he is hostile. But we took off again without any trouble, and had a really great time wandering through the ancient city and the environs off to the west, between Petra and the Dead Sea. |
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the-jim 29-Jun-17, 13:07 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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The Train My wife is the artist, and painted and leaded the window. I think this one was actually mostly copper foil, between the pieces. The paints are glass pigments that melt into the glass, becoming part of it after firing. This one is one of my personal favorites, Kateri Tekakwitha, who was recently sainted by the Catholic Church. www.lostartoriginals.com The artist (on whom I seldom lavish sufficient praise) lays down the high temperature paints first, and fires the pieces in a large electric kiln. The temperature must rise gradually, soak a bit at the desired level (maybe 1100 degrees Fahrenheit) and then slowly cool back down so as not to shock and break the glass. Go too high and the paints burn off and the glass crazes, meaning it picks up material supposed to prevent it from sticking to the shelf, or other bad things happen. Devitrification is another battle. After eight to ten hours the kiln is opened, and the second, lower temperature paints are added, and then lower, and lower... In general the piece is coated with an even layer of paint, which is air dried, and then the paint is carefully scraped away. Take away too much and you have to wash it off and start over. One piece might be fired eight to twenty different times before it is satisfactory. This is truly a "lost art." Did you check out her other windows? She is trying to get away from the liturgical themes and into more avante garde stuff, which she likes much better. But her flowers, animals, and other works are all gorgeously done. One window will typically require six to nine months of labor, sometimes more. |
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Quotes I'm not sure women's flat track roller derby is all that popular in Russia. I enjoy watching it, though. The other quote is by Josef Stalin, the "Man of Steel." Life is better, life is happier! It is meant to be ironic, given that Guiness Book of World Records ranks him number two (behind Chairman Mao) in terms of mass murder. |
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the-jim 29-Jun-17, 14:54 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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Pay to Play I put "pilsner" in quotes because that style is served in clear glass, the better for those who imbibe to enjoy the light clarity of the beer. Germans tend to serve a lot of beer either in pewter or ceramic steins with lids that keep the flies out, or in those enormous glass mugs the German bar maids with big arms can fit five or six into each fist. Amazing women! s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com I was trained to serve in my church. The public school system, where I attended school, was among the best in the state. Probably one of the top public schools in the nation, I would guess. |
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the-jim 29-Jun-17, 16:55 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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the-jim 29-Jun-17, 16:59 |
Bears lol |
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the-jim 06-Jul-17, 15:50 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:19.
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Jimmy It's a bit old now, but The Unauthorized Version by Robin Lane Fox I remember as an eye-opening book on similar themes. |
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the-jim 07-Jul-17, 14:50 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:20.
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LS said : ------------------ It is incorrect. John was beheaded and not crucified. Peter was the one who was crucified upside down. He was fully repented for denying Jesus 3 times until the rooster crowed. Can somebody check and correct it ? |
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the-jim 07-Jul-17, 18:07 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:20.
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John the Baptist |
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Apostle John |
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Peter |
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the-jim 10-Jul-17, 15:13 |
Deleted by the-jim on 15-Jul-17, 16:20.
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