tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post1033298004382556698..comments2024-03-29T06:35:11.321-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: TSA SCUM - Update 4Deuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-43770025776169999832011-06-28T11:34:35.441-04:002011-06-28T11:34:35.441-04:00.
On superficial thinking
That there is great di....<br /><br /><b>On superficial thinking</b><br /><br /><i>That there is great diversity amongst the followers of modern Christianity and that the claim the US is a Christian Nation is baseless due to that diversity.</i><br /><br />This is basically because you just don't get it rat. The date assigned for Christmas and Easter mean nothing. They just honor the fact that Christ was born of virgin birth, that he died on the cross for our sins, and on the third day rose from the dead.<br /><br />The death and resurrection of Christ are the central tenants of Christian faith, Everything else, arguments over one biblical passage or another, an inconsistency here or there spread over millennia just aren't that important.<br /><br />It is faith in that central idea that would make this a Christian nation.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-17548429727992331032011-06-28T11:03:55.503-04:002011-06-28T11:03:55.503-04:00.
On consistency.
That Jesus nor James allowed f....<br /><br /><b>On consistency.</b><br /><br /><i>That Jesus nor James allowed for the rejection of Mosaic law, as did Saul/Paul, undeniable.</i><br /><br />Funny that you should say that given the faith you put in Mr. Ehrman as a source since he says the opposite.<br /><br /><b>On questionable assumptions.</b><br /><br /><i>The Romans edited the book</i><br /><br />In one sense meaningless, if what you are talking about is the Roman world since everyone involved and effected was Roman at that time.<br /><br />But from your other posts, I think you mean the Roman Catholics. <br /><br /><i>The Romans choose the content of the Bible, propagated it across Europe, America, Asia and Africa and have in the process developed a billion faithful, across the whirled.</i><br /><br />At the time, the Church was more ecumenical and it was bishops, both east and west, that determined the Canon. Of course, the Pope as Bishop of Rome and considered first among equals also had to buy into it.<br /><br /><i>While none of the modern Christian churches can draw a direct lineage to Jesus and his disciples in Galilee.</i><br /><br />Again wrong. The Roman Catholic Church claims direct lineage through Peter, the Rock.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-33035276074009010532011-06-28T11:02:05.633-04:002011-06-28T11:02:05.633-04:00.
Now some comments on some of your statements.
....<br /><br />Now some comments on some of your statements.<br /><br /><b>First on accuracy.</b><br /><br /><i>The "New Testament" not being the work of Jesus or James, but of the Roman Emperor Constantine.</i><br /><br />and<br /><br /><i>Why boob, you've told us that the Bible is just literature.<br /><br />Open to editing and revision.<br /><br />Emperor Constantine certainly had that done.<br /><br />Or the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of Judas and other Agnostic Gospels would have made the cut, at the First Council of Nicaea.<br /><br />The First Council of Nicaea exemplified the raw power of Constantine to shape Christianity.<br /><br />That Christianity was profoundly changed after that power was exercised, historical fact.</i><br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br />The canon wasn't discussed at the First Council of Nicene and it wasn't finaly codified until around 400 A.D. Secondly, much of the canon, about 20 books I believe, had been acceptd as authentic for years primarily because it was believed that they were written by either the apostles or someone so close to the apostles that their words were divinely inspired. The balance of the books included were by a consensus of Church fathers and experts not by Constantine despite what your "sources" might say.<br /><br />With regard to Constantine's importance to the Council of Nicea that is legitimate. After all, he did call it; however, he did so at the suggestion of a synod of bishops who were concerned about the Arian heresy and the effect it was having on Church unity.<br /><br />Where you go wrong is in emphasizing his participation in the Council. Constantine was no scholar and likely had little appreciation for the various theological concepts being discussed. What he was was a politician and what he wanted was unity thin the Church and within the empire.<br /><br />His one demand of the Council was come up with a consensus set of beliefs (which they did) and anyone that doesn't accept those beliefs will be excommunicated (which they were).<br /><br />You talk of the date of Easter being changed (as a poke in the eye of the Jews). Nonsense. Many Christians has been celebrating Easter on Sunday for years. The reasons it was changed although not complicated would take an entire post to explain but it was mainly because of the unpredictibility of the Jewish calendar which made it difficult to know when Easter would fall.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-46853184697299972972011-06-28T10:16:22.075-04:002011-06-28T10:16:22.075-04:00believe the Bible is allegory and myth (not a dero...believe the Bible is allegory and myth (not a derogative term) that discusses abstract principles and ideas in story.<br /><br />That is exactly what I believe.<br /><br />dwrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-87151921681406769512011-06-28T09:04:43.314-04:002011-06-28T09:04:43.314-04:00.
But let’s take one of your more serious referen....<br /><br />But let’s take one of your more serious references, that of Bart D. Ehrman. <br /><br />According to his bio in Wikipedia, he is a well qualified biblical scholar. He has written about twenty books. He started out as a fervent born again, fundamentalist Christian. However, the more he got involved with biblical literature, the more concerned he became about what he viewed as particular discrepancies in the texts. Eventually, he became an agnostic after struggling with the philosophical problems of evil and suffering.<br /><br />[I would note that new converts to a particular faith are usually the most ardent proselytizers for their new faith. In some cases the opposite is also true. People who had invested much in their faith and then lost it often are the most vocal critics of what they lost. Just my opinion.]<br /><br />At any rate, his views appear to be outside the mainstream of today’s religious thought. He has argued that instead of those who have been termed “heretics” for tampering with the texts that it was in fact the orthodox establishment that tampered with the texts. That is not to say he is wrong only (as I pointed out before) you should be looking further in order to make a balanced judgment.<br /><br />If you do, you will find many of the same arguments leveled against Ehrman that I have leveled against you.<br /> <br />Much of the evidence Ehrman offers is superficial. He states we do not have the original texts and if God really provided the Bible to man he would have found some miraculous way of preserving the originals. He ignores the fact that the originals of many (most?) ancient documents do not exist; yet through secondary sources and references, scholars are able to closely (not 100%) duplicate what the documents actually said. And in the case of the Bible, we are blessed with a surfeit of this secondary info.<br /><br />Ehrman makes a big deal about stating that there were no professional scribes in the ancient world and therefore we can assume that the “amateur” scribes made a mess of the translation. The content of the Dead Sea scrolls written 1000 years before previous documents that have been found put a lie to that assertion.<br /> <br />Ehrman also says that Jesus may have led his followers astray by faulty interpretation of the Bible; yet, in many of the cases cited by Ehrman, Jesus’ words are merely and expansion on the words in the Bible.<br /><br />Finally, Ehrman says because there are many interpretations of who Jesus was and what he actually said, we really don’t know much about Jesus. I would suggest there are many who would argue with this conclusion.<br /><br />The fact is, with all the minutiae Ehrman talks about there is nothing there that discredits the main tenets of the Christian faith.<br /><br />I mentioned Ehrman has written about 20 books. Critics say many of them rehash the same territory. Further they complain that they lack any type of extensive bibliography but instead reference other works by Ehrman.<br />I am not saying Ehrman is wrong on some of his conclusions, only that there are plenty of equally qualified scholars who disagree with the guy.<br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-4119934257790454892011-06-28T07:55:12.326-04:002011-06-28T07:55:12.326-04:00.
Ah, moved on to the Mormons I see rat.
So that....<br /><br />Ah, moved on to the Mormons I see rat.<br /><br />So that you know my criticism of your arguments isn’t based on the religious concepts being discussed but rather on what I consider your rather shallow thinking, your use of specific sources, and the quality of the sources you use to make your arguments, let me say that I am agnostic. <br /><br />Unlike Gag who appears to believe that the Bible is literal truth (an assumption on my part) or Bob who thinks all of life is myth, I, despite the fact that archeology has proven that many of the places and people were real, believe the Bible is allegory and myth (not a derogative term) that discusses abstract principles and ideas in story.<br /><br />Let’s start with your sources. People have criticized you for using Google. That is unfair in one sense because Google is a great resource if used properly. However, on a subject like religion where everyone has his own opinion, confining yourself to the first few Google pages of references restricts you to the most popular entries. And in today’s world of the conspiracy theory, the Dan Brown and reality TV crowds, and the people that sit around all day watching the Casey Anthony trial, it limits your perspective. On religion, there are thousands of entries on most subjects, most of them by conservative, orthodox scholars. However, there are also plenty by more liberal critics too that offer alternatives to the mainstream views.<br /><br />But let’s look at your sources.<br />I’ve already discussed <i>Paul – Agent or Informer</i> that offers a criticism of Paul based on the Dead Sea scrolls so I won’t go into that again. But what about <i>The Flavian Testament</i> by C.N. Carrington. Who is C. N. Carrington? Hard to tell, since I couldn’t find many references in Google. Most I did find was from C.N. Carrington – Arts. Couldn’t find anything about C. N. Carrington – Arts either. I also couldn’t find a book called <i>The Flavian Testament</i> that has been published other than the Google reference you posted. Looks like C. N. Carrington may have put it up himself.<br /><br />Did find one reference that compared C. N. Carrington to others like George Atwell (<i>Ceasar’s Messiah – The Roman conspiracy to Invent Jesus</i>) who argue that there was no real Jesus. That the story of Jesus was the story of Titus and his campaign through Galilee and destruction of Jerusalem. Or another author that argued the Story of Jesus was really the story of Julius Ceasar.<br /><br />Then there is your reference to <i>Saul of Tarsus</i> on Wikja. Didn’t know what WIkja was. Still not sure. From what I can see, it appears anyone can go there and set up their own web page and post anything they like. There didn’t seem to be any reference to the guy who wrote the article. Not exactly what I would call authoritive.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-26148756918264926652011-06-28T00:40:30.407-04:002011-06-28T00:40:30.407-04:00Turd Burger<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1N6QfuIh0g&feature=player_embedded" rel="nofollow">Turd Burger</a>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-78489515817548172712011-06-27T23:42:17.726-04:002011-06-27T23:42:17.726-04:00The Mind's self understanding is all there is....The Mind's self understanding is all there is....but why waste the 'time'.<br /><br />dwrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-5555849483660909372011-06-27T22:39:30.944-04:002011-06-27T22:39:30.944-04:00According to Mormon theology, Jesus was a polygami...<i>According to Mormon theology, Jesus was a polygamist (Journal of Discourses, Volume 4, page 259).</i>desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-87447921339324592172011-06-27T22:38:34.126-04:002011-06-27T22:38:34.126-04:00According to Mormon theology, Jesus was born in Je...<i>According to Mormon theology, Jesus was born in Jerusalem (Book of Mormon, Alma 7:9,10) and is of the Tribe of Benjamin. The city of Jerusalem (Jebusi) belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:21-28)</i>desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-334413004402618162011-06-27T22:37:42.833-04:002011-06-27T22:37:42.833-04:00According to Mormon theology, Jesus is the literal...<i>According to Mormon theology, Jesus is the literal son of god and his goddess wife. He was born through physical sexual relations with Mary. Brigham Young taught that Jesus was not born with any involvement of the Holy Spirit.</i>desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-86442337361221092802011-06-27T22:37:23.019-04:002011-06-27T22:37:23.019-04:00Upper Darby is still one of the safest areas aroun...Upper Darby is still one of the safest areas around Philadelphia. Large numbers of blacks go to Upper Darby to shop because merchants to the east in real heavy black areas have long since bailed. They did not leave because they hate money.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-29196609967452566802011-06-27T22:29:08.999-04:002011-06-27T22:29:08.999-04:0014 million Christians that believe Jesus came to A...14 million Christians that believe Jesus came to America, after he rose from the dead and left Jerusalem.<br /><br />It's in their book.<br />They believe it's history, too.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-16403791319933862892011-06-27T22:28:33.818-04:002011-06-27T22:28:33.818-04:00Let me be clear, I will say what I think and do so...Let me be clear, I will say what I think and do so. If you are offended by truth, too bad on you. When you catch me in a lie, flag it.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-69680904805599825702011-06-27T22:26:49.697-04:002011-06-27T22:26:49.697-04:00Three Libyan ministers, including foreign minister...<i>Three Libyan ministers, including foreign minister Abdelati Obeidi, were in Tunisia for negotiations "with several foreign parties," Tunisia's official TAP news agency reported, without further details.<br /><br />A senior official representing Libya's rebels said that they were expecting to receive an offer from Khadafy "very soon" that could end the four-month war, AFP reported.<br /><br />Heavy fighting was reported in the Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli, centered on Bir al Ghanam, a strategic point on the road to the Libyan capital.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-26546315748885294762011-06-27T22:25:19.816-04:002011-06-27T22:25:19.816-04:00Here is what happened in West Philadelphia last Th...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_OwPu2ZcRo" rel="nofollow">Here is what happened in West Philadelphia last Thursday</a>. Of course you don't happen to notice anything in particular about the crowd do you? That is in a town called Darby. You may not be familiar with Darby and the white racists that fled it. The first society formed in Darby township was an abolition society organized in 1830. It was the site of an annual meeting of the Pennsylvania State Anti-Slavery Society at Philadelphia. <br /><br />Darby was settled by Swedes in the mid 17th century and later by Quakers, two group notorious for racial bias. Many homes in Darby were opened to the underground railroad. Those homes were not owned by Klan members. Darby is still 50% white, but in what direction do you think it is going and why? Lead in the paint or a history of white bigots?Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-19650117324979102432011-06-27T22:23:58.357-04:002011-06-27T22:23:58.357-04:00Explain it to me: Mormonism
Here are 10 facts abou...<a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/24/explain-it-to-me-mormonism/" rel="nofollow">Explain it to me: Mormonism<br />Here are 10 facts about Mormonism.</a><br /><br />Well, I put up 4 of them, if interested in the other 6, click the link.<br /><br /><i>1. The official name of the Mormon church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.<br /><br />2.<b> Mormons consider themselves Christian but their beliefs and practices differ from traditional Christianity in key ways, including belief in sacred texts outside the Bible and practices like posthumous proxy baptism and wearing special undergarments.</b><br /><br />3. There are about 14 million Mormons today, with more than half living outside the United States.<br /><br />4. The Mormon religion was founded in upstate New York in 1830, when <b>Joseph Smith published a translation of writings he said he found and translated from Egyptian-style hieroglyphics into English. That's the Book of Mormon,</b> which believers say consists of writings produced by ancient American civilizations.</i><br /><br />...desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-62171370263988016672011-06-27T22:17:59.640-04:002011-06-27T22:17:59.640-04:00I know it but it is damned hard to say.
Melody sa...I know it but it is damned hard to say.<br /><br />Melody said "They are all lazy."<br /><br />That's not the truth, but we could start by cleaning up our TV.<br /><br />I have no idea what to do about inner Detroit or Philly.<br /><br />I am trying to work with them here.<br /><br />dwrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-42557213514961169072011-06-27T22:17:53.469-04:002011-06-27T22:17:53.469-04:00Sounds like people voted with their feet.
A lot l...Sounds like people voted with their feet.<br /><br />A lot like what this fellow thinks is cause and effect:<br /><br /><a href="http://biggovernment.com/waroot/2011/06/21/ayn-rand-was-right-wealthy-are-on-strike-against-obama/" rel="nofollow">Wealthy Are on Strike Against Obama</a>desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-70280910563711590502011-06-27T22:07:06.562-04:002011-06-27T22:07:06.562-04:00I am sorry you are offended by the truth. The numb...I am sorry you are offended by the truth. The numbers speak for themselves: Only 14% of the public school students in Philadelphia are white despite the white population of the city being nearly 50%. Now is that because the white people are all racists? <br /><br />I feel sorry for the decent black people that are stuck with what government and society has allowed to happen. Turning a blind eye to it will not change it. It is the Democrats that force blacks to stay in the government schools and those schools are a nightmare.<br /><br />Strawberry Mansion School is 98 percent black and located in the heart of North Philadelphia. Bok in South Philadelphia 83%; Communications Technology in Southwest Philadelphia 98% and The High School of the Future in West Philadelphia 95% and those schools are far from the worst Phildelphia has to offer. Why did the whites leave, because they all were in the Klan?. Why is that? Lead paint, not enough food, not enough welfare? Did all the Jews who left Philadelphia leave because they hated black people? Why did they all leave, because they hated their homes? Think.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-37997791036946784162011-06-27T21:53:19.620-04:002011-06-27T21:53:19.620-04:00Hope your daughter does as well, in recovery, as y...Hope your daughter does as well, in recovery, as your wife did, from her terminal illness.<br /><br />Back in the day.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-55855017436781201912011-06-27T21:51:44.356-04:002011-06-27T21:51:44.356-04:00Either he, or Mr Huntsman, they'll carry Nevad...Either he, or Mr Huntsman, they'll carry Nevada in the primary, Utah, too.<br /><br />Religion is their key, to that.<br /><br />Religion and politics, they go hand and hand.<br /><br />Always have.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-65177891800095353072011-06-27T21:45:28.033-04:002011-06-27T21:45:28.033-04:00No, boobie, it is all about history.
It is about ...No, boobie, it is all about history.<br /><br />It is about power politics in history and how it effects the present.<br /><br />To deny that the past effects the present, well, you are an alfalfa farmer.<br /><br />The eal meaning, politicians use religion, always have, always will.<br /><br />Like politicos claiming the US is a Christian Nation, while being unable to quantify that Christianity, historically.<br /><br />Jesus will be returning, to Missouri, you know.<br />Mitt Romney believes it.<br />He read it in the Book of Mormon, now he takes it on faith.<br /><br />Makes it true, at least for those that are believers, in the divinity of Jesus and his corps of Later Day Saints.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-24061470691767401312011-06-27T21:24:33.031-04:002011-06-27T21:24:33.031-04:00It's not about history you ignoramus.
It is a...It's not about history you ignoramus.<br /><br />It is about meaning.<br /><br />g'nite and my daughter is here with some photos of her accident.<br /><br />That car was squished, like Squishy of old memory.<br /><br />She is truly lucky to be 'alive' if that is an advantage.<br /><br />dwrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-63877142197137596932011-06-27T21:13:41.049-04:002011-06-27T21:13:41.049-04:00You're losing it, boobie.
But then again, tha...You're losing it, boobie.<br /><br />But then again, that's nothing new.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.com