Eye for an Eye ... or To Which Verses be Blind...
In response to the post
An eye for an eye...
* Nov. 11th, 2008 at 3:48 PM
by
Akien MacIain, Secret Agent Of Happiness
Weirdness...
Seen on a bumpersticker on my way to work:
An eye for an eye
makes the whole world blind
I don't find it relevant to any particular thing in my life right now, but I just love the idea. Yes, this model does not work.
MY ( Read more... )
An eye for an eye...
* Nov. 11th, 2008 at 3:48 PM
by
Akien MacIain, Secret Agent Of Happiness
Weirdness...
Seen on a bumpersticker on my way to work:
An eye for an eye
makes the whole world blind
I don't find it relevant to any particular thing in my life right now, but I just love the idea. Yes, this model does not work.
MY ( Read more... )
That's a cute description.
Wasn't that the same backwater rebbe who, when asked if he had come to dispose of all the old laws, replied: "None of the old laws will be dismissed. They all still apply. I came to add new laws. You will do the one, and also the other"
I don't remember exactly in what backwater book he said this, but it must be one of the four backwater gospels.
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>GrinYeah, I got that description from a true believer who said the miracles MUST have actually happened, otherwise WHY would the Romans have paid any attention to this guy ( ... )
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Everybody wanted to go to heaven of course, but most people thought that stories about heaven tended to be a bit dull. Stories about hell were far more exciting, so visionairs with visions of hell were more popular.
Have you read the play Don Juan in Hell? I highly recommend it.
From what I understand of the Christian depictions of Heaven, it doesn't sound like much fun. Of course, that's from an incarnate viewpoint. But I've never found an unchanging, preordained structure to be of much interest.
Most of those hell visions borrowed much from pagan mythology.
Hmm. That I didn't know. I did know that a lot of Saints were formerly gods and goddesses (point: Bridgette) and that many celebratory practices were co-opted (just what does a tree have to do with the nativity story???) including the *timing* of Christmas.
The word "hell" is not even a biblical word, but is called after the Nordic/Germanic godess of death called "Hel".Again, didn't know. But in the Old Testament, "satan" has multiple meanings, including temptation ( ... )
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About Satan: in the book Job I felt Satan functioned as a DA, while God was the judge. And a DA and a judge work for the same side. If they dissagree, it is because the system requires them to dissagree, not because they are enemies.
"From what I understand of the Christian depictions of Heaven, it doesn't sound like much fun"
A rebbe meets a catholic priest. The priest says: "Last night, I dreamt I was in the jewish paradise. There were people everywhere, traging, arguing, shouting. It was so crowded, it was almost scary. I was glad to wake up."
The rebbe says: "That is peculiar. I dreamt I was in the catholic heaven. It was beautifull. The trees were green, the birds were singing, the sky was blue. It was so peacefull, I almost regretted waking up."
The priest smiles, and then asks: "How were the people?"
The rebbe smiles too. "People? People? No, I don't recall seeing any people in the catholic heaven."
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Cute.
One of my favorite "heaven" jokes is about a new guy getting the tour; he and his guide get to a long, high wall.
"You have to be very, very quite while we pass this wall."
After they have passed this area, the guide says, "OK, we can talk now."
"What is behind that wall?" asks the newly-arrived.
"Oh, that's just the Catholics. They think they are the only ones up here."
[Of course, you can put any religious group's name into the last line.]
It is amazing to me how much anger has been expressed, hatred raised, not to mention blood shed, over people disagreeing how to worship a god who said "Love one another" and "love your enemies"... Sigh...
It is very rare (although there are some) for a religion to be able to feel valid without saying, "WE know the RIGHT way that G-d WANTS to be worshiped and believed in and thought of!!!"
Thanks for the joke. I do collect them.
Here is my current most-told.
(If you like it, please tell it!)
Q: Why are coins made out of metal?
A: Because change is hard.
Take care,
K.
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When I was a child and when I still believed, Paul was my favourite prophet. I am not sure he can be called a prophet, maybe I should call him a preacher or a priest. Anyway, he was my favourite. Maybe because he was a real christian, unlike Christ, who never seemed to be a 100% christian.
That did raise some questions with me. If his followers, or at least one of them, is more a christian than Christ himself, then is there something wrong or not?
Anyway, I was always good at asking questions, and never very good at answering them. Not when I was a catholic, and not now that I am an atheist.
Interesting that you dislike Paul. I think he's the only prophet in the bible who is not a jew.
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Paul was my favourite prophet. .... Maybe because he was a real christian, unlike Christ, who never seemed to be a 100% christian.
OK, I want to hear more about this. Are you thinking money changers in the temple? Not being sure he wanted to include gentiles? I'm not as familiar with the NT as I think I should be...
How do you view Paul as "a real christian"? In the NT, he seems to be the one talking exclusion... and his "church" is the other bone I have to pick... When spirituality becomes power-hungry, when you spend money on beautiful buildings (which they are) while people are sick and starving (which they were), something has gone awry.
Every tradition has a tendency to devolve into "eating the menu." As far as I know, Hinduism is the only one that recognizes the tendency, and allows for it, creating Avatars, incarnations of the Godhead, every so often to straighten things out and get people back on the path instead of fixated on the legend on the map.
Let me know if I should explain "eating the menu."
Anyway, I was ( ... )
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It's more a feeling than anything else. When I was a kid I imangined Jesus as a long haired bearded hippy.
But Paul... I saw him walking around as a catholic bishop with a mitre and a staff and a white robe and a bible under his arm. Not a very realistic image I fear.
( ... )
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