Theological Ramblings.

So the one skeptic alleges that a text indicating Jesus was married contains text from the Gospel of Thomas. If true, that makes for a shitstorm of irony that I imagine almost no one will see.

Not surprised, taking into consideration the Apocryphal Gospels.

I'm skeptical that religion can be discussed in a public forum.

I don't quite understand the hullabaloo over whether or not he was married.... is that some sort of prophesier indicated disqualification for divinity or something?

You have to sacrifice a virgin!

I thought that only worked on volcanoes...

I have a hankering for some Orange soda now...

I'm not the best Biblical scholar in the world, so I can't say for certain that Jesus being married or not has some kind of effect on the canon of Christianity.

However, the controversy is more that people have been producing dubious or outright false artifacts for the better part of 2000 years and basically anything is looked askance on, especially when it seems to conveniently fit the political or philosophical needs of whomever finds it.

I have read the Apocryphal books of the old testament but not the Apocryphal Gospels.

Please clue me as to the irony.

At the end of the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says that only men get into Heaven. When asked about his mother, he said that she'll be transfigured into a man.

So, you know, the most patently misogynistic apocryphal gospel possibly being used as crib notes for a feminist tract.

it's only ironic if you are true follower of alanis morrisette.

Interesting bit of theological reasoning.

Blood moons point to 'world-shaking event'

Right about now almost every American knows about Passover, its one of our big important holidays. (And I just started the matzoh ball soup.) The Feast of the Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is somewhat less important to us.

Astronomically this isn't that odd seeing as we are on a lunar, 28 day month, calender (our leap years splice in an extra MONTH.) and well... 28 days....

Vaguely related derailing question: As someone raised and educated by the Roman Catholic Church, Pesach (Passover) is something that I've always known about as it is a core part of the whole Easter hoopla (which is, let's remember, the most important holiday in the Church calendar). Obviously the Catholic tradition of Passover is rather different from the Jewish. What I am curious to know, though, is if other people raised in Christian households had any kind of familiarity with the holiday and/or celebrated it?

Speaking personally, I probably connected better with Passover than usual if only because the Ten Plagues was one of the more exciting stories in the Bible when I was a kid. Kids love seeing the unworthy punished.

Ono, you have no idea how the Christians and Catholics have taken to Passover in the last 20 - 25 years.

Passover, the Jewish Holiday for Gentiles

I do have problems with that word exclusive.

- from the same article.

I LOVE inviting my goyshia friends for a Passover Seder. In the ceremonial part the matzoh is NAMED "the bread of affliction". I never thought we should be the only people so afflicted. /giggle

Its widely thought that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder.

Oh... total aside, its been so many years now that Easter and Passover have been concurrent. I cannot remember a run this long before.

Even more aside: I am SO FRICKING PISSED at my roomie. She tossed out my goose grease and I was SO planing to use it in the matzoh balls.

Can't say that faux-Passover Seders happened in my neck of the woods. I only broke with the Church 14 years ago, so that presumably falls into your window? It might also be more an urban/mixed community thing. I haven't been near a church during the Passover/Easter season since 2000 (though I have wandered into a local Methodist church a few times in the past year), but I am also unsure that there's much of a Jewish population in my city. I'm sure there must be one, but contrasted the last large city I lived in, I've yet to find the neighborhood where they congregate. It probably helped that the Orthodox Jews and the *** were living in the same place in that other city, mind you.

They aren't really faux. They are an honest attempt to view Passover through the lens of Christianity. Last Supper, Jesus was a Jew, and all.

Some recent Pope said "spiritually we are all Semites." To me all of you, Christians, Catholics, and yes, even Mormons, are merely Jews who have accepted Christ as the Messiah. (My biggest theological argument with 98% of the Christ centered religions isn't the Messiah part, its the Sunday Sabbath.)

So in my theological viewpoint why shouldn't they?

And personally I find it heartwarming and charming.

As part of the ceremony we open our doors so any passerby can wander in. He might be Elijah, he might be hungry, we will feed him, we kinda are obligated to. Mind you this has never happened to me.

Tomorrow is the second Seder. We have two, rabbinical dispute about the exact date, and hey, two feasts are better than one.

If you can find out where the local Jewish neighborhood is, want to drive around, look for open doors, wander in, and tell me about it?

I talked to a local and he said there is a neighborhood, but given we are due for snow tonight and tomorrow (in April... my skepticism about climate change is weakening), dunno that I'll find the opportunity. Even if Jewish guys are kinda hot.

They are all cut....

but yeah.

Two more articles on the coming apocalypse signaled by the blood moon tetrad:


‘Blood moon’ sets off apocalyptic debate among some Christians - The Washington Post.


Christian Pastors Warn 'Blood Moon' Is An Omen Of Armageddon And Second Coming Of Christ - Huffington Post.

This is going to get good. Fortunately there is no leavening in popcorn.

Edit: They seem to be the same article.

Pivoting back to the "Jesus' Wife" fragment:

New clues cast doubt on 'Gospel of Jesus' Wife'


TLDR: Yes the papryus is ancient and the ink is right but the "Jesus' Wife" fragment came with a few other papryi one of which IS a forgery.

And even papryi are judged by the company they keep.

Fake or Real? We will never know, as it was intended.

They probably shut her down, because that belief is pure fiction. You may as well believe in Santa Clause. The mountain of evidence and proof that the earth is older than the 6k years or so that they believe discredits it entirely. It reminds me when I was in church as a kid and the subject of dinosaurs came up. Satan put the dinosaur bones in the Earth to lead people astray and believe the Earth was older than it actually was.

When people have to shoehorn facts into lies to accommodate their religion, it's a problem.

I do agree with your initial assertion about golf and sex though. It makes no sense and just is one of those things you have to laugh off.

Luckily, not all Christians believe this hogwash. I mean, how can someone know what goes on in Heaven when it's not in the Bible and they've clearly never been? The Bible warns about false prophets, and how there are Christians who don't see that, I don't know.

Also, to Ono's comment about the people like Billy Graham representing most U.S. Christians, I agree, but I also have a theory behind why. I, formerly being Lutheran, was made to read the Bible. I've read it probably about 5 times in it's entirety, and I still go back and read some of the stories. I view it the same as Greek mythology. Some of the stories are downright interesting. This said, I have yet to actually meet even one Christian who has actually read the Bible in it's entirety that is around my age, and even the older generations as well. The only ones I've met who have are the Catholics. I also live in south Alabama, right in the Bible belt.

My thought is, these people are too lazy to actually read it for themselves, outside of a few verses or the well known stories, so they instead listen to their pastor, AM Christian stations, and televangelists to get their information. Scarily, this is similar to how religion controlled the illiterate masses centuries ago, however now, it seems to be out of pure laziness that a lot of Christians don't actually read the book they're trying to sell.

Sorry for any typos, posting from my phone.

I think it is time to resurrect this thread. Mostly because of David Brat.

The guy who took out Cantor. Who has a Masters in Divinity. And a PhD in Economics.

The guy who professes to be a Christian and a Randian (as in Ann.)

David Brat: Hitler Could 'Happen Again' If We Don't Embrace Christian Capitalism ... OK its the HuffPo, they do sensationalist headlines. But he said it.

Waitafricking minuet. Christian capitalism????

Jesus kicked the moneychangers out of the temple. He railed on against usury. The earliest Christian communities were the purest form of communism ever seen on this vale of tears.

How can someone who has studded divinity reconcile the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of Ann Rand?

If you have any clue to these riddles PLEASE enlighten me.

Jesus 'Bolsheviki' Christ

Hitler reference circle of life.

Like I said, the Dems will be picking up a seat in Virginia.

This is funny. People talking about the Bible and quoting from it with the skill/intelligence of a newborn.

It would be kool if you all just read it and then gave firsthand account, instead of just the same mindless/clueless restatement of 7th hand facts.

Wait, that requires (work) research and the ability to be fair to an outside opinion, so that may never happen.

Feel free to go back to your safe zone echo chambers to felel better.

Just sayin.

Are you a parody account?

I'm guessing Westboro Baptist...