Posts by Yerusalyim

My original point was that a god does not need a fingered Rosary, lit candles, a field service report, chants or the fat of a lamb. A secondary point is that humans do not NEED to perform those rituals.

You're right, God DOESN'T need these things...God doesn't need our worship or rituals at all...but we need them, we need ritual.

TMS,

I don't find the God of the bible ludicruis, your interpretation of him perhaps, but not God himself.

FUNK,

Suffering is indeed a result of free will...Humans must be able to choose to love...and with that choice comes the ability to hate as well.

95

What's Your Opinion Regarding Spanking A Child?

by minimus in

jw
friends

do you think it is ever appropriate?

should it be illegal?

do you think the bible recommends doing this?

Yerusalyim

they have me wrapped round their finger en it.

You don't see this as a source of problems for the child later?

I've seen kids that are the product of parents that never spanked, moderately spanked, and those who abused their kids....the worst behavior was from kids who were never swatted and those who were abused...The ones who had recieved moderate physical discipline were the best behaved.

95

What's Your Opinion Regarding Spanking A Child?

by minimus in

jw
friends

do you think it is ever appropriate?

should it be illegal?

do you think the bible recommends doing this?

Yerusalyim

I like Dr Dobson's guidelines on this...and he's actually a smart guy in this whole child rearing thing.

Never punish when you're angry

Physically punish when the child endangers himself or others (i.e. a smack on the hand when you catch them trying to stick the paper clip into the electrical outlet)

For open defiance...when they tell you NO when you ask them to pick up a toy and put it away...or ignore you....a solid swat on the behind is appropriate...which is why God gave us so much padding back there as kids.

After age 10 or 11 physical punishment is generally out of order with some exceptions.

Without going into details I tossed my 18 year old step son around like a rag doll when he tried to intimidate me with his greater size and weight.

20

a god of my design

by TMS in

jw
friends

although i'm unlicensed, untrained and beyond doubt unqualified in this field,.

i'm thinking about designing, creating a god.

don't laugh.

Yerusalyim

Although I'm unlicensed, untrained and beyond doubt unqualified in this field,
I'm thinking about designing, creating a god.
Don't laugh. I'm not the first charlatan to try. True Enough.
Let me run by you a few preliminary, random thoughts about the kind
of god I'm thinking about inventing.
My god will disdain worship. No, my almighty one will possess enough self-esteem.
He will not need your rituals, sacrifices, praise or alms. Respect
and love, yes. Worship, no. So, how will mere humans be able to express that love, other than in worship? Rather than an empty sacrifice, he will
be more impressed with a productive life. Accomplishment, invention,
creativity, generosity, love will all be more important to Him than
idle ritual. So, what of the human need for ritual?
My god will not be threatened if you build a ziggarut tower to the
"heavens" or discover electricity or nuclear fusion. He will simply
smile his "that's my boy/girl" smile of pride. I think the current God does taht too.
My god will not select a "chosen nation." What if everyone but one nation rejects your god, won't they seem to be "chosen"?
My god will communicate clearly. He will not use prophetic imagery, visions,
antitypes, types, spiritual "notification," "times," shadows,
or new light.
My god will be very tolerant of new ideas in art, thought, science,
philosophy and exploration. So, he'll have no standards.
My god will not permit disease, hunger, child abuse, Adolph Hitlers, war,
theft. You're eliminating free will?

8

Does anyone know please let me know.......

by alison in

i've been checking a couple of websites a nd jewelry stores on line looking for red gold.

i was looking for a military style red gold dog tag.

i live in new york city if any one knows where i can find this please let me know.

Yerusalyim

I'm in the military, I've NEVER heard of a "red-gold" dog tag...the Red dog tags are medical alerts...is that what you mean?

37

Jesus and Jihad (NY Times op/ed regarding fundy 'Left Behind' books)

by DanTheMan in

i really enjoyed this - .

jesus and jihadby nicholas d. kristof.

published: july 17, 2004. .

Yerusalyim

I don't think my comparisons are a stretch at all.

Really? How many Christian Terror groups are there...and how many people have they murdered this year...oh, and how many televised beheadings...

Come on...disliking Christians is one thing...comparing them to a group of people that actively murder innocent people in terribly cruel ways...that's over the top.

37

Jesus and Jihad (NY Times op/ed regarding fundy 'Left Behind' books)

by DanTheMan in

i really enjoyed this - .

jesus and jihadby nicholas d. kristof.

published: july 17, 2004. .

Yerusalyim

Big difference between accepting that our temporal existence may just be a temporary and unexplainable phenomomenon that ends completely at death, and clinging to archaic notions of an anthropomorphized sky papa who torments his wayward creations for all of eternity. BIG difference. Unbelievably gigantic difference. Well, first of all, my concept of God, and in fact most christians with whom I am familiar do not believe god torments ANYONE for eternity. The torment is self imposed, those in hell CHOOSE to be thre.

As for your comment regarding my experience with the witlesses making me jaded towards all religion - my response would be - your indirect experience with the witlesses has failed to enlighten you to the heart of bloodlust that permeates the true believing JW, evangelical, fundy & radical Islamist, making them essentially different variations of the same tired song. That you have the unmitigated gall to compare JW's, and evangelicals with radical Islam completely destroys your arguement. There is NO MORAL EQUIVALANCY...NONE...between a goup of people who go around cutting off heads and those who believe that God is just and will mete out justice...which seems to be your whole issue...justice. On the one hand we have the radical muslims who have a time honored history of cutting off heads in the name of Allah...on the other hand you have evangelicals, Jews, and mainstream Islam that believes God will mete out justice.

Which is worse, those who take their idea of justice into their own hands and kill their religious enemies, or those who wait on God to deliver justice?

5

roman influence on Seder meals

by peacefulpete in

ok this is not really of any importance but i wanted to post something.

leolaia has elsewhere posted interesting and revealing background to the christian eucharist meal and it's mix of jewish seder meals with persian and roman symbolism and ritual.

i just was reading from the jewish encyclopedia that explained that the tradition of reclining to eat the meal was adopted from roman sacred banquets.