Re: Star of Bethlehem

In article <swartzfeger-945003.00052313122005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Jay Swartzfeger <swartzfeger@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In article <dnj8l9$1tl$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> pausch@xxxxxxx (Paul Schlyter) wrote:
>
>> In article <swartzfeger-341EB6.11243211122005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>> Jay Swartzfeger <swartzfeger@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> In article <dngt95$27ip$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>>> pausch@xxxxxxx (Paul Schlyter) wrote:
>>>
>>>>> I prefer to not throw pearls before the swine, so to speak, particularly
>>>>> in a place like s.a.a. I think it's safe to assume most here are older,
>>>>> well-educated and rooted in their core beliefs/non-beliefs.
>>>>
>>>> Actually, I do have one problem with a number of Christians: their
>>>> self-righteousness. E.g. the kind you show here when you refer to us
>>>> non-believers as "swine" ....
>>>
>>> That's why I said 'so to speak' -- I was simply quoting a scripture that
>>> basically means don't bother people with something they clearly do not
>>> want to hear.
>>
>> ...and it also implies that those who don't want to hear it are somehow
>> inferior .... and will end up in hell, tortured forever..... nice
>> scriptures, eh? :-)
>
> <shrug> take it up with Jesus, he said it. :)

....or so the legend says... :-) ...but even if Jesus did say so, it's
up to each one of us whether we want to accept it or not. To invoke fear
is a very old trick to gain power over uneducated people.

Finally, it is kind'a hard to discuss with someone who've been dead
for almost 2000 years, isn't it?

> In context, his comments made sense considering he was addressing an
> uneducated crowd and using heavy allegory.

Context? You mean the Word Of God isn't eternal and unchanging, as a
number of Christians claim? <g>

Anyway, if you wanted to transfer this into the contemporary context instead,
how would you want to express it?

> Of course, I don't want to disabuse you of the notion of of Christians
> being self-righteous bible thumpers that read hate-filled scriptures, so
> whatever. ;)

Some are -- and I think you agee with me on that, don't you?

> I personally find pigs 1) cute and 2) tasty, so I take no offense at the
> use of the term swine.

So if someone wanted to devour you for dinner, you'd consider that a
compliment?

> Ok, this 'self-righteous' Christian is bowing out of this thread because
> religion doesn't belong in s.a.a. and I need to pour myself a third pint
> of russian imperial stout...

--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW: http://stjarnhimlen.se/
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Arab-Israeli Fatalities Rank 49th
    ... That a particular kind of anti-Semitism is common, if it is, ... I guess you don't have any context that makes the comment better. ... Most Christians want to see the whole world become Christian. ... view as I gather from Jews... ...
    (soc.culture.jewish.moderated)
  • Re: Salad-Bar Christians
    ... A salad bar is a bad analogy. ... particular had some interesting things to say about that context. ... Christians must have ordered Sunday from the menu because it ... One of the things that Jesus fought ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Was God right to tell Bush to invade Iraq?
    ... the Old Testament might as well be left ... Some Christians appear to believe that every word of the Bible, ... understood God and God's dealings with humanity. ... The whole has to be understood in context, ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • Re: Are natural languages secure ciphers?
    ... > with no context, no plaintext, no algorithm, no key, nothing. ... If there's no context, it wouldn't be particularly interesting to try ... some encrypted message at all? ... pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se ...
    (sci.crypt)
  • Re: Are natural languages secure ciphers?
    ... > Christian Faulhammer writes: ... >> You need a lot of context to break language. ... In encryption normally context is given. ... pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se ...
    (sci.crypt)
Quantcast