Saddam Hussein the day of his capture
How is it that we (civilized society) consider it less immoral to go to war and in the process murder/kill/maim/dispossess hundreds of thousands than to kill one man and his family of butchers?
This I do not understand and likely never will.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
Jesus approved of Slavery or, at the very least, did not disapprove of it. Mankind has since decided that Slavery was immoral.
How can Jesus have been perfect if he believed in the morality of slavery?
Christians will jump through hoops to rationalize this. If Jesus were perfect AND the Alpha and Omega, the “man of his times” defense doesn’t work.
Here are passages from the New Testament:
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. “But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.” (Luke 12:47-48 NLT)
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Jesus, here, appears to be approving of beating slaves for disobedience. Not only did he approve of the practive of human ownership, he believes that beating them is a fair practice.
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Below, the Bible actually gives rules to slave ownership:
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6 NLT)
And here, the Bible speaks approvingly of sex slaves:
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)
AND it’s all good as long as the Master feeds, clothes and sexes ‘em up!
This is basically tacit approval of prostitution and sex slavery.
When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)
Only if the slave dies is beating punishable by God. Otherwise, the Bible condones the beating of slaves.
My girlfriend has this doll made by Doller.com.
Kinda steeply priced but pretty cool nonetheless.
It’s like a doll caricature complete with tats and whatever you wish to have placed on the doll.
I think it’s hilarious.
Kentucky d
This was not a cakewalk season. Kentucky played a hell of a schedule on it’s road to the NCAA Championship.
Coach Cal, Anthony Davis, MKG and the rest of the team accomplished all of this with an almost Zen Buddhist like approach to the game wherein winning was not the focus, but, striving to be the best individuals and team they could possibly be was the focus. By doing so, they reached the ultimate prize in College Basketball. Coach Cal molded a mass of talented individuals into a team wherein these talented athletes became one with the Basketball Universe. By subsuming egos and desires and surrendering individual glory for team excellence, Anthony Davis, MKG, TJ, Darius, Teague, Wiltjer, Lamb and the rest of the team became one of the Greatest Teams in College Basketball history.
Kentucky strived not to defeat the opponent, but, to reach their greatest potential as a team. THAT! is Greatness!
The Basketball Gods are in awe and well they should be.
***Too bad Stacey Poole and his father failed to failed to grasp the concept.***
I guess Obama knows what’s best for us. We should all bow down to his Lordship and take the Hope and Change that being ramrodded up our collective rears.
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Dear Friend,
Can you believe this? After the largest online protest in history, the Obama administration is still voicing support for SOPA.
We promised to ask for your help if SOPA returned. We’re asking now. This kind of backtracking demands a strong, fast response. We’re running a petition to demand that Obama drop all support for internet censorship.
Our goal? Get more signatures than the top petition on whitehouse.gov — 151,000 signatures. Tell Obama to promise: “I will never advance legislation that blocks websites or disconnects Americans’ internet access.”
What is the White House working on exactly? Just the other day, the administration sent a letter to Congress to demonstrate their support for new internet censorship legislation. A few weeks ago, the White House struck a deal to give corporations private powers to shut down your internet connection (after “six strikes” without due process or judicial review), completely in secret.
Obama’s internet would let private companies block sites and turn off our web connections. Blocking websites censors free speech, hurts jobs, and breaks the internet. These are tactics used by totalitarian governments and we believe they’re never ok.
Let’s get more signatures than any petition on whitehouse.gov.
As Wired noted*, “The White House did say that it wouldn’t endorse a bill that endangers freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risks, or negatively affects the DNS system. On the other hand, it says elsewhere that “combating online infringement” — not protecting free speech — is a governmental priority “of the highest order.” What about free speech, Obama?
Sign the petition now, then share it to keep the internet strong. Our friends need to know where the President is currently standing on SOPA.
We couldn’t have stopped SOPA and PIPA without you and all of your friends! And we can’t do it without you now. Let’s make sure SOPA 2.0 never gets written.
Thank you,
Tiffiniy, Zak, Fight for the Future!
http://a.fightforthefuture.org/go/20?akid=69.2455661.QlOzlr&t=6
WHITE JESUS
Jesus had to be a Democrat.
He never worked an honest day in his life and was always telling other people to give THEIR money to the poor.
Obama thinks he's the 2nd Coming
Why is a bad thing for the NBA to require some college for an entry level player? Nearly every other Profession requires some level/form of training/schooling/certification prior to considering applicants for hire.
A Lawyer must have a certain level of schooling and pass a bar exam. Medical Professionals all must have some level of schooling or certification. Computer Programmers must have some level of certification.
If the NBA wishes for it’s prospective employees to have one year or two years of college, how is that any different.
Are Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Computer Geek Mercenaries? Are the people who exit college early to work for Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc mercenaries for hire?
If I were David Stern, I would work towards at least three years and I’d work out a deal with the NBA for the NBA Draft to be treated as an Internship.
The NBA and NFL are Professions in the exact same way that becoming a Doctor, Lawyer, Programmer or Pharmaceutical Rep are Professions.
Treat them in the same manner. That is the right thing to do.
This silly use of the terms “One and Done” and Mercenary is moronic. It’s infantile. The NCAA is the problem. Not the NBA. Why treat the NBA as if it’s a drug cartel? Why treat contact with the professionals who are involved in the Sports Profession as if they are drug dealers?
The traditionalists rant and rave that the “One and Done” rule is ruining College Basketball. They complain that it has turned the NCAA into a minor league for the NBA. This is exactly how Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, the Supreme Court and Wall Street treat the University System. Why is this bad for Athletes but good for Doctors and Lawyers and Money Market Managers and such?
Treat the NBA as the Profession and Business that it is. Problem solved.
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A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie.” — Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
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Kentucky brought home #8 in 2012. It’s been a 14 year wait.
The fans slogged through a decade of TLT excuses, debacles and “almost” after “almost.” 2 more years of the hard drinking, tyrannical imbecility that was BCG. Finally Coach Cal built a team that could bring it home.
Two Final Fours in two years and a National Championship.
Anthony Davis was named Final Four MOP. He also swept the National Player of the Year Awards. That was a first for a Kentucky Player.
Still, the haters are out there in droves. Waiting in the wings for their chance to bring Kentucky down. It’s not gonna happen, though.
GO BIG BLUE!!!
They said it couldn’t be done. No team starting all underclassmen and dominated by Frosh Stars could win a National Title. Carmelo Anthony was a fluke. He had Senior Leadership.
Others said that if Kentucky won with this “Pro” laden team that it would be a Collegiate apocalypse.
Funny, no one thinks it’s the end of the world when (predominantly) white guys leave College early for careers at Google, Microsoft or Apple.
Does Mark Emmert think of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as One and Doners?
I don’t understand all of the lamentations and gnashing of teeth by the die hard traditionalists. Students attend University to prepare them for a career. The NBA is a career for these guys. If a computer geek or a mathematician is recruited out of school for his talents, no one complains. I guess that’s a more valid career path than the NBA or NFL. I don’t see it that way. Apparently, others do.
John Calipari takes talented athletes and prepares them for the professional world. His kids go on to earn accolades and awards at the next level. Is that not what a good college professor is supposed to do for his students? Calipari develops their talents into marketable skills. Skills that enable them to enter the marketplace of their profession with an advantage over students who learn the game from other coaches.
Because Cal does this and does so unapologetically, he’s a smarmy, greasy salesman. I think it makes him an honest broker of future marketability for kids whose talent lies in the sport of basketball. He’s honest. He says come play with me and I’ll teach you how to excel at the college level and prepare you for the Professional level. What is wrong with that? Should he be like Coach K and demand that kids delay their professional debut even though they are ready to enter their chosen field of endeavor. That would be the definition of smarmy and greasy to me. Coach K is righteously indignant when a kid goes Pro before he gives his permission. Coach Cal informs his men of their options and advises them based on the best information available at the time.
The NCAA makes millions off of these kids. It is a matter of course that the NCAA wants to maximize the potential pay off on the marketability of the “student-athlete.” The NCAA is not interested in what’s right for the Athlete. The NCAA is interested in making more money by marketing big time Collegiate Star Athletes. That’s the real concern behind the laments and the teeth gnashing.
If an Athlete is ready to go Pro, there should be no more reason to hold him back than there was reason to hold back Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. The NCAA and their silly NBA Draft deadlines are full of stale, last century thought processes. These people and their media instigators need to join the present.
Anthony Davis is ready to go Pro. If he stays at UK for one more year, it’s a decision that the NCAA should respect. If Anthony Davis decides to enter the NBA Draft after one year, the NCAA should give it no more thought than if a Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or a Mark Zuckerburg leaves school to start a business. It’s the same thing.
Risk/Reward. There is too much risk in staying in College for an Athlete like Anthony Davis. He’s ready. The NBA thinks he’s ready. The NBA is his prospective employer. They know whether or not they wish to hire an Athlete or not. It’s a decision between the employer and the potential employee. The NCAA should back out of it.
In my opinion, a player should be able to enter the draft, attend the draft camps at NBA expense and, if that player is not drafted, he should be able to re-enter college as a Student Athlete. That is exactly what these guys are. They are student ATHLETEs. They are studying under a Coach who is teaching/coaching them on the principles and skills of entering into a Professional Career as an ATHLETE in the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS or any of a multitude of other sports. The NBA Draft should be treated as an internship. Nothing more and nothing less.
A law student interns. A medical student interns. Business Management Majors intern. Some of these students have paid internships. Some of the brighter and more talented students enter into internships that have perks. Many of these students who take these internships are on scholarships. If a law student takes an internship with a prestigious Law Firm, they aren’t ripped off of scholarship status. That internship is seen as a positive. Conversely, if a Student on an Athletic Scholarship enters the NBA Draft and attends Draft Camps or Skill Camps, they’re punished for doing so.
National Collegiate Athletic Association. They are supposed to be helping these kids enter into their chosen Profession in the most advantageous position possible. That’s not what they do, though. The NCAA does everything in it’s power to keep it’s Students AWAY from their Profession of choice. They do their best to make a student ATHLETE enter into his/her chosen Profession as blind as possible. The NCAA attempts to bully student ATHLETEs into staying in school so that the NCAA can profit from their presence and skill sets. Instead of joining these kids in their sojourn from student to Professional, the NCAA sets out to do it’s best to keep them blind and distanced from their chosen profession.
The NCAA should encourage kids to enter into agreements with Agents so that their student ATHLETES can benefit from persons who know the business. Instead, the NCAA drives agents underground and keeps it’s student ATHLETES from learning the details of the business until moments before they enter into their chosen careers. This is a ridiculous standard. A ridiculous procedure. The NCAA is part of the problem in setting these kids up for failure when they finally enter the Professional World of Athletics.
Kentucky just made the witch hunt a little harder, though. Calipari embraces the system. Instead of tying blinders around his kids eyes, he tries to enlighten them as to the practices and standards of the Profession to which they aspire. For this, he is vilified. He’s hated. He’s hunted.
It’s a ridiculous circus is the NCAA. A grand joke. All for the love of profit. And they call Calipari dirty. Get real. The NCAA is the problem.
It was an epic adventure.
We started off in Athens. Spent the next few days exploring the ruins of Ancient Greece and Rome. Took wild taxi rides to and from the airport. Got ripped off by them. Bought expensive dinners and Cokes from street vendors.
It’s finally happened. An American has gone off the deep end in Afghanistan.
This guy wakes up this morning. Puts on some salwar kamees or Man Jams. Man Jams being the colloquial term for the local fashion of the region. They’re called Man Jams because they look like pajamas for men. I own a couple of pair and they are comfortable. This Insane Idiot grabs his rifle and walks off the base. I guess when he woke up this morning, He shit, showered and shaved. Drank a cup of coffee. Then he stood up and thought; “Fuck, I’m gonna go kill me some motherfuckers…” and strolls on off the base.
A few minutes later, he’s in the middle of Panjwayi District. The Dude starts shooting civilians. The rumor is that he may have wounded or killed up to16 victims. One rumor has him walking house to house. Shooting victims in their beds. That’s the nature of war and rumors. Every iteration grows in violence and strangeness. We’ll have to wait for the real story and casualty count. Once he’s finished, he walks back to the base and turns his rifle and himself in and tells his command what he’s done and that he’s crazy. He thinks that he should be sent home. The amazing thing is that he was able to walk off the base, kill several people and walk away unopposed and unnoticed. No one seems to have known that anything was amiss UNTIL this guy tells them what he’s done. No one had a clue. WTF!
Everything is calm. There are no tires burning. No protests or demonstrations of which I am aware despite the photos in the attached media links. I’m sure that most people aren’t even aware of it. Most of the Afghans who are even aware that something occurred probably still think it was a local bandit. The rest of Afghanistan is most certainly clueless about the event entirely.
BUT! The US has released the information on the shooting to the local representatives of the international press. The local press, of course, is printing the news all over the wires and the internets. I’ve seen links from media in Pakistan (of course), Indonesia, the AP, Reuters and several others popping up over the last few hours.
It was insane what this guy did. It was more insane to have released what he did to all points North, South, East and West. This should have been kept on the down low.
This guy opened up the potential for many, many deaths. His actions were onerous. His actions were heinous. He killed innocent people for no reason other than he was mentally imbalanced. Someone should have caught that and that soldier should not have been here.
The one thing that is not really being discussed is that this kid is supposedly from the same unit where two soldiers were killed during the Qu’ran Burning Intifada over the last couple of weeks. I’m sure that is what put the kid over the edge. He’s here trying to make Afghanistan safe. Afghans who are supposed to be our allies are murdering us over a couple of burnt books. Quite a few Coalition Soldiers are angry that Afghans turned on us in such a manner. There’s a lot of mission burn out over the Qu’ran Burning incident. Not because the Qu’rans were burned but because Afghan Soldiers went native and started shooting at us and Civilians were so vocal thanks to the press about Americans “disrespecting Islam.” Most of the Coalition goes out of their way to “respect” Islam. We’ve spent Billions on this place. We’ve shed blood in this place. The Taliban is constantly murdering Afghans and no one bats an eye over it. Americans burn a few copies of the Qu’ran and it’s a mad house. Nah, I doubt that has anything to do with this.
But was it a mad house? Were the demonstrations truly nation wide? What percentage of the population protested and demonstrated? From what I could tell, less than 1% of the population demonstrated over the burnt Qu’rans. That same week of the Qu’ran burnings, I had an Afghan Officer tell me that “we have to pray that the Americans do not leave us.” The press, though, made it seem as though the country was being over run with protestors and demonstrations were being held in every city, town, hamlet, borough and village. The media, of course, lies and sensationalizes to sell advertising space or their agenda.
The US Department of State and the US Department of Defense are equally insane for having released the news of the shooting incident. Lives are at stake here. Not theoretical lives. Real lives. The potential for blood loss from a reaction to this is massive. Of course, the media will sensationalize any reaction. They’ll sit at the Serena Hotel or the Safi Landmark Hotel in their comfy chairs and loveseats and type out little white lies and no one will call them on it.
But! I suppose that if we didn’t release the news in a timely manner, there was no way that we could have sent a swift and appropriately groveling apology for the incident to that thief Hamid Karzai.
The plus side of this, potentially, is that these were people who were killed. Mere humans. Political pawns to be played for sure. They weren’t Qu’rans. Many Afghans probably won’t bat an eyelash. They’re inured to violence unless riled up by the local Mullah with a bone to pick. Especially if it was mostly women who were killed. No proper Afghan cares about the lives of women. Especially if they’re past their breeding prime or if they haven’t squeezed out a few boys by the time they’re seventeen. If they were little girls who were killed, many, if not most, Afghans won’t care much either.
Thankfully, the guy didn’t kill any donkeys or goats. Then we’d have a real problem on our hands.
I’ve seen donkey deaths cause instant mini-riots. I’ve seen Afghans shrug off the death of a little girl like it was a fly that had just been swatted. These two incidents occurred on the Jalalabad Road. Little Girl gets hit by a car. They pulled the body off of the street and carried her away. A donkey got hit and the owner went crazy. The crowd grew dangerous and started throwing objects. Both times, it was the French. They seemed to be prone to these kinds of incidents back in ’05 and ’06.
Since no Qu’rans or livestock were involved, many Afghans will probably give this incident little notice. Of course, the Afghan politicians (THUGS) will use it to soak us for more money and to show their influence by having Obama and the various ISAF Generals break dance with more groveling apologetic acrobats. After all, the Coalition funding at their disposal to embezzle is slowly drying up as we near 2014. The Afghan Parliamentarians, Ministers and Generals need issues like this so they might better fund their retirements.
Militia in the War for Independence
Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.’
~ Thomas Jefferson
FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE
1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it’s about control.
5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
8. If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any.
9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
10. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.
11. What part of ‘shall not be infringed’ do you not understand?
12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
16. You don’t shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don’t make more.
24. When you remove the people’s right to bear arms, you create slaves.
25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.
MKG 19pts and 9rbds
AD 12pts and 14rbds
TJ 15pts and 11rbds
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*** Syracuse goes down to Cincy. KU gets hit by the Bears.
Kentucky| Name | FG | 3Pt | FT | Off | Reb | Ast | PF | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Davis | 4-8 | 0-1 | 4-5 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| Terrence Jones | 5-12 | 0-2 | 5-8 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | 5-9 | 0-1 | 9-13 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 19 |
| Doron Lamb | 4-7 | 1-3 | 3-4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Darius Miller | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Marquis Teague | 0-6 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Kyle Wiltjer | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 18-44 | 1-8 | 23-34 | 10 | 38 | 10 | 14 | 60 |
Anthony Davis Billboard at the Super Dome in New Orleans
Kentucky is making an all out push this year on behalf of Anthony Davis and the NPOTY Campaign. As well they should. The guy is deserving of the award. He’s the best player on the best team in the Nation.
It should not be counted against him that he is surrounded by talent. If he was not, he would be more dominant in my opinion. I think the talent that surrounds him stops him from showing the depth of his talent and ability. If he had to be the center of the offense, the kid would be putting up huge numbers. As it is, he merely has to play his part and he does this well. A lesser person would demand the ball more. A lesser talent would demand the ball. AD doesn’t do this. He plays to his strengths and has improved all throughout the year. He is integral to the game plan at UK. He is often the center of focus for the attack of other teams. They’ve attempted to bully him, beat him and hurt him. He has come back each time admirably. Each new tactic to take him out of the game has resulted in AD adapting and overcoming. The kid is legit.
If AD is not player of the year then a player of the year does not exist in College Basketball.
GO BIG BLUE!!!
Bush-Obama Two Sides of Corruption
Barack Obama is merely continuing the erosion of American Liberty as begun by Lincoln during the War between the States and continued by FDR during World War II.
Someone please tell me the difference between Bush and Obama. I see none.
God save us, everyone.
Will we burn inside the fires of A Thousand Suns
For the sins of our hand, sins of our tongue
The sins of our father, the sins of our young?God save us, everyone.
Will we burn inside the fires of A Thousand Suns
For the sins of our hand, sins of our tongue
The sins of our father, the sins of our young?We knew the world would not be the same.
A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.
I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita.
Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form, and says “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.” –OppenheimerI used the dead wood to make the fire rise
The blood of innocents Burning In The Skies
I filled my cup with the risin’ of the sea
And poured it out in an ocean of debris
Oh.I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve.We held our breath when the clouds began to form
But you were lost in the beating of the storm
But in the end, we were made to be apart
Like separate chambers of the human heart
No.I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
It’s in the blackened bones
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve.(Guitar Solo)
I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
The blame is mine alone
For bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve.
What I don’t deserve, oh.
What I don’t deserve.I used the dead wood to make the fire rise
The blood of innocents Burning In The Skies.
WARNING: IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU WILL NOT ENJOY READING THIS!
The Legendary Triumph
In the year 312 AD, a fiery and unscrupulous but vigorous and ambitious man named Constantine was leading a great army across Italy to meet his rival for the emperorship of the world, Maxentius. Suddenly, just after noon, he saw, flaming on the heavens, the Greek monogram, the Labarum or Chi-Rho symbol of Christ, together with the words:
In this sign, conquer.The sign cannot have been startling or obviously miraculous and Constantine did not fall on his knees. He merely wondered what the sign meant. No ecclesiastical historian today believes the vision as miraculous. The cross, if it ever existed at all, might have been the phenomenon of sun-dogs, caused by ice crystals in the stratosphere.
During the night, a second vision informed him that this monogram referred to the same Christ whose religion and followers he had been familiar with for ten years at least. After consultation with Christian clergy, he declared that the Sun-God had been created by the Christian God, removed the eagles from his standards and put in their place the Chi-Ro symbol of the failed Jewish Messiah. The following day, he marched on, crossed the Milvian bridge and did conquer. He won the battle of the Milvian Bridge and so supremacy over the whole Roman Empire. Later he converted, but a good many of his family and the Roman ruling class already had. With an emperor’s authority, Christianity was now secure.
I believe that the only way to get back to the original beleif of the followers of Ieshua is to strip away all Roman influence.
I may be a bit too hard on Paul because I like many of the Apostles believe him to be an interloper. He’s the Bill Gates of Christianity.
If you know the Nazarene as Jesus Christ, it is my belief that you know not the man at all. If you see “Jesus Christ” as a White European, you know not the man. If you preach hell, punishment, division, hatred for this or that group, and the whole host of other trash that is preached/taught by the Christian Church and has been part of the Christian Church for ages, you do not know the man.
Hell Fire and Brimstone is not the message of the Man from Nazareth.
I see hate in the Church. All of the Churches. Including and sometimes even more so from the post Protestant Reformation Churches.
Where did Jesus preach that Homosexuals or Jews were going to hell?
He didn’t.
Where did Jesus preach to judge everyone and condemn them all to hell or to run around saying that non-believers were going to hell?
Where did Jesus preach “God helps those who help themselves?”
I suppose I am too harsh on Paul. That’s probably because I think he is too GREATLY worshiped by the masses for whom he should be a conduit to the Nazarene. Instead, Paul is akin to the Islamic Mullah who tells the illiterate masses how to believe, how to perceive, how to feel about the teachings of the Nazarene.
If I take a lie and split it into two pieces, do those two pieces then become truths. No. Such is the case with the Protestant Reformation. If there is a centigram of Rome in your beliefs, you have strayed from the message of the Nazarene.
The only way to get back to the Nazarene and his message is to go directly to him. It’s difficult as we know very little about who he was or what he actually stated. Unless the Vatican has his words hidden away from the world in their vast dungeons and libraries.
If Genghis Khan had conquered Europe and had taken Christianity and co-opted it into a tool of his Empire, Jesus would have become Asian. This did not happen. Yet, it did.
Constantine used Christianity to re-conquer/re-unite the Empire. Then he decreed it the religion of the Empire.
Is that not ironic? “Jesus” said that his is the Kingdom of Heaven. God did not send his “only begotten son” to conquer. Yet, we are led to believe by the Roman Church that God changed his mind and decided to send Constantine to conquer in his name.
I do not believe the story as it comes down to us through the Vatican. I believe that Ieshua (Jesus) was a prophet, a speaker of truths.
I believe that he died and in a sense, yes, he did die for our sins. He did not die to atone for “original sin.” He died to bring us a message of Love. However, humanity was too proud of itself to inculcate his teachings. I compare Ieshua to the Buddha. He learned, he gained wisdom and he passed on his wisdom to the masses. I do not believe that Ieshua was God or that he was or is the only way to Eternity. I believe that he taught a way. Much like Buddha. He taught love for our fellow man. He taught compassion. He taught faith and hope. He taught us to be good and kind to one another. I believe that when he stated “I am the way. No man gets to heaven before me.” that he was saying that we should follow his example. “I am the way.” The Nazarene is bidding us follow his example. He’s not asking us to “glorify” him. That is mere paganistic Sun God worship syncretically transmogrified into Christian Imperialistic idolatry.
I do not believe that he was saying that we should all gather in some mega-church and scream in ecstasy that we “love Jesus.” I think Jesus would be appalled by such behavior. Instead of building multimillion dollar institutions with glamorous edifices to “Christ the Savior,” I believe that Ieshua would want that money to go towards edifying the poor. Christianity is appalling. Christians spend millions a year on Theme Park Christianity. Show places of humility and piety. Ieshua instructed his disciples to go into their rooms or a dark place and to pray alone. He did not teach his disciples to gather in orgiastic congegations of worldly excess.
Christians do not listen. They want the magnificent. They want the show. They want to show.
Give to the poor. Give to the needy. Pick up your neighbor. Help a stranger.
The billions of untold wealth held by the Churchs of the world could alleviate much suffering. Instead, it is gathered and maintained as a show of the “Glory of God.” This is not what Christ taught. This is what Rome taught.
Christians are not so dissimilar from Muslims in this regard. They make fantastic show of faith and devotion to religion but live out a life that is the exact opposite of the supposed tenets of their faith.
Faith, Hope and Love ~ This is the true message of the Nazarene.
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