Posts

Arguments ???

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                                      The word argument can be either good or bad, depending on context. So too the word strive. Jesus tells His followers to strive in Luke 13:24. But older Bible translations are unhelpful in having  2nd Timothy 2:24 say that we must not strive (or chide or wrangle). Modern translations clarify by saying we must not quarrel or be quarrelsome.    More definitive words are preferable.  Specifically, debate, which is clearly good, and as mentioned, quarrel, which is clearly bad.  In both debates and quarrels, opposing positions are put forward, and both can either be spoken or written.  But while quarrel is akin to bickering, shouting match, squabble, and tumult, debate is akin to deliberation, disputation, opposing viewpoints, and parley.  Debates are a must. Without them, every idea or behavior, no matter how crazy or ha...

Something Fishy: Stop That!

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                                          Dear Pastor Lee, To start with splendid harmony, I appreciate your excellent preaching.  Namely, boldness in using strong volume, secondly, your great enthusiasm, thirdly, fine personal testimony, fourthly, your willingness to call out sin, and fifthly, the depth of knowledge you have for someone your age. And a bonus, covering one of my more favorite books, that of Jonah.  Yet there's a problem! Actually several. First, you persist in binding divine literalism. Now whale is a mistranslation, its great fish. And whales aren't fish, they're mammals. No giant fish could ever swallow a man without killing him. And Jonah never went to Ninevah, let alone converting the Assyrians.  The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal was established in the 7th century BC, over 30,000 cuneiform tablets. And we have the Assyrian National Library, biggest...

Occam's Razor

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                                                  Occam's Razor is an extremely important philosophic principle linked to philosopher and theologian William of Ockham. Put simply, it states: "Of competing theories, that which provides the simplest explanation for something should be preferred. A similar formula was already made by Aristotle (384-322 BC) and Ptolemy (circa AD 100-AD 170) and reiterated by Isaac Newton (1642-1727). It is also known as the law of parsimony. Parsimony means extremely thrifty or careful with resources. So, the simplest explanation for anything is most likely correct, while the more complex an explana-tion, the reverse is true: the less and less likely to be correct. For example, a tree fell down. You could logically conclude that the wind knocked it down. Or believe a meteorite knocked it down, which hit another meteorite, obliteratin...

The Berlin Wall & WW 2

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                                                                   In every war, both sides think they are right, and their opponents are wrong. Yet both sides are usually wrong to an extent.  Food for thought.  Now in World War 2, which started in 1939 and ended in 1945, there were two major groups: Allies and the Axis. Though numerous countries were on either side, the three main Allied powers were the Soviet Union, United States, and United Kingdom. The three main Axis powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan, which governments signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940.  However, Japan had different goals. Their head, Emperor Hirohito, wanted to continue conquest of China and Southeast Asia, while Germany and Italy wanted to expand their territory into Europe instead. And while Germany and Italy had similar econ...

You Want to Date my Daughter?

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                                        So, you want to date my daughter, eh?  Well, bad news:  I don't have a daughter! But if I did, I would love her wholeheartedly.  I would want the best for her and do whatever I could to make that happen. But first, an example of how NOT to be:  On the Internet I found this so-called feminist father rules for dating my daughter:  1) I don't make the rules; 2) You don't make the rules; 3) She makes the rules; 4) Her body, her rules. Instead, it sounds like an irresponsible gay male friend who is HIV positive giving a young lady advice. That is not being a man, let alone father.  It is a useless bastard attitude.  Another bad attitude is fathers never wanting their daughters to date or marry and instead pursue a career, which is highly unnatural.  Again, I would genuinely want the very best for my daughter. ...

Panentheism

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                                      I am a panentheist. Although I prefer the term mono-pantheist , which means the same thing.  And I challenge rustic monotheists. Now this is NOT pantheism. Instead, it is the position that Creator God is distinct from the universe, in addition to every part of the universe being part of God (not in the sense that pantheists see it). And that God interpenetrates our entire universe. Here is an analogy: Eternally preexisting God became a universal library.  And each "book" is a piece of God.  These publications include apples, Bohemians, cats, diamonds, eggs, flowers, gravity, houses, icicles, jaguars, kittens, >> lightning, moonbeams, neon, oceans, planets, quicksilver, rubies, stars, talents, umbrellas, violins, whirlwinds, xylophones, yellowtails, zoos, and innumerous others.  Each has been checked out and is on loan, all of whi...

Landlords

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                                   You might call them building super, executive director, landlady, landlord, lessor, property manager, or whatever. Regardless, it is those who wholly or partially own an apartment or house that people rent long-term, and/or those who wholly or partially control said property. Though this system usually betters medieval feudalism, it can sometimes be worse! Consider the many types of jobs one could venture into, which provide either important goods or services. But Ls provide neither product nor service. They are simply in an advantageous position to own extra property. In other words, a modified form of the board game Monopoly, where one player defeats the others via bloodsucking rental fees. Since Ls have chosen this path over all other options, I must conclude that almost all of them are bad people. Guilty until proven innocent for your own safety.  Especia...