Zone1 The Handmaid's Tale: A Perversion of Christianity

[JoeB131]

Yes, a child's shallow (if any) understanding of the culture,history, etymology, and practices of Old Testament biblical times. Children splash in the shallows of the ocean. Adult understanding takes a greater interest in the depths.

Sometimes it's hard to believe you were ever in Catholic school. I was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame--excellent teachers and very fine women. Did your teachers ever take you through comparing a lucky rabbit's foot or a lucky penny to artwork? Perhaps they never bothered with your class writing to and contributing to the poor.

No, the nasty old hags just hit kids with wooden rulers. A bunch of frustrated lesbians who took their anger out on children because they could never have them.

But you didn't really answer my point.

Why do you need a bunch of statues of saints for people to pray to? How is that any different between praying to statues of Zeus or Hera?

Joke at my nieces baptism. - My brother is about as religious as I am, but he still baptized his daughters to get them into a Catholic School (which never happened).

Charlie: "Who is that?" pointing to a statue of a guy with a piece of wood."

Me: "That's Saint Joseph. Only my patron saint would have bought THAT story!"

My brother laughed. My sisters just gave us dirty looks.

 

[Meriweather]

No, the nasty old hags just hit kids with wooden rulers. A bunch of frustrated lesbians who took their anger out on children because they could never have them.

But you didn't really answer my point.

Why do you need a bunch of statues of saints for people to pray to? How is that any different between praying to statues of Zeus or Hera?

Your claim of your teachers hitting kids with rulers is why I asked which order taught at your school. The Sisters of Notre Dame NEVER hit any of us, and I do mean never. They never even struck a desk with a ruler to get someone's attention. Looking back, I'm pretty much in awe of them because I was in a class of fifty-four students--one teacher--who managed to keep all of us quiet, orderly, and on task without ever striking anyone.

Catholics do not pray to statues. Catholics do not believe statues can help them or have any power at all. Church is a place of quiet beauty. The church I attended as a child had stained glass windows depicting the mysteries of the rosary and baptism; stations of the cross depicting the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Other artwork included statues of Mary, Joseph, angels, and St. Therese, the Little Flower. And, of course, the crucifix. Going into a Catholic Church has much the same impact, of going into quiet glade in a large wooded area with a stream running through. People are naturally drawn to quiet and beauty during times of prayer. You might ask about entering a closet. Right. When one lives in a large family, a closet (even if there was enough room left to squeeze into one) is far from quiet.

What are you implying? That if I find quiet and beauty in church, I must be praying to a statue? And if I find quiet and beauty in a wooded area, I am praying to a tree or a stream? I guess people who do find a closet are praying to a coat, a door, or a wall? I'm guessing if I am reading the Bible as a part of prayer, I'm praying to the Bible? Where, Joe, may a person go to pray to escape your judgement? (Always providing there is a single person who actually cares what you think.)

 

[ding]

Um, except he didn't fix it.

Yep. You have free will.

When you're an immortal being, crucifixion is like the Man Flu.

You suffer what he did and let me know.

You are one of those who watched Mel Gibson's Torture Porn, aren't you?

It was a great movie. Your life is a movie too.

Hold on now, are you saying the Jews made that stuff up and "God" had nothing to do with it?

God didn't write the bible. Men did. Maybe go argue with evangelists.

Why shouldn't they? If everyone involved is a consenting adult, I'm not seeing the problem. And given the popularity of Lesbian Porn, I don't think most people are that upset about it.

So a mom and her son or daughter can get after it if they are consenting adults? Feel free to embrace what ever depravity you want. I won't judge you, but I won't tell you it's good either.

 

[JoeB131]

Your claim of your teachers hitting kids with rulers is why I asked which order taught at your school. The Sisters of Notre Dame NEVER hit any of us, and I do mean never. They never even struck a desk with a ruler to get someone's attention. Looking back, I'm pretty much in awe of them because I was in a class of fifty-four students--one teacher--who managed to keep all of us quiet, orderly, and on task without ever striking anyone.

Our hideous witches were with the OSB.

Funny aside, I was watching The Blues Brothers with my sister, her husband and their daughters. My niece was horrified by the scene with Sr. Mary Stigmata, but we all thought it was hilarious!!!

Yep. You have free will.

Man had free will before Jesus acted like a drama queen.

It was a great movie. Your life is a movie too.

Actually, it's a terrible movie, with some outright anti-Semitism in it. (And given my opposition to Zionism, it takes a lot for me to use that term.)

God didn't write the bible. Men did. Maybe go argue with evangelists.

Then why use the Bible as a source of morality if it is the product of men?

So a mom and her son or daughter can get after it if they are consenting adults? Feel free to embrace what ever depravity you want. I won't judge you, but I won't tell you it's good either.

Again, when you belong to a church where the clergy has been systematically abusing children, you really don't get to preach morality to the rest of us.

 

[JoeB131]

Catholics do not pray to statues. Catholics do not believe statues can help them or have any power at all. Church is a place of quiet beauty. The church I attended as a child had stained glass windows depicting the mysteries of the rosary and baptism; stations of the cross depicting the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Other artwork included statues of Mary, Joseph, angels, and St. Therese, the Little Flower. And, of course, the crucifix. Going into a Catholic Church has much the same impact, of going into quiet glade in a large wooded area with a stream running through. People are naturally drawn to quiet and beauty during times of prayer. You might ask about entering a closet. Right. When one lives in a large family, a closet (even if there was enough room left to squeeze into one) is far from quiet.

Mine had Mary, Joseph, St. Francis, Jesus on a Stick,

What are you implying? That if I find quiet and beauty in church, I must be praying to a statue? And if I find quiet and beauty in a wooded area, I am praying to a tree or a stream? I guess people who do find a closet are praying to a coat, a door, or a wall? I'm guessing if I am reading the Bible as a part of prayer, I'm praying to the Bible? Where, Joe, may a person go to pray to escape your judgement? (Always providing there is a single person who actually cares what you think.)

I'm saying why are there statues at all when they are strictly forbidden by the Bible? I know the answer, of course, that when Christianity became the Roman State Religion, they had to replace all those old idols with new idols.

So that statue isn't Juno Lucia anymore, it's now St. Lucy!! And we can make up a patron saint to replace your local God, too.

 

[Meriweather]

Mine had Mary, Joseph, St. Francis, Jesus on a Stick,

What have you against Jesus and his death?

 

[ding]

Man had free will before Jesus acted like a drama queen.

You can tell him that when you bend your knee.

Then why use the Bible as a source of morality if it is the product of men?

Don't use it then. Problem solved.

Again, when you belong to a church where the clergy has been systematically abusing children, you really don't get to preach morality to the rest of us.

And you believe I'm responsible for that?

 

[JoeB131]

What have you against Jesus and his death?

Well, as I stated before, I don't think that Jesus ever existed.

The philosophy that is attributed to him, I think, is a pretty positive one. We should all try to do that when practical. (It is, of course, not always practical. Turning the other cheek just gets you slapped again.) It also wasn't original, the Greek philosophers came up with it a few centuries before. Christianity is like hard welding Greek Humanist Philosophy onto Hebrew Bronze Age superstitions, and it just don't fit together well.

And thus lies the problem. Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, has been focused on how Jesus died, more than what he had to say. And that's led to some pretty bad results. The Nazis used the Crucifixion to justify the Holocaust.

And you believe I'm responsible for that?

I think rank and file Catholics have been much too tolerant of the bad behavior of their clergy.

Sure, you'll say it's bad, but then you'll go there every Sunday to grovel and throw money in the plate.

 

[ding]

Well, as I stated before, I don't think that Jesus ever existed.

You're wrong.

The philosophy that is attributed to him, I think, is a pretty positive one. We should all try to do that when practical. (It is, of course, not always practical. Turning the other cheek just gets you slapped again.) It also wasn't original, the Greek philosophers came up with it a few centuries before. Christianity is like hard welding Greek Humanist Philosophy onto Hebrew Bronze Age superstitions, and it just don't fit together well.

He taught to love God with all your heart.

And thus lies the problem. Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, has been focused on how Jesus died, more than what he had to say. And that's led to some pretty bad results. The Nazis used the Crucifixion to justify the Holocaust.

Don't be a Christian. Problem solved.

I think rank and file Catholics have been much too tolerant of the bad behavior of their clergy.

Sure, you'll say it's bad, but then you'll go there every Sunday to grovel and throw money in the plate.

No. What I will say was that it was truly disappointing.

 

[Meriweather]

Well, as I stated before, I don't think that Jesus ever existed.

The philosophy that is attributed to him, I think, is a pretty positive one. We should all try to do that when practical. (It is, of course, not always practical. Turning the other cheek just gets you slapped again.) It also wasn't original, the Greek philosophers came up with it a few centuries before. Christianity is like hard welding Greek Humanist Philosophy onto Hebrew Bronze Age superstitions, and it just don't fit together well.

And thus lies the problem. Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, has been focused on how Jesus died, more than what he had to say. And that's led to some pretty bad results. The Nazis used the Crucifixion to justify the Holocaust.

Lazy, you are. Your "I don't think" sums it up quite well, so never mind.

 

[JoeB131]

Lazy, you are. Your "I don't think" sums it up quite well, so never mind.

Right. Because the historical evidence for Jesus is so overwealming.

Oh, no, wait, it isn't.

You can't even tell me what year he was born in.
Or what year he died.
Or what his grandfather's name was.

Because your sources can't even agree on those basic points.

Take away the religious devotion, you have a dubious story that doesn't pass the logic test.

 

[ding]

Right. Because the historical evidence for Jesus is so overwealming.

Have you tried googling it?

 

[JoeB131]

Have you tried googling it?

yes, I have.

Point still stands.

The "evidence" is thin, at best.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

 

[ding]

yes, I have.

Point still stands.

The "evidence" is thin, at best.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Then you know you're wrong.

 

[Meriweather]

Right. Because the historical evidence for Jesus is so overwealming.

Do you sign into a discussion forum to talk about King AElfweard or any other topic where you hold no belief? Are you even being honest with yourself. Prove it.

 

[ding]

...the nasty old hags just hit kids with wooden rulers. A bunch of frustrated lesbians who took their anger out on children because they could never have them.

Is this an example of the vaunted liberal tolerance that I have heard so much about?

 

[Meriweather]

Is this an example of the vaunted liberal tolerance that I have heard so much about?

It's about someone who sees only stereotypes of his own imagination. I don't know about anyone else, but I have never had even one teacher who was a stereotype of another of my teachers.

 

[ding]

It's about someone who sees only stereotypes of his own imagination. I don't know about anyone else, but I have never had even one teacher who was a stereotype of another of my teachers.

Yep. He's a hammer looking for a nail.

 

[JoeB131]

Then you know you're wrong.

Actually, I know I am right.

Do you sign into a discussion forum to talk about King AElfweard or any other topic where you hold no belief? Are you even being honest with yourself. Prove it.

No one is trying to impose a belief system on my based on Aelfweeard.
Or King Arthur or Robin Hood or Paul Bunyun or any other mythical figure.

Is this an example of the vaunted liberal tolerance that I have heard so much about?

What is there to be tolerant of.

The only good thing since then is that, because it's kind of hip to be a Lesbian now, women aren't going into that awful lifestyle.

 

[ding]

Actually, I know I am right.

The internet disagrees with you.

No one is trying to impose a belief system on my based on Aelfweeard.
Or King Arthur or Robin Hood or Paul Bunyun or any other mythical figure.

No one is trying to impose their belief system period.

What is there to be tolerant of.

Human beings.

The only good thing since then is that, because it's kind of hip to be a Lesbian now, women aren't going into that awful lifestyle.

I keep giving you rope and you keep hanging yourself.