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Don Basilio
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« Reply #150 on: 21:33:09, 07-08-2007 » |
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incrap -
There are a total of 150 psalms. About 5 of them are of the vindictive nature you quote, and I omit the relevant verses in my prayers. However their presence does reflect the condition that people do get pissed off, angry and bitchy, sometimes with reason.
Psalm 109 (108 in Eastern Orthodox usage) has the lines you quote, but in the text in front of me they are meant to be the attitude of the wicked, rather than the psalmist.
The really nasty psalm is number 58 (57 in the Septuagint). Psalms 139 (omit verses 19- 22) and 90 are wonderful. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made"
Paul is not part of the gospels. Although he has a deeply uncuddly reputation, he is his own worst enemy. His basic message in Romans and Galatians was that God loves us irrespective of anything we may have done, and he has shown this in Christ's death. In classic protestantism, this was described as "justification through faith alone." The current phrase is "God's unconditional love". The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke has the same message in a less abstract way.
Do read the Gita. It is a deeply powerful work.
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« Last Edit: 09:44:51, 08-08-2007 by Don Basilio »
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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Evan Johnson
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« Reply #151 on: 22:10:42, 07-08-2007 » |
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increpatio,
You are correct, there are 13 Zodiacal signs but the 13th isn't Ophiuchus, it's Eridanus (the River) - I think.
Is that true? What does it mean, anyway, do be a zodiac sign? If the ecliptic crosses Eridanus's "territory," then so be it; but in that case I'd be more inclined to say that there is no longer a one-to-one correspondence between ecliptic-intersecting constellations and Zodiac signs, not that there's a 13th of the latter. But I'm no astrologer, though I am a former astronomy nerd. In any case, I can't imagine anyone of a turn of mind to be interested in astrology being terribly keen on there being 13 of anything involved! |
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #152 on: 09:28:48, 08-08-2007 » |
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Except to my mind it's intellectually dishonest. For one, the astronomical data they use is rather a bit out of date (there are currently, and have been for some time, 13 zodiac signs; I think Orfucious)  But that's not important. Some people (not myself, though), would say that religions often serve the same function. Astrologers -- at least the one I worked with -- admit that the data is out of date. "The moon is entering Capricorn"... actually it's entering the segment of sky where Capricorn happened to be several thousand years ago; it's nowhere near the present position of the constellation of Capricorn. But so what? It's entering an area of sky that is empircally associated with a set of particular personality traits, which by convention we call Capricorn. I'm quite sure there are a lot of dishonest astrologers out there, as well as those who lack the intellectual rigour to understand why they are being dishonest, but that doesn't make make the discipline dishonest. |
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Allegro, ma non tanto
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #153 on: 09:57:55, 08-08-2007 » |
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Well if you hadn't heard of him before you read the book - I'm amazed. He's often on tv. He gives interviews and is on other people's programmes. I hadn't heard of him until I started seeing the book reviews and the wall-to-wall hardback copies in Waterstones. I was dimly aware of his name but I don't recall ever seeing him on television or reading anything by him. Even now I don't think I've seen him on TV, though I did read a newspaper interview recently. I don't think I'll bother reading his book. I can't imagine anything it could contain that I couldn't already work out for myself. It really does sound like it's "preaching to the converted". For anybody interested in the science-versus-superstition debate, I highly recommend reading the late Carl Sagan and Stephen Jay Gould -- two highly-respected scientists, teachers, and writers who each approach the subject in a non-sensational, thoughtful, and human manner, putting forward facts and logical arguments without stooping to insulting their opponents. |
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Allegro, ma non tanto
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Jonathan
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« Reply #154 on: 12:55:43, 08-08-2007 » |
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IRF, I agree about Carl Sagan - I have his book Cosmos and it is full of all sorts of interesting information.
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Best regards,
Jonathan
*********************************************
"as the housefly of destiny collides with the windscreen of fate..."
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #155 on: 13:17:59, 08-08-2007 » |
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I have Cosmos too. Excellent read. I also enjoy books by Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking.
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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SusanDoris
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« Reply #156 on: 15:08:27, 08-08-2007 » |
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Milly Jones I have gone back to re-read and it probably did sound as if I was referring to RD when I said: "I do not recall having heard him before". However, I was talking about the Christian Zionist on Beyond Belief whom I found so obnoxious that I shall switch off if he turns up again. I should have made it clearer - sorry. And another person who doesn't know his views is that person who wrote the Daily Mail article you gave a link to. He claims to have read his book but then he says that Dawkins overlooks the fact that many great scientists in the past have been religious. Actually, Dawkins deals with that point in the book. Not surprisingly perhaps, I agree with Tony Watson's and Increpatio's posts! I did not follow up the links, except for the short video clip, as it does take me quite a long time to do so. (Hope this makes sense after several edits.) |
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« Last Edit: 15:58:25, 08-08-2007 by SusanDoris »
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #157 on: 15:23:44, 08-08-2007 » |
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There must be an adult ballet class somewhere!! Won't you expire of boredom in a gym? I'm sure I would.
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #158 on: 15:26:00, 08-08-2007 » |
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You'll have to give up those cappuccinos and scones!! I'm just wondering how this got onto the "Religion is Evil" thread  |
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roslynmuse
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« Reply #159 on: 15:28:30, 08-08-2007 » |
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Let him who casts the first scone...
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #160 on: 15:35:09, 08-08-2007 » |
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Let him who casts the first scone...
It was Susandoris telling me she has a keepfit sort of life. I digressed. As is my wont. Sorry.  |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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SusanDoris
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« Reply #161 on: 16:05:06, 08-08-2007 » |
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You'll have to give up those cappuccinos and scones!! I'm just wondering how this got onto the "Religion is Evil" thread Me too - but it gives me a chance to say that at the gym on Monday I heard an advert about some new product for 'Slow Digestive Transit' ... I think those were the words ... which I assume is a euphemism for constipation! (P.S. Hope you've seen modifications to previous post.) |
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« Last Edit: 16:08:49, 08-08-2007 by SusanDoris »
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roslynmuse
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« Reply #162 on: 16:08:25, 08-08-2007 » |
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Anyone remember that Vic Hoyland piece "In Transit"? I have a whole new mental image for it now... And on similar lines - no, I'll put this on the embarrassing titles thread... |
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SusanDoris
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« Reply #163 on: 16:12:32, 08-08-2007 » |
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(... running to catch up...)
You all post so fast!!
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MT Wessel
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« Reply #164 on: 00:46:34, 09-08-2007 » |
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The Daily Wessel 09.08.07. Monkeys descended from Men ? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6937476.stmBy our science correspondent 'Monkey Man' Wessel Who wrote this rubbish ? ed. |
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« Last Edit: 00:50:23, 09-08-2007 by MT Wessel »
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lignum crucis arbour scientiae
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