Comments for No Easy Answers

Comment on The Perfect Book? by Yatri Trivedi

Yatri Trivedi — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Keleth, I thought I’d throw in my few cents’ worth.

You mention that transcription being a huge game of telephone. Let us not forget that it is played over numerous languages. In fact, when you look at the Old Testament in Koine, you’ll notice how the Judaic concept of “love” as being chosen by God is transliterated as ‘agape,’ not substituted. You also see other concepts of “love” (more human concepts like sexual, personal, and familial love) utilize the word ‘eros.’

This distinction does not transfer over to St. Augustine’s interpretation and his mentor’s (his name escapes me) translation of it into Latin. Both ‘agape’ and ‘eros’ are translated as ‘amore.’ Then, you have Augustine blathering on about something that looks very suspiciously like Platonic thought, of a “love” of God by man (not of God TO man as is implied by “chosen”). The direction of love is reversed. In fact, this misinterpretation is one of the big reasons Protestantism came around.

Thanks to Dr. James T. Johnson of the Rutgers Religion Dept. for that. He explained this in his “Love as an Ethic and Idea” class.

I thought you might appreciate that tidbit as a good explanation of “man’s fallibility.”

Comment on Cracked Software, the 2008 Speakeasy? by Nico

Nico — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:02:21 +0000

Informative article. Keep up the great work. Thanks again, Nico

Comment on The Polarized States of America by opit

opit — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:23:20 +0000

I tend to frustrate easily at Digg : too juvenile. You might try Current, which I am finding quite enlightening.

Comment on Faith and Politics by opit

opit — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:10:50 +0000

You have just written an article on a complex and interrelated subject which goes under the general heading of Mind Control.
There is a societal software program for humans. We study in public schools from a set curriculum, worship in churches which do not openly attack the state, watch entertainment which supports the assumptions of society and receive our information from corporately owned and controlled media.
All this is promoted as Free Speech and Free Will.
So long as you agree.
Consider this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutocracy
I’m an old sci fi fan who read Orwell and Huxley when I was a boy. Scientology was a scifi religion by a writer of space operas with an outrageous sense of the ridiculous. And history gave perspective to the present
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERchristianity.htm
StumbleUpon is great – but it’s only one option. Come on over to my Links page and see if I don’t have menu-expanding ideas.

Comment on Be the Change You Want to See in the World by hmwolfecity

hmwolfecity — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:27:55 +0000

Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you!

Comment on Be the Change You Want to See in the World by johnny

johnny — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:11:04 +0000

Thanks for good post

Comment on Have we really changed? by D

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:49:06 +0000

What I think is more depressing about the passing of Prop 8 are the percentages of minority voters who voted in favor of it rather than opposed. It’s saddening, and a little worrisome, that the groups whose great interest it was in electing President-elect Obama to office had an even bigger investment in seeing a piece of discrimination written into the California State Constitution.

Comment on Have we really changed? by erock

erock — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:55:31 +0000

We, as Americans, like to think of ourselves and portray ourselves as fair-minded, equality-conscious, champions of underdogs around the world. That’s a nice dream but history doesn’t bear it out. Native Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans; all have been or are on the receiving end of inequality. African Americans probably received the worst treatment of all. Even women were not afforded the simple right to vote until relatively recently. We have tolerated an atmosphere of anti-Semitism. When JFK was elected, some believed he would turn over control of the US to the Pope. Many today equate Islam with terrorism. And the poor have always been seen as being somewhat less.

The point of all this? Equality in the US does not come naturally. It’s a tug-of-war, fought tooth and nail by both sides, until the majority is finally dragged over to the side of rightness and fairness through the use of governmental mechanisms put in place by the founding fathers.

Comment on Have we really changed? by erock

erock — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:01:38 +0000

Here’s a story about how some people are reacting to the election: http://www.wapt.com/politics/17925627/detail.html

Pearl, MS. You may remember the town from this story:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9806/12/school.shooting.verdict/