Religion II

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Tell that to Karl Marx. Looks like he did a little research in writing The Communist Manifesto.

No, I told the right person. You're the one who has quoted more scripture out of context. You're the one who has used scripture that proves nothing to try to prove socialism. You're the one in need of lots of help. Marx...not so much. He's beyond help in the hell that he is in.

And you didn't answer my question: Do you know the difference between voluntariness and a mandate or injunction?

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

These are abstract and probabilistic examples.

So...your higher reality is what exactly...zero? Is "zero" what you meditate on everyday in your prayer closet?

Well when I read your shallow posts, zero and much less does come to mind. You remind me of the kids who memorized baseball statistics and chattered on endlessly about games on TV but could not throw a ball, catch a slow ball or hit a ball to save their asses.

Flat black and white 2 dimensional understanding of the reality you live in lacks the experiential interaction to know how things work. Ever build a house, make furniture or study engineering? Hint: reading a tape measure and auguring on and on about about how many divisions make an inch, does not a craftsman make.

When I ran a shop I could ALWAYS spot shallow braggadocio dullards like you, when hiring new people.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

He used Israel to instill faith in them and to teach them that he's at once a just and loving God. He used Israel to administer justice to His enemies and their enemies. He also used them to show that his love and compassion is unfailing and infinite toward all those who love him and fear (reverence) him.

There's lots of plusses to "hands on" learning and experience.

I said..Literally your god is a slumlord. A "landlord who rents properties to tenants in a constant war zone is a slumlord.

What's "hands on" about murder, debauchery and rape?Couldn't your teny tiny god write another book about that stuff?

Oh I forgot Genesis covers those things literally.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

And you didn't answer my question: Do you know the difference between voluntariness and a mandate or injunction?

It's whatever you say it is. I don't care. I'm too busy doing my taxes.

You have not answered many of my questions. For the sake of argument, here's a few?

• You have stated that capital punishment does not violate the commandment "thou shalt not kill". What about war? Should I have told my draft board I was a conscientious objector? Does #4745 condemn me to hell?
• What about self defense? If armed felons with guns invade my home should I hold my fire and let them kill me? Should I stand by and let them rape my wife and daughters?
• Where in scripture does it say God is infinite?
• How many people does Satan kill in the OT? How many does God kill?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

I said..Literally your god is a slumlord. A "landlord who rents properties to tenants in a constant war zone is a slumlord.

You miss the point...on purpose of course. If God were a slumlord, he wouldn't have used Israel as his clean up agent to rid the lid of vile, wicked sinners. Slumlords don't clean up or maintain their property. They're in the business of collecting high rents from substandard properties. In short, you need a new analogy. The slumlord one sucks raw eggs because God was greatly improving the quality of his property for the sake of his chosen people Israel.

What's "hands on" about murder, debauchery and rape?Couldn't your teny tiny god write another book about that stuff?

Oh I forgot Genesis covers those things literally.

Not murder. War! God had to drive out the seven wicked nations to make room for his chosen people and make good on his Promise to the patriarchs. And God was just in doing this.

And I explained two benefits already for Israel being an agent of God. Another great benefit is that Israel learned the art of war. The world in ancient Israel's day was no different than ours -- it was filled with hostility and violence. God took a bunch of slaves out of Egypt and shaped and molded and formed a large percentage of the male population into a mighty war machine so that down the road they would be able to defend themselves against their enemies.

God works in mysterious ways. Perhaps this is why Isaiah wrote:

Isa 55:8-9
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
NASB

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

It's whatever you say it is. I don't care. I'm too busy doing my taxes.

You have not answered many of my questions. For the sake of argument, here's a few?

• You have stated that capital punishment does not violate the commandment "thou shalt not kill". What about war? Should I have told my draft board I was a conscientious objector? Does #4745 condemn me to hell?
• What about self defense? If armed felons with guns invade my home should I hold my fire and let them kill me? Should I stand by and let them rape my wife and daughters?
• Where in scripture does it say God is infinite?
• How many people does Satan kill in the OT? How many does God kill?

And you haven't answered very many of mine. So...get busy. Here is the first one that I'll remind you of:

Are you a being?

Here's a second one:

Isn't to be or not to be the same thing as saying to exist or not exist? And if not, why?

I have a lot more, but I'll leave it here for now because I wouldn't want to overwhelm you.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

And you haven't answered very many of mine. So...get busy. Here is the first one that I'll remind you of:

Are you a being?

Here's a second one:

Isn't to be or not to be the same thing as saying to exist or not exist? And if not, why?

I have a lot more, but I'll leave it here for now because I wouldn't want to overwhelm you.

Answer mine first.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Answer mine first.

Nope. Mine are a lot older.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Nope. Mine are a lot older.

I don't care.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Are you a being?

Define being.

Originally Posted by boxcar

Isn't to be or not to be the same thing as saying to exist or not exist? And if not, why?

No. Because Shakespeare's intent was to "to kill myself or not kill myself".

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Define being.

Look it up or better yet, make my belly roll with your own unique definition.

]No. Because Shakespeare's intent was to "to kill myself or not kill myself".

I don't care what Shakespeare's "intent" was? I'm not discussing the Bard or any of his works.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

I don't care.

Then I don't care about your questions.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Then I don't care about your questions.

Fine. See you in March.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Fine. See you in March.

Thanks for the warning.

[hcap]

The story of Amalek is an inner struggle. In fact battles and war apper in many religious texts from the Bhagavad Gita to genesis as a metaphor for inner grwth and the spiritual pitifuls that can overtake us when we are not looking. Amalek occurs as part of the long struggle for freedom from the overwhelming spiritual oppressor of Pharaoh's Egypt. So just when spiritual freedom is in sight the Amalekites sneak in AND SPOIL IT. Resting on one's laurels after momentarily subduing lazy tendencies, or a brief victory over say overeating or smoking is the subtle trap. Psychologically the smallest fragments of Amalek can restart and we must observe ourselves and metaphorically "destroy" those infants, and herd animals before they regain a hold

Neither the Exodus or smiting all the Amalekites actually ever happened as most of the tales in the bible. In the OT the Jewish sages and patriarchs who generated these metaphorical tales, did is to instill some difficult to understand "rules" to remember when on the path to higher mind. Taking any of it literally is a fatal mistake. As Actor has so well pointed out.
And to ad to the confusion of understanding these real metaphorical messages are generations of
distortion mixed in by literal mis- interpretation.

Amaleklite literally portray boxcar's teny, tiny god as a spoiled brat playing violently with toys in a ugly game of war using juvenile toy soldiers.

.................................................. .................................................. ........

Professor Menachem Klein wrote how Amalek can be understood differently.

Today, Amalek does not exist, but Amalekite behavior exists and must be confronted... The Hasidic commentary on Amalek sees Amalek as a very negative character trait. According to the Hassidic approach, the battle with Amalek is an inner struggle that every Jew conducts within himself.

Accordingly, remembering Amalek can have an important moral meaning for us today, especially for us. “Amalek” can be understood as the evil within us, as individuals and as a people. We have to be mindful of this side of us and attempt to “blot it out” as much as possible