You don't think the notion of the Bible containing some hidden astrological allegories is a small, trivial detail? I'd think that sort of thing would be right up your alley.
In any case, I like the idea... makes the whole thing more mysterious and feeds into the notion that the Bible has more to it than meets the eye... maybe even more mysteries to reveal themselves over time, who knows.
Not when it gets inflated to an eras-of-history kind of formulation, which, to make it astrological automatically does.
Not sure I want the Bible to have
any mysteries. It already gradually unfolds new meanings
to me over time. That's not quite the same thing as a mystery.
Hm. There are some books I enjoy that are so complex that I gain new insights every time I re-read them. But I wouldn't call them mysteries. It's just that Frank Herbert and C.J. Cherryh were/are very intelligent people who put a phenomenal amount of research into their work.
You want food for thought? I recommend
Cyteen, by C.J. Cherryh. You're not going to find much religion in it, because the main characters aren't religious. But some of them are geneticists and sociologists and biologists and wrestle with the ethics of terraforming other planets for the purpose of humans.
That's not to say there isn't discussion of religion, though. There is, in a sociological sense. It's rather fascinating.
I've got 2 videos to share.
The first one talks about the concept of "wrestling against the unseen realm not flesh and blood" and the second one talks about the upcoming eclipse over the United States coming in April 8, 2024.
Discuss or disagree, I'm all ears and value your thoughts.
1 hour documentary
Short video
The short video is sheer nonsense. For one thing, he had to tip the atheist symbol on its side to make his doom mongering work.
For two things, yes, a bunch of rocks is actually part of why this is happening. They just happen to be very large rocks, that gravity molded into spheres. One rock is Earth and the other is the Moon.
For three things, there's nothing sinister about eclipses. They're beautiful. It's only a partial here in this region of the country, and I was chatting with someone in Nunavut a few days ago on FB; he said there would be about 42% totality in his region. I looked up the local times, and I'm in a prime location to see at least part of it. My windows face the right direction at approximately 11:30 am here, so that's perfect.
For four things, the Moon happens to be at exactly the right distance from Earth to make total eclipses possible. But the Moon is gradually increasing its distance from Earth, so as time goes on it will appear smaller. Eventually it will get to the point where we don't get total eclipses anymore. So enjoy them while we have them, just as we should enjoy looking at those beautiful bright, massive stars that are so familiar. They're the ones massive enough to go KA-BOOM in supernova explosions, and some may already have done so - but they're far enough away that nobody here will see the evidence for decades, or even centuries. It's going to put a definite dent in Orion when it happens. We're going to need some new constellations.
Regarding the second video, I'll presume to answer on behalf of Athiest: No, none of that is interesting.
I actually snickered throughout most of it.
Are you aware there is no instance of instrumental music in New Testament worship and if so, please expound on the controversy over using instruments in the Church today?
Hmm. This sounds like an excellent reason to put a stop to those incredibly annoying Christmas carols in public places.
I don't think this is correct, (see below). However, it is common for some Christian fundamentalists to reject music in all its forms as being of the devil. I have encountered this personally in some of the elderly members of my own family who belong to certain very strict Christian sects. They disapproved of all forms of music except singing, and even singing was restricted to hymnals. they have all passed away by now, but I do remember their disallowance of music from my childhood. My mother and aunts had even more experience with this as they had a longer experience with even more of those particular family members and their religion.
"2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth." -Revelation 14:2-3
"Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them." - Revelation 8:6
"2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3 And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,“Great and marvelous are Your works,O Lord God, the Almighty;Righteous and true are Your ways,King of the nations!" - Revelation 15:2-3
“We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn."- Matthew 11:17
"8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. - Revelation 5:8-9
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."- 1 Corinthians 13:1
"Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing." - Luke 15:25
"Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?"- 1 Corinthians 14:7
"Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" - 1 Corinthians 14:8
That's very sad, to be denied music.
I'm reminded of a musical I took part in for a Christmas concert in Grade 9 (December 1976). The music teacher decided that we were going to do "It's Cool in the Furnace" for the Christmas concert, and since I'd started taking organ lessons (after years of playing by ear), the teacher arranged to borrow an organ from a music store.
I still have the sheet music for that, around somewhere. I've just had a quick look online to see if I could find the lyrics to one of the songs that specifically mentions instruments (organ, harp, tympani, etc.), but all I've found are sites where the sheet music is for sale. The song is "Let the People Praise", and while I don't relate to the lyrics, the music itself sounds great on the organ, though the sheet music is written for piano. I had to come up with my own arrangement for the pedals.
The Church does not use musical instruments such as the harp or lyre when praising God, lest she should seem to lapse into Judaism ... As Aristotle says, "Flutes ought not to be introduced into teaching, nor any artificial instrument such as the harp, nor anything of the kind, but only such things as make men good (or possibly, 'foster attentive listeners')." For musical instruments usually move the soul more to pleasure than create a good internal disposition. But in the Old Testament, instruments of this kind were used, both because the people were more coarse and carnal, so that they needed to be aroused by such instruments and with temporal promises, and also because these bodily instruments were figurative of something.
Thomas Aquinas
sometime in the 13th century
I'm going to riff on this. I personally find it ick whenever the pastor gets out a guitar. I know the praise jam fru-fru music is coming out. Doesn't work for me, never did. I don't think it's the guitar though, it's just a temperament that doesn't jive in context personally. Love the old pipe organ they've managed to keep running for the moment, though. Keeps me in the neighborhood of the right pitch.
There's something about finding the right music and just cranking it up. My grandmother loved "Amazing Grace".
But as I posted previously, the New Testament explicitly references musical instruments, and specifically playing instruments while singing praises to God. So Aquinas is shooting from the hip a little here.
I guess he would have hated Wuauquikuna. Granted, this isn't a church hymn kind of hymn, but there are biblical references in the lyrics:
This video was shot near their family's home in Ecuador.
Lately he's been hitting some good topics that make sense to me, like this whole eclipse business.
Seriously? You really think he's onto something? Honestly, it's sheer nonsense. Eclipses happen. They happen not only here, but on any planet with moons at the right distance and with the right orbit. Of course we can't actually go there in person to experience them, but they do happen. It's physics.
God has been driven out of our schools, government, public places, etc. and from how I'm looking at it could this be some kind of warning in the form on an eclipse for the usa? Any nation on this planet can receive communication from God, not just the us. This could be an example of signs of moral decay to add to our list we've been talking about.
Unrelated but maybe indeed related is the rise of a one world order and the usa is in the way and needs to be removed, or at least diminished, according to the elites. This is a topic outside of this thread however.
This eclipse isn't only visible in the U.S. And eclipses have zip-all
nothing to do with "moral decay." Eclipses were happening here long before there were humans to notice them.
There are more Christians alive today than at any other time in history.
You wouldn't know it according to the right-wingers in my province. The ex-premier, Jason Kenney, is hosting some sort of conference or gathering where they can all get together and complain about how "persecuted" they are... not long after the current premier decided to take away certain rights of LGBT children.
Shakespeare is lost to us. I think it a shame. I did read the Canterbury Tales but ye old English is a bridge too far even for me
You've said this before. In what way is Shakespeare "lost" to us? There are many sites where you can read his plays and poems for free, and I have some in my book collection.
The only way in which Shakespeare could be said to be "lost" is that some of the rhymes don't work with modern English pronunciations.
And consider this: Way back when, most average people weren't literate. So the actual literature was often written in a way that was intended to be performed, or read to others. That's why people get frustrated with Shakespeare when all they can do is read the plays. It takes actually seeing them performed to really get into it.
Canterbury Tales is admittedly harder. The pronunciations were quite different, and there are words unfamiliar to us. I find Old and Middle English to be more lyrical and lilting, or so it was when I watched those episodes of
The Story of English (fascinating documentary series; it's available online).
I do know that demons operate by attacking words and concepts and meanings and casting confusions.
Sounds like my provincial government.
