(Continued)

No employer should have that much power that they can silence you for taking part in the conversations and discussions that are important to you. One other thing is that what Folau actually said and his follow up statements are overshadowed by with the pro homosexual narrative (again no other group is up in arms to fire him), as well as over shadowed by the response of cooperate censorship on individuals in the media.

Both of these topics of homosexuality and censorship are big issues. Apparently big enough to both fire Israel and ignore what he actually said at the same time

Almost wish I could just tell everyone to repent of their sins. (Turn away from them and to stop doing them). Because even though we all have our habitual or occasional sin, we really should turn from them. Yet I think in the light of the discussions so far, Israel Folau's statements have almost been lost and mine would be lost as well. A shame really.

The lesson to be learnt is that if you criticize homosexuals in any way the CEO of Qantas will get you.

Dear Is Mise,

I’m suspicious of ‘miraculous’ cures, but I looked up Lourdes. I found:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Lourdes

“Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in honour of the Marian apparitions that reportedly occurred in 1858 in the vicinity of Lourdes in France. The first of these is the apparition of 11 February 1858, when 14-year old Bernadette Soubirous told her mother that a "lady" spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle (a kilometre and a half (1 mi) from the town) while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend.[1] Similar apparitions of the "Lady" were reported on seventeen occasions that year, until the climax revelation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception took place.”

“After church investigations confirmed her visions, a large church was built at the site.”

I believe she and gullible others had visions. However, the idea of a human virgin giving birth is in itself nonsense unless sperm is injected into the appropriate area.

As a new religion invented about 2,000 years ago Christianity was looking for converts. One way to get listened to was to give Jesus the attributes of a pagan god. Many of those gods were born of virgins so a virgin birth was attributed to Jesus. One problem was the appeal to the Jews. The text of the Jewish Bible in Isaiah 14:7 contains a prophesy which makes no mention of a virgin. This obstacle was overcome by a translation which mentioned a virgin.

Translation of the prophesy from the original Hebrew to English:

Isaiah 7:14 therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: a maiden is with child and she will bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel.

The Hebrew, Almah, means maiden in English. Bethullah is the Hebrew word for virgin.

King James version: Isaiah 7:14 14Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

There is no prophesy of a virgin birth in the original.

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A friend is a former Lutheran pastor. Part of his training was in St. Olaf’s seminary in the USA. I found in talking to him that his views on Christianity were not much different from mine. He was quite aware that the virgin birth was only myth and did not happen. At St. Olaf’s they discussed its origins and its justification. I asked him if he had discussed any of this with his parishioners. He told me he did not want to disturb their simple faith. Apparently it would be disturbing to their simple faith to know they had been fed nonsense. He is no longer a minister as he apparently could not continue and feel comfortable in his role. After leaving the ministry he left the church. I have not seen him recently so I don’t know if he still considers himself a Christian.

Virgin births were claimed for many Egyptian pharaohs, Greek emperors and for Alexander the Great of Greece.

Not only the idea of a virgin mother, but all the other miraculous events, such as the stable cradle, the guiding star, the massacre of the children, the flight to Egypt, and the resurrection and bodily ascension toward the clouds, have not only been borrowed, but are even scarcely altered in the New Testament story of Jesus.

Apparently virgin births were quite common up until the advancement of medicine and science.

A superstitious peasant girl and others like her had visions reinforcing their superstitions. That’s the miracle of Lourdes. I believe that the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire was a dark day in history.

david f,

All old news, but what I asked for was an explanation of the miracles at Lourdes, nothing more.

A non-believer should be able to explain them in rational, scientific terms.

Dear Is Mise,

To the best of my knowledge there have been accounts of miracles at Lourdes but no miracles. There is nothing to explain.