Hi Boazy,

Been busy into late at night.

I do worry about you. That is, please don't let your concerns about Islam overtake and threaten your well-being.

In addition, it might be inappropriate speak of your god and their god, rather than the alternative, to say each religion has a belief in their covenant with the one god. This position is not necessarily polytheism, just different arrangements the one god.

Fundamentalism exists in Christianity, Islam and Judaeism. As mentioned in two previous posts, post-Nicaea Constantine's crew acted much like the Taliban in destroying the statues and artistic works of alternative cultures. That doesn't mean every Christian one meets in the street is looney-tunes, nor does it follow most devout Christians would now behave in the rampacious manner of the historical church.

If somesome came another planet, it would wrong of the LG Woman to judge the all peoples based on the actions of Charles Manson. Sure some nut-cases flew into the World Trade Centre, but that does not mean the guy sitting next to you on a plane and wearing a khaftan is a terrorist.

Of course, there are issues of security concerning Islam, but addressing threats from "the few" is task of intelligence agencies, who are there to protect us.

What is dangerous is having a Christian fundamentalist and an Islamic fundamentalism eye-balling each before the draw.

Yvonne, I believe that you have struck at the heart of the matter in your post.

DB, as much as those who scourge or flagellate themselves for their faith, sees himself as a martyr. Each time someone posts against him its as if he is lapping it up and adding it to some kind of score card. It allows him to see himself as being persecuted for his faith and standing firm like St. Stephen with the arrows. There is something inherently masochistic in it which is, I think, the reason why the word "creepy" has been applied to him on more than one occasion.

As he has admitted more than once, those who are not with him are his enemies...his story (to CJ)of defying the multitude and being unafraid because his cause was just is something he re-enacts every day on these threads. Daily he defies the enemy. It doesn't matter actually what the content of peoples objections are - as has been proved and commented on countless times - it just goes down on his metaphorical scorecard: Brother B has stood valiant against the dark hordes once again.

Has anyone ever heard him: give comfort (as opposed to quoting a piece of scripture?) Reassurance? Apologise? Admit he is wrong? Show charity, generosity of spirit, humbleness or forbearance?

No. Because these are the Christian virtues against which no-one could argue and his position as Defender of the Faith would not be needed. He doesn't even realise that it is not his faith that is being attacked but his attitude.

So much..soooo much to work with.. wonderful contributions.. and a Ching Hai-ist also :) this is becoming more interesting by the minute.

Perciles..
"Human Linguistic Dynamic" have a guess! "the way that language (linguistic) varies and changes with context and time (dynamic)I chose 3 words!

"Compelling" Actually Pericles, as you said, it's a matter of perspective. Agreed.
To enhance that perspective, ask this. "How much in non Biblical writings/early historians is written about Simon Magus?" ZILCH...
Yet see how he figures in the early church writings!
http://www.pointsoftruth.com/SimonMagus.html
See the section "What Luke tells us about Simon" (don't know much about this web site)
Then see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus

From this we may conclude reasonably that 'religious figures' were of little interest to Roman historians except where they represented a Political threat/movement in the eyes of the power holders.

CRITICISM of other faiths. No..its not shakey at all, as I pointed out at the beginning, the criticism is based on the ACCEPTED foundation documents (of all) not the 'reliability' of those texts, which to the eyes of the believing beholders are above question.

Oly.. to much for this thread mate (your list of God questions; keeeep focused:) But the topic is not 'me scared of Islam' its 'how to interpret texts' :)

ALEXTABABA..how in this wide world did you find this thread ? :) I'm amazed.

Dear Foxy... My fears are more for our country than me personally. Please remember, I've lived under this stuff, and know it from first hand experience.

Yvonne.. if you don't have any image of me, then why speak about me in ways which suggest you do ? :) I've no idea where you get the timid fearful me from. Please don't link 'cluster bombs' with 'Christianity' .. naughty girl. Readddd the Bible then see what you 'can' say about it.

Dear ROMANY..no mate..I lap up the fact that we are discussing important aspects of eternal issues."I" don't really matter.
"Dark Hoardes" :) good 1.
Sorry..Pericles and CJ attack 'my faith' on a daily basis. You do read don't u?

....continued/

BACK TO TOPIC.
DAvid F, I think you missed some posts mate. We examined a myth of the Tsimshian
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1854&page=0#37640

We can use any text to reach a concensus about 'how to interpret'...and by all means provide one of your choice..but limit it to perhaps one or 2 sentences, otherwise it could become cumbersome.

Given your own scientific background, I think you would agree that arriving at a particular destination in research, involved the careful interpretation of language?

Re Mark 5 demonic possession.. please look at what is actually reported. (we can discuss this further)

Revisiting Mark 1:1 Just to highlight how much we often don't see.

Consider this please

"The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" King James Version.
"The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ" NIV.

"of Jesus" is tranlated from 'Iesou' the 'ou' ending is the genetive singular case, equivalent to the english 'possessive'.

Anthropos= a man "He saw a man"
Anthropou= of a man "The ways of a man"

Iesos="Jesus" usage "This is Jesus"
Iesou="of Jesus" usage "The Gospel of Jesus"

So.. when we read in the NIV Mark 1:1 'about' Jesus, we are in fact reading an 'interpretation' based on context, but the Greek means 'of' .

Normally, we don't need to consider grammer so closely, we just speak and understand.

It is not difficult to 'interpet' "Honour your mother and father"

Reason? we know what the word 'honour' means.. from our cultural and social context.

So, when I use the title 'How to' in regard to interpreting texts, it is not 'arrogance' but an allusion to the simple fact that language has meaning which we all know.

The much bigger challenge is not so much 'interpretation' but APPLICATION...
"Now that I know WHAT the text says..and what it MEANS..how do I translate that into real world BEHAVIOR" that's.."application."

1/ Establish. Basic grammatical statement.
2/ Interpret. Meaning of the text.
3/ Application. Translate meaning into behavior.

Dear Boaz,

"Oly.. to much for this thread mate (your list of God questions; keeeep focused:) But the topic is not 'me scared of Islam' its 'how to interpret texts' :)"

I have taken the tact it was about your interfaith experience and meeting Muslim folk.

Cheers.

O.

Correct Oly... I was looking at 2 threads at the same time and became confused about which one I was responding to :) don't tell Pericles or Morgan I said that or I'll never live it down.. "confused" :)

But this one was as much about the other new agey things I came across..and as you have witnessed in this thread.. we have a follower of 'Gods direct connection.com' who does not mind handing over her cash to the 'supreme master' who then (after she takes her greater than Bill Clintons salary) sends it to 'needy causes' like torturing poor animals who are born and bred MEAT eaters, who they then feed them 'vegetarian' doggie food.. Mind boggling......

"World Peace" :) duh.