Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day began with my performance of the dreaded laundry chores at 7:30am. Afterward, I rode the bus to town. As usual, I spent the morning in the inner courtyard of the library along with the various homeless. I completed reading Colin Humphreys' book, "The Miracles of Exodus." I cannot overstate that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Sadly, I do not believe that the world of Biblical scholarship will take his thesis seriously. Humphreys has provided an entertaining thesis about the exodus itinerary of Moses and the Hebrews. He has also postulated the exact location of Mount Sinai (Horeb), and it's not Jabel Musa in the Sinai Peninsula.
I met up with Shirley at 12:30pm. We ate lunch at the Hukilau Restaurant in the Executive Center. We were able to chat for about an hour. The occasion, of course, was Shirley's recent B-day.
After lunch, I performed my usual urban nomad workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was quite full from lunch, so my dinner was modest. The evening? An urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, of course.
The despicable "condotel" unit produced a loss of $500 last month which has now made it a major liability for me. It is draining money from my savings quicker than anything else. According to the latest tourist arrivals, the declines are increasing each month. Most hotels are already at or below 50 percent occupancy. There has been an exponential increase in property listings for "condotel" units on the Hi Central site. Several desperate sellers are willing to assume losses of $70,000 or more. And, there has been at least one "short sale" so far. I suspect that there are going to be a huge number of "condotel" mortgage defaults coming up soon. For me, the situation is at critical mass. I expect losses to exceed $1,000 per month before Summer. Essentially, that means the hotel occupancy rate will be close to zero percent. I have only two viable options. I can either move back into the unit, or I can rent it out myself. Even less desirable is the option to pay off the mortgage in cash. The unit will not sell for several years, if ever. Of course, I could voluntarily become homeless to save money. Isn't the economic recovery great?
Back in the "blog" of March 31st, I discussed the "Original Sin" from the common theological perspective. However, in retrospect, I am not all that convinced. According to the Good Book, the first human pair entered into "sin" when they partook of the fruit from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad." Of course, the obvious question that most of the great thinkers have asked is, why was the tree there in the first place? Thus, I do not need to go down that path. There is no logical answer. What I do find odd is that, after partaking of the forbidden fruit, the first human pair realized that they were naked and felt shame. That's quite odd, since I cannot understand how they could have been traipsing around the "Garden of Eden" without clothes. I do not believe that they were physically different from humans today because the latter are the former's descendants. Out of all the living creatures on earth, humans are the most physically vulnerable to every aspect of environment. We were created essentially with the need for clothing.
Then, there is the issue of "sin" itself. I am certain that the great thinkers have already contemplated and discussed the nature of "sin" versus "free will." The fact of the matter is that the first human pair committed the alleged "sin" before eating the forbidden fruit. In other words, they decided to commit the "sin" before actually performing the dirty deed. Innocence was already lost prior to eating the fruit. So, what exactly happened after they ate the forbidden fruit? Is that when they gained knowledge of good and bad? That makes absolutely no sense. Did they not already know good and bad? Apparently not, because the Good Book quotes the Almighty as saying after-the-fact that they had "become like [God], knowing both good and evil."
I am perplexed by what transpired in the "Garden of Eden." The first human pair must have had "free will." Otherwise, they would not able to contemplate their subsequent action to eat the forbidden fruit. And, would they not already know good and bad in order to exercise "free will"? Or, did the fruit itself plant the various evils (e.g., covetousness, murder, greed, etc.) into their psyche?
The phrase "free will" does not appear anywhere in the Scriptures. Thus, I will assume that the great thinkers coined the term to describe the moral disposition of the first human pair prior to eating the forbidden fruit. The Scriptures imply that the Almighty apparently did not want humans to have the knowledge of both good and bad. Yet, when the first human pair went against the command of the Almighty, they had to know that they did bad. Otherwise, they would be innocent. The circular logic of the incident leads me to suspect that the latter may not have been part of the original oral tradition handed down from the Creator.
I am not sure that humans, even in the state of alleged perfection prior to eating the forbidden fruit, could maintain an absolute good life. With the ability to exercise both good and bad conduct, we are always driven to make choices. Even when we know better, we tend to make bad choices deliberately. We may also react out of rage or fear, which is illogical. However, that is part of the temperament inherent in our design. A level of moral quasi-perfection is possible in all of us, provided that we employ long periods of contemplation and reason before executing any decision or action. Realistically, though, we live in a physical and material world which essentially clashes with the ideals of perfection. So, once again, we are faced with yet another conundrum.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Origins
Yet another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has been roasted on the campfire. At the library, I discovered that someone had checked out all of the Bart Ehrman books. No loss, however. I simply continued to read Colin Humphreys' book, "The Miracles of Exodus." I am quite impressed by the book, although it remains quite obscure.
The same group of homeless people are still frequenting the library. I am certain that I have been lumped into that generic category by any casual onlookers. I have no idea how the homeless survive. I have been tempted to establish some kind of acquaintanceship with some of them in order to learn their techniques of survival. However, they appear to be quite wary of "outsiders." Common fools may mistake the ol' lavahead for one of the homeless, but the real homeless know their brethren.
The bus has somehow marginally filled in for a weak social life. For some reason, a few people talk to me on occasion. An older guy (retired) rides the bus to town once a week in the morning. He lives in Nu'uanu, but commutes to Kuli'ou'ou very early in the morning to do yard work for his sister (who is 97 years old). He chatted with me this morning for the entire bus ride. This afternoon, a guy who was on the same bus with me on Sunday when the crazed babe (term used loosely) caused me to snap initiated a conversation. His name is Tim. He chatted with me for the duration of the bus ride back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I read an interesting interview with John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics fame on the Carolyn Baker site. Williams is predicting a hyperinflationary depression as early as the end of the year. Although I continue to read articles of this genre, I now know that the doom-and-gloom predictions will not come true. There is a major recovery going on right now with the stock market surging onward to Dow 30,000 or more. As I said, the moneychangers and powers-that-be have it all under control. Armageddon is not coming. The secular Apocalypse is not coming. Only the "good times" are coming back!
I neglected to mention that moms was spewing a few church platitudes to me yesterday. I chose to remain silent instead of commenting. Moms is one of the diehards in the church. For moms, the church is the "truth." Never mind that the church has been so way off from the Good Book that I am not even sure how to classify its apostasy. The church leadership has been predicting Armageddon's wrath now for almost 100 years, and each prediction has been a sorry failure. My one-and-only complete read of the Good Book exposed all of the faulty doctrines and beliefs. Doesn't anyone in that church read the Good Book?
Frankly, the whole Christian issue is moot anyway. I cannot find anything that validates Christianity insofar as the transition from Hebrew times is concerned. None of the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") are fulfilled by Jesus' short tenure. There is no mention or implication of "hell," the trinity, or any kind of resurrection in the Hebrew beliefs. Of course, I am just repeating myself at this point.
Perhaps I need to start with the basics. I am a Creationist. In other words, I believe that the entire universe and all life forms were created by a very powerful and intelligent entity. There was a time when I was not a Creationist, but that's a story for another time. The design of all matter and lifeforms are just too complicated and too entwined to be the result of random order. In the microcosm, we humans are very puzzling creatures. While we have biological similarities to animals, the differences are very striking. We are clearly naked, with no built-in clothing. We also seems very awkwardly unprepared for living in the wild. We also have no true survival instincts, but we were given self-awareness and the ability to think, reason, and learn instead. I am certain that we had to be created with linguistic abilities and given an initial language to communicate. Without language, we would not have self-awareness. We would not even be able to think.
As physically frail as we humans are, our original ancestors would have had to be nurtured and supervised for several decades to insure the incubation of at least one or two generations of progenitors. In addition, there is no way to get around the fact that our ancestors had incestuous relationships in order to procreate. Our original ancestors also had to be taught how to survive (i.e., what to eat, how to procreate, and so forth). In other words, there was an oral tradition. Somewhere along the line of history, the original oral tradition metamorphosed into various myths and legends through the facility of embellishment. Thus, either the oral tradition has been completely lost or it is deeply embedded in what has been passed down to us.
Hence, I now believe that we must start at Time Zero, the creation point, and work forward. We have the creation account of the Good Book, although it does not tell us much. What is of interest to me is the so-called "Original Sin." I have glossed over the subject previously. However, now we must look at whether the concept of sin makes sense in terms of the creation of humans. No doubt, many great thinkers have already thought and wrote about the subject. I am not a great thinker, so I will be offering the imbecilic peon's version. That's where the journey takes us next.
The same group of homeless people are still frequenting the library. I am certain that I have been lumped into that generic category by any casual onlookers. I have no idea how the homeless survive. I have been tempted to establish some kind of acquaintanceship with some of them in order to learn their techniques of survival. However, they appear to be quite wary of "outsiders." Common fools may mistake the ol' lavahead for one of the homeless, but the real homeless know their brethren.
The bus has somehow marginally filled in for a weak social life. For some reason, a few people talk to me on occasion. An older guy (retired) rides the bus to town once a week in the morning. He lives in Nu'uanu, but commutes to Kuli'ou'ou very early in the morning to do yard work for his sister (who is 97 years old). He chatted with me this morning for the entire bus ride. This afternoon, a guy who was on the same bus with me on Sunday when the crazed babe (term used loosely) caused me to snap initiated a conversation. His name is Tim. He chatted with me for the duration of the bus ride back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I read an interesting interview with John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics fame on the Carolyn Baker site. Williams is predicting a hyperinflationary depression as early as the end of the year. Although I continue to read articles of this genre, I now know that the doom-and-gloom predictions will not come true. There is a major recovery going on right now with the stock market surging onward to Dow 30,000 or more. As I said, the moneychangers and powers-that-be have it all under control. Armageddon is not coming. The secular Apocalypse is not coming. Only the "good times" are coming back!
I neglected to mention that moms was spewing a few church platitudes to me yesterday. I chose to remain silent instead of commenting. Moms is one of the diehards in the church. For moms, the church is the "truth." Never mind that the church has been so way off from the Good Book that I am not even sure how to classify its apostasy. The church leadership has been predicting Armageddon's wrath now for almost 100 years, and each prediction has been a sorry failure. My one-and-only complete read of the Good Book exposed all of the faulty doctrines and beliefs. Doesn't anyone in that church read the Good Book?
Frankly, the whole Christian issue is moot anyway. I cannot find anything that validates Christianity insofar as the transition from Hebrew times is concerned. None of the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") are fulfilled by Jesus' short tenure. There is no mention or implication of "hell," the trinity, or any kind of resurrection in the Hebrew beliefs. Of course, I am just repeating myself at this point.
Perhaps I need to start with the basics. I am a Creationist. In other words, I believe that the entire universe and all life forms were created by a very powerful and intelligent entity. There was a time when I was not a Creationist, but that's a story for another time. The design of all matter and lifeforms are just too complicated and too entwined to be the result of random order. In the microcosm, we humans are very puzzling creatures. While we have biological similarities to animals, the differences are very striking. We are clearly naked, with no built-in clothing. We also seems very awkwardly unprepared for living in the wild. We also have no true survival instincts, but we were given self-awareness and the ability to think, reason, and learn instead. I am certain that we had to be created with linguistic abilities and given an initial language to communicate. Without language, we would not have self-awareness. We would not even be able to think.
As physically frail as we humans are, our original ancestors would have had to be nurtured and supervised for several decades to insure the incubation of at least one or two generations of progenitors. In addition, there is no way to get around the fact that our ancestors had incestuous relationships in order to procreate. Our original ancestors also had to be taught how to survive (i.e., what to eat, how to procreate, and so forth). In other words, there was an oral tradition. Somewhere along the line of history, the original oral tradition metamorphosed into various myths and legends through the facility of embellishment. Thus, either the oral tradition has been completely lost or it is deeply embedded in what has been passed down to us.
Hence, I now believe that we must start at Time Zero, the creation point, and work forward. We have the creation account of the Good Book, although it does not tell us much. What is of interest to me is the so-called "Original Sin." I have glossed over the subject previously. However, now we must look at whether the concept of sin makes sense in terms of the creation of humans. No doubt, many great thinkers have already thought and wrote about the subject. I am not a great thinker, so I will be offering the imbecilic peon's version. That's where the journey takes us next.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Chaos in Stasis
My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:40am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I made the usual rounds ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
Moms told me that she will have to appear in court again in June. Moms had gone yesterday for the trial over the mangy mutt, but the House of Lolo was apparently not prepared to defend itself. In over two months time since the subpoena was issued, the defendant (i.e., House of Lolo) did nothing to secure an attorney. I told moms that the House of Lolo is obviously stalling for time in order to prevent the mangy mutt from being put to sleep.
I spent an hour at Koko Head Park. Then, I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor in anticipation of another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
Incidentally, for dinner, I ate a $2 hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) that I had purchased at Foodland this afternoon. It was a markdown from sometime in the morning because I remember seeing a few hot meals next to the lamp-baked chickens when moms and I were there earlier. The rice was extremely hard, but the spare ribs (sans swine flu toxin) were fine.
Moms told me that she will have to appear in court again in June. Moms had gone yesterday for the trial over the mangy mutt, but the House of Lolo was apparently not prepared to defend itself. In over two months time since the subpoena was issued, the defendant (i.e., House of Lolo) did nothing to secure an attorney. I told moms that the House of Lolo is obviously stalling for time in order to prevent the mangy mutt from being put to sleep.
I spent an hour at Koko Head Park. Then, I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor in anticipation of another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
Incidentally, for dinner, I ate a $2 hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) that I had purchased at Foodland this afternoon. It was a markdown from sometime in the morning because I remember seeing a few hot meals next to the lamp-baked chickens when moms and I were there earlier. The rice was extremely hard, but the spare ribs (sans swine flu toxin) were fine.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Ad Infinitum, Ad Nauseum
"The question is not why we suffer. The question is why we permit others to suffer. And if we must accept suffering to relieve the suffering of others we move not away, but toward God." -- From "A Hollow Agnosticism" by Chris Hedges in the Harvard Divinity BulletinAnother urban nomad kind-of-a-day has been relegated to the dung heap. Nothing out of the ordinary transpired, thank goodness. I continued my religious research in the library. I have located "God's Problem," by Bart Ehrman, so I am now reading three books concurrently. At present, I have given priority to Colin Humphreys' book, "The Miracles of Exodus."
Well, with the economy collapsing (for the peons only) and now the damned swine flu, one would think that the religious research would be put on the back burner. Not so. We've discussed such nonsense ad nauseum in the "blog," only to realize in the end that all are "false flag" operations. Yes, the swine flu is apparently a lab-concocted one (i.e., "weaponized"), but the powers-that-be are not ready for the prime-time pandemic yet. This is just another test run. Don't worry. Armageddon is definitely not coming. The secular Apocalypse is also not coming. The moneychangers and powers-that-be have it all under control.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Prophetic Bloviations
"Jesus' genealogy does not prove that Jesus is the Messiah, but it does make him a possible candidate." -- Article titled, "Jesus' Genealogy," in the NLT (New Living Translation) Study BibleAnother urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday almost passed without incident. Too good to be true, eh? Wherever the urban nomad travels, trouble is sure to follow. A crazed babe (term used loosely) boarded the bus at Kahala, and the dumb ho' ended up putting us behind schedule by 15 minutes. I was not in a hurry, mind you, but the ho' was playing games with the bus driver. First, she took about five minutes searching through her crap to find her bus pass. Then, she refused to remove one of her bags from the small shelf above the tire well that has a sign strictly forbidding the placement of any personal crap there. The driver kept asking her to move the stuff. Instead of complying, she kept showing him her bus pass. He finally called the transit supervisor. I, for some reason, could not take it anymore. From the back of the bus, I yelled out, "Move your fucking bag to the seat already!" Reluctantly, the ho' complied.
Finally, we were on our way again. I made a stopover at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I was not able to secure a bento, most likely as retribution for my actions earlier. I was able to find a small package of sushi and a pathetic Reser's® frozen burrito. I also purchased a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream. As I waited at the bus stop and ate the ice cream, I saw the group of kids who were sitting across from the crazed ho' on the bus. They had also alighted in Aina Haina. I chatted with them briefly.
Once back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I heated up the frozen burrito and ate it. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. No doubt, another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaits me. Sheesh!
I should state that my religious research will continue unabated. I am not certain about what I will find. Most likely, I will move further, albeit reluctantly, toward agnosticism. I seriously doubt that I will read the entire Good Book again, which now makes me question my $40 purchase of the NLT Study Bible. Of course, at the time, I was totally ignorant of the inaccuracies and anachronisms in the Good Book. I was also not aware of the history of the manuscripts and the even more sordid history of the various religions that rely upon the Scriptures.
I am quite surprised that I identified as many problems as I did with just one reading of the Good Book (see the last couple of months of the "blog"). I was also able to quickly isolate the many misinterpretations which moms' church utilized to formulate its doctrines. In fact, I have even regularly browsed the ex-member forums of a few denominations of churches. What I find is that there are a lot of ignorant people (like myself) who thought that the Good Book was one complete volume of work delivered by God through Divine Inspiration. Who would have thought that the world's most revered document is a compilation of poorly copied scrolls penned by humans?
Even with the short period of time between last night and now, I have increased my suspicion of the prophets (i.e., Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Paul of Patmos, et al.) and their authenticity. The prophecies are almost entirely apocalyptic. As omnipotent as the Almighty is, He need not waste His time going through middlemen. If He was going to rain down destruction upon humankind, then He would have just done so. The prophets, on the other hand, were simply trying to conjure an explanation for the outcome of certain events using the "good versus evil" model. While honorable in an academic sense, the explanations do nothing to solve the problems at hand.
The prophets were frustrated people, obviously locked in internal philosophical debates about good and evil. That "extracranial" activity caused them to experience "visions." Frustration, anger, and revulsion permeated those "visions," which caused them to bloviate vicariously through an omnipotent entity in an insanely grandiose manner. The sheer rage pushed them to edge of reason. They, in effect, materialized the "angry God." So, how different were they from the sorcerers of the pagan world?
Yes, my testimony does sound quite blasphemous. So, let us look at religious worship today. It's all over the map, so to speak. There is no consistent worship. In Christianity alone, there is not a single denomination that follows the practices or doctrines of the early 1st century Christians. Strangely, the Almighty has not reacted to the debauchery. Heck, remember when Nadab and Abihu were charbroiled by the Almighty for swinging around the wrong kind of incense in their lamps in front of the Tabernacle? In the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"), the Almighty was an exacting deity. Not so in 21st century. Why?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Is That All There Is?
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... nothing out of the ordinary, with the exception that I decided restore my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. The haircut was so-so, and the price has gone up again. Soon I will have no choice but to cut my hair at Supercuts®, where the hottie friend works.
At this time, I should post a few of my preliminary findings concerning the Good Book. The Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") appear to be composed from a variety of sources, the bulk of which is dated around the time of the Diaspora. I am, however, still of the opinion that much of the material has some genealogical basis (perhaps from an oral tradition). Colin Humprheys in his book, "The Miracles of Exodus," also cleared up another conundrum concerning the actual number of Israelites who fled Egypt. In all of the translations, we are led to believe that well over a million people made the exodus. Humphreys postulated that the number is completely wrong because of the misinterpretation of the Hebrew word 'eleph, which could mean either "thousand" or "clan." Humphreys' actual figure is about 20,000 or so (which would coincide with the digs of sparse tribal villages discussed by Finkelstein and Silberman in "The Bible Unearthed").
I have also lost confidence in the integrity of the prophetic books. While the prophets were somewhat accurate in predicting the fall of Israel and Judah, their final prediction of the return of a unified kingdom never materialized. In addition, I fail to see an omnipotent Almighty launching into the endless "fire and brimstone" diatribes attributed to Him. I am also wary of the idea of the priesthood, altars, sacrifices, and rituals. Why would the Almighty require His people to engage in such petty, and seemingly pagan, activities? I am more inclined to believe that the priest-prophets later added those features into the manuscript.
Why did the Almighty need a communication channel of prophets in the first place? Prior to the prophets, the Almighty spoke directly to the people. What happened? It seems that as the time grew closer to 700 BC (coincidentally when the Hebrew manuscripts were first allegedly written), the Almighty began to use prophets to communicate His Word. Was this a cover-up of a farce by the prophets themselves? Incidentally, the Almighty spoke directly only once in the Common Era when Jesus was baptized. That's it.
With the Hebrew Scriptures now at the crossroads of credibility, there is little left to support the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). There is perhaps only one prophecy that loosely relates to a coming Messiah (i.e., Immanuel) in the account of Isaiah. In fact, the word "Messiah" does not even appear once in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Israelites were also never told that God had a Son. Odd, isn't it?
In the Gospels of the Greek Scriptures, there are many attempts at citing verses from the Hebrew Scriptures that "prove" the fulfillment of prophecy with the birth of Jesus. For the most part, the interpretation of those Scriptures seemed to be taken out of context. I was dumbfounded to find a correlation. The Messiah is said to be fulfilling the promise of a new king in the family line of David. However, that cannot possibly be true. Joseph is shown to be a descendant of David, but he is not the biological father of Jesus. If Mary was a descendant of David as well, then the prophesy would hold true. Even then, family lines are always patriarchal-derived.
I have noted that I am beginning to sound more and more like an agnostic. Let it be known that I have made every attempt to find the truth in the Scriptures. I am still certain that the Creator exists, but I am at a loss to conclude that the latter entity is the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. If I do not accept the God of the Scriptures, then the implications are clear. The Creator has not communicated with us since humans were first put on the planet. We have been left to our own devices. Justice is a farce. We have no accountability except to other humans, which is also a farce. I am left asking, "Is that all there is?"
At this time, I should post a few of my preliminary findings concerning the Good Book. The Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") appear to be composed from a variety of sources, the bulk of which is dated around the time of the Diaspora. I am, however, still of the opinion that much of the material has some genealogical basis (perhaps from an oral tradition). Colin Humprheys in his book, "The Miracles of Exodus," also cleared up another conundrum concerning the actual number of Israelites who fled Egypt. In all of the translations, we are led to believe that well over a million people made the exodus. Humphreys postulated that the number is completely wrong because of the misinterpretation of the Hebrew word 'eleph, which could mean either "thousand" or "clan." Humphreys' actual figure is about 20,000 or so (which would coincide with the digs of sparse tribal villages discussed by Finkelstein and Silberman in "The Bible Unearthed").
I have also lost confidence in the integrity of the prophetic books. While the prophets were somewhat accurate in predicting the fall of Israel and Judah, their final prediction of the return of a unified kingdom never materialized. In addition, I fail to see an omnipotent Almighty launching into the endless "fire and brimstone" diatribes attributed to Him. I am also wary of the idea of the priesthood, altars, sacrifices, and rituals. Why would the Almighty require His people to engage in such petty, and seemingly pagan, activities? I am more inclined to believe that the priest-prophets later added those features into the manuscript.
Why did the Almighty need a communication channel of prophets in the first place? Prior to the prophets, the Almighty spoke directly to the people. What happened? It seems that as the time grew closer to 700 BC (coincidentally when the Hebrew manuscripts were first allegedly written), the Almighty began to use prophets to communicate His Word. Was this a cover-up of a farce by the prophets themselves? Incidentally, the Almighty spoke directly only once in the Common Era when Jesus was baptized. That's it.
With the Hebrew Scriptures now at the crossroads of credibility, there is little left to support the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). There is perhaps only one prophecy that loosely relates to a coming Messiah (i.e., Immanuel) in the account of Isaiah. In fact, the word "Messiah" does not even appear once in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Israelites were also never told that God had a Son. Odd, isn't it?
In the Gospels of the Greek Scriptures, there are many attempts at citing verses from the Hebrew Scriptures that "prove" the fulfillment of prophecy with the birth of Jesus. For the most part, the interpretation of those Scriptures seemed to be taken out of context. I was dumbfounded to find a correlation. The Messiah is said to be fulfilling the promise of a new king in the family line of David. However, that cannot possibly be true. Joseph is shown to be a descendant of David, but he is not the biological father of Jesus. If Mary was a descendant of David as well, then the prophesy would hold true. Even then, family lines are always patriarchal-derived.
I have noted that I am beginning to sound more and more like an agnostic. Let it be known that I have made every attempt to find the truth in the Scriptures. I am still certain that the Creator exists, but I am at a loss to conclude that the latter entity is the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. If I do not accept the God of the Scriptures, then the implications are clear. The Creator has not communicated with us since humans were first put on the planet. We have been left to our own devices. Justice is a farce. We have no accountability except to other humans, which is also a farce. I am left asking, "Is that all there is?"
Friday, April 24, 2009
Rotational Rote
I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park this morning at 7:20am. I spent about 30 minutes there, mostly pondering what I have been recording in the "blog." My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were finally on our way to Kahala Mall at 8:50am. My one and only destination was Barnes & Noble®. Obviously, we already knew that. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee in the café. Once again, I gravitated to the religion section. I located another book by Bart Erhrman titled, "God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer." The subject of the book is "theodicy," the conundrum of the existence of evil.
I departed the mall at 10:45am. I drove to Hawai'i Kai. Moms arrived about ten minutes after me. Moms and I ended up making the rounds at Koko Marina only. We ate lunch at Yummy's. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm.
I then spent about 45 minutes at Koko Head Park. The rest of the day was pure routine. I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Why do I keep typing the same crap every day?
I departed the mall at 10:45am. I drove to Hawai'i Kai. Moms arrived about ten minutes after me. Moms and I ended up making the rounds at Koko Marina only. We ate lunch at Yummy's. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm.
I then spent about 45 minutes at Koko Head Park. The rest of the day was pure routine. I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Why do I keep typing the same crap every day?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
General Dullness III
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day approached the pinnacle of general dullness. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that I performed the dreaded laundry chores at 7:30am this morning. The nauseating itinerary remained the same. Only an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaited me upon arrival at Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I have been at wit's end since I began entertaining the thesis presented by the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. What are the ramifications of a universe without a Supreme Being? Can there be any semblance of order? Are there any universal laws? Is there an authority to hold subordinate lifeforms accountable for their actions?
Without the Creator, without the Supreme Being, without God, as it were, we are left to our devices. Yes, our own devices, whatever that may be. And, what does our life amount to after the 70 or so years of surviving on the planet (if even that)? What about justice? I am speaking of ultimate justice. Will there be any real justice for all of us at some appointed time? Or, was this it?
At the library, I commenced the overlap reading of the book, "The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew," by Bart Ehrman while concurrently finishing Finkelstein and Silberman's book. However, I had to put the book on hold as I discovered another book, "The Miracles of Exodus: A Scientist's Discovery of the Extraordinary Natural Causes of the Biblical Stories," by Colin Humphreys. The issue of the validity of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") overrides other concerns of the Good Book. If the Hebrew Scriptures are a complete fabrication, then there is no need to go any further.
Humphreys has already solved a major conundrum concerning the time period of Moses and the exodus from Egypt, which was alleged to be 480 years before King Solomon's reign. Using that number of years precedes the time of Rameses (Pharaoh of Egypt). The Israelites, prior to the exodus, were slaves who were building the city of Rameses. Obviously they could not be building a city named after a pharaoh that came to power years later. Finkelsten and Silberman claimed the latter as evidence that the Hebrew Scriptures were written much later and prone to errors. Humphreys indicated that time period in those days were often referenced to generations. Hence, the 480 years was comprised of 12 generations of 40 years. Yet, a generation in the Good Book usually inferred the time period between a man's birth and the birth of his first child. Humphreys noted that childbearing probably occurred much earlier in life back then. He settled for a generational period of 25 to 30 years. Using the shorter generational period puts the exodus around 1200 BC (which was during the reign of Rameses II).
Where am I going with all of that nonsense? I really don't know. Even if there is enough proof to verify the chronology and genealogy of the Hebrew Scriptures, how can we verify that the laws and prophecies are truly from the Almighty?
I have been at wit's end since I began entertaining the thesis presented by the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. What are the ramifications of a universe without a Supreme Being? Can there be any semblance of order? Are there any universal laws? Is there an authority to hold subordinate lifeforms accountable for their actions?
Without the Creator, without the Supreme Being, without God, as it were, we are left to our devices. Yes, our own devices, whatever that may be. And, what does our life amount to after the 70 or so years of surviving on the planet (if even that)? What about justice? I am speaking of ultimate justice. Will there be any real justice for all of us at some appointed time? Or, was this it?
At the library, I commenced the overlap reading of the book, "The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew," by Bart Ehrman while concurrently finishing Finkelstein and Silberman's book. However, I had to put the book on hold as I discovered another book, "The Miracles of Exodus: A Scientist's Discovery of the Extraordinary Natural Causes of the Biblical Stories," by Colin Humphreys. The issue of the validity of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") overrides other concerns of the Good Book. If the Hebrew Scriptures are a complete fabrication, then there is no need to go any further.
Humphreys has already solved a major conundrum concerning the time period of Moses and the exodus from Egypt, which was alleged to be 480 years before King Solomon's reign. Using that number of years precedes the time of Rameses (Pharaoh of Egypt). The Israelites, prior to the exodus, were slaves who were building the city of Rameses. Obviously they could not be building a city named after a pharaoh that came to power years later. Finkelsten and Silberman claimed the latter as evidence that the Hebrew Scriptures were written much later and prone to errors. Humphreys indicated that time period in those days were often referenced to generations. Hence, the 480 years was comprised of 12 generations of 40 years. Yet, a generation in the Good Book usually inferred the time period between a man's birth and the birth of his first child. Humphreys noted that childbearing probably occurred much earlier in life back then. He settled for a generational period of 25 to 30 years. Using the shorter generational period puts the exodus around 1200 BC (which was during the reign of Rameses II).
Where am I going with all of that nonsense? I really don't know. Even if there is enough proof to verify the chronology and genealogy of the Hebrew Scriptures, how can we verify that the laws and prophecies are truly from the Almighty?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
General Dullness II
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was an extreme lesson in general dullness. No further itinerary details are necessary. Well, I completed reading the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman at the library. The last half of the book presented the authors' thesis of how, when, and why the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") in the Good Book was written. The thesis was convincing to a point. The authors asserted that the priest-prophets composed the entire manuscript during and after the seventh century BC. Various additions were made in order to keep the storyline open-ended. In other words, additional prophesy was included to look forever into the future. The purpose of the Hebrew Scriptures, according to the authors, was to rally the discouraged and exiled people of Israel (and Judah) around a nationalistic cause and also to consolidate the power of the priest class.
Since absolutely no legitimate reader has visited the "blog" in the last three days, I will make a long story short. Finkelstein and Silberman essentially discredited the entire Hebrew Scriptures. Thus, the bottom line is that Jews, Christians, and Muslims are worshipping an imaginary god. That should leave a few people breathless, eh?
I am, however, not totally convinced. I simply cannot understand why the priest-prophets would go through so much trouble to create such an elaborate document spanning from the beginning of creation onward including a very detailed genealogy, an exhaustive code of law, and detailed specifications for the Tabernacle. Imagine the amount of work that the scribes had to put in just to duplicate the original scrolls. And, with each addition and redaction, the scribes had to recopy the whole damned thing again and again.
So, is some portion of the Scriptures actually authentic? I do not know. I have recorded many of my doubts in the "blog." While I am still very certain that a Creator exists, I do not know whether the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims is one and the same as the Creator. I can honestly say that I have experienced deep frustration as a result of my research.
Well, I donated my cheap copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) to the library, along with the small panini cookbook that came with my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Did my frustration cause me to divest the Good Book? Yes, and no. I still have the huge NLT Study Bible in my reference library. I am just trying to divest a few possessions to add to the general dullness.
Since absolutely no legitimate reader has visited the "blog" in the last three days, I will make a long story short. Finkelstein and Silberman essentially discredited the entire Hebrew Scriptures. Thus, the bottom line is that Jews, Christians, and Muslims are worshipping an imaginary god. That should leave a few people breathless, eh?
I am, however, not totally convinced. I simply cannot understand why the priest-prophets would go through so much trouble to create such an elaborate document spanning from the beginning of creation onward including a very detailed genealogy, an exhaustive code of law, and detailed specifications for the Tabernacle. Imagine the amount of work that the scribes had to put in just to duplicate the original scrolls. And, with each addition and redaction, the scribes had to recopy the whole damned thing again and again.
So, is some portion of the Scriptures actually authentic? I do not know. I have recorded many of my doubts in the "blog." While I am still very certain that a Creator exists, I do not know whether the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims is one and the same as the Creator. I can honestly say that I have experienced deep frustration as a result of my research.
Well, I donated my cheap copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) to the library, along with the small panini cookbook that came with my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Did my frustration cause me to divest the Good Book? Yes, and no. I still have the huge NLT Study Bible in my reference library. I am just trying to divest a few possessions to add to the general dullness.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
General Dullness I
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... actually, a perfect replica of the ideal urban nomad kind-of-a-day. No stupidity, no excitement, just general dullness. I started off the day by performing the dreaded laundry chores at 7:30am this morning. The task was completed before I departed for town. I followed the usual itinerary and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) to prepare for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. No further details are necessary.
I neglected to mention that Aunty M was 92 years old when she passed on. I also learned that the problems leading to Aunty M's demise all happened within the last year. First, she fell and broke her hip. While in rehabilitation after surgery, she suffered a stroke. A second stroke proved to be lethal. Of course, I cannot help but think about moms' situation in the future. Are my bro and I prepared for what may happen?
I have once again resumed the benign activity of divesting my useless crap. However, I am simply not doing enough. It seems that I now have even more stuff than when I first moved into Slob Manor. How can that be? Apparently, no matter how hard I try, I just cannot seem to avoid petty materialism. The crap that I purchase may not cost much, but the real sacrifice is in the amount of space displaced by such crap. My own foolishness will be my undoing.
I neglected to mention that Aunty M was 92 years old when she passed on. I also learned that the problems leading to Aunty M's demise all happened within the last year. First, she fell and broke her hip. While in rehabilitation after surgery, she suffered a stroke. A second stroke proved to be lethal. Of course, I cannot help but think about moms' situation in the future. Are my bro and I prepared for what may happen?
I have once again resumed the benign activity of divesting my useless crap. However, I am simply not doing enough. It seems that I now have even more stuff than when I first moved into Slob Manor. How can that be? Apparently, no matter how hard I try, I just cannot seem to avoid petty materialism. The crap that I purchase may not cost much, but the real sacrifice is in the amount of space displaced by such crap. My own foolishness will be my undoing.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tales of the Mundane
The Chinaman was up until the wee hours of the morning, actually 6am to be exact, gabbing on his cell phone and smoking cigarettes in his squalid room. He must have had about two hours of sleep before driving off somewhere at 8am. The Chinaman has been laid off again for several weeks now. He has not been seeing his babe (read: escort) for as long as I can remember. The money must have run out. However, he must have enough dough for amphetamines.
Needless to say, I did not get much sleep last night. I was groggy when I finally got up at 7:30am. I drove to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 8:45am. Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew for some strange reason. I asked him why school was not in session. "I don't know," he replied. He was already engaged at the controls of the video game console.
Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. We ate lunch at Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. Moms also had to mail off a package at the Post Office. When we returned, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. My nephew was still actively engaged at the helm of the video game console.
I finally departed at 1:45pm. I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking immediately, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was stuffed from lunch, so I ate all kinds of crap instead of a real dinner. I was supposed to perform the dreaded laundry chores, but one of the other Slob Manor morons had left his clothes in the washer. I have no idea how long the laundry has been in there. I only look forward to another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
The weather was extremely hot for the past two days, most likely because the gale force trade winds were conspicuously absent. A downpour finally ensued late this afternoon. The rain helped to cool down the environment. Meanwhile, I continue to park my Nissan® Frontier truck in the crowded Slob Manor driveway, that is, until I decide what to do. I am considering the idea of finding another rental unit, perhaps one that will be much more conducive to my monk life-style. However, just the thought of the whole rental process makes me ill.
Needless to say, I did not get much sleep last night. I was groggy when I finally got up at 7:30am. I drove to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 8:45am. Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew for some strange reason. I asked him why school was not in session. "I don't know," he replied. He was already engaged at the controls of the video game console.
Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. We ate lunch at Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. Moms also had to mail off a package at the Post Office. When we returned, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. My nephew was still actively engaged at the helm of the video game console.
I finally departed at 1:45pm. I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking immediately, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was stuffed from lunch, so I ate all kinds of crap instead of a real dinner. I was supposed to perform the dreaded laundry chores, but one of the other Slob Manor morons had left his clothes in the washer. I have no idea how long the laundry has been in there. I only look forward to another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
The weather was extremely hot for the past two days, most likely because the gale force trade winds were conspicuously absent. A downpour finally ensued late this afternoon. The rain helped to cool down the environment. Meanwhile, I continue to park my Nissan® Frontier truck in the crowded Slob Manor driveway, that is, until I decide what to do. I am considering the idea of finding another rental unit, perhaps one that will be much more conducive to my monk life-style. However, just the thought of the whole rental process makes me ill.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Conundrum (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday commenced with a stroll to Kawaikui Beach park. I sat on one of the concrete benches that overlooks the ocean. What a beautiful day! Pete, the homeless guy who smokes a pipe, was busy scrubbing his concrete picnic table. The homeless guy who owns a bicycle was washing himself in the outdoor showers. I was only there for about 30 minutes.
The homeless guy who owns a bicycle boarded the bus that I was riding a few bus stops further down from Kawaikui Beach Park. He recognized me as usual. He mentioned that he saw me at the beach. I was, of course, on my way to town to fulfill my Sunday itinerary. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I did not make any stopovers. I did nothing important for the rest of the afternoon. However, I took the opportunity to consume every kind of snack (e.g., nuts, sweet bread, candy, dried cuttlefish) that I had lying around in my squalid room. The evening will follow the usual urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
I have become slightly disenchanted with the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. I have observed that much of the commentary reverts to a "devotional" theme. Statements are constantly being made to hammer at points that are not substantiated by the verses being discussed or by the Good Book in general. In fact, I believe that I have inadvertently stumbled upon the "religious conundrum." Let me explain.
A major source of problems is the belief that the Good Book is the Word of God in entirety. Thus, implicitly the Good Book is deemed to be infallible and inerrant. However, the Good Book makes no such claim except for one verse in the 2nd Letter to Timothy:
There has never been an explicit guarantee that the Good Book would be error-free or non-corrupted. Misinformed individuals often cite the end of the Book of Revelation as some kind of express warranty:
The only reason that we believe the Good Book to be the "inspired" work of the Almighty is because that is what has been hammered ad infinitum by religious leaders and pundits. The Good Book, we are told, was penned by God through human hands. I only realized the nature of such mind control techniques when I kept reading the continual insinuations in the NLT Study Bible that myriad Hebrew Scripture (so-called "Old Testament") verses were pointing to the coming of the "Messiah" (whereas I failed to see the correlation). Unless we keep the various misinterpretations and embellishments at bay, there is no way that we can recognize the Good Book for what it is.
Most of the biblical disillusionment has come about because of the disappointment in the non-Divine characteristics attributable to human authors. I tend to believe that many people, including the "experts," have assigned way too much meaning to the term "inspired." That does not mean the Good Book is any less accurate in transmitting its relevance and authenticity. Am I now to discard the NLT Study Bible? No, it is still an invaluable source of information. Am I to view the Good Book as a compilation of human legends and myths? No, I am not quite prepared to believe that it is simply a long "fairy tale."
The homeless guy who owns a bicycle boarded the bus that I was riding a few bus stops further down from Kawaikui Beach Park. He recognized me as usual. He mentioned that he saw me at the beach. I was, of course, on my way to town to fulfill my Sunday itinerary. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I did not make any stopovers. I did nothing important for the rest of the afternoon. However, I took the opportunity to consume every kind of snack (e.g., nuts, sweet bread, candy, dried cuttlefish) that I had lying around in my squalid room. The evening will follow the usual urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
I have become slightly disenchanted with the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. I have observed that much of the commentary reverts to a "devotional" theme. Statements are constantly being made to hammer at points that are not substantiated by the verses being discussed or by the Good Book in general. In fact, I believe that I have inadvertently stumbled upon the "religious conundrum." Let me explain.
A major source of problems is the belief that the Good Book is the Word of God in entirety. Thus, implicitly the Good Book is deemed to be infallible and inerrant. However, the Good Book makes no such claim except for one verse in the 2nd Letter to Timothy:
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. (NLT)The Good Book is, in fact, written by humans. The actual "Word of God" is the spoken quotes interspersed in the text.
There has never been an explicit guarantee that the Good Book would be error-free or non-corrupted. Misinformed individuals often cite the end of the Book of Revelation as some kind of express warranty:
If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophesy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. (NLT)Unbeknown to most people is the fact that such warnings were commonly added to texts in order to discourage nefarious redactors, counterfeiters, and careless scribes from doing their evil deeds. That, of course, is the reason why the Apostle Paul appended a signatory statement in his own handwriting at the end of his letters.
The only reason that we believe the Good Book to be the "inspired" work of the Almighty is because that is what has been hammered ad infinitum by religious leaders and pundits. The Good Book, we are told, was penned by God through human hands. I only realized the nature of such mind control techniques when I kept reading the continual insinuations in the NLT Study Bible that myriad Hebrew Scripture (so-called "Old Testament") verses were pointing to the coming of the "Messiah" (whereas I failed to see the correlation). Unless we keep the various misinterpretations and embellishments at bay, there is no way that we can recognize the Good Book for what it is.
Most of the biblical disillusionment has come about because of the disappointment in the non-Divine characteristics attributable to human authors. I tend to believe that many people, including the "experts," have assigned way too much meaning to the term "inspired." That does not mean the Good Book is any less accurate in transmitting its relevance and authenticity. Am I now to discard the NLT Study Bible? No, it is still an invaluable source of information. Am I to view the Good Book as a compilation of human legends and myths? No, I am not quite prepared to believe that it is simply a long "fairy tale."
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Mortuary Solaces Redux
I was on my way to town in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 9am this morning. I arrived at Hosoi Mortuary a little earlier than I expected. My bro's family and moms arrived about ten minutes later. The funeral service for Aunty M was pretty much the same as any other funeral, similar to fast food ... expensive, bland and contrived. Is that really how anyone wants to be remembered?
There were a lot of relatives from pops' side of the family. I met cousins that I have not seen in decades. There was not much to discuss. Most of them looked so old. Well, my cousins Alvin, Val, and I were the youngest on that side of the family until my bro came along. Even Val and Alvin appeared to have aged significantly (i.e., gray hair). I, on the other hand, have very few strands of gray hair on my scalp.
The food was the same catered stuff at every funeral. I really did not feel like eating anything. The food tasted so bland. Aunty M's surviving family seemed to be doing well. I tried to put myself in their place, but I couldn't imagine myself being sociable. Moms and I finally departed at noon. I gave moms a ride back to Hawai'i Kai as my bro's family were going elsewhere. I kept moms company until 1pm.
I wanted to spend some time at Koko Head Park, but the place was packed with cars and fools. I drove to Koko Marina and, miraculously, was able to find shaded parking. I walked across the street to the pathetic library. Naturally, I gravitated to the equally pathetic religious section. I found an interesting book to peruse. However, I closed my eyes momentarily. A security guard came by to warn me that sleeping was not allowed in the library. Obviously, I fit the description of a homeless guy fairly well, eh?
After a while, I looked up at the clock on the wall. 2:45pm! Whoa! I meandered back to Koko Marina, retrieved my gym bag, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, and shopped at Foodland again. I purchased a hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) consisting of half of a lamp-baked chicken and rice. I also bought some Ahi Poke for tomorrow.
I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and parked in the crowded driveway again. I ate my delicious dinner. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the third day in a row. I also cleaned the interior of my Nissan® Frontier truck with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. As for the evening, I will relax since I did not sleep well last night. The cheap Budweiser® brewskis did not sit well with me. Why did I waste the money on that crap?
There were a lot of relatives from pops' side of the family. I met cousins that I have not seen in decades. There was not much to discuss. Most of them looked so old. Well, my cousins Alvin, Val, and I were the youngest on that side of the family until my bro came along. Even Val and Alvin appeared to have aged significantly (i.e., gray hair). I, on the other hand, have very few strands of gray hair on my scalp.
The food was the same catered stuff at every funeral. I really did not feel like eating anything. The food tasted so bland. Aunty M's surviving family seemed to be doing well. I tried to put myself in their place, but I couldn't imagine myself being sociable. Moms and I finally departed at noon. I gave moms a ride back to Hawai'i Kai as my bro's family were going elsewhere. I kept moms company until 1pm.
I wanted to spend some time at Koko Head Park, but the place was packed with cars and fools. I drove to Koko Marina and, miraculously, was able to find shaded parking. I walked across the street to the pathetic library. Naturally, I gravitated to the equally pathetic religious section. I found an interesting book to peruse. However, I closed my eyes momentarily. A security guard came by to warn me that sleeping was not allowed in the library. Obviously, I fit the description of a homeless guy fairly well, eh?
After a while, I looked up at the clock on the wall. 2:45pm! Whoa! I meandered back to Koko Marina, retrieved my gym bag, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, and shopped at Foodland again. I purchased a hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) consisting of half of a lamp-baked chicken and rice. I also bought some Ahi Poke for tomorrow.
I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and parked in the crowded driveway again. I ate my delicious dinner. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the third day in a row. I also cleaned the interior of my Nissan® Frontier truck with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. As for the evening, I will relax since I did not sleep well last night. The cheap Budweiser® brewskis did not sit well with me. Why did I waste the money on that crap?
Friday, April 17, 2009
More Vandalism
For some reason, I was compelled to stroll over to Kawaikui Beach Park. I had not been there in ages, although it is essentially right across the street. Actually, what prompted my visit was the brief encounter that I had on the bus the other day with the homeless guy who owns a bicycle. He still recognizes me. I did not see him at the beach this morning.
When I walked out to my Nissan® Frontier truck this morning, I discovered that the windshield was covered with what looked like a sticky acid. Scraps of white plastic were also evident. I attempted to use use my windshield washer to clean the mess. No dice. I pulled into the driveway of Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was able to wash some of the residue off of the windshield. There's no doubt in my mind that my Nissan® Frontier truck has been the victim of vandalism. As I look back now, I can assure myself that the cracked taillight and the nail in the front tire were also perpetrated by the same person (one of the houses along the street). The perpetrator is becoming much more brazen.
I drove to Kahala Mall at 8:45am and found shaded parking. I spent about two hours in Barnes & Noble®. Needless to say, I was in the religion section for most of the time. I departed at 10:45am.
I drove to Hawai'i Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina ... lunch at Zippy's and shopping at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
Koko Head Park was my next destination. I spent about an hour there. I was locked in deep contemplation about all of the religious research that I have done. I became quite despondent. I finally left while I still had the energy to do so. I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, and performed most of my usual workout. Yes, even my gym workout was affected by the events of the day. I was still stuffed from lunch, so I did not know what to purchase for dinner at Foodland. I settled for a 24-ounce can of shitty Budweiser® brewski ($2 on sale). "King of Beers," my ass!
I drove back to Slob Manor. Upon arrival, I parked in the driveway. I washed my Nissan® Frontier truck while I consumed my Budweiser® "dinner." I was able to clean up the mess on the windshield. Fortunately, no damage was done. Oddly, the perpetrator made sure that the sticky acid did not get on the paint. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the second day in a row.
After my second shower, I still felt famished. So, I drove to Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center to purchase another 24-ounce can of shitty Budweiser® brewski. I parked my truck in the Slob Manor driveway for the evening. I am not sure about where I will park the truck tomorrow. Perhaps I will park it further down the street.
Incidentally, I should mention that I found an interesting article that rebuts the thesis of Finkelstein and Silberman:
When I walked out to my Nissan® Frontier truck this morning, I discovered that the windshield was covered with what looked like a sticky acid. Scraps of white plastic were also evident. I attempted to use use my windshield washer to clean the mess. No dice. I pulled into the driveway of Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was able to wash some of the residue off of the windshield. There's no doubt in my mind that my Nissan® Frontier truck has been the victim of vandalism. As I look back now, I can assure myself that the cracked taillight and the nail in the front tire were also perpetrated by the same person (one of the houses along the street). The perpetrator is becoming much more brazen.
I drove to Kahala Mall at 8:45am and found shaded parking. I spent about two hours in Barnes & Noble®. Needless to say, I was in the religion section for most of the time. I departed at 10:45am.
I drove to Hawai'i Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina ... lunch at Zippy's and shopping at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
Koko Head Park was my next destination. I spent about an hour there. I was locked in deep contemplation about all of the religious research that I have done. I became quite despondent. I finally left while I still had the energy to do so. I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, and performed most of my usual workout. Yes, even my gym workout was affected by the events of the day. I was still stuffed from lunch, so I did not know what to purchase for dinner at Foodland. I settled for a 24-ounce can of shitty Budweiser® brewski ($2 on sale). "King of Beers," my ass!
I drove back to Slob Manor. Upon arrival, I parked in the driveway. I washed my Nissan® Frontier truck while I consumed my Budweiser® "dinner." I was able to clean up the mess on the windshield. Fortunately, no damage was done. Oddly, the perpetrator made sure that the sticky acid did not get on the paint. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the second day in a row.
After my second shower, I still felt famished. So, I drove to Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center to purchase another 24-ounce can of shitty Budweiser® brewski. I parked my truck in the Slob Manor driveway for the evening. I am not sure about where I will park the truck tomorrow. Perhaps I will park it further down the street.
Incidentally, I should mention that I found an interesting article that rebuts the thesis of Finkelstein and Silberman:
- "The Bible Unearthed" - Richard Hess (Denver Seminary site)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Proto-Orthodoxy III
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day, another proto-orthodoxy diatribe. Of course, I need not review the itinerary as it always remains the same. Although, I must note that I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). At the library, I continued to read the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. Frankly, I am surprised that these guys are still alive. I would think that the most extreme of the religious fundamentalists would have had a "contract" on them by now. Sheesh!
According to Finkelstein and Silberman, the archaeological evidence also reveals that the united kingdom is Israel was minuscule. Jerusalem was just a small village. In other words, the Israelites were a small population of nomads and wanderers. Yes, but didn't the authors refute the wilderness wanderings? True. However, the authors present even more disturbing evidence. Archaeological digs have unearthed a large number of very small villages dispersed over the area that comprised the nation of Israel. These small villages were made up of Bedouin-like nomads who settled in the highlands circa 1,200 BC after migrating from coastal Canaan. The digs also indicated that these particular tribes of nomads did not raise or eat pigs (which is coincident with Hebrew diet restrictions).
I am at the point in the book where the authors are beginning to present what they feel is the true history of the Israelites. From a quick perusal, I gather that the crux of their thesis is that the small priest class in the tiny kingdom decided to write a fictitious history of the Israelites which included various legends, myths, and few facts to support their "chosen" status. By "chosen," I mean that they were selected by the Almighty to be His people. I gather that the authors are promoting the view that "social evolution" somehow took its course.
I find a major problem with the authors' thesis. If the Israelites were originally Bedouin-like nomads, then they were essentially illiterate. Obviously, a lot can change in 500 years. However, why would the priest class go through so much trouble to produce a voluminous work when something a fraction of the size would have sufficed? I ask the latter question because there were only scrolls and scribes back then. Even more ludicrous is the fact that the nation of Israel (and Judah) were completely destroyed 50 (and 150) years later. What is one to make of that?
To add to the discussion, I will include an interesting e-mail that I received from Urban Coyote:
According to Finkelstein and Silberman, the archaeological evidence also reveals that the united kingdom is Israel was minuscule. Jerusalem was just a small village. In other words, the Israelites were a small population of nomads and wanderers. Yes, but didn't the authors refute the wilderness wanderings? True. However, the authors present even more disturbing evidence. Archaeological digs have unearthed a large number of very small villages dispersed over the area that comprised the nation of Israel. These small villages were made up of Bedouin-like nomads who settled in the highlands circa 1,200 BC after migrating from coastal Canaan. The digs also indicated that these particular tribes of nomads did not raise or eat pigs (which is coincident with Hebrew diet restrictions).
I am at the point in the book where the authors are beginning to present what they feel is the true history of the Israelites. From a quick perusal, I gather that the crux of their thesis is that the small priest class in the tiny kingdom decided to write a fictitious history of the Israelites which included various legends, myths, and few facts to support their "chosen" status. By "chosen," I mean that they were selected by the Almighty to be His people. I gather that the authors are promoting the view that "social evolution" somehow took its course.
I find a major problem with the authors' thesis. If the Israelites were originally Bedouin-like nomads, then they were essentially illiterate. Obviously, a lot can change in 500 years. However, why would the priest class go through so much trouble to produce a voluminous work when something a fraction of the size would have sufficed? I ask the latter question because there were only scrolls and scribes back then. Even more ludicrous is the fact that the nation of Israel (and Judah) were completely destroyed 50 (and 150) years later. What is one to make of that?
To add to the discussion, I will include an interesting e-mail that I received from Urban Coyote:
Dear Monk,Many thanks for the comments! The journey continues ...
I am very sympathetic with your post of April 15, 2009, on the fallible nature of both the Old and New Testaments.
You are reaching a point of hypothecating that the literal God of the Jews, Christians and Muslims simply can't exist. This is something I myself agree with.
But hiding within the contradictory document may be some figurative truth. Suppose God didn't create the universe, but that out of the chaos of the universe came order (what we now call "entropy") and the emergence of this quality was the birth of God (I'm stealing this concept from a high Anglican construct put forth in the book "What Anglicans Believe.")
The ultimate form of entropy in the known universe is, of course, living species.
If this is defensible (which is to say, "Does the concept of entropy serve as a model without contradiction?"), then the Bible is useful when it serves this construct.
What falls out of the Bible as useful, thereby, is the wisdom literature. Life is not meaningless if there is wisdom to gather, specifically, if there are patterns which, if followed, are more likely to lead to wisdom.
Ultimately, the church won and the wisdom seeking tradition lost. The same thing happened in ancient Greece, where Plato and formal philosophy won and the sophists (= wisdom seekers) and rhetoric teachers lost. I believe the same thing happened with Jesus, personally, when the wisdom school of Mathew, Mark, Luke, Thomas and James lost and the church of salvation of Paul’s letters and Revelations won.
So the bad guys won.
This doesn't mean that the Proverbs and the Epistle of James are wrong, though it does mean they didn't sell as well emotionally to the small (but ambitious) Christian churches.
God, then, is the quality of enthalpy that gooses us onto the path of wisdom. Most of the rest is propaganda.
The Spirit of Wisdom is identical to the "Holy Spirit" (so says the Book of Wisdom in the Apocrypha) and may be the same thing as a combination of the following Greek Gods – the Muses, the Graces, Prometheus, Destiny, Hermes, Memory, Eros, Psyche and certain characteristics of Poseidon and Hades (since only Hermes can travel from Olympus to Hades and back freely).
Thus our duty as humans is to accept inspiration, become wiser and share that wisdom. Therefore something worthwhile is left under the propaganda of the books of the major religions.
The good guys have lost, so far, but they haven't been wiped out, probably because the culture that completely banishes wisdom and invention will lose its next war.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Proto-Orthodoxy II
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day followed the same nauseating routine. No details are necessary. At the library, I commenced reading the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. Previously, I had dismissed the book on unsound grounds. The premise of the authors is that archaeological evidence points to the possibility that the first five books of the Good Book (so-called "Pentateuch") was compiled from at least two separate testimonies circa 700 BC. The most disturbing finding was the lack of any archaeological evidence of the wandering migration of the tribes of Israel with Moses as their leader (especially at Ezion-Geber and Kardesh-Barnea digs). The authors speculate that many of the events in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") were fabricated in order to unify and mobilize the Israelites during and after the exile to Babylon.
Not surprisingly, the writings and the prophecies simply ceased shortly afterward. No other prophets came forward to deliver messages from God. Even the Ark of the Covenant "disappeared." In fact, the prevailing assumption is that the Most Holy of the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem was most likely empty. Did the Ark of the Covenant ever exist?
If neither the exodus or the wilderness wanderings can be confirmed, then the Hebrew Scriptures have no credibility. Obviously, we are looking at a big problem. If the Hebrew Scriptures are the fabrication of human minds, then it is not the "inspired" Word of God. Then, the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") are even less "inspired." Perhaps that explains why there is no "true" Christian denomination. And, finally, Islam would be discredited as well.
The universal implications and ramifications are worse. If the entire Good Book is discredited, then the God of the Good Book does not exist. The Creator is some entity that is unknown to us. Only the first of the creation knew the Creator, and that's where it ended. In addition, we have no purpose or meaning in our lives except for what we can scrape together in our pathetic 70 or years of existence, if even that. In addition, we, as humans, do not have any higher authority that will hold us accountable for anything. We can do as we wish. We will become the source of our own morality, which is the epitome of a meaningless existence in and of itself.
Not surprisingly, the writings and the prophecies simply ceased shortly afterward. No other prophets came forward to deliver messages from God. Even the Ark of the Covenant "disappeared." In fact, the prevailing assumption is that the Most Holy of the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem was most likely empty. Did the Ark of the Covenant ever exist?
If neither the exodus or the wilderness wanderings can be confirmed, then the Hebrew Scriptures have no credibility. Obviously, we are looking at a big problem. If the Hebrew Scriptures are the fabrication of human minds, then it is not the "inspired" Word of God. Then, the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") are even less "inspired." Perhaps that explains why there is no "true" Christian denomination. And, finally, Islam would be discredited as well.
The universal implications and ramifications are worse. If the entire Good Book is discredited, then the God of the Good Book does not exist. The Creator is some entity that is unknown to us. Only the first of the creation knew the Creator, and that's where it ended. In addition, we have no purpose or meaning in our lives except for what we can scrape together in our pathetic 70 or years of existence, if even that. In addition, we, as humans, do not have any higher authority that will hold us accountable for anything. We can do as we wish. We will become the source of our own morality, which is the epitome of a meaningless existence in and of itself.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Proto-Orthodoxy I
I can't say that I have been in a good mood as of late. The evening are, of course, the most difficult time of the day since I must sit in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) as if I am in solitary confinement. In actuality, I am locked in a prison, but not one of my own making. And, the situation is even more bleak than when I was an "inmate" in Quagmire Prison (i.e., the "condotel" unit).
I have given up on all worldly pursuits. In fact, I cannot even bring myself to search for a new wage slave job. The thought of returning to wage slavery is revolting as it is. I am not finding much else that is redeeming about any other worldly pursuits. To say that I am sick and tired of consumerism and materialism would be a vast understatement. Right now, my search into the realm of spirituality has essentially been crushed by the cynicism of humanity. What's left?
Are we thus devoid of any hope? Is there any real lasting meaning to our existence? Or, are we left to grovel in useless hyperbole and distract ourselves perpetually with shiny objects? Yesterday, as I was walking along in the Koko Marina parking lot, I realized that I was risking my life as the myriad idiots who were speeding around could care less if they ran me over with their 4000-pound motorized chairs. Yeah, I could easily be terminated in the most vain manner ... a senseless pedestrian "accident" caused by a moron driving and talking on his cell phone at the same time. I'd be gone, the clown could care less, and that would be the end of it. The ultimate loser would be me, of course.
Living with the threat of such an occurrence happening randomly at any time forces us to seek the most superficial route to existence and brings a kind of moral relativism to the forefront of our thinking. We become two-dimensional humans, just simple cardboard cut-out figures, with no spiritual bearings. "Eat, shit, and sleep," becomes our credo.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day, another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. In between, the same ol' shit. I am engaging in the same mundane routine, which hardly merits a discussion anymore.
My religious research continues, although I am almost completely confused as a result. For the past few days, I have been pondering the creation account. No, I have not abandoned the idea. However, I now question the Good Book's version. I am unable to believe that the Almighty simply turned out the first pair from the Garden of Eden. That's simply not possible. The first human pair would have been extremely vulnerable. If anything tragic had happened to either one of them, then humanity would have ended right then and there. Without a doubt, the first human pair would have had to be nurtured and protected for several decades.
Then, there is the strange issue of the sub-species of humans (i.e., ethnicity). I cannot seem to accept that the various sub-species were derived from one pair of humans. The genetic differentiation is too vast. However, all sub-species have compatible chromosomes, which allow for mating and procreation. What seems more likely is that several human pairs were created and geographically dispersed. However, the latter thesis does not mesh with the account of Genesis.
I am going to sidetrack my religious research to the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") commencing tomorrow. I am also contemplating the donation of my cheap copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) to the library. I have the NLT Study Bible, which should be more than adequate for my purposes.
I have given up on all worldly pursuits. In fact, I cannot even bring myself to search for a new wage slave job. The thought of returning to wage slavery is revolting as it is. I am not finding much else that is redeeming about any other worldly pursuits. To say that I am sick and tired of consumerism and materialism would be a vast understatement. Right now, my search into the realm of spirituality has essentially been crushed by the cynicism of humanity. What's left?
Are we thus devoid of any hope? Is there any real lasting meaning to our existence? Or, are we left to grovel in useless hyperbole and distract ourselves perpetually with shiny objects? Yesterday, as I was walking along in the Koko Marina parking lot, I realized that I was risking my life as the myriad idiots who were speeding around could care less if they ran me over with their 4000-pound motorized chairs. Yeah, I could easily be terminated in the most vain manner ... a senseless pedestrian "accident" caused by a moron driving and talking on his cell phone at the same time. I'd be gone, the clown could care less, and that would be the end of it. The ultimate loser would be me, of course.
Living with the threat of such an occurrence happening randomly at any time forces us to seek the most superficial route to existence and brings a kind of moral relativism to the forefront of our thinking. We become two-dimensional humans, just simple cardboard cut-out figures, with no spiritual bearings. "Eat, shit, and sleep," becomes our credo.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day, another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. In between, the same ol' shit. I am engaging in the same mundane routine, which hardly merits a discussion anymore.
My religious research continues, although I am almost completely confused as a result. For the past few days, I have been pondering the creation account. No, I have not abandoned the idea. However, I now question the Good Book's version. I am unable to believe that the Almighty simply turned out the first pair from the Garden of Eden. That's simply not possible. The first human pair would have been extremely vulnerable. If anything tragic had happened to either one of them, then humanity would have ended right then and there. Without a doubt, the first human pair would have had to be nurtured and protected for several decades.
Then, there is the strange issue of the sub-species of humans (i.e., ethnicity). I cannot seem to accept that the various sub-species were derived from one pair of humans. The genetic differentiation is too vast. However, all sub-species have compatible chromosomes, which allow for mating and procreation. What seems more likely is that several human pairs were created and geographically dispersed. However, the latter thesis does not mesh with the account of Genesis.
I am going to sidetrack my religious research to the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") commencing tomorrow. I am also contemplating the donation of my cheap copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) to the library. I have the NLT Study Bible, which should be more than adequate for my purposes.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Nada (Reprise)
My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on our way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:45am this morning. Moms was home when we arrived. We made the rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai, City Mill in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center, and Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch, moms served lamp-baked chicken, ham, potato salad, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, Foremost® coffee ice cream.
Moms mentioned that the funeral for Aunty M will be held at the Hosoi Mortuary instead of a church, so moms is now going to attend the service on Saturday. Moms will ride along with my bro's family. I haven't decided if I will attend or not. However, Aunty M was my cousin Alvin's mom. Alvin did quite a lot for us after pops passed on. He gave the eulogy at pops' funeral service. He also hosted a large get-together at his place for the family members later that evening. Thus, I would obviously create the wrong impression by not being there.
I kept moms company until 1:55pm. Then, I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, performed my usual workout at the gym, shopped at Foodland, returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), and completed the dreaded laundry chores.
I was quite stuffed after lunch, so I was in a quandary about what to eat for dinner. While at Foodland, I encountered by chance a selection of Oscar Mayer® Lunchables. I chose the one with turkey, cheese, crackers, and cookies. For $1.89 (on sale), I was quite pleased with the meal, to say the least.
Moms mentioned that the funeral for Aunty M will be held at the Hosoi Mortuary instead of a church, so moms is now going to attend the service on Saturday. Moms will ride along with my bro's family. I haven't decided if I will attend or not. However, Aunty M was my cousin Alvin's mom. Alvin did quite a lot for us after pops passed on. He gave the eulogy at pops' funeral service. He also hosted a large get-together at his place for the family members later that evening. Thus, I would obviously create the wrong impression by not being there.
I kept moms company until 1:55pm. Then, I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, performed my usual workout at the gym, shopped at Foodland, returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), and completed the dreaded laundry chores.
I was quite stuffed after lunch, so I was in a quandary about what to eat for dinner. While at Foodland, I encountered by chance a selection of Oscar Mayer® Lunchables. I chose the one with turkey, cheese, crackers, and cookies. For $1.89 (on sale), I was quite pleased with the meal, to say the least.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Bento Binge (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... an exact repeat of last Sunday right down to the Yakitori bento (for dinner) that I purchased at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I also enjoyed a pint of Häagen-Dazs® ice cream. Sadly, I had to end up back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. The articles are quite interesting, although there frequently are sections which seem too "devotional" for my tastes. Well, what did I expect?
According to the Feedjit® Live Feed, about 99 percent of the visitors to the "blog" are searching for babe pictures. And, out of that number, the majority are still looking for Lindsay Meadows images. Sad to say, Lindsay Meadows has retired. Boohoo.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. The articles are quite interesting, although there frequently are sections which seem too "devotional" for my tastes. Well, what did I expect?
According to the Feedjit® Live Feed, about 99 percent of the visitors to the "blog" are searching for babe pictures. And, out of that number, the majority are still looking for Lindsay Meadows images. Sad to say, Lindsay Meadows has retired. Boohoo.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Codex Sinaiticus
Another urban nomad-kind-of-a-day ... let's face it, you already know the drill. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. I simply went through the motions of an urban nomad. When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing, I discovered that the black ants had infiltrated my package of Quaker® Granola. I fished out as many of the ants as possible. I am not going to throw the granola in the trash. A box of that crap costs $7 (on sale).
Well, it's safe to say that there is no such entity as a "true" religion especially in Christianity. There is no one "true" church. I looked up a few of the tainted Scriptures that Bart Ehrman pointed out. To my surprise, I found that the New Living Translation provides footnotes for those suspect Scriptures except for one instance. Of course, unless one looks at the footnotes, the matter is moot. Incidentally, I was highly perturbed, though not surprised, by the embellishments added to the Scriptures which directly supported the idiotic Trinity doctrine.
The focus of my research will soon switch to the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). I have located a copy of the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman in the library. I have decided to take the book much more seriously than when I first perused it a few months ago. I have not been able to locate a copy of Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?"
We almost know with certainty that the first five books (so-called "Pentateuch") of the Hebrew Scriptures were not written by Moses. Not a problem since Moses never claimed to be the author. According to Friedman, the "Pentateuch" was written by at least four prophets (or priests) during the time that the dual kingdoms of Israel and Judah existed. There may have been more authors, editors, and redactors as well. Obviously, if there are significant credibility problems with the Hebrew Scriptures, then the whole of the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") would be worthless. Then, neither Judaism or Christianity will have a leg to stand on.
My research has not been the stuff of legends. Nothing "cutting-edge" here. Most of the reference material has been available in the mainstream for a long time. For the most part, people turn to religion for a variety of mundane reasons (e.g., social acceptance, mediocre spirituality, tradition). Few really care about whether their religion actually serves any other purpose. Even fewer are attempting to find the "true" religion. For me, I don't particularly care about organized religion. I am simply searching to find the elusive link to the Creator.
Well, it's safe to say that there is no such entity as a "true" religion especially in Christianity. There is no one "true" church. I looked up a few of the tainted Scriptures that Bart Ehrman pointed out. To my surprise, I found that the New Living Translation provides footnotes for those suspect Scriptures except for one instance. Of course, unless one looks at the footnotes, the matter is moot. Incidentally, I was highly perturbed, though not surprised, by the embellishments added to the Scriptures which directly supported the idiotic Trinity doctrine.
The focus of my research will soon switch to the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). I have located a copy of the book, "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman in the library. I have decided to take the book much more seriously than when I first perused it a few months ago. I have not been able to locate a copy of Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?"
We almost know with certainty that the first five books (so-called "Pentateuch") of the Hebrew Scriptures were not written by Moses. Not a problem since Moses never claimed to be the author. According to Friedman, the "Pentateuch" was written by at least four prophets (or priests) during the time that the dual kingdoms of Israel and Judah existed. There may have been more authors, editors, and redactors as well. Obviously, if there are significant credibility problems with the Hebrew Scriptures, then the whole of the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") would be worthless. Then, neither Judaism or Christianity will have a leg to stand on.
My research has not been the stuff of legends. Nothing "cutting-edge" here. Most of the reference material has been available in the mainstream for a long time. For the most part, people turn to religion for a variety of mundane reasons (e.g., social acceptance, mediocre spirituality, tradition). Few really care about whether their religion actually serves any other purpose. Even fewer are attempting to find the "true" religion. For me, I don't particularly care about organized religion. I am simply searching to find the elusive link to the Creator.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday, Bad Friday 2009
I was on my way to Kahala Mall on the bus at 8:20am this morning. I arrived there early enough to piddle around for a bit. Then, I ended up at Barnes & Noble®. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee in the Café and perused the same Linux magazines as last time. Then, I browsed the store. Naturally, I gravitated to the religion section.
I happened upon a book by Richard Friedman titled, "Who Wrote the Bible?" Well, all I can say is that I have to eat my words about the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). According to Friedman's thesis, the first five books (so-called "Pentateuch") of the Good Book was written by several authors (not including Moses). Each book may have been two or more books originally, but were combined by scribes or redactors into one book. The proof that Friedman offers is very convincing. I hope to locate the book in the library in order to read it completely.
The integrity of the Good Book is obviously marginal. The numerous translations are probably beyond adequate. However, the translation of the text is not the issue. The problem lies with the available manuscripts from which the translations derive their text. There is no way to guarantee that the manuscripts are true to the originals. All that malarkey about the Good Book being preserved intact because it is holy is just that ... malarkey. The manuscripts have been subject to copying errors and nefarious editing for centuries.
I am inclined to agree with Bart Ehrman's opinion that, if God is truly omnipotent, then he would have done more to preserve the original integrity of His Word. However, I am not of the opinion that all of the manuscripts, hence the entire Good Book, is completely corrupted. I would assume that a good portion of the Scriptures hold their original meaning. Thus, I am not willing to scrap the project just yet.
I departed the mall at 11:30am. Upon my arrival at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I immediately cleaned the entire second floor common area and staircase with Eureka® Optima bagless vacuum cleaner. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Finally, at 2:15pm, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, preformed my usual workout, and shopped at Foodland. I was almost overcharged again for the Imitation Crab Poke. I wanted to purchase a hot meal (i.e.,local-style bento), but the selection was lousy. I also espied the cold 40-dogs of Steel Reserve® malt liquor, but refrained from temptation. I returned to Slob Manor and ended up making the same ol' panini again for dinner with my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. The evening will be another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
I happened upon a book by Richard Friedman titled, "Who Wrote the Bible?" Well, all I can say is that I have to eat my words about the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). According to Friedman's thesis, the first five books (so-called "Pentateuch") of the Good Book was written by several authors (not including Moses). Each book may have been two or more books originally, but were combined by scribes or redactors into one book. The proof that Friedman offers is very convincing. I hope to locate the book in the library in order to read it completely.
The integrity of the Good Book is obviously marginal. The numerous translations are probably beyond adequate. However, the translation of the text is not the issue. The problem lies with the available manuscripts from which the translations derive their text. There is no way to guarantee that the manuscripts are true to the originals. All that malarkey about the Good Book being preserved intact because it is holy is just that ... malarkey. The manuscripts have been subject to copying errors and nefarious editing for centuries.
I am inclined to agree with Bart Ehrman's opinion that, if God is truly omnipotent, then he would have done more to preserve the original integrity of His Word. However, I am not of the opinion that all of the manuscripts, hence the entire Good Book, is completely corrupted. I would assume that a good portion of the Scriptures hold their original meaning. Thus, I am not willing to scrap the project just yet.
I departed the mall at 11:30am. Upon my arrival at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I immediately cleaned the entire second floor common area and staircase with Eureka® Optima bagless vacuum cleaner. Then, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Finally, at 2:15pm, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, preformed my usual workout, and shopped at Foodland. I was almost overcharged again for the Imitation Crab Poke. I wanted to purchase a hot meal (i.e.,local-style bento), but the selection was lousy. I also espied the cold 40-dogs of Steel Reserve® malt liquor, but refrained from temptation. I returned to Slob Manor and ended up making the same ol' panini again for dinner with my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. The evening will be another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Fool's Canon
I neglected to mention that I perused the book, "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)," by Bart Ehrman again when I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday. I also perused a couple of other titles by the same author. Ehrman definitely raises a few questions about Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") as well as the life of Jesus. He listed a number of discrepancies, a few of which I had identified myself during my initial read of the Good Book (New Living Translation). I am okay with Ehrman (i.e., he is very credible to me) because he was once a devout Christian. He also attended Princeton Seminary, a higher education theological institution, which is where he learned of the many points that he brings up in his books. He is currently a religious scholar, albeit an Agnostic.
I personally have been having some difficulty with the Good Book. I am not sensing the smooth transition between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures was exacting and demanding. Harsh punishment was doled out liberally. Then, with the coming of the Messiah (i.e., Jesus), the Almighty took a backseat to a more compassionate and understanding Son. The despised Gentiles were now given the opportunity for salvation. The Law of Moses was relaxed. Faith in the "Good News" and baptism by immersion were the keys to salvation. Preachers of the "Good News" stressed an urgency about the "Second Coming." Yet, the latter event never happened. Almost 2,000 years have elapsed since then. Nothing divine has happened.
I am terribly concerned, if not horrified, about the apparent failure of prophesy. No, I am not upset about the $40 and $7 that I respectively spent on the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible and the cheap version of the NLT (that I initially purchased at the onset of the project). Rather, I am feeling an emptiness of huge proportions because either the Almighty has forgotten about us or He (i.e., the God of the Good Book) simply does not exist. I know that there is a Creator. Where is He? Who is He?
Then, there is the matter of the Messiah. Why would Jesus devote his life to the cause even to the point of martyrdom? He certainly did not gain anything financially. Why would the Apostles devote their lives to follow Jesus and promote the "Way"? They also gained nothing material. Were they all lunatics?
In any case, I have to rethink whether Christianity is valid. The four "Gospels" and the Acts of the Apostles are the only true Scriptures related to Christianity. Yet, they are historical narratives at best. The inclusion of the various Apostolic letters, the majority of which were allegedly composed by the Apostle Paul, were included in the "canon" of Greek Scriptures in order to provide substance (i.e., creed and doctrine). Without the letters, there would be no basis for Christianity as a religion. Overall, the hodge-podge of the Greek Scriptures is quite a contrast from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... yep, you know the drill. At the library, I discovered that there are two more walls of religious books that I had not seen before. There is a treasure trove of information. I may even consider the acquisition of a library card, which I avoided because I did not want to have my reading list in the empire's "terrorist" database. I found several of Bart Ehrman's books. So, I am now reading, "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why." I completed about half of the book in one sitting.
Another exciting workout at the gym, and then I was on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I have nothing else to look forward to beyond another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening and more House Music courtesy my Palm® TX.
I personally have been having some difficulty with the Good Book. I am not sensing the smooth transition between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures was exacting and demanding. Harsh punishment was doled out liberally. Then, with the coming of the Messiah (i.e., Jesus), the Almighty took a backseat to a more compassionate and understanding Son. The despised Gentiles were now given the opportunity for salvation. The Law of Moses was relaxed. Faith in the "Good News" and baptism by immersion were the keys to salvation. Preachers of the "Good News" stressed an urgency about the "Second Coming." Yet, the latter event never happened. Almost 2,000 years have elapsed since then. Nothing divine has happened.
I am terribly concerned, if not horrified, about the apparent failure of prophesy. No, I am not upset about the $40 and $7 that I respectively spent on the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible and the cheap version of the NLT (that I initially purchased at the onset of the project). Rather, I am feeling an emptiness of huge proportions because either the Almighty has forgotten about us or He (i.e., the God of the Good Book) simply does not exist. I know that there is a Creator. Where is He? Who is He?
Then, there is the matter of the Messiah. Why would Jesus devote his life to the cause even to the point of martyrdom? He certainly did not gain anything financially. Why would the Apostles devote their lives to follow Jesus and promote the "Way"? They also gained nothing material. Were they all lunatics?
In any case, I have to rethink whether Christianity is valid. The four "Gospels" and the Acts of the Apostles are the only true Scriptures related to Christianity. Yet, they are historical narratives at best. The inclusion of the various Apostolic letters, the majority of which were allegedly composed by the Apostle Paul, were included in the "canon" of Greek Scriptures in order to provide substance (i.e., creed and doctrine). Without the letters, there would be no basis for Christianity as a religion. Overall, the hodge-podge of the Greek Scriptures is quite a contrast from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... yep, you know the drill. At the library, I discovered that there are two more walls of religious books that I had not seen before. There is a treasure trove of information. I may even consider the acquisition of a library card, which I avoided because I did not want to have my reading list in the empire's "terrorist" database. I found several of Bart Ehrman's books. So, I am now reading, "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why." I completed about half of the book in one sitting.
Another exciting workout at the gym, and then I was on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I have nothing else to look forward to beyond another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening and more House Music courtesy my Palm® TX.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Reserves of Steel
My itinerary for the day matched the itinerary of last Friday almost perfectly. I spent part of the morning at Barnes & Noble® in Kahala Mall. My Nissan® Frontier truck and I arrived in Hawai'i Kai at 11:05am, just minutes after moms returned. Moms and I only made the rounds only in Koko Marina. The only real difference was where moms and I ate lunch. We ate at Yummy's. I also did not spend any time at Koko Head Park. My workout at the gym went smoothly, although I have to admit that my commitment to my workouts is borderline these days. Sometimes, all I can think about is the pathetic 40-dog of Steel Reserve® Malt Liquor that I saw on sale for $2 at Foodland. How low can I go?
Later, I purchased a Spam® Musubi at Foodland. Only when I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) did I realize that I was ripped off because the item was priced wrong. For the $2 that I ended up spending on that piece of shit, I could have had a cold 40-dog of Steel Reserve® Malt Liquor instead. And, by now, I could have been hammered on the epitome of really cheap booze. Sheesh!
Later, I purchased a Spam® Musubi at Foodland. Only when I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) did I realize that I was ripped off because the item was priced wrong. For the $2 that I ended up spending on that piece of shit, I could have had a cold 40-dog of Steel Reserve® Malt Liquor instead. And, by now, I could have been hammered on the epitome of really cheap booze. Sheesh!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
House Music Monk
Repeat after me ... "Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day." ... Now, say that foolish phrase one more time. Can you guess how the day went? (Hint: repeat the foolish phrase). The only deviation from my mundane routine was the restoration of the infamous monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. A young hottie was assigned to cut my hair. However, baby really did not know what to do. Because she was a hottie, baby was able to coerce (by using her wily ways) three guys (also students) to do the work for her. I got a good haircut, baby got credit for the work, and I was left fearing that a hair salon would actually hire her.
Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening found me downloading a few more House Music mixes from the Deep House Cat (DJ PhilE) site. I then transferred the files to the SD® card that plugs into my Palm® Tx. When all else fails, there's always House Music!
Later, after I am done playing with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer, I will continue to listen to House Music on my Palm® TX as I peruse my new NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. In fact, I am listening to the DeepHouseCat "Bella Lui Mix" as we speak. Am I a good monk, or what?
Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening found me downloading a few more House Music mixes from the Deep House Cat (DJ PhilE) site. I then transferred the files to the SD® card that plugs into my Palm® Tx. When all else fails, there's always House Music!
Later, after I am done playing with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer, I will continue to listen to House Music on my Palm® TX as I peruse my new NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. In fact, I am listening to the DeepHouseCat "Bella Lui Mix" as we speak. Am I a good monk, or what?
Monday, April 06, 2009
Atonement
I was off to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck, squeaky front suspension and all, at 8:45am this morning. Moms and I made the rounds to Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Panda Express® (for lunch) in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
I spent over an hour at Koko Head Park. I actually drove to Koko Marina at 2pm, but I could not find parking. So, I ended up back at Koko Head Park. I finally found parking later, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. As for the evening ... can you guess?
Life continues to slide downhill for the ol' lavahead. I have resisted the temptation to discuss such matters until now. The "condotel" unit continues to suck me dry of the funds that I desperately need to survive. I continue to function without any kind of healthcare insurance. Heck, I cannot even afford the mandatory supplemental property insurance for the "condotel" unit. I am now consuming a lot of nitrate-infested products (i.e., panini ingredients), which no doubt will put me at risk of a serious health problem. I am almost at the "end of my rope," and I have no idea what to do.
Moms seemed to be a little more tired than usual. I assumed that the additional hours of ministry work for the church is at the root. This week, of course, is the biggest event of the year for the church. I was relieved that moms did not attempt to pressure me to attend the "Memorial" (i.e., "Lord's Supper"). I cannot attend a service that has no Scriptural truth. The "Memorial" is an annual celebration that is supposed to replicate Jesus' last supper with his Apostles. The wine and unleavened bread symbolize Jesus' blood and body, respectively. In the days of the Apostles, the early congregations of the "Way" celebrated the "Lord's Supper" every evening. Everyone in attendance participated. In the church that moms attends, the "Memorial" is only to service those who have been "anointed." Believe me, none of it makes sense from a Scriptural point of view. I am avoiding any kind of discussion with moms that could center on the church. My expressed views will not be welcomed and may cause a schism between moms and myself. It is best that I avoid such a scenario.
My journey with the Good Book will continue, although I have made no further personal commitment. I am still in the "study" phase. With only 25 years or so left to my own existence, I need to expedite the situation. I am already convinced that there is a Creator. Now, I must discover whether the Creator of the Good Book is one and the same. Obviously, we are coming upon the unavoidable issue of faith. And, only through faith will we be filled with the Holy Spirit Or, so I read). I am apprehensive, but I would nonetheless anticipate the Holy Spirit experience. Will it change my life-style to more noble causes? Will it bring spiritual fulfillment? Will it separate me from an empty world? Will it facilitate the exodus or define a more useful purpose for me? Those are the questions that I want answered.
I have spent a long time separating myself from the debauchery of the world, although I have often vacillated on the concept. Time is essentially running out, and the vanities and superfluities of youth no longer matter. All I will have left is a decrepit body with graying hair. What good is all the money or material possessions to an old man? I've made too many mistakes in the past, too foolish to even reiterate. I must now come to grips with the passing phases of the world and seek atonement from the Creator. I must flesh out the only hope that is left for mortal humans.
I spent over an hour at Koko Head Park. I actually drove to Koko Marina at 2pm, but I could not find parking. So, I ended up back at Koko Head Park. I finally found parking later, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. As for the evening ... can you guess?
Life continues to slide downhill for the ol' lavahead. I have resisted the temptation to discuss such matters until now. The "condotel" unit continues to suck me dry of the funds that I desperately need to survive. I continue to function without any kind of healthcare insurance. Heck, I cannot even afford the mandatory supplemental property insurance for the "condotel" unit. I am now consuming a lot of nitrate-infested products (i.e., panini ingredients), which no doubt will put me at risk of a serious health problem. I am almost at the "end of my rope," and I have no idea what to do.
Moms seemed to be a little more tired than usual. I assumed that the additional hours of ministry work for the church is at the root. This week, of course, is the biggest event of the year for the church. I was relieved that moms did not attempt to pressure me to attend the "Memorial" (i.e., "Lord's Supper"). I cannot attend a service that has no Scriptural truth. The "Memorial" is an annual celebration that is supposed to replicate Jesus' last supper with his Apostles. The wine and unleavened bread symbolize Jesus' blood and body, respectively. In the days of the Apostles, the early congregations of the "Way" celebrated the "Lord's Supper" every evening. Everyone in attendance participated. In the church that moms attends, the "Memorial" is only to service those who have been "anointed." Believe me, none of it makes sense from a Scriptural point of view. I am avoiding any kind of discussion with moms that could center on the church. My expressed views will not be welcomed and may cause a schism between moms and myself. It is best that I avoid such a scenario.
My journey with the Good Book will continue, although I have made no further personal commitment. I am still in the "study" phase. With only 25 years or so left to my own existence, I need to expedite the situation. I am already convinced that there is a Creator. Now, I must discover whether the Creator of the Good Book is one and the same. Obviously, we are coming upon the unavoidable issue of faith. And, only through faith will we be filled with the Holy Spirit Or, so I read). I am apprehensive, but I would nonetheless anticipate the Holy Spirit experience. Will it change my life-style to more noble causes? Will it bring spiritual fulfillment? Will it separate me from an empty world? Will it facilitate the exodus or define a more useful purpose for me? Those are the questions that I want answered.
I have spent a long time separating myself from the debauchery of the world, although I have often vacillated on the concept. Time is essentially running out, and the vanities and superfluities of youth no longer matter. All I will have left is a decrepit body with graying hair. What good is all the money or material possessions to an old man? I've made too many mistakes in the past, too foolish to even reiterate. I must now come to grips with the passing phases of the world and seek atonement from the Creator. I must flesh out the only hope that is left for mortal humans.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Bento Binge
"'Don't you want to abolish state power?' Yes, we do, but not right now. We cannot do it yet. Why? Because imperialism still exists, because domestic reaction still exists, because classes still exist in our country. Our present task is to strengthen the people's state apparatus - mainly the people's army, the people's police and the people's courts - in order to consolidate national defense and protect the people's interests. " -- Chairman Mao (from the Chairman Mao Saying Generator)Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday has evaporated into thin air. Again, a time warp could barely distinguish today from last Sunday. On a positive note, I was able to procure a delicious Yakitori bento (for dinner) at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 2:30pm.
Reluctantly, I spent part of the afternoon compiling my income tax returns. I discovered a faulty cell formula in my tax spreadsheet. I also discovered that I qualified for one other low income credit, aside from the paltry $50 renter's credit. I completed the task rather expeditiously, although I won't be mailing in the tax returns until the deadline.
I also spent more time reading the articles and profiles in my new NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. There are also study notes for every verse, although I am not specifically perusing the latter at this time. Incidentally, the only real way to study the Good Book is by reading through the latter in its entirety. Any preconceived notions should be forcefully jettisoned prior to the reading. In addition, secular sources should also be included in order to balance the viewpoints.
I would not recommend any so-called "Bible Study" that is offered by any religious group or affiliation. The canned "study" is usually accompanied by "church" propaganda and false teachings. Study material is notoriously filled with "church"-specific rhetoric as well as doctrines based on piecemeal interpretation of Scripture. A "Study Bible" is not a necessary tool, although the additional material certainly adds to the interest factor.
Well, I will embark on another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. What other kind of evening is there? Compiling my tax returns was mentally fatiguing. When will I be free of that crap? The bento, by the way, was delicious.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Time Warp
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... exactly the same as last Saturday. Am I in a time warp? Sheesh! And, the evening? Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, of course!
I did not mind the excursion to Kahala Mall last night, although I felt quite out of place. The mall is quite a hub of activity in the evening. I observed that everyone was having a good time spending money. I felt envious that I could not participate. After all, I am unemployed and broke. Then, I realized that I was once a materialistic fool. I never got much pleasure from that particular life-style. I will say that the mall is a good escape for the common loser. Not having a social life or any friends, I found that just being around a mob of strangers was enough to temporarily placate my empty soul.
I have been reading and perusing my new NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. I have to say that I am quite impressed with it. I also set up my on-line account. The various articles, maps, charts, timelines, profiles, diagrams, and notes are fabulous. However, at over 2,000 pages, the volume of work is quite cumbersome.
Speaking of the Good Book, I should clear up a point in our last discussion about the message of John the Baptist. Apparently, the Good Book does provide a little detail about his message. He proclaimed to the Jews, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (NLT) John also foretold of the coming of the Messiah. Repentant Jews were then baptized by immersion.
That, of course, leaves us with one last topic for the day. What was the "Good News"? From what I gather, the "Good News" was the coming of the Messiah, the invocation of the "New Covenant," and the death and resurrection of Jesus, all of which fulfilled the prophetic terms for beginning of God's Kingdom rule over the earth. In order to accept the Good News," the recipient must be baptized by immersion, make noble life-style changes, and harness deep faith. And, faith would prove to be the most important because the Holy Spirit only responds to deep faith. Now, the question is: what is faith?
I did not mind the excursion to Kahala Mall last night, although I felt quite out of place. The mall is quite a hub of activity in the evening. I observed that everyone was having a good time spending money. I felt envious that I could not participate. After all, I am unemployed and broke. Then, I realized that I was once a materialistic fool. I never got much pleasure from that particular life-style. I will say that the mall is a good escape for the common loser. Not having a social life or any friends, I found that just being around a mob of strangers was enough to temporarily placate my empty soul.
I have been reading and perusing my new NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. I have to say that I am quite impressed with it. I also set up my on-line account. The various articles, maps, charts, timelines, profiles, diagrams, and notes are fabulous. However, at over 2,000 pages, the volume of work is quite cumbersome.
Speaking of the Good Book, I should clear up a point in our last discussion about the message of John the Baptist. Apparently, the Good Book does provide a little detail about his message. He proclaimed to the Jews, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (NLT) John also foretold of the coming of the Messiah. Repentant Jews were then baptized by immersion.
That, of course, leaves us with one last topic for the day. What was the "Good News"? From what I gather, the "Good News" was the coming of the Messiah, the invocation of the "New Covenant," and the death and resurrection of Jesus, all of which fulfilled the prophetic terms for beginning of God's Kingdom rule over the earth. In order to accept the Good News," the recipient must be baptized by immersion, make noble life-style changes, and harness deep faith. And, faith would prove to be the most important because the Holy Spirit only responds to deep faith. Now, the question is: what is faith?
Friday, April 03, 2009
One-Man Spending Spree (Reprise)
I was on my way to Kahala Mall at 8:30am this morning. I stopped off at Foodland in Aina Haina to purchase a couple of boxes of Quaker® Granola. I spent my time in the Barnes & Noble® Café. I drank a cup of decaffeinated coffee and perused a few magazines. Then, I looked around the store. I spent a bit of time in the religion section.
I left the mall at 10:45am. I drove straight to Hawai'i Kai. Moms had just gotten home from her church ministry before I arrived. My nephew was still asleep. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. I had to make a quick stop at Price Busters. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland.
When we returned, my nephew was up and manning the video game console. Moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:15pm. Then, I drove to Koko Head Park and spent about 45 minutes there. I really didn't feel like doing anything else. However, the gym was beckoning me. So, I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, and walked to the gym. Along the way, I ran into the hottie friend who works at Supercuts®. I chatted with her briefly.
After a mundane workout at the gym, I shopped at Foodland before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). As you can guess, I really did not find anything appetizing at the store. Frankly, nothing appeals to me insofar as food is concerned. So, what did I do for dinner? All I can say is thank goodness for my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Sheesh!
Believe it or not, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the second consecutive day. Turns out that I did not wash all of the soiled laundry yesterday. I am not sure why I overlooked my pathetic underwear as the crap was lying on the floor. And, I later discovered that I did the same foolishness today as well. Why don't I just procure a laundry basket already? I was on the edge for most of the day, but the idiotic laundry chores almost pushed me over the edge of sanity.
I decided to return to Kahala Mall in order to salvage my sanity. I departed at 7pm, although the drive took nearly 20 minutes. Three police patrol cars were blocking the right lane in front of a house about a block from the mall along Kalani'ana'ole Highway. When I finally arrived, I was able to find parking. The whole mall was packed with shoppers. Everyone was spending money like there's no tomorrow. I walked around and browsed a few of the stores. Not having thousands of dollars in spare change essentially left me on the outside looking in, if you know what I mean.
I finally ended up at my usual destination, Barnes & Noble®. I spent all of my time in the religion section. I only took a short break to purchase a Coffee Frapaccino in the Café. In fact, I ended up purchasing the large $40 NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. Yes, I already own a cheap version of the NLT. However, I have decided to zealously carry on with my research. The NLT Study Bible has quite a few features. And, I also have access to a variety of on-line materials (see Web site).
I also discovered a very interesting book titled, "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)," by Bart Ehrman. As I perused the book, I realized that I had discovered many of the details that he discussed. Heck, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had just read Ehrman's book beforehand. Ehrman is a former Christian scholar who now is an Agnostic, mainly because of his findings. I, on the other hand, am not a Christian. I am simply a novice researcher.
I left the mall at 10:45am. I drove straight to Hawai'i Kai. Moms had just gotten home from her church ministry before I arrived. My nephew was still asleep. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. I had to make a quick stop at Price Busters. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland.
When we returned, my nephew was up and manning the video game console. Moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:15pm. Then, I drove to Koko Head Park and spent about 45 minutes there. I really didn't feel like doing anything else. However, the gym was beckoning me. So, I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, and walked to the gym. Along the way, I ran into the hottie friend who works at Supercuts®. I chatted with her briefly.
After a mundane workout at the gym, I shopped at Foodland before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). As you can guess, I really did not find anything appetizing at the store. Frankly, nothing appeals to me insofar as food is concerned. So, what did I do for dinner? All I can say is thank goodness for my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Sheesh!
Believe it or not, I performed the dreaded laundry chores for the second consecutive day. Turns out that I did not wash all of the soiled laundry yesterday. I am not sure why I overlooked my pathetic underwear as the crap was lying on the floor. And, I later discovered that I did the same foolishness today as well. Why don't I just procure a laundry basket already? I was on the edge for most of the day, but the idiotic laundry chores almost pushed me over the edge of sanity.
I decided to return to Kahala Mall in order to salvage my sanity. I departed at 7pm, although the drive took nearly 20 minutes. Three police patrol cars were blocking the right lane in front of a house about a block from the mall along Kalani'ana'ole Highway. When I finally arrived, I was able to find parking. The whole mall was packed with shoppers. Everyone was spending money like there's no tomorrow. I walked around and browsed a few of the stores. Not having thousands of dollars in spare change essentially left me on the outside looking in, if you know what I mean.
I finally ended up at my usual destination, Barnes & Noble®. I spent all of my time in the religion section. I only took a short break to purchase a Coffee Frapaccino in the Café. In fact, I ended up purchasing the large $40 NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. Yes, I already own a cheap version of the NLT. However, I have decided to zealously carry on with my research. The NLT Study Bible has quite a few features. And, I also have access to a variety of on-line materials (see Web site).
I also discovered a very interesting book titled, "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)," by Bart Ehrman. As I perused the book, I realized that I had discovered many of the details that he discussed. Heck, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had just read Ehrman's book beforehand. Ehrman is a former Christian scholar who now is an Agnostic, mainly because of his findings. I, on the other hand, am not a Christian. I am simply a novice researcher.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Truth to Power (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was ruined when I discovered that the trimmer on my Remington® electric shaver (made in China) is no longer operational. Cheap piece of crap! As for the rest of the urban nomad-kind-of-a-day ... ho hum.
At the library, I have commenced the reading of the book, "When Jesus Became God," by Richard Rubenstein. So far, it has been quite interesting. Rubenstein traces the history of the conflict in the Christian Church over the alleged divinity of Jesus. Thus, the narrative leads up to the council of Nicaea, the role of Constantine, the exile of Arius, and the ramifications of the Nicene Creed thereafter. From an historical perspective, the book exposes the politics and corruption that led to the decision to deify Jesus.
I also finally went out of my way to locate the reference books on religion in the library. Although the collection is modest in size, I was elated in knowing that my research will continue unimpeded. I have also commenced my research on Islam. I may or may not dedicate some time to read the Qur’ān.
In the Good Book, we're at the point where the continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament) should become evident or fail. The prophets of Israel had alluded to the coming of a Messiah, a saviour. The Jews were expecting a new king, much like David, who would reunite the kingdom, rebuild the Temple, and win back the favor of the Almighty. Instead, the Messiah turned out to be a meek human proclaiming to be the "Son of God." After the Messiah was baptized, he was active in his ministry for only about three years before he was betrayed by the Jews and sentenced to a peon's death.
Oddly, John the Baptist (son of the prophet Zechariah) was already preaching and baptizing Jews before Jesus' own baptism. The Good Book makes no mention of John's message. As you may recall, baptism by immersion was a necessary step for the Jews to accept the "Way" (the "Good News" message from Jesus). The "Way" did not exist before Jesus' ministry. So, what could the message of John the Baptist have been?
Baptism by immersion was also not the long drawn out and idiotic process that it is today. Spontaneous baptisms were common as evidenced by the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch. Why was it possible for people to be baptised so quickly? What were the qualifications for baptism?
Clearly, Jesus' mission had been to offer salvation exclusively to the nation of Israel. Only after Jesus was betrayed by his own people (i.e., Jews) and sentenced to death was the offer of salvation extended to the Gentiles. What we must now consider is Jesus' message. What was the "Good News"?
I was quite fatigued when I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I did not experience any human stupidity, which was fine. I performed the dreaded laundry chores before preparing for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. I have to admit that my religious research has been adding to my fatigue. Well, at least I know that I have chased away the last of my readers. No one wants to read any religious mumbo-jumbo in the "blog." Oh well.
At the library, I have commenced the reading of the book, "When Jesus Became God," by Richard Rubenstein. So far, it has been quite interesting. Rubenstein traces the history of the conflict in the Christian Church over the alleged divinity of Jesus. Thus, the narrative leads up to the council of Nicaea, the role of Constantine, the exile of Arius, and the ramifications of the Nicene Creed thereafter. From an historical perspective, the book exposes the politics and corruption that led to the decision to deify Jesus.
I also finally went out of my way to locate the reference books on religion in the library. Although the collection is modest in size, I was elated in knowing that my research will continue unimpeded. I have also commenced my research on Islam. I may or may not dedicate some time to read the Qur’ān.
In the Good Book, we're at the point where the continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament) should become evident or fail. The prophets of Israel had alluded to the coming of a Messiah, a saviour. The Jews were expecting a new king, much like David, who would reunite the kingdom, rebuild the Temple, and win back the favor of the Almighty. Instead, the Messiah turned out to be a meek human proclaiming to be the "Son of God." After the Messiah was baptized, he was active in his ministry for only about three years before he was betrayed by the Jews and sentenced to a peon's death.
Oddly, John the Baptist (son of the prophet Zechariah) was already preaching and baptizing Jews before Jesus' own baptism. The Good Book makes no mention of John's message. As you may recall, baptism by immersion was a necessary step for the Jews to accept the "Way" (the "Good News" message from Jesus). The "Way" did not exist before Jesus' ministry. So, what could the message of John the Baptist have been?
Baptism by immersion was also not the long drawn out and idiotic process that it is today. Spontaneous baptisms were common as evidenced by the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch. Why was it possible for people to be baptised so quickly? What were the qualifications for baptism?
Clearly, Jesus' mission had been to offer salvation exclusively to the nation of Israel. Only after Jesus was betrayed by his own people (i.e., Jews) and sentenced to death was the offer of salvation extended to the Gentiles. What we must now consider is Jesus' message. What was the "Good News"?
I was quite fatigued when I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I did not experience any human stupidity, which was fine. I performed the dreaded laundry chores before preparing for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. I have to admit that my religious research has been adding to my fatigue. Well, at least I know that I have chased away the last of my readers. No one wants to read any religious mumbo-jumbo in the "blog." Oh well.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
April Fool's Day 2009
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... April Fools! Nah, as I said, another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... ho hum. I have observed that my tolerance for fellow human beings (term used loosely) has not increased. Rather my misanthropic disposition is increasing exponentially. While I sat innocently at a table in the inner courtyard of the library, I was privy to hear an extremely loud flatulence produced by a half-crazed chick sitting two tables away. Within seconds, I was overcome by a powerful odor that almost rendered me unconscious. A few minutes later, an old guy sat at the next able. He reeked of industrial strength deodorizer, the kind used to mask obnoxious vapors in a large room. All day long, whenever I had to walk somewhere, I was accosted by cigarette smoke. Later, on the way home on the bus, a mentally-challenged adult sat next to while his idiotic handler sat two seats away. The mentally-challenged adult slammed his heavy backpack into my side. Then, he started leaning over me and making gurgling noises. I ended up yelling at him, although his handler was really the one at fault.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." That's the second greatest commandment as described by Jesus to his Apostles. Obviously, I am nowhere near fit to be "saved." My disdain for human stupidity and arrogance will be my undoing. When will I ever change? When will I stop giving in to sin?
Well, back to the Good Book, eh? In the early days of the creation, there appeared to be no set laws in place. The only sin at the time was eating the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad." When Cain murdered his brother Abel in a jealous fit of rage, the Almighty simply exiled him to the wilderness. Yet, some semblance of law was in effect. Both Cain and Abel were presenting gift offerings to the Almighty, which I assume were mandated.
Nonetheless, human society grew more anarchic with time. Had the Almighty not found Noah, a righteous man, there would be no trace of humanity today. As is the case, the Almighty always found righteous men ... Abraham, Moses, and David, to name a few. In the case of Abraham, the Almighty made a covenant to last for eternity. That is, the Almighty made a lasting promise to the future nation of Israel. As you may recall, in the discussion of the account of Revelation, we discovered some of the provisions of the eternal covenant with Abraham.
The Almighty nurtured and protected the nation of Israel, giving its people a canon of laws through Moses (i.e., Mosaic Law or the "Law"). The Abrahamic provision also allowed for a class of Levitical priests to serve in the Temple in which those priests acted as intermediaries between God and the people for the sake of the "Law." Eventually judges and kings ruled in conjunction with the priestly Levitical class. The Almighty even made provisions for a prophetic class. Yet, the nation of Israel, which eventually divided into two kingdoms, was always at odds with the "Law." Eventually, the Northern kingdom of Israel was assimilated by the Assyrians and later called Samaria. Judah, the Southern kingdom, became Judea. The Temple was finally destroyed in 70 AD, leaving the Israelite remnant no way to fulfill portions of the "Law."
Yet, did the "Law" serve any purpose? Or, was it, as the Apostle Paul asserted, just revealing everyone's sins? The "Law" did not prevent sin. In fact, it was indirectly feeding into sin. However, the purpose of the "Law" was to bring order, justice, and (again according to Paul) instill faith in the Almighty. Only through faith will the "Law" prevail, and those people exercising faith would be "made right with God."
The preceding considerations will be important as we look at the "Christian" perspective. In other words, we are trying to establish whether there is doctrinal continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). Or, more bluntly, did Jesus fulfill the role of the Messiah (or Christ)? And, what exacty was that role?
"Love your neighbor as yourself." That's the second greatest commandment as described by Jesus to his Apostles. Obviously, I am nowhere near fit to be "saved." My disdain for human stupidity and arrogance will be my undoing. When will I ever change? When will I stop giving in to sin?
Well, back to the Good Book, eh? In the early days of the creation, there appeared to be no set laws in place. The only sin at the time was eating the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad." When Cain murdered his brother Abel in a jealous fit of rage, the Almighty simply exiled him to the wilderness. Yet, some semblance of law was in effect. Both Cain and Abel were presenting gift offerings to the Almighty, which I assume were mandated.
Nonetheless, human society grew more anarchic with time. Had the Almighty not found Noah, a righteous man, there would be no trace of humanity today. As is the case, the Almighty always found righteous men ... Abraham, Moses, and David, to name a few. In the case of Abraham, the Almighty made a covenant to last for eternity. That is, the Almighty made a lasting promise to the future nation of Israel. As you may recall, in the discussion of the account of Revelation, we discovered some of the provisions of the eternal covenant with Abraham.
The Almighty nurtured and protected the nation of Israel, giving its people a canon of laws through Moses (i.e., Mosaic Law or the "Law"). The Abrahamic provision also allowed for a class of Levitical priests to serve in the Temple in which those priests acted as intermediaries between God and the people for the sake of the "Law." Eventually judges and kings ruled in conjunction with the priestly Levitical class. The Almighty even made provisions for a prophetic class. Yet, the nation of Israel, which eventually divided into two kingdoms, was always at odds with the "Law." Eventually, the Northern kingdom of Israel was assimilated by the Assyrians and later called Samaria. Judah, the Southern kingdom, became Judea. The Temple was finally destroyed in 70 AD, leaving the Israelite remnant no way to fulfill portions of the "Law."
Yet, did the "Law" serve any purpose? Or, was it, as the Apostle Paul asserted, just revealing everyone's sins? The "Law" did not prevent sin. In fact, it was indirectly feeding into sin. However, the purpose of the "Law" was to bring order, justice, and (again according to Paul) instill faith in the Almighty. Only through faith will the "Law" prevail, and those people exercising faith would be "made right with God."
The preceding considerations will be important as we look at the "Christian" perspective. In other words, we are trying to establish whether there is doctrinal continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") and the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). Or, more bluntly, did Jesus fulfill the role of the Messiah (or Christ)? And, what exacty was that role?
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