Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... ho hum. Oh, I wish there was something new to report, but that's not the case. Ho hum. And, later? Another urban nomad-kind-of-an-evening ... ho hum.
Well, when all else fails, discuss the Good Book. I was pondering the "original sin" for most of the day. What I am talking about is Adam and Eve's indiscretion in the "Garden of Eden" when they partook of the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad." The Almighty had commanded them to not eat the fruit from that particular tree, but Eve was conned by the "serpent." The punishment, of course, was eviction from the "Garden" and eventual death (from natural causes).
The concept of sin is important. Mind you, there were only two humans on the entire planet, so the list of available sins at the time was limited. Offhand, other than partaking of the forbidden fruit, only debauchery (i.e., cursing the Almighty) comes to mind as the only other possible sin. There was nothing to steal, nothing to covet, nothing to lie about, and no one to terminate. Fornication and adultery were not applicable. In addition, there is no evidence in the Scriptures indicating that any kind of law was in effect.
There is not much else that we know. Prior to eating the forbidden fruit, the first human pair did not realize that they were naked. Nor did they feel any shame. If I ventured to guess, I would say that they were wrapped up in innocence. I do not sense that there was any other kind of "perfection" evident. In a sense, innocence is perfection. Of course, everything changed once the forbidden fruit was eaten.
Adam and Eve were most likely destined to live eternally prior to the incident. Their lifespan appeared to be dependent on the "Tree of Life." Although the Good Book does not go into detail about that particular tree, I would assume that its function was clear. When evicted from the "Garden," neither Adam or Eve could access the fruit of the "Tree of Life." Ironically, as Adam and his offspring lived a long lifespan of close to a thousand years, the Almighty had reset the attribute to 120 years after Noah's time. If the Almighty could genetically set the lifespan of humans, why was the "Tree of Life" necessary for longevity?
What we do know is that we humans apparently became "slaves to sin" after the first pair's indiscretion. Hence, we suffer the same sentence that was handed down to Adam and Eve. After all, the Good Book states that "the wages of sin is death." However, "kicking the bucket" is not really the issue. The Almighty could simply restore myriad "Tree of Life" groves with abundant life-giving fruit for the picking. No, the real issue is sin. We must either find a way to return to innocence, or the sin must be redeemed. Yet, how can the sins of billions upon billions of people who have come and gone since Adam's time be redeemed?
And, what exactly is sin? Without considering any laws, sin is the act of going against what is known to be "right." The Apostle Paul said, "I really don't understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't. Instead, I do what I hate." (NLT) Within the constraint of laws, sin is the breaking of those laws. As you may recall, Moses was given a whole canon of such laws.
I am sure that you know where we're heading with this. We are seeking the "truth," my friends. As I have said before, the truth will set us free.
NLT - New Living Translation
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Embellishments
I was off to Hawai'i Kai at 8:45am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. My nephew was also home. He was awake and manning the video gaming console. Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai. You know the drill. For lunch, moms and I ordered plate lunches from the Foodland deli counter. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert.
I departed at 1:30pm. I spent about 30 minutes in Koko Head Park. However, the gale force winds made the experience very miserable. I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym ... you know the drill. I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:45pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. I also discovered that one burner on the electric stove downstairs was on full blast. The elements were a bright red. The heat was almost unbearable. I surmised the the stove had been on all day. As always, idiocy prevails at Slob Manor.
Moms has decided that we won't be attending Aunty M's funeral since no one in the immediate family has contacted her yet. In addition, the service will be held in an "apostate" church, which is intolerable to moms. In a way, I am relieved. However, I do not know how the rest of the family will perceive that "brush off."
Moms has also indicated that she is going to try again to devote more time to the church ministry. I sense that the pressure is coming from the congregation. I once thought that moms may have found the "true" religion, but I now know better. I pretty much know most of the doctrines of that particular church. Thus, when I completed my extensive reading of the Good Book (New Living Translation), I was shocked to discover that the whole premise of the church's existence had absolutely no basis in the Scriptures. In furthering my research, I learned that pyramidology and astrology were at the core of those beliefs. The church itself has manifested an extremely bad reputation in the last few years. I have read so many articles about the sect, but the problems highlighted are typical of most organized religions.
My concerns are doctrinal. Nothing more, nothing less. That is the big problem with all of the apostate churches that comprise Christendom. And, the sad fact of the matter is that the whole history of the so-called "Christian Church" is tainted with doctrinal embellishments. As anyone can plainly see, the Good Book certainly does not cover every conceivable topic about human life, the Creator, or the creation. Not satisfied with such an abridged document, the human mind sets out to fill in the blanks. With what? Embellishments, of course!
Take the "trinity" doctrine, for example. That's one of my favorite topics, and one of the few issues that I can agree with moms' church. The Good Book makes no mention of a "trinity." The word is never used. However, the Christian good ol' boys back in 341 AD had no way of explaining who Jesus was. Was he human? Was he a deity? Was he the "Son of God"? Was he God? There were a few ambiguous verses that could be miscontrued as stating that Jesus was God (either modal or trinitarian). Thus, the only solution was to embellish an answer and insert it in the Nicene Creed. Does any human have an inkling about what a spirit being actually is? I seriously doubt it. So, how could the fools determine that Jesus was a triune God?
Of more serious concern is the fact that the Israelites, God's "chosen people," were not even told that Jesus existed. They were only warned of a coming Messiah in essentially cryptic terms. The Holy Spirit was known to the Jews, although the latter is only mentioned a handful of times in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). Why didn't YHWH1 reveal His triune Self to His people?
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
I departed at 1:30pm. I spent about 30 minutes in Koko Head Park. However, the gale force winds made the experience very miserable. I drove to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym ... you know the drill. I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:45pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. I also discovered that one burner on the electric stove downstairs was on full blast. The elements were a bright red. The heat was almost unbearable. I surmised the the stove had been on all day. As always, idiocy prevails at Slob Manor.
Moms has decided that we won't be attending Aunty M's funeral since no one in the immediate family has contacted her yet. In addition, the service will be held in an "apostate" church, which is intolerable to moms. In a way, I am relieved. However, I do not know how the rest of the family will perceive that "brush off."
Moms has also indicated that she is going to try again to devote more time to the church ministry. I sense that the pressure is coming from the congregation. I once thought that moms may have found the "true" religion, but I now know better. I pretty much know most of the doctrines of that particular church. Thus, when I completed my extensive reading of the Good Book (New Living Translation), I was shocked to discover that the whole premise of the church's existence had absolutely no basis in the Scriptures. In furthering my research, I learned that pyramidology and astrology were at the core of those beliefs. The church itself has manifested an extremely bad reputation in the last few years. I have read so many articles about the sect, but the problems highlighted are typical of most organized religions.
My concerns are doctrinal. Nothing more, nothing less. That is the big problem with all of the apostate churches that comprise Christendom. And, the sad fact of the matter is that the whole history of the so-called "Christian Church" is tainted with doctrinal embellishments. As anyone can plainly see, the Good Book certainly does not cover every conceivable topic about human life, the Creator, or the creation. Not satisfied with such an abridged document, the human mind sets out to fill in the blanks. With what? Embellishments, of course!
Take the "trinity" doctrine, for example. That's one of my favorite topics, and one of the few issues that I can agree with moms' church. The Good Book makes no mention of a "trinity." The word is never used. However, the Christian good ol' boys back in 341 AD had no way of explaining who Jesus was. Was he human? Was he a deity? Was he the "Son of God"? Was he God? There were a few ambiguous verses that could be miscontrued as stating that Jesus was God (either modal or trinitarian). Thus, the only solution was to embellish an answer and insert it in the Nicene Creed. Does any human have an inkling about what a spirit being actually is? I seriously doubt it. So, how could the fools determine that Jesus was a triune God?
Of more serious concern is the fact that the Israelites, God's "chosen people," were not even told that Jesus existed. They were only warned of a coming Messiah in essentially cryptic terms. The Holy Spirit was known to the Jews, although the latter is only mentioned a handful of times in the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). Why didn't YHWH1 reveal His triune Self to His people?
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monastic Aspirations
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... Post Office, gym, Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center ... absolutely nothing new. I purchased a delicious Garlic Chicken bento (for dinner) at Foodland, along with a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream (which I consumed as I waited for the bus). And, later? Can you say, "An urban nomad kind-of-an-evening"?
The search for the elusive Creator continues to bring me back to the Good Book. There are no other alternatives. Only the "living God" appears to be the source of all creation including the entire universe. No other entity has stepped forward to claim responsibility. All of the old pagan gods have disappeared. Have you heard anyone discuss Molech recently? Human philosophers come and go. Their words may teach us how to live or how to question our existence. However, no answer is given to address the universe and, more important, the origin of live.
I will sporadically continue to read about early Christianity. However, I am already convinced that the entire structure of the latter was convoluted beyond recognition before the Middle Ages. I have been reading a lot of material on the Net about the doctrinal problems of various sects of Christianity. I have discovered that the truth can only be found by making at least one complete read of the Good Book. What really amazed me is that my understanding of the Scriptures parallels that of many others, including researchers and scholars.
I carry my budget copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) with me almost daily. I continue to read various portions of the Scriptures, especially during the boring bus rides. As you may have guessed, I have made a complete turnaround concerning my position about the NLT. The excessive footnotes redeemed the NLT. I am planning to budget some money to obtain a reference edition so that I can effectively increase my research. Why am I doing so? There is some kind of force that is compelling me. I am now locked in theological discourses in my mind for most of the day everyday. I can no longer justify any distractions. My desire to become a monk may finally be fulfilled!
The search for the elusive Creator continues to bring me back to the Good Book. There are no other alternatives. Only the "living God" appears to be the source of all creation including the entire universe. No other entity has stepped forward to claim responsibility. All of the old pagan gods have disappeared. Have you heard anyone discuss Molech recently? Human philosophers come and go. Their words may teach us how to live or how to question our existence. However, no answer is given to address the universe and, more important, the origin of live.
I will sporadically continue to read about early Christianity. However, I am already convinced that the entire structure of the latter was convoluted beyond recognition before the Middle Ages. I have been reading a lot of material on the Net about the doctrinal problems of various sects of Christianity. I have discovered that the truth can only be found by making at least one complete read of the Good Book. What really amazed me is that my understanding of the Scriptures parallels that of many others, including researchers and scholars.
I carry my budget copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) with me almost daily. I continue to read various portions of the Scriptures, especially during the boring bus rides. As you may have guessed, I have made a complete turnaround concerning my position about the NLT. The excessive footnotes redeemed the NLT. I am planning to budget some money to obtain a reference edition so that I can effectively increase my research. Why am I doing so? There is some kind of force that is compelling me. I am now locked in theological discourses in my mind for most of the day everyday. I can no longer justify any distractions. My desire to become a monk may finally be fulfilled!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Foggy Bottom Redux
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... oh brother! I attended the Abe Lincoln event at the library, which was really just a one-hour lecture by an obscure UH professor. That way, I was able to partake of the food that was served at noon with a clean conscience. However, I observed that a variety of non-participants were stuffing their faces with the food. I also noticed that the homeless never partake of the food. Only the halfway house derelicts come out of the woodwork when free food is available. Needless to say, I was only able to sample a small serving before all of the food was gone. As I walked past several tables, I noticed that the halfway house derelicts had several plates stacked high with food.
I also continued my informal research into early Christianity. Later, I performed my usual workout at the gym. Then, I waited 30 minutes at the bus stop. An African-American guy was sitting on the net bench. He was wearing soiled patent leather shoes with no socks. He had a large sheet wrapped around him, which may have been all that he was wearing. He was talking to himself non-stop.
I finally returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5pm, just in time for an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Sheesh!
Well, Mr. Ray solved the problem about the non-operational halogen fog lamps on my Nissan® Frontier truck. The headlights must be on before the fog lamps will operate. It's a good thing there is no fog in Hawai'i. We only have vog.
I also continued my informal research into early Christianity. Later, I performed my usual workout at the gym. Then, I waited 30 minutes at the bus stop. An African-American guy was sitting on the net bench. He was wearing soiled patent leather shoes with no socks. He had a large sheet wrapped around him, which may have been all that he was wearing. He was talking to himself non-stop.
I finally returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5pm, just in time for an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Sheesh!
Well, Mr. Ray solved the problem about the non-operational halogen fog lamps on my Nissan® Frontier truck. The headlights must be on before the fog lamps will operate. It's a good thing there is no fog in Hawai'i. We only have vog.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tomorrow is Forever (Reprise)
My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on our way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:15am this morning. I put $10 in petrol in the tank at the Union 76® station. I noted that the fuel gauge and digital mileage calculator did not budge. I thought that the gauge was busted. I became immediately perturbed.
Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I were on our way to Ala Moana Center within a few minutes. The fuel gauge finally registered the added petrol just as we departed. The digital mileage calculator was still in a coma.
Moms shopped at Longs® and also purchased two pairs of shoes at Robins. Then, moms to the dentist's office. I meandered to Barnes & Noble®. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee and walked around the store. I spent a bit of time in the Good Book section. I perused a few elaborate volumes of the New Living Translation. I was tempted to purchase one to aid in my research, but thought better of the idea.
I met up with moms at about 11am. We walked to Shirokiya for our usual Yakitori bento lunch. Afterward, moms shopped at Sears®. Then, we drove back to Hawai'i Kai. On the way home, I noticed that the digital mileage calculator had corrected itself.
Moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. My nephew was engaged in one of his favorite video games as usual. I stayed until 1:50pm. Moms wanted me to drop off a deposit at her bank because she wasn't sure if her account was overdrawn.
I drove to Koko Marina. I couldn't find shaded parking, so I drove to Koko Head Park. I didn't sit outside very long because of the gale force winds. Instead, I opted to sit in my beloved Nissan® truck. I looked over the Owner's (and other) Manual(s) for my truck. I have noticed that the front end is squeaking, most likely because of the sad conditions of the roads. Squeaking usually means that a chassis lube is in order, or a rubber bushing could be wearing out. There was nothing in the manuals about any scheduled chassis lube jobs. I also looked up the location of the fuse boxes. My halogen fog lamps have never been operational. I have no idea why. Thus, I will need to trace the electrical wiring later, starting with the fuse box.
Finally, I returned to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, dropped off the deposit for moms, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I set foot in my squalid room. In my haste, I neglected to gather all of the soiled clothes. What a maroon! Well, the evening will be the same as always.
Moms mentioned that Aunty M (pops' sister) passed on recently. Moms must have heard the news from the dentist since one of my cousins is married to him. Well, sadly, that means another funeral to attend. I am certainly not looking forward to the occasion.
Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I were on our way to Ala Moana Center within a few minutes. The fuel gauge finally registered the added petrol just as we departed. The digital mileage calculator was still in a coma.
Moms shopped at Longs® and also purchased two pairs of shoes at Robins. Then, moms to the dentist's office. I meandered to Barnes & Noble®. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee and walked around the store. I spent a bit of time in the Good Book section. I perused a few elaborate volumes of the New Living Translation. I was tempted to purchase one to aid in my research, but thought better of the idea.
I met up with moms at about 11am. We walked to Shirokiya for our usual Yakitori bento lunch. Afterward, moms shopped at Sears®. Then, we drove back to Hawai'i Kai. On the way home, I noticed that the digital mileage calculator had corrected itself.
Moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. My nephew was engaged in one of his favorite video games as usual. I stayed until 1:50pm. Moms wanted me to drop off a deposit at her bank because she wasn't sure if her account was overdrawn.
I drove to Koko Marina. I couldn't find shaded parking, so I drove to Koko Head Park. I didn't sit outside very long because of the gale force winds. Instead, I opted to sit in my beloved Nissan® truck. I looked over the Owner's (and other) Manual(s) for my truck. I have noticed that the front end is squeaking, most likely because of the sad conditions of the roads. Squeaking usually means that a chassis lube is in order, or a rubber bushing could be wearing out. There was nothing in the manuals about any scheduled chassis lube jobs. I also looked up the location of the fuse boxes. My halogen fog lamps have never been operational. I have no idea why. Thus, I will need to trace the electrical wiring later, starting with the fuse box.
Finally, I returned to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, dropped off the deposit for moms, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I set foot in my squalid room. In my haste, I neglected to gather all of the soiled clothes. What a maroon! Well, the evening will be the same as always.
Moms mentioned that Aunty M (pops' sister) passed on recently. Moms must have heard the news from the dentist since one of my cousins is married to him. Well, sadly, that means another funeral to attend. I am certainly not looking forward to the occasion.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Prince Kuhio Day 2009
I was on my way to Kahala Mall on the bus at 8:20am this morning. My only planned destination was Barnes & Noble®, although I made a quick stop at Longs® for no particular reason. I perused a few Linux magazines in the Barnes & Noble® Café while I sipped a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Later, I looked around the store. I finally departed at 11am.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I decided to wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Then, I cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. After I completed the task, I performed a few other minor chores.
I left Slob Manor at 1:30pm. I stopped off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Then, I drove to Hawai'i Kai. I found shaded parking in Koko Marina, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland again, and returned to Slob Manor. The evening? Sadly, more of the same.
Despite the rhetoric of the secular and religious dispensationalists, there is not going to be a global economic collapse. There isn't going to be a human-made calamity. And, Armageddon is not coming. The whole world will return to the status quo before the year is over. The boom times are coming back with a vengeance!
So far, no doomsayer has been completely correct in predicting the end times. Only minor glitches have occurred. As I just stated, there will be no collapse. There will not be an Armageddon. Not in our time anyway. I have to come to realize the folly of my own error. I am not at all certain that I can remain a Socialist either. Now, can I make up for lost time?
By my own estimates, I have about 23 years left on the planet. I am wasting my life away right now. I have maybe ten "good" years left. Unfortunately, I made my vow to remain in Hawai'i as long as moms is around. I am almost certain that moms will survive another 15 years. That will leave me with only seven years, and I will already be decrepit by then. What I must do is establish what I need to accomplish within the limitations that have been set forth. So, what exactly do I want to do? I am speaking of personal accomplishments that will give me a modicum of satisfaction as I enter my final years. It's too late for me to do anything and everything. However, I can, at the least, realize a couple of personal accomplishments. That would certainly be much better than spending all my time at the helm of my crappy Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer.
Yes, I again read various verses in the Good Book (New Living Translation) and verified that the Apostles were certain that the "end of days" was near at hand. Yet, nothing happened ... nothing has happened for 1,900 years. I asked myself, "Where is God?" Yet, I still know that there is a Creator ... out there somewhere.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I decided to wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Then, I cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. After I completed the task, I performed a few other minor chores.
I left Slob Manor at 1:30pm. I stopped off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Then, I drove to Hawai'i Kai. I found shaded parking in Koko Marina, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland again, and returned to Slob Manor. The evening? Sadly, more of the same.
Despite the rhetoric of the secular and religious dispensationalists, there is not going to be a global economic collapse. There isn't going to be a human-made calamity. And, Armageddon is not coming. The whole world will return to the status quo before the year is over. The boom times are coming back with a vengeance!
So far, no doomsayer has been completely correct in predicting the end times. Only minor glitches have occurred. As I just stated, there will be no collapse. There will not be an Armageddon. Not in our time anyway. I have to come to realize the folly of my own error. I am not at all certain that I can remain a Socialist either. Now, can I make up for lost time?
By my own estimates, I have about 23 years left on the planet. I am wasting my life away right now. I have maybe ten "good" years left. Unfortunately, I made my vow to remain in Hawai'i as long as moms is around. I am almost certain that moms will survive another 15 years. That will leave me with only seven years, and I will already be decrepit by then. What I must do is establish what I need to accomplish within the limitations that have been set forth. So, what exactly do I want to do? I am speaking of personal accomplishments that will give me a modicum of satisfaction as I enter my final years. It's too late for me to do anything and everything. However, I can, at the least, realize a couple of personal accomplishments. That would certainly be much better than spending all my time at the helm of my crappy Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer.
Yes, I again read various verses in the Good Book (New Living Translation) and verified that the Apostles were certain that the "end of days" was near at hand. Yet, nothing happened ... nothing has happened for 1,900 years. I asked myself, "Where is God?" Yet, I still know that there is a Creator ... out there somewhere.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Spiritual Walden
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was fairly mundane until I stepped off the bus after returning from town. As I crossed Kalani'ana'ole Highway at Pu'uikena, a white trash asswipe in a crappy "American" sedan almost ran me over in the crosswalk as the dolt made a left turn. I was not able to get the license plate number but the car was shit-grayish-blue sedan with the left front wheel cover missing. I will eventually run into the asshole somewhere sometime. Then, it's going to be payback time!
I have been reading a few of the latest "economic collapse" stories by the usual doomsayers. I must admit that I am no longer convinced that anything will happen to the empire's economy except for a minor glitch. The current so-called "recession" will be over before the end of the year. The stock market will soar (possible for Dow to exceed 30,000). We will return to the status quo and exceed all growth expectations. Consumer spending will come back like a tsunami. Real estate will once again dominate. Let me tell you why. No other first- or second-world nation is going to let the Fascist empire collapse. They have too much at stake. The Fed and Treasury can "print" as much fiat currency as they want. There won't be any repercussions. There will be a slight devaluation of the dollar and some minor inflation. All of the other nations' central banks have enough interest rate headroom to maintain a safe buffer. Those central banks will purchase as many dollars as necessary to keep their own currency from rising in value against the dollar. No matter how many dollars are injected into the "system," they will be absorbed. The collapse should have come about already. It didn't.
There will be a lot of unemployed and homeless losers, but no one will care. They are simply "collateral damage." There will be no reason to worry about social unrest until unemployment and under-employment approaches 60 percent of the population. Even with 50 percent of the labor force emancipated, the empire's economy will still be surging. That's because the other 50 percent will have so much more money to spend and invest.
As I mentioned yesterday, my research into early Christian history has been interesting. I am now commencing the period of the Middle Ages. In just the first 1,000 years, there were dramatic changes in the construct of Christianity per se. I was flabbergasted. However, I am not going to summarize that history in the "blog."
What concerns me now is that, even knowing a Supreme Being must exist, I cannot be certain that Christianity is the conduit to such an entity. Right now, I am not even certain whether Christianity supersedes Judaism. Yet, there are no other alternatives. If, by chance, I were to conclude that the entire work of the Scriptures is authentic, then I would still not call myself a "Christian." Instead, I would call myself a "disciple of YHWH1 and Jesus." And, what about "baptism by immersion"? How would I accomplish that? Certainly not any representative of the apostate sects.
I have also begun to read certain sub-books in the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") of the Good Book (New Living Translation) again in order to get a better grasp on doctrinal issues. After shedding a lot of false doctrinal interpretations, I have found that the second read is free of prejudice. It is as if I am reading entirely new material.
So, what has been the purpose of my foray into the Good Book? I can't really say that I know. Perhaps I was seeking salvation. Or, maybe I wanted to get to the bottom of "Armageddon." Then again, I could be looking to find the Creator. That is, I may be attempting to call home. And, of course, I have to wonder how that all fits in with the exodus. So far, the journey has been an interesting, albeit passive, one. The spiritual journey isn't over yet. I will be reporting tidbits from time to time, if not daily.
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
I have been reading a few of the latest "economic collapse" stories by the usual doomsayers. I must admit that I am no longer convinced that anything will happen to the empire's economy except for a minor glitch. The current so-called "recession" will be over before the end of the year. The stock market will soar (possible for Dow to exceed 30,000). We will return to the status quo and exceed all growth expectations. Consumer spending will come back like a tsunami. Real estate will once again dominate. Let me tell you why. No other first- or second-world nation is going to let the Fascist empire collapse. They have too much at stake. The Fed and Treasury can "print" as much fiat currency as they want. There won't be any repercussions. There will be a slight devaluation of the dollar and some minor inflation. All of the other nations' central banks have enough interest rate headroom to maintain a safe buffer. Those central banks will purchase as many dollars as necessary to keep their own currency from rising in value against the dollar. No matter how many dollars are injected into the "system," they will be absorbed. The collapse should have come about already. It didn't.
There will be a lot of unemployed and homeless losers, but no one will care. They are simply "collateral damage." There will be no reason to worry about social unrest until unemployment and under-employment approaches 60 percent of the population. Even with 50 percent of the labor force emancipated, the empire's economy will still be surging. That's because the other 50 percent will have so much more money to spend and invest.
As I mentioned yesterday, my research into early Christian history has been interesting. I am now commencing the period of the Middle Ages. In just the first 1,000 years, there were dramatic changes in the construct of Christianity per se. I was flabbergasted. However, I am not going to summarize that history in the "blog."
What concerns me now is that, even knowing a Supreme Being must exist, I cannot be certain that Christianity is the conduit to such an entity. Right now, I am not even certain whether Christianity supersedes Judaism. Yet, there are no other alternatives. If, by chance, I were to conclude that the entire work of the Scriptures is authentic, then I would still not call myself a "Christian." Instead, I would call myself a "disciple of YHWH1 and Jesus." And, what about "baptism by immersion"? How would I accomplish that? Certainly not any representative of the apostate sects.
I have also begun to read certain sub-books in the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") of the Good Book (New Living Translation) again in order to get a better grasp on doctrinal issues. After shedding a lot of false doctrinal interpretations, I have found that the second read is free of prejudice. It is as if I am reading entirely new material.
So, what has been the purpose of my foray into the Good Book? I can't really say that I know. Perhaps I was seeking salvation. Or, maybe I wanted to get to the bottom of "Armageddon." Then again, I could be looking to find the Creator. That is, I may be attempting to call home. And, of course, I have to wonder how that all fits in with the exodus. So far, the journey has been an interesting, albeit passive, one. The spiritual journey isn't over yet. I will be reporting tidbits from time to time, if not daily.
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
No Time for Bonzo
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... should I just leave it at that? My research centering on early Christianity continued. As I suspected, the Gentile influence was most pervasive in changing the construct of the congregations. The Gentiles were, for the most part, polytheistic and also entrenched in Greek philosophy. Polytheism is what I suspect to be the culprit that brought about the concept of the triune God. The mumbo-jumbo that surfaced insofar as doctrinal interpretation was a natural outcome of secular schools of philosophy. Thus, real Christianity has not existed since before 100 AD. The history of the "church" is quite interesting. I have learned a lot about the origins of "church" rituals, "church" architecture, "church" hierarchy, "church" vestments, and so forth. However, I became somewhat disillusioned. Why hasn't the Almighty acted upon the debauchery that has been going on in His name for the past 1,900 years?
When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I am only maintaining a minimal amount of personal chores these days. Heck, I haven't even prepared my tax returns yet. All of the relevant figures are in my tax spreadsheet. I have loaded the spreadsheet in my Palm® TX. That's about as far as I got. Sheesh!
When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I am only maintaining a minimal amount of personal chores these days. Heck, I haven't even prepared my tax returns yet. All of the relevant figures are in my tax spreadsheet. I have loaded the spreadsheet in my Palm® TX. That's about as far as I got. Sheesh!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Forty-Dog Chill
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 9am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew, but he was still sound asleep. I happened to notice that the right taillight of my Nissan® Frontier truck was cracked. I noticed scuff marks on the plastic. I was highly perturbed. In fact, my mood became quite foul. To my credit, I did not outwardly display my hostility to anyone at any time.
Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms and I stopped for lunch at Zippy's. While we were eating our lunches, two ducks waddled up to our table and started quacking. There were several tables of patrons, but the ducks apparently ignored them. Zippy's borders the Kuapa Pond harbor. I found a package of crackers abandoned at another table. I broke up the crackers and fed the pieces to the ducks.
Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. Afterward, I had to stop off at my local bank in Kuapa Kai. When I exited the bank, I saw the same two ducks that were at Zippy's outside. They were quacking quite happily. Mind you, Zippy's is located at the other side of Kuapa Pond. Well, I was happy to see the ducks. In fact, that's what broke my dismal spell.
I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, and performed my usual workout. In the weight room, a guy recognized me from the downtown gym. I chatted with him briefly. On the way out, I saw the 80-year-old guy who always talks to me. He was sitting on one of the chairs near the entrance. I sat and chatted with him for a few minutes. Then, I was off to Foodland to shop for groceries. What I really wanted was a bottle of cheap booze. I espied a few chillin' forty-dogs of malt liquor (no King Cobra® however). I was tempted, but I did not give in. Instead, I purchased a nice hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) for dinner.
When I set foot in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was almost completely sickened by my impoverished living conditions. I tried to enjoy my dinner. However, I had to continually do battle with the myriad sugar ants. In addition, the gale force winds almost brought me to a homicidal rampage. Dust and crap was swirling around in my squalid room. How can anyone enjoy a meal under such conditions? Well, the evening promises to be a repeat of every evening since I stopped my nightly excursion to Kahala Mall. I am seriously contemplating the return of the latter benign activity.
Sadly, I have missed the opportunity to cash in on the current huge stock market rally. Word has it that the rally is for real, and it signals the turnaround of the empire's most resilient economy. We are going back to the status quo. Long live the Fascist empire! Of course, I am a Socialist, so I know better. I am really at the point where I don't care about the damned money anymore. I will be robbed of every last cent soon enough. Therefore, I have done nothing with my investment accounts. Why bother? Of course, with such a momentous stock market rally in progress, we should turn to Benito Mussolini in gratitude for the modern Fascist empire.
A few days ago, I brought up the issue of the "true religion" in terms of Christianity. I believe that author Midge Louaillier (from "A Hand in the Darkness") summed up the latter well:
Moms and I made the usual rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms and I stopped for lunch at Zippy's. While we were eating our lunches, two ducks waddled up to our table and started quacking. There were several tables of patrons, but the ducks apparently ignored them. Zippy's borders the Kuapa Pond harbor. I found a package of crackers abandoned at another table. I broke up the crackers and fed the pieces to the ducks.
Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. Afterward, I had to stop off at my local bank in Kuapa Kai. When I exited the bank, I saw the same two ducks that were at Zippy's outside. They were quacking quite happily. Mind you, Zippy's is located at the other side of Kuapa Pond. Well, I was happy to see the ducks. In fact, that's what broke my dismal spell.
I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, and performed my usual workout. In the weight room, a guy recognized me from the downtown gym. I chatted with him briefly. On the way out, I saw the 80-year-old guy who always talks to me. He was sitting on one of the chairs near the entrance. I sat and chatted with him for a few minutes. Then, I was off to Foodland to shop for groceries. What I really wanted was a bottle of cheap booze. I espied a few chillin' forty-dogs of malt liquor (no King Cobra® however). I was tempted, but I did not give in. Instead, I purchased a nice hot meal (i.e., local-style bento) for dinner.
When I set foot in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was almost completely sickened by my impoverished living conditions. I tried to enjoy my dinner. However, I had to continually do battle with the myriad sugar ants. In addition, the gale force winds almost brought me to a homicidal rampage. Dust and crap was swirling around in my squalid room. How can anyone enjoy a meal under such conditions? Well, the evening promises to be a repeat of every evening since I stopped my nightly excursion to Kahala Mall. I am seriously contemplating the return of the latter benign activity.
Sadly, I have missed the opportunity to cash in on the current huge stock market rally. Word has it that the rally is for real, and it signals the turnaround of the empire's most resilient economy. We are going back to the status quo. Long live the Fascist empire! Of course, I am a Socialist, so I know better. I am really at the point where I don't care about the damned money anymore. I will be robbed of every last cent soon enough. Therefore, I have done nothing with my investment accounts. Why bother? Of course, with such a momentous stock market rally in progress, we should turn to Benito Mussolini in gratitude for the modern Fascist empire.
A few days ago, I brought up the issue of the "true religion" in terms of Christianity. I believe that author Midge Louaillier (from "A Hand in the Darkness") summed up the latter well:
There is a true church on the earth today, but it's not affiliated with any one church or organization. The true church is people, people who believe in Jesus Christ, who accept him as Lord in their hearts, who are reborn into the family of God, who accept the Bible as the word of God as revealed by His Spirit, who walk with their God as best they can, who love one another, who are committed to carrying the message of salvation through Christ and the word of God's Kingdom to others. They do not represent anyone or anything other than Jehovah and his son Christ Jesus. Because Jehovah and Jesus live within them, dwell in their hearts, they are led by the Holy Spirit, not men. Christ is their head and directs their steps. They fellowship, pray, worship, share, and work together, but not under the authority of any man-made church or organization.Further, Louaillier added:
This is the problem with Christianity in the form of organized religion. Each sect has taken its own pieces of Bible truth and put them together to form a particular pattern of doctrine. The price a member pays for belonging to that group is freedom, freedom to question, to receive and share fresh insight, freedom to decide spiritual matters according to his or her conscience apart from organizational law. Exercising such freedoms are considered disloyal and detrimental to a denomination's strength and unity. Spirituality, the very thing a person's religion is set up to cultivate, is sacrificed for order and control.All I can say is, "Amen!"
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Apocalypse Postponed
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... woe to anyone expecting anything out of the ordinary. I checked my box at the Post Office. More crap. My automobile registration fee ($219) is due. Hawai'i is the only State where the registration fee stays the same or goes up as the vehicle ages. And, according to Bank of Hawai'i, my "condotel" mortgage payment is going up because the property tax on the dump increased. Strange, isn't it? We are in a global depression, but there's no reprieve for the poor man.
To say that my day was ruined would be an understatement. I felt much better after I performed my usual workout at the gym. Sadly, the hottie gym trainer was conspicuously absent. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus, I was tempted to stop off in Aina Haina again. However, I did not feel like spending any more money. After all, I have to pay the robber barons first.
Did you enjoy the ol' lavahead's foray into the account of Revelation? I seemingly omitted Jesus' "second coming." From what I can tell, Jesus returns after the "great tribulation," (the battle at) Armageddon, and the final judgment are completed. There is no indication that Jesus would appear anytime beforehand. In addition, the "second coming" will not be a stealth affair as indicated by the following Scriptures:
I should also mention that religious scholars postulated about how many of the Christian congregations went into a state of disarray after the passing of the Apostles. Further, there was a high expectation that the "great tribulation" was right around the corner. As I mentioned in my own commentary, I noticed an urgency in the Apostles' message. When the "great tribulation" did not materialize, the leaders of the early congregations had to reorganize the basic structure (i.e., hierarchy, doctrine, etc.) in order to quell discontent and maintain numbers. So, what happened to the "end of days"?
To say that my day was ruined would be an understatement. I felt much better after I performed my usual workout at the gym. Sadly, the hottie gym trainer was conspicuously absent. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus, I was tempted to stop off in Aina Haina again. However, I did not feel like spending any more money. After all, I have to pay the robber barons first.
Did you enjoy the ol' lavahead's foray into the account of Revelation? I seemingly omitted Jesus' "second coming." From what I can tell, Jesus returns after the "great tribulation," (the battle at) Armageddon, and the final judgment are completed. There is no indication that Jesus would appear anytime beforehand. In addition, the "second coming" will not be a stealth affair as indicated by the following Scriptures:
- Matthew 24:30
- Mark 13:26
- Luke 25:27
I should also mention that religious scholars postulated about how many of the Christian congregations went into a state of disarray after the passing of the Apostles. Further, there was a high expectation that the "great tribulation" was right around the corner. As I mentioned in my own commentary, I noticed an urgency in the Apostles' message. When the "great tribulation" did not materialize, the leaders of the early congregations had to reorganize the basic structure (i.e., hierarchy, doctrine, etc.) in order to quell discontent and maintain numbers. So, what happened to the "end of days"?
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