h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"The Crusades had very litte to do with Christianity, and everything to do with money and power."


"Also the Crusaders actually killed more Christians than they ever did infidels."
I didn't know that. Very interesting.

"In the unlikely event of the Evangelicals and Revelations being right, I shall not give up my beliefs and shall refuse to recognise the authority of the Abrahamic Deity to judge me."

The punnishment for sin is death, according to the Bible. I do not believe in Hell, or in baptising babies, who have no idea what they're getting into.

"But if it's Jews who are forbidden from lending money, and not Christians, why did a tradition, and even a stereotype, develop of the Jewish moneylender, giving rise to characters like Shakespeare's Shylock? Why was there a need for Jews to take up the trade in the first place? I haven't got any biblical references to back up my thesis, but surely historical fact bears witness to this possibility?"

Well firstly, they wern't forbidden from lending to Christians.

As to the thesis, I'm not sure. It would appear that Jews generally had a good head for buisness, & set up many big ones. Wern't pawnbrokers generally Jewish? They found a niche in the market and knew how to use it. I have a theory that this is the real reason Christians didn't like Jews: the Jews had them in thier power in a way. The 'you killed Jesus' thing was just an excuse. Any comments on the feasibility of that one?

Me too, talking about many things about which I have been proven to know nothing.

Hi az.
I think I know what you mean by only one race: the human one:make no racial distictions between people. But there are inherited characteristics which humans generally use to identify themselves and each other. You wrote to toxx:
"So your friend is Hungarian by birth (nationality) and Jewish by choice (religion)."
However, I would guess (not wanting to speak for toxx's friend, but using him as an example) that he would view himself as a Jew also by birth. And he would be 'allowed' to do so, assuming that at least one parent was a Jew. The confusion is, as outlined, that Jews are an ethnic group (or race) who all generally adhere to the same religion (which it might be easier to call Judaism) or none at all.

I've lost my point somewhere in my ramblings. I think it is that if people see themselves as being of a seperate race then yu can't really tell them that they're not.

P.S. I'm using 'he', 'him' etc. in the neuter form, as is possible in English.

There I go again, talking on about things & I haven't got a clue!
Hi Istevan, hope my post above which refers to you isn't offensive. Welcome, and thankyou for explainning things.

Thanks HS for your history on Jews in the Middle Ages. I retract my little theory of a few posts ago on the strength of it.

I'm sure the inheritance/linneage by the mother isn't in the OT. But interesting what someone said about David: his first wife was Saul's daughter.

The law did allow non-Jews to join the religion, providing men got circumsised and they followed the law. You'd have to really want to join; as Istevan said, they're not trying to persuade you to.

"being Jewish is both a race and a culture, which is a unique state AFAIK. So there can be secular Jews but they are still Jewish. Rather like being a lapsed Catholic."
But different in that the Jews believe they are God's chosen people as a race.

Wasn't either Purgotory or Limbo officially got rid of recently? I forget which, & recently could be a few years ago. I have this vauge recollection.

It's easier to politely laugh at yourself than at anyone else. It's very hard to make fun of something which you're not a member of without causing offense. ('Goodness gracious me' was written by an Indian.) So, since the majority of writers are from a Christian background, that is what they will make fun of (besides the 'write about what you know' mantra). This not an excuse but an explanation of why the BBC finds it easier to 'lampoon' Christians. (But remember, they did strike off 'Popetown'.)

Would you prefer 'Boomrakashaka! I is here with my main man...'

Alji:
What does the word "moshiach" mean? Presumbly it was the basis of the English 'Messiah', which has since then changed in meaning? What are the requirements for the moshiach based on?
Doesn't Isaiah 53:3-12 show that he was to come to take away our sin?

Is 'Swynwr y Ddraig Goch' Welsh?
And also, is 'Mathlwch' Welsh?
(The names, not the people.)

I've finnally caught up!but still haven't learned to spell!

Hi Moke

"Is 'Swynwr y Ddraig Goch' Welsh?
And also, is 'Mathlwch' Welsh?
(The names, not the people.)"

Yes and yes.

Matholwch is a name I took on for two reasons. The first is that I needed some anonymity on such a public forum. The second is as a reminder to rein in my pride. Matholwch was a King of Ireland in the Tale of Branwen from The Mabinogion. Because of his pride he allowed his advisors to turn his heart against his wife and caused a terrible war.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

Hi Moke

If you are interested in the Crusades and their effect on christians, rather than poor benighted heathens, you should google to The Albigensian Crusade or The Cathar Heresy.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

>>Hang on there! There is some truth in the claim that the BBC (and the British mainstream media in general) is much happier to lampoon Christian churches (particularly Anglo- and Roman Catholics) than it would be to mock any other religious group (including, of course, Pagans).<<

Try counting up the number of so-called horror movies that portray the ancestors as frightening ghosts, or witches as devil-worshipping fanatics, or all vikings as blood-thirsty raiders... etc.

Jez

>>I'm not sure where the English word 'hell' or its meaning came from. But the unfortunate thing is that Bibles continue to translate 'sheol' and 'hades' as 'hell' in English, even though they don't mean what we mean by hell. By this method, Jesus was in 'hell' for 3 days before he was ressurected.<<

The word hell comes from the nordic/saxon hel, which is far more like Sheol than like Hell.

It is the place where those of the heathen dead not chosen for one of the halls of the gods reside, and is presided over by Hella, the daughter of Loki, who is shown as half corpse-blue, half rose-hued.

Balder, son of Odin, is there with his wife, and by all accounts most of it is a perfectly pleasant place to be, where people feast with their ancestors until Ragnarok, the final battle.

That's where I am heading, to join my kin, and spend my time pointing out to any of my collateral descendents where they are going wrong when I visit midgarth to pester them

Unless I am at Sulphur outfall #4 with Math and the other apostates.

But I am not apostate, as I never accepted Christianity, unless being sprinkled before the age of reason counts.

Jez

Hey, Jez. What do you reckon of 'Gehenna' then? Unfortunately, I'm booked in at phosphorus pipe #2 (for being a Deist!), so I won't be with you guys. Where can I get a transfer form?

toxx

Very good point. I'm against censorship in all its forms, because a) anyone who feels the need for censorship is overreacting; and b) if you don't like the bloody thing, by all means don't watch it! No one's forcing you!

On the other hand, of course, it's a nice thing to know what you're in for prior to a programme, so that you can decide what you'll expose your kids to and so you can turn the programme off if you think it will 'offend' you.