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

"the less you try to go into it, the better." sums up the Christian position nicely, I think.

Hmm...
1/2 Christian, part animist ... I sometimes wonder if that makes me a "living hypocrite."

Existential/nihilistic migraine!

Happy new year to all our readers and contributers.

alji

And Happy New Year to you as well, Alji...

..unless you celebrate it in October, November, February, March or at another time, in which case Happy New Year (deferred )

Jez

Jez, Alji, Math et al . . .

Best holiday wishes.



az

Happy New Year to all here, from New Zealand (sunny for once...) Hi, Alji...

It's 10:16 P.M. in Silicon Valley right now... and I still really dunno how to sp34k l33t.

H4ppy N3w Y34r!

I'm curious as to what "They don't make Jews like Jesus any more" is supposed to mean.

Any suggestions?

No idea.

It's a phrase from the comedian/writer/singer Kinky Friedman, and I added to my tag on a whim, cos I thought it sounded funny. And it's true as well, I mean, what other Jew has founded a major relgion in the last 2,000 years?

Albert Einstein?

Einstein wrote, "It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."

To answer Brochfael_Canwrtir's posting asking about "They don't make Jews like Jesus anymore?".

Jesus was proclaimed by the people as king of the Jews, whereas the real king of the Jews was being defined by the people, hence why Jesus was crucified, (I think the actual King was King Herod, but don't quote me 'cuase I don't fully remember), but either way, the REAL king of the Jews, arranged the death of the PEOPLE's king of the Jews, Jesus. That's why (from my sources anyway) Jewish people don't like Jesus Christ, because he defied the Jewish King.

Here's the small print. I know the basic story behind this part of the bible, but my knowledge is hazy, if I have got anything wrong, so be it, I'll step down, but this is just from my own research and so far I have not been told any different. However if anyone does want to enlighten me then go ahead.

Any Simpsons fans out there?

Has anyone noticed how Marge is such a horrible mother, putting meat juices is Lisa's (who is vegetarian) food and not telling here. What would you do if you were a vegetarian and found this out about your own mother?

And also, she is a Christian Nazi, when Homer deceides not to go to church, she insists that Homer is damned and is so blinded by blind fiath that she goes insane and questions their marrage over it.
And again, when Lisa becomes a buddhist and Marge evesdrops on Lisa's prayers? This is a sterotypical Christian American House-wife and a terrible mother.

Is there anyone else, other than me, who thinks Marge is the worst Simpsons Character? Maybe we should start a new conversation for this.

I think Matt Groening did that ...(intended) for humor.
...
Of course, not everyone necessarily will find the same thing universally funny, or have the exact same sense of humor, but for the most part...

Dr.Gonzo

Herod had little, if anything, to do with the death of the man Jesus. There were a number of causes of his death, to whit:
1. The Jewish temple hierarchy (Caiaphas and Annas in particular) did not need a credible Messiah turning up because: a)it would undermine their authority, and b) it might well p*ss off the Romans, whose support they needed.
2. The Romans were having increasing problems with Jewish zealots. Any focal point for Jewish nationalism would have to be terminated, pronto.
3. The Jewish people themselves had had enough of messiahs turning up every ten minutes and demanding that they be obeyed, and thus one more wasn't worth the effort. Especially as he was a country boy from Galilee.

What made Jesus special was what happened after his death. The disappearance of his corpse and the way this was promoted by his core followers to jew and gentile alike.

Remember Christianity may have been born in Jerusalem, but it grew in the Greek-speaking world of the Aegean. The majority of its supporters by the end of the 1st century were greek gentiles, not jews. The highly literate and well-travelled greeks are the ones who exported it around the Roman Empire and made it popular.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

Thanks Matholwch /|\, for that interesting piece of information, you learn something new every day.

I don't mean to offend anyone here with my views, it's just that I grew up in a small village and was surrounded constantly by Christianity and religion because it was highly populated with elderly people, the village of Alkborough was then and still is a heavily religious place, but it was verging on "Children of the Corn" religious, which was not only a scary thought, but down right annoying. It was so imposed on me as a kid that I instantly rejected it. I guess that's the way things go, some people get it and some people don't, I however don't, but I'm more than willing to leave it to the experts.

Peace and love to all you guys and gals!

Are the 'Zealots' and 'christians' actually different?

Doesn't Nazorene translate as 'those zealous for the law'

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Now, I haven't been to services in a while, but my understanding is that Jewish people don't necessarily have anything against Jesus - they just don't believe in his divinity. I think that the popular Jewish belief is that Jesus was a mortal rabbi, not the son of God. A major part of the Jewish belief system is that the Messiah is yet to arrive, so obviously a belief in Jesus's divinity would invalidate that idea.

Perhaps the most hopeful aspect of the religion, though one that may well have caused many a Jewish lad to agonize over the awful possibility that it might be him.....

Hi Sophie

"Are the 'Zealots' and 'christians' actually different?"

Very much so. The zealots were anti-Roman revolutionaries. Their favoured tactic was not addressing five thousand people on a hilltop but the stealthy dagger into a Roman senty's back, or stirring up riots.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

It would really be nice if people stopped saying 'religious' when they mean 'Christian'.

Jez - a religious heathen.

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This is Dr Gonzo! You're assuming that Marge Simpson is a true reflection of a Christian, when she is a cartoon character created to ridicule Christians?

Matt Groening has said as much!