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

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This is sooooooooooo weird. I'm SURE I read this yesterday morning, and then last night I went looking for it and couldn't find it, and now here it is, yet it says it was posted only seven hours ago. So either I have incredibly specific precognition (I remember specific wording, like "its brother in spirit, Islam" and "the prophet of the moon god Allah", to name but two), OR there's some delete-and-repost shenanigans going on here.

Justin, I don't suppose you could put my mind at rest and tell me this is the second time you've posted this, could you please? Thanks

H.

probable answer: yikesed, hidden, and then restored. (threads that consist of only moderated posts are completely hidden)

But it says it was posted 10 hours ago (at the time I'm writing this) whereas I DEFINITELY remember reading it YESTERDAY.

Plus: Justin's on premod. So the thing would have been checked before it was made visible to me in the first place. If it had been yikesed, wouldn't it have remained visible until a decision was made to hide it, rather than hiding it first? Whenever I've yikesed stuff in the past, it's never disappeared right away, even if the writer was on premod...

Slightly spooked by this... sure there's a rational explanation, though, of course!

H.

Hi Justin .

"It is interesting to note the similarities between all religions. They all have one thing in common, that their religion is right, and all others are wrong."

Sorry my friend, but your ignorance regarding world religions is once more apparent. It is only the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism that even come close to realising this statement. And of those three it is Christianity that has shown the greatest intolerance to other faiths and paths. The other 'great' world faiths, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism make no such claim to exclusive wisdom.

"We can also see that if that is challenged it will turn to murder to stake its claim."

Is this like your journal entry where you state categorically that anyone disgreeing with your God's moral and ethical mores should be put to death?

"It is interesting that Hindus do much the same thing, and you will find Buddhists doing it too, in the past."

Really? I don't think so. History is clear that the Hindu's have spent the majority of the last thousand years under the control of Muslim rulers who, it should be said, made no attempt to convert them and didn't persecute them for their faith. It wasn't until the nineteenth century and the arrival of protestant missionaries that serious attempts were made to turn the Hindu's of India aay from their tradiational faith. There are few religions in the world more dedicated to peace and tolerance than the Buddhists and I challenge you to find one historical incident in which that faith waged war on any other.

"There is something inherently wrong, though, with someone's claim if, when challenged about their religion they turn to murder to protect it. There god is plainly shown not to be able to deal with the detractors, immediately. And one must ask; why, if it such a good religion, and the blessing of the god of that religion is upon those who are in it, does it need to be imposed by force?"

I couldn't agree more Justin, for once we are in perfect accord! So why has your faith consistently done so? Before you blame everything on the Catholics I should point out that the death toll to the more zealous portions of the protestant faith also runs into millions.

"There were even some modified Catholics, called 'Protestants', who did just the same. People like Zwingli and Calvin had people put to death just because they did not agree with them. Such is the merely religious person, I am afraid."

Again we agree, this is getting spooky Justin .

"God's way is to tell the people the truth and if they will not receive it; walk away and leave them to the consequences."

It is a pity that His followers almost universally ignore this doctrine.

"Unlike all mere religionists Christians do not harm anyone who will not receive the truth, and will not force anyone to accept what they are being told. Religionists cannot do anything else, as they see someone's refusal to accept their religion as an affront to it. They may not immediately attack them, but they are offended."

I don't see your refusal to accept that my faith has validity, if only for me, as an affront or an offence. You will have found in your conversations with the various spiritual people on this forum that not one has taken offence nor decried your faith.

"Today, when the UK is overrun with all manner of pagan religion, a new thing appears to be happening, all the pagan religionists are agreeing to get together, and leave each to his own branch of it."

This is true, though the overrunning part might be more a triumph of marketing than fact. Have you upped your med's again Justin (sorry, only kidding)?

"They are, after all, all the same at base level, they are all attempting to improve themselves by religious self-effort."

We are indeed and it is a difficult road to walk, especially in the face of the prejudice and stigma attached to it by the Christian 'establishment'.

"However, this, as always leaves out God's people who are in a minority, as ever, and will not associate with the pagan religions as they know who the lord of all that is."

Your choice, not ours. We are willing to share bread with you, it is you who absent yourself from the feast.

"But, what point religion then? Seeing as Almighty God, the Maker, Owner, and Sustainer of Heaven and Earth says that by religious works no one can approve themselves before Him, why do they bother to try and do so?"

This is in direct contradiction to your quote from Revelations in a earlier Journal entry. In this you state that when we are judged we shall be looked up in the Book of Life and "each judged according to our works".

"Christians don't, they rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. They are spiritually restored to concious relationship to God, by His grace, and the don't need to 'do' anything to approve themselves. They only do good things as a consequence of being so restored, they do not work to earn God's approval, or their place in Heaven."

This is true spiritual laziness and abdication of personal responsibility for one's actions. It must be very comforting for those who have committed one of the grave sins your Bible proscribes for Jesus has died to absolve you of all sin and guilt. Rather than dedicating yourself to righting the wrong you have done, Very convenient I am sure.

"So, why bother with wretched religion, when you can have Christ, and know God the Father? What point is there in 'alternative religion'? It is only an alternative to the one and only True God, what is the point? Why try and to do the impossible and set up another religion which cannot deal with that which separates people from God, and only redoubles their condemnation before the one True God?"

This last statement Justin flies in the face of the tolerant attitude you were promoting in the earlier passages, ah well, the leopard's spots return ....

Blessings,
Matholwch the Apostate /|\.

One day you preach death to the unbeliever and on another you preach tolerance for papists and pagans, while bemoaning your own persecution at their hands. Justin, your perversion of Christian teachings has plumbed new depths.

"There is something inherently wrong, though, with someone's claim if, when challenged about their religion they turn to murder to protect it."

This may be the one and only sensible comment written by Justin.

"God's way is to tell the people the truth and if they will not receive it; walk away and leave them to the consequences."

So how exactly does this work? You preach, we listen. If we hear God in you, we will believe, if not then you will walk away?

Promise?

Seriously though, the passage from Mark is particularly interesting. It actually bodes well for those of us who do receive you and hear you, whether or not we choose to believe you. Interesting.

Madent,

I don't think that, as an unsaved man, who does not know the Lord Jesus, that you should be teaching those who do. You are in no position to tell what is and what is not right, as all you have is dry text on the pages of the Bible. Christians have God, the Author of the text, and He shows them what it means. Without Him a lifetime of theology would never reveal the truth. "The letter killeth,but the Spirit giveth life."

In one sense you are right. If God is not speaking to you, and you can do nothing but attack the truth, being unable to leave it alone, then I just ignore you and let you get on with your life. I cannot exactly go anywhere but My Space, but you can. You can go and discuss all sorts of things all over this site, and never here any truth any more, if you choose. Until God be pleased to speak to you, and draw you to Jesus Christ.

That's a really interesting observation, Justin.

So the reality that your interpretation of any particular passage from the Bible, is different to its actual literal meaning in its original context, is because God explains the meaning to you directly and has nothing to do with your grasp of the English language being around the level of a year 8 pupil at a very poor comprehensive

Whereas my superior command of our mother tongue, honed at a genuine university, leaves me poorly equipped to deal with the subtleties of the "dry text" and I must rely on your interpretation!

Madent,

It sounds like you are a highly educated man, and way above me in education and intelligence. I could not comment about my standard of English, as I have not been assessed, to my knowledge. However, maybe you are right.

But, that aside, you will NEVER understand spiritual things with intellectual tools, as I have shown you Jesus said. There are very many theologians in Hell, as no amount of educated understanding of the text on the page (without God) will save you. You must be born again, Jn.3. You may be able to get quite a good understanding of the dry text, but you will never see spiritual truth until God be pleased to take away your blindness and show you. If He does that you will not be able to do anything but express your extreme shock at why you were unable to see such things before.

It is not that God gives me special revelation. I only have that which all ordinary Christians have. It is the eyes of faith which see, as God communicates from faith to faith. Those without faith are utterly blind.

"I could not comment about my standard of English, as I have not been assessed, to my knowledge."

I sincerely hope that the entrance requirements for the British police force have been tightened up considerably since it was possible for a man who says he does not remember ever sitting an English O-level, let alone passing one, to become a police officer.

I am appalled that one so uneducated and ignorant was ever even allowed to progress beyond the initial stages of application.

H.

Equal opportunities in action? Positive discrimination?

Well Hoovooloo/devil, I do have two English 'O' levels, actually, and would have done 'A' levels too, but for various things.

It is not for you to be appalled at what the police do or not do. It is nothing to do with you or me. They recruit who they think suited to the job.

Now who's on pre-mod?

Justin/God.

H.

You're wrong about his posting. I yikesed one of his things once, because it really annoyed me, and it disappeared instantly, so I think that they make it hiden as sooin as its Yikesed. Probly the computer doesn't know whether the poster of a yikesed posed was on premod when it was written.

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Ah, we have a moderation decision.

Apparently, comparing Mohammed to Bin Laden was against the house rules the first time, and was removed. But when it reposted a day later it is alright.

I suspect if I mentioned Jesus of Nazareth and compared him to a psychotic terrorist it would get removed pretty sharpish.

Ste

Ah, Ste, you dear sweet naive child, you didn't expect consistency or intelligence in moderation decisions did you?

H.

Ste,

You do it all the time, but I know you cannot help it.

You must be born again. That which is in you which hates God, and brands Him a liar by not believing Him, must be removed. That is what Jesus went on the Cross for - that you may be free from the evil you were born with; to save you from sin and death. When you know Him like Christians do you will have a wonderful new life, and you too will be shocked and the blindness and foolishness of those who are still in sin.

Justin,

You are rambling incoherantly.

By the way, I do not hate God. I also do not hate Muslims, Catholics, homosexuals, nor anyone I deem to be in disagreement with what I believe. Unlike you Justin, shame on you, you poor, sick old man.

Ste