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I was wondering about this the other day. Is it 'easier' to be a Christian because it places fewer demands on you? Essentially, you just have to accept Christ as Lord. Whereas Buddhism puts the problem firmly on your shoulders. It is up to the individual to make his own 'heaven'.
I do not think it is quite that simple, but there could be something there.
Interesting question. I would have to point out that not every Christian, myself included, thinks that just accepting Christ is enough. For in accepting you now have certain criteria you should live by. Of course not all "accepting" Christians actually do this.
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I plain don't. But I'm not a big believer in wisdom either.I guess it would be difficult to quantify.Most of what people call wisdom seems to me like a combination of things that are just mundane experience, ordinary operations of intellect, or pretty banal stuff like "common sense". Some sort of valuable, unique thing unto itself? I've never been convinced.
Not a big fan of common sense either, as it happens. It largely seems to be unexamined prejudices voiced as though they're laws of nature, which is about the silliest thing I can think of.
But, you know, I'm a known weirdo.
Common sense is as they say not so common.
I would have to point out that not every Christian, myself included, thinks that just accepting Christ is enough.
Absolutely. There are the ten commandments, which most Christians are quick to point out, are remarkably similar to many secular laws. So, beyond being a law-abiding citizen, what have you done today to earn your place with god?
I would have to point out that not every Christian, myself included, thinks that just accepting Christ is enough.Absolutely. There are the ten commandments, which most Christians are quick to point out, are remarkably similar to many secular laws. So, beyond being a law-abiding citizen, what have you done today to earn your place with god?
I paid cash money, TO A NUN IN THE VATICAN, for a miniature reproduction of Michelangelo's Moses. I've got it stood up right next to the same of David. Moses is looking over at David like he was just sitting there on the park bench playing with his beard and reading the tablets when along comes this strapping lad flexing. I love the Renaissance.
Of course then I learned that Rome was lousy with the things and I overpaid the nun. I could have gotten the same thing from a street vendor for half the price. First day in Rome and they woke us up (terrible package tour) and shuffled us into the bus and straight to the line to get into the Vatican. But most of my other souvenirs were postcards and guidebooks, so overall I was a relatively frugal tourist.
But most of my other souvenirs were postcards and guidebooks, so overall I was a relatively frugal tourist.
You should see my wine tab when I visit the Napa Valley, or even the Finger Lakes in NY for that matter. Most of my souvenirs are hangovers, compounded by dehydration from hiking.
My experience is that there are quite a lot of people who really have a hard time understanding or accepting "grace".
Is it anything like "tao"?
I think this thread needs a little of this. (NSFW)
I can be sassy, honey.
Honey?Mmmmm..... Sopapilla
And my mind went immediately to papules.
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So I take it you did?And my mind went immediately to papules.Honey?Mmmmm..... SopapillaSo fluffy honey drenched biscuits of mexican origin brought you to lumps...
That's definitely not the first thing I'd have thought of, I think I can safely admit. :P
Oh, and if anyone is curious.
I did. I just wanted to make sure that I knew what it was (I did know, but wasn't sure... so I checked). I didn't know you could get them there!
Wow, we really got off of religion there for a while didn't we?
I dunno... most people will cry out, "Good God!" if they look at those pics.
I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
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I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.
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I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.
Peace through superior firepower?
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Peace through superior firepower?I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.
They make a wasteland and call it a peace.
Who said that anyway? I'm brainfarting on it.
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Peace through superior firepower?I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.They make a wasteland and call it a peace.
Who said that anyway? I'm brainfarting on it.
Google-Fu says Tacitus. I couldn't remember and had to just look it up.
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Google-Fu says Tacitus. I couldn't remember and had to just look it up.Peace through superior firepower?I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.They make a wasteland and call it a peace.
Who said that anyway? I'm brainfarting on it.
That sounds right. When I was preparing to post I was also getting ready to leave work, so no time to look it up.
Oh, and if anyone is curious.
*does the Google image search*
What's the p-
Oh right, normal people. :)
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The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.Peace through superior firepower?
You can certainly read it that way, that the leaves are scared of the blade and avoid it. I took it a little less literally, and decided that the swords were representations of skills, one for war, one for peace.
Then again, I'm one of those pinko pacifist lefties, so what do I know? ;-P
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That sounds right. When I was preparing to post I was also getting ready to leave work, so no time to look it up.Google-Fu says Tacitus. I couldn't remember and had to just look it up.Peace through superior firepower?I found The Essential Chuang Tsu at Half Priced Books the other day. I started reading it to my 7 year old daughter.
She is not impressed.
I thought there were some funny parts in the Book of Chuang Tzu, and there was some neat symbolism. But yeah, definitely not something that would captivate a 7-year-old :-p
My favorite story is the one about the second best sword-smith in the land, who desperately wants to craft a sword better than that of the world's best sword-smith. He labors for years, and makes a sword that's folded 10,000 times, and challenges the best sword-smith.
The second best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into a stream, and it is so sharp that leaves floating on the stream are sliced in two as they brush against it.
Then, the best sword-smith puts the blade of his sword into the stream, and it is fashioned so well that the leaves float around it and are unharmed, having not touched the sword at all.
The second best sword-smith concedes, having realized that the ability to prevent violence will always be better than the ability to create it.They make a wasteland and call it a peace.
Who said that anyway? I'm brainfarting on it.
I wish I had that excuse. Just couldn't remember. :/
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New York's schools should observe Muslim holidays
Observe them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of seperation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holdays as well.
New York's schools should observe Muslim holidaysObserve them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of seperation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holdays as well.
Strange- I thought we already did. I know that my muslim friends were excused from school to attend religous services, even if the school wasn't closed, same for jewish students. My eastern orthodox friends were the most inconvienced due to when certain tests were held.
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Strange- I thought we already did. I know that my muslim friends were excused from school to attend religous services, even if the school wasn't closed, same for jewish students. My eastern orthodox friends were the most inconvienced due to when certain tests were held.New York's schools should observe Muslim holidaysObserve them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of seperation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holdays as well.
They may be excused from school, but are they able to make up the days they missed for these holidays on days when they aren't celebrating a holiday (ie.-xmas, easter, etc.)? If not then the schools are showing favoratism to one religion in direct violation of the seperation of church and state. Even an originalist can see where this is problematic:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion".
If every public school in the US has time off set aside for christian holidays, and no time off set aside for other holidays, then it is clear that that religion is being "established" in a public institution. Are they "requiring" you to be christian? not exactly...but they're doing a hell of a job incentivizing it.
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New York's schools should observe Muslim holidaysObserve them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of separation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holidays as well.
I respectfully disagree here. Until the 14 amendment this only applied to the federal government. Several individual states had officially recognized state adopted religions.
As to how it is interpreted right now. Yes, they should in fact have the two sanctioned holidays especially if it passed the vote of the school board.
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New York's schools should observe Muslim holidaysObserve them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of separation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holidays as well.I respectfully disagree here. Until the 14 amendment this only applied to the federal government. Several individual states had officially recognized state adopted religions.
As to how it is interpreted right now. Yes, they should in fact have the two sanctioned holidays especially if it passed the vote of the school board.
And I think the issue of individual state-sponsored religions would be more an interpretation of the supremecy clause rather than an interpretation of the establishment clause.
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And I think the issue of individual state-sponsored religions would be more an interpretation of the supremacy clause rather than an interpretation of the establishment clause.New York's schools should observe Muslim holidaysObserve them all or none at all. Public institutions recognizing one religion's holiday and refusing to do so for another's is definitely in violation of separation of church and state...both in how it was originally written and how it has been interpreted. If the mayor is not willing to recognize these holidays then he needs to remove recognition of other religion's holidays as well.I respectfully disagree here. Until the 14 amendment this only applied to the federal government. Several individual states had officially recognized state adopted religions.
As to how it is interpreted right now. Yes, they should in fact have the two sanctioned holidays especially if it passed the vote of the school board.
Yes it was.
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Quick question. I'm not very up on Catholic churches although this question may be in reference to Episcopal churches...
I was driving and saw a "Saint Michael the Archangel Church". How does an angel get sainthood?
The Taxiarch St. Michael the Archangel made patron saint of chivalry in 1469 as well as patron of Germany, the City of Brussels and Kiev. As well as the patron saint of the warrior, Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers and fighter pilots.
Whose name means "Who is like God?"And none of that answers your question.
This however may help,
A saint is always someone through whom we catch a glimpse of what God is like -- and of what we are called to be. Only God 'makes' saints, of course. The church merely identifies from time to time a few of these for emulation.
as an aside my last name means "Son's of Michael"
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Yes it was.Wait a minute, is the supremecy clause in the 14th amendment? That would be embarassing...
EDIT: *phew* Article VI, Clause2
But not enforced on a state level until
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
Sounds like someone was rules-lawyering the constitution to me.
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Sounds like someone was rules-lawyering the constitution to me.Yes it was.Wait a minute, is the supremecy clause in the 14th amendment? That would be embarassing...
EDIT: *phew* Article VI, Clause2
But not enforced on a state level until
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
Yep that's what the Judges do. It took them almost 60 years to come up with the modern interpretation as well.
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
If freedom of religion is a privilege, and immunity from a government-mandated religion is an immunity, then I can see an "Official Religion of the State of Tennessee," for example, clearly violating both of those clauses with respect to every citizen who wasn't a member. That's not "rules-lawyering" as much as straightforward reading -- unless you mean that, until the above was added, people were rules-lawyering to get around the implied meaning until it was spelled out more clearly?
The Taxiarch St. Michael the Archangel
He looks like Danny DeVito.
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"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
If freedom of religion is a privilege, and immunity from a government-mandated religion is an immunity, then I can see an "Official Religion of the State of Tennessee," for example, clearly violating both of those clauses with respect to every citizen who wasn't a member. That's not "rules-lawyering" as much as straightforward reading -- unless you mean that, until the above was added, people were rules-lawyering to get around the implied meaning until it was spelled out more clearly?
Many did not feel it was even implied. That was why it took about 60 years for the full mandate of the 14th to come about. Honestly though most of the "State religions" were just traditional by that time anyway, so other then the change of school prayer and a few others, not much changed. Or if it did, not enough screaming has been done for me to have taken notice.
Many did not feel it was even implied. That was why it took about 60 years for the full mandate of the 14th to come about. Honestly though most of the "State religions" were just traditional by that time anyway, so other then the change of school prayer and a few others, not much changed. Or if it did, not enough screaming has been done for me to have taken notice.
The last state religion in the US, that of Quaker-whipping Massachusetts, was abolished in the 1830s. Jefferson and Adams wrote back and forth celebrating the death of "Protestant Popedom". Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Jersey (there used to be two Jerseys in British North America) never had state religions to begin with.
Rhode Island has the distinction of being the only colony founded explicitly for purposes of religious freedom, and not simply to achieve a level of religious control over the populace that the founders could not accomplish in Europe.