Oxymoron of the Day: Death Penalty?

It seems strange that in a time when many people and even some governments view a quick and painless death as an acceptable escape and/or release from personal pain and problems that others still accept the same as being the ultimate penalty for gross crimes. The question of whether punishment or release is being rendered is apparently a matter of opinion, formed chiefly by one's own faith in what happens (or doesn't) to an individual's soul (if any) after death.

Current governmental practices seem to allow that "the people" are simply polled as to their desires in such matters, with some reliance being given to theology by the thoughtful ones who seek God's approval to justify actions which might otherwise seem morally questionable. By Judeo‑Christian tradition, the text of the Holy Bible is considered God's word with interpretations which may range from literal to allegorical at either extreme.

That Bible is, however, universally accepted as an accurate historical record of ancient Jewish law, which undoubtedly did prescribe the death penalty for a wide range of infractions including murder, adultery, heresy, homosexuality, bestiality and even disobedience to parents. Those death penalties were enforced subject only to the existing power structure and performed regardless of other Holy verses attributed directly to God's own words which are documented as "thou shall not kill", and "vengeance is mine".

As with many societies throughout history, it would have been folly to question the morality of any killings so justified as the "Book" itself is used to define same (remember also the heresy thing). Executions under this (moral) law were, however, generally public and violent events, often specifying participation of the able bodied local population by their group stoning to death of the lawbreaker, reflecting both their collective rejection of the offense and a purification of that society.

Considering the above, how then does quietly and rather privately "putting to sleep" a condemed person equate to any moral action? Does our current method of execution really amount to punishment, or does it just provide for an escape?

Addendum:   The biblical prescriptions for the killing of certain lawbreakers  no longer being acceptable to modern society, the "humane" alternatives currently in practice cannot be justified on any grounds of serving either justice or retribution and should be stopped immediately.  Such is, as they say... immoral. 

Your amazing brain: Top 10 articles from 2008

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16205-your-amazing-brain-top-10-articles-from-2008.html

Appreciating the Range of Science and Non-Science

The "Scientific" Sales Pitch -

http://www.thewileyprotocol.com/sleep.htm

Science by Divination? -
http://www.divinecosmos.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=36

The Science of Boundless Ambition -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:PauloHelene

The Science of "Gee, even stars change their minds from time to time!"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225133649.htm

Jesus, Who's Right?

Have you sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you (fill in your own blank)? Only God knows the "whole truth" of anything, which is perhaps why Jesus tells us to "Make no oaths". Mat 5:34

It's always a good time to seek some common ground:

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0303-1906

The Earth, A Boiling Pot

Link to animated GIF:

http://geomag.usgs.gov/movies/movies/index.php?type=corefield&format=gif

As the pot boils, so the brew turns. So what does it actually take to make the magnetic poles "flip"? This has happened many times in geologic history, but not in our recorded history. There may be more than one good reason for that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal

"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater." - Albert Einstein

Sentient beings are numberless,
I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible,
I vow to end them.
The Dharma Gates are boundless,
I vow to open them.
The Enlightened Way is unsurpassable,
I vow to embody it.
the four vows - zen buddhist

Have You Heard About B Flat?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7442915
if a black hole hums, it hums at a frequency a million billion times lower than you can hear।
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation

Food for Thought

http://www।sentientdevelopments.com/2007/01/just-say-no-to-mind-controlling.html

http://www।google।com/search?hl=en&q=parasite+mind+control&aq=0&oq=Parasite+mind

Clarke's Third Law:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Dreamer's Lament

Whence comes our dreams from in the night
angels divine or fairies bright
their passage made between the ways
which favors night moreso than days

within dark shadows these bards stalk
and in our minds creation mock
within a timeless slumber, yet
for all of this we soon forget


Of Pins and Wings

I dream of wings, so jealous I
the giant one of brain
and yet mere insects, they do fly
while all I do is strain

but shafts to pin such irksome bugs
could set these matters right
to stop them cold - let me take hold
into the stars of night

Interesting Fact of the Day:
It takes four points to define the most simple three dimensional object, a tetrahedron

http://www.keelynet.com/gravity/manflight.htm

Oxymoron of the Day:
mystical order

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representationalism

Kant Can’t - Have it His Way any More

"No error exists in our knowledge, if it completely agrees with the laws of our understanding, nor can there be an error in a representation of the senses, because they involve no judgment, and no power of nature can, of its own accord, deviate from its own laws. Therefore neither the understanding by itself (without the influence of another cause), nor the senses by themselves could ever err."Kant : Critique of Pure Reason, A292.

So, how very wrong must the above statement appear in the shining light of our current state of medical science? While “senses” are presumed by Kant to “involve no judgment”, we now know from scientific study of the human brain and it’s mental processes that many if not most of the perceptions derived from our sensory inputs either remain incomplete or are selectively filtered as such information is processed within the brain - wherein lays a lifelong set of biases, rationalizations and instructions on how to interpret such sensory input. Misperceptions are aplenty and “normal” while at the same time the unconscious mind tries to tackle much that the conscious is apparently unprepared for.

Too often cited in favor of a forceful argument, Kant’s poetic language such as “the laws of our understanding”, as well as a reference to other laws regulating any “power of nature” would actually have us believe that “senses by themselves could never err.” Who establishes such “natural” laws and how does one go about proving that some of them might now be easily realized as being wrong? At least that’s what the science now tells us.

This reason based argument sounds much like another line, this time by Jefferson, which goes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”, regarding something which could have been a little better defined going in since “We” who inherited the U.S. Declaration of Independence have been “evolving” what was meant thereby pretty much ever since. And as “God” was therein invoked as the ultimate authority giving the colonists the right to cast off the British Crown rule, perhaps some would now say that such blood was shed only “in the interest of fairness” (or self-interest) instead of for God and feelings for a country that didn’t even yet exist – but I digress.

Science in general is always improving our understanding of things if people care to keep up with the ever increasing rate of progress. More than anything it is the job of science to continually improve itself, while at the same time it seldom finds anything that could really be termed an “absolute” in spite of what the various vested interests might profess. Just as scientists get comfortable, someone who makes a breakthrough must then fight against the established order which will move heaven and earth to prevent any shaking up of their own foundations until at some point they might finally be shamed into accepting any startling new knowledge.

Conversely, religion often tends to begin with absolutes and then dissolves into an increasing level of mush in the interest of self-interest and/or an increasing membership role of their “faithful”. God help us (really) as various religious leaders increasingly ignore the tenants of their own faith while at the same time an ever increasing number of outright frauds and charlatans enter the self-service of God, or whatever it is they call upon.

Just as our increased understanding of the human mind can perhaps show us where some errors may have occurred with earlier ways of rationalizing ideas and how we might communicate them more effectively, so can science and religion work together to find (or perhaps rediscover) an immutable universal truth which in the final analysis, is one. To be anchored in dogma allows a scientist to go no where at all. At the same time without its own particular dogma, religion tends to sink into the sand and become increasingly part of the world instead of representative of heaven. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogma

At the center of the universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job.

Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds.

Life is for service.

mister rogers neighborhood - fred rogers - 1928-2003

Pebbles of Faith

It may surprise many Christians to discover the following about their faith:

First Pebble - Of the many names of God, the widely used "Jehovah" is not one of them. This pronunciation is grammatically impossible as the name of the God of Israel as preserved in the original consonantal Hebrew Bible text. This is a mistranslation of the four Hebrew consonants read JHWH (in German transcription) or YHVH (in English transcription). It is also common to use YHWH. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah

Second Pebble - While we know that the followers of Jesus may call God "Father"
Rom 8:15 , http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/popup.pl?book=Rom&chapter=8&verse=15&version=kjv#15

Third Pebble: Jesus instructed us to not call anyone else by that title. Mat 23:9 http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/popup.pl?book=Mat&chapter=23&verse=9&version=kjv#9

Forth Pebble: The common practice of swearing on the Holy Bible or to God is not recommended:Jam 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.  This was spoken of by Jesus in the sermon on the mount:

Mat 5:34

Doctrine has forever been the Devil’s bootstrap – L.H.

Requiem for Lost Churches

In the face of ongoing news about the practices of both pedophilia and homosexuality not just by members of a church, but by the very ministers of those organizations who carry the moral and professional obligation of providing for leadership and the keeping of sanctity for the lessons and values given by the Holy Bible, how can we as followers of Christ judge between that which we are to abide and what must be abandoned? It is given that the aforementioned practices are condemned as abominations before the Lord by the very words of the Holy scriptures.

So what does Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, "God" have to do with such a "church"? Obviously any church which condones abomination has abandoned the ways of God as given by the very Bible it otherwise proclaims as the basis for it's own existence. But just because certain churches elect to exist as orphans by holding onto their own many lies, it doesn't mean that God is a lie, it is only further proof that mankind tends to put it's own desires ahead of the divine will and thus they are doomed to fail at that which might have kept them in communion with God.
When has man ever failed to disappoint God? The Bible is a record of one failure after another. It would seem that every church has at least one demon whose job it is to discourage any faith, and what better place for them to be! The Bible is also a record of God's forgiveness even in the face of the most heinous sin. Dwell upon that if you will, there is yet hope.
A relationship with God only has true meaning if it is founded upon a strong, one on one basis, one's being with God alone, a faith not dependent upon the success or failure of other mortals whether they be they laymen or ministers. "Go to your closet" is what Jesus said about prayer. Group worship is for; (1) showing love to one another and (2) sharing the conviction of your real faith with others. These were the only commandments that were given by Jesus.


As for the lessons missed:

Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination.Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.
Rom 1:26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:Rom 1:27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.Rom 1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;Rom 1:29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,Rom 1:30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,Rom 1:31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:Rom 1:32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.2Cr 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?Rev 21:7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.Rev 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Scriptures for a Change
Like God, who among you are ready to eat meat? It does not yield easily and can only be appreciated by chewing with one's own teeth। However, such meat cannot be savored by the multitudes। Fear not, for in the eyes of the Lord the knowing of the world always takes second place to faith in Him alone।On the day of the Lord, consider what the prophets said: Joe 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.Amo 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light.Amo 5:20 [Shall] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.Consider what science says:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshifthttp://www.discover.com/issues/oct-92/features/timereversal140/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetismhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/developing.htmlIf by being under the direction of God true prophets cannot lie and if science always seeks truth by it's own proofs, how much more so did Jesus, the Son of God always speak the truth?Mat 19:30 But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first.Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.Mar 13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.Luk 17:20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:Luk 17:21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.Luk 17:22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see [it].Luk 17:23And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after [them], nor follow [them].Luk 17:24For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one [part] under heaven, shineth unto the other [part] under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.The questions remains, where lies an answer as to how and when all these things shall come to pass? As for the Day of the Lord, only time, or perhaps the absence of time, will tell. Did you ever have your whole life flash before your eyes?

What church has any right to forbid the holy state of matrimony to anyone, much less their own ministers? Such a doctrine cannot help but lead individuals into sin and those offices into abandonment by successive generations। It is a doctrine of death in both respects.
Where then are the first-born, the next generation of those sworn to celibacy?

1Ti 4:1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth।
Hbr 13:4Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge।And the first commandment is:
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Tongues you say?

There are those Christians who say that if you do not speak in tongues, you are not saved. But where could such a doctrine have come from, this is not from the Holy Bible which serves as the basis for their own faith. Some groups are also prone to have much of the congregation break out in a slurry of utterances all at once. Such is only confusion and disconcerting to visitors, as such it is not correct either. The rules for such things are important enough that they were set down within the Holy Bible itself, so what is said?


1Cr 12:4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.1Cr 12:5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.1Cr 12:6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.1Cr 12:7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.1Cr 12:8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;1Cr 12:9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Cr 12:10
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:1Cr 12:28
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.1Cr 12:30
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?1Cr 14:5
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.1Cr 14:6
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
1Cr 14:13
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue pray that he may interpret.1Cr 14:27
If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, [let it be] by two, or at the most [by] three, and [that] by course; and let one interpret.
1Cr 14:28But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.1Cr 14:29Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.1Cr 14:30If [any thing] be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.1Cr 14:31For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.1Cr 14:32And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.1Cr 14:33For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.1Cr 14:34Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.1Cr 14:35And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.1Cr 14:36What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?1Cr 14:37If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.1Cr 14:38But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.1Cr 14:39Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.1Cr 14:40Let all things be done decently and in order.

"God is not the author of confusion", and yet what is plainly written in the Bible will continue to be argued about until kingdom come.

Fishing for Wisdom

This world is closer together than ever which gives us an unparalleled richness of knowledge and ideas to appreciate or just to consider, however, with such a large pool to wade into some of the most important concepts which probably should be a part of anyone's knowledge base may easily be overlooked. One could also drown in the ocean of garbage. It's all a matter of discernment of what you want to spend your limited time with.

In Eastern philosophy, an important symbol representing cosmic balance is seen in the familiar "yin yang" circle which may be used by many for spiritural purposes. Whether considered as truly spiritural or not, as a symbol it does a very good job of representing what it stands for and is worth consideration for that if nothing else:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_Yang

I have also located at least one "filter" which can be referenced for many of the all to often self-serving concepts and ideas that pervade the realm of wisdom, but of course even it may be as biased as the subject matter it considers. Such is the human condition.http://skepdic.com/It all makes for interesting reading to say the least.

Good luck with your "fishing".

Mercy!
how deep is this well
when the sun offers no help?
"merceee...!" cries the coin

डेथ

You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day
cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,
open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires
lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like the seeds dreaming beneath the snow
your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams,
for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd
when he stands before the king whose hand
is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling,
that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.

on death - kahlil gibran

The Groan as a Prayer

Do you sometimes find yourself at a loss for words? God knows your needs and hears your prayers even when your grief and pain allows for nothing more than a groan.

Exd 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
Exd 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Exd 6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
Act 7:34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
Psa 38:9 Lord, all my desire [is] before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
Psa 102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
Psa 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

Even Jesus found himself lacking words during the time of grief described in the following passages, but His Father in Heaven heard him and saw to his needs nonetheless:

Jhn 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Jhn 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Jhn 11:35 Jesus wept.
Jhn 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
Jhn 11:37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
Jhn 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jhn 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been [dead] four days.
Jhn 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Jhn 11:41 Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up [his] eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

For the sake of groaning, Lazarus was brought back to life. This ultimate miracle was done through a prayer having no spoken words other than a thanks given afterwards.