Please post experiences in Barcelona!Disillusioned_American wrote: ....I have to don my own oxygen mask before I can attempt to assist the rest of the crew. That's why I'm in Barcelona right now.
A lot of the Bible verses you hear quoted most ot of context are either deliberate mis-translations or are old translations into archaic English, and we don't understand the original meanings.Disillusioned_American wrote: I don't think Jesus was a fictional character, but what bugs me, is why he stated in Mathew 5:5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Yet, from everything that I've witnessed so far in my life, it's primarily the arrogant, selfish jerks that score the most desirable women, obtain the fame and fortunes and riches, and inherit the real estate of this world. What gives?
For example of deliberate mis-translation:
The Bible says "Peace on Earth to men of good will."
Not murderers, oppressors, rapists - just to men of good will.
Calvinists during early radical days of Reformation were uncomfortable with the implication that some men could decide to be good of their own free will. So they changed it to read:
"Peace on Earth and good will toward men."
So you don't have to believe that God loves someone who as chosen to become a monster.
For an example of archaic wording whose meaning has changed:
"Thous shall not kill."
The old meaning of kill was "to slay like a beast". In other words to kill without justification - to murder.
So shooting a bad guy at the right place and time is okay.
Lots of perversions of Jesus's teachings.
It's good to read the four Gospels, and see what He actually SAID and DID, instead of listening to preachers, pundits, etc:
As a boy argued politely with his Mom;
as a young single thirty-ish man danced at a wedding, and brought booze for everyone at the wedding;
in one of his parabes, told a ribald joke about a polygamous wedding;
enjoyed a footrub from a beautiful ex-prostitute;
rode a donkey into town in a mirthful, ironic royal procession like something Richard Branson would do;
drank with friends at dinner parties in their homes, and in the backroom of his favorite restaurant;
trashed a bankster moneychanging plaza;
compared Jewish elite to Satanists;
told his disciples to buy two guns each (okay, swords)...
This stuff is in the Gospels, you just don't hear it preached about.
Oh and btw the meaning of the word "meek" may have changed, or it was mis-translated, I'm not sure which. The original says "disciplined."
Like Bruce Lee, I guess.