Labels: A Useful Tool in Searching This Blog

 When you you read one of the posts in this blog, there are several tools to enhance the usefulness of the post. The Labels tool is one of these. 

The current blog text which you are reading is in a white box. To the right of the blog text is a light-green box. Scroll down to the small white box which is below the light-green box. This white box is Pages. The listed pages are Home, About this Blog, Statement of Faith, and Statistics. Clicking on the name of one of the listed pages will take you to that page.

Home: At the end of the current posting which you are reading, there is a light green box with the name of Labels. These labels concern the subjects related to the current post at hand. An example of a label is "animals." Click on "animals" and the Labels tool will call up blog postings which list "animals" as one of their labels. You can use this tool to search for any subject, such as "sports," "trinity," "baptism," "book comment," or random things such as "chainsaw" or "dog poop." At the extreme bottom of the Home page is a full listing of every label which has been used on this blog, listed alphabetically. It is extensive but you can search it by scrolling down the page.

About this Blog: A statement of the philosophy of this blog and things which you may expect to see here.

Statement of Faith: I have seminary training but would not attempt to tell you what to think: I'm interested in challenging you to actually think. Many people, possibly most, don't. Read your Bible and let the Holy Spirit perform his teaching ministry.

There are three types of Christian doctrine: absolutes, convictions, and opinions. Only absolute doctrines are "fighting words." They are doctrines which must not be compromised even if they lead to heated arguments, splits, and expulsions. 

Demonstrating an absolute (salvation by faith and not by works), Paul publicly rebuked Peter (Galatians 2:11-19) over whether Gentiles had to adopt Jewish practices to become Christians.  

An interesting discussion of the ranking of doctrines: read especially the comments of PRMan99. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/58iiy5/doctrine_fundamental_secondary_tertiary/?rdt=41393

Statistics: This page lists the current historical number of page views for this blog and the countries from which this blog has been viewed.

Book Comment: 50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven

 

                In his book, 50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven. John Hart has one especially relevant comment: “Earth is the closest that a non-Christian will ever get to heaven. Earth is the closest a believing Christian will ever get to hell.”

                The book discusses 50 questions about heaven, such as:

                “Who goes to heaven?”

                “Do people in heaven know what is happening on Earth?”

                “Will animals go to heaven?”

                “How can I be sure I’m going to heaven?”

                “Will others in heaven know my secret sins on Earth?”

 

                As with all books such as this, the author is not trying to tell you what to think. He is trying to challenge you to read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe just anything because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

                Information you will need to search for this book: Hart, John, 50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014)

             

___________________________________________________________________

A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

But I Don't Want to Go!

I am posting this video simply because I can.  Bella is swimming and enjoying it very much until it is time to go home.

http://theilovedogssite.com/gone-viral-dog-throws-hissy-fit-when-told-its-time-to-stop-swimming/

Does this look and sound familiar?

Female Images of God: Hosea 13:4-8

Loving mothers are known to be fierce in protecting their children.  Imagine facing an angry mother bear. 

“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.” Hosea 13:4-8

Praying for God

"A little girl was asked to pray in Sunday School. "Dear Lord," she said, "please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my brother and my doggy and me.  And please take care of Yourself, too, Lord.  If anything happens to You, we'll be in big trouble."

From the Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

   

More on Edgar Cayce

Yesterday, I posted about Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet.  Search your Bible and test some of the other teachings of Edgar Cayce.

1. The Christ entity came to Earth in many different time periods in order "to manifest the first idea."  At various times it manifested in the following men: Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph, JKoshua, Jeshua, and Jesus.

2. Christians serve "the Master Jesus who became the Christ." The Christ entity is a created being and is not a man; Jesus was the man.

3. Enlightenment comes when we realize our own divine nature and become at one with God.  This is classical pantheism.

4. Each of us is the same as Jesus, a spirit child of God. We each may have the Christ consciousness, the Holy Spirit.  The Creator Consciousness desired to have companions and so it created entities like itself from within itself, the first being Christ.  This means that every soul is a portion of God and therefore is divine and existed before this life.

5. Jesus was an Essene.  His mother Mary was one of twelve young girls chosen by the Essenes to be trained to become the mother of the Messiah.  Jesus and Mary were twin souls. Both were trained in the teachings of India, Egypt, and Persia and studied astrology, numerology, phrenology and reincarnation under the tutelage of the leader of the Essenes, Judy, "the first of women."  Judy's parents were Essenes at Carmel.

(Poster's comment; This teaching is totally absurd. The Essenes were a Jewish ascetic sect which strove for absolute ritual cleanliness and purity. They took ritual baths each day and avoided women to the point of not even allowing female animals in their communities.)

6. Cayce life readings dealt with telepathy, past lives, auras, telepathy, out-of-body experiences, and communicating with the dead.

7.  The power in gemstones can be harnessed.  The ancient city of Atlantis was powered by a giant crystal ball.

8.  Cayce predicted that in 1958 the United States would discover a death ray which was used on the ancient city of Atlantis.

9. Soul entities on Earth had sex with animals to produce giants.

10. The five human races were created separately but simultaneously on the Earth.

11. Many modern people were associates of Jesus in prior lives.

12. We are usually associated with people we knew in past lives.

13. Reincarnation gives a soul entity time to correct and perfect itself in its way back to oneness with God.

Listen For Your Assignment

For 1143 consecutive posts to this blog, I have never “drawn a blank,” Never had writer’s block, never been at a loss for words.  This is not because I am somehow holier than anyone else, or because I am a more talented writer than others.  It is not because I am a bubbling, spewing volcano of ideas.  And it is not because I am some sort of brilliant intellectual. 

We all have talents and skills, even those of us who feel as if we know how to do nothing.   Paul reminded us of this.  We are all important to the functioning of the Church (the ἐκκλησία) which is the Body of Christ.  Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 12:6-8.

Some of us are hands, some of us are feet.  As silly as it may sound, some of us may be hair, or eyes, or toenails, or … tonsils.  Every part of the body,  many of which are rarely if ever noticed,  is needed for the body to function at peak efficiency,

The Apostle Paul used his brilliant intellectual powers and his extensive knowledge of Jewish and gentile law and culture to work as an evangelist and theologian.

Tim Tebow, a professional athlete whose talent level and athletic fundamentals are often questioned, often wins because he tries harder than anyone else.  When he does win, he uses the occasion to glorify Jesus.

Brother Lawrence served God by performing kitchen duties and repairing shoes.  The very few pages of text which he wrote have inspired  millions.  During his lifetime, pilgrims came from around the world to meet the simple cook.

 

The gentle people at the Christian Animal Rescue Foundation  protect and comfort God’s creatures, expressing God’s love through kindness to animals.

 

Mother Angelica turned a small convent of nuns in Irondale, Alabama (USA) into an international satellite broadcasting giant .

 

Michael Jr. tells jokes and humorous stories.

 

There are multitudes of people serving the Lord in ways not always recognized as ministry.  These people are not always the most talented or the most capable.   What all of these people have done is to listen.  The Holy Spirit can use whatever you have, whatever you are, whatever you can do.  All you have to do is make yourselfg available and listen.  Some people say “everything is politics,” or that “everything reduces down to money.”  For the Christian, everything is Jesus.

The purposes of the Lord will be accomplished.  What a sad thing it is if you do not listen and cooperate with Him for He will call upon someone else and you will miss out on the honor and privilege which was intended for you.

Mother Teresa About Animals

"(Animals) too are created by the same hand of God which created us.  As we humans are gifted with intelligence, which the animals lack, it is our duty to protect them  an to promote their well-being.  We owe it to them as they serve us with such docility and loyalty." Mother Teresa, quoted in a 1972 letter from a Kentucky woman who had written to her.  The letter appeared in St. Anthony Messenger (2003).  The letter is referenced in the 2009 book, Will I See My Dog in Heaven?  God's Saving Love for the Whole Family of Creation, by Jack Wintz, a Franciscan.

Film Comment: Beauty and the Beast

La belle et la bête (1946, Beauty and the Beast) is a black and white film created in France by the poet Jean Cocteau.  This is a truly beautiful film which shares its title with the children’s story but is decidedly for adults.

To save her father from the imposition of a death sentence by a frightening werewolf-like beast , a beautiful young woman must agree to substitute herself as the beast’s victim.  When she gets to know him, she realizes that the beast is actually not beast-like at all; he is a sensitive caring being.

Unlike the Disney studios version, this 1946 fairy tale film was never intended for viewing by children.  The visual and poetic beauty of the film cannot obscure  the fact that it deals with many adult themes such as familial duty, longing, frustration,  the real possibility of sudden deadly violence, and a strong undercurrent of repressed sexuality.  The film also has as one of its main characters an animal.

We may not like to acknowledge it, but, biologically, we are animals.  The lesser animals are innocent in their selfishness, but we are not.  We are a mixture of the Law of the Jungle, survival of the fittest, and of our higher impulses.  By our own power, we cannot overcome our self-centered natures (the true essence of sin and separation from God).

In the film, the Beast is redeemed by the pure self-sacrificing love of the Belle.  We are redeemed by accepting the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice and sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;   And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;   And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

Notes on the film:

Some of the very creepy visual effects may be frightening for children.  Some more conservative viewers may object when they learn that the beast (Jean Marais) and the film’s director, (Jean Cocteau), were longtime homosexual lovers.

Other films:

Beauty and the Beast (1987)  The pilot film for the same named romantic fantasy television series.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)  The animated musical version made by the Disney studios. 

What They Think of Us: Will Your Pet Be Cared For After the Rapture?

I believe that we must love and care for our animals.  I believe that the Bible teaches that the Church will one day (though we do not know when and are told not to speculate as to when) be taken up into the air to be with the Lord before the time of the Tribulation begins.  I had never before put these two ideas together. It appears that others have.  See the very partial list below of websites discussing this very idea.

http://www.aftertherapturepetcare.com/ 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/18/atheists-offer-to-rescue-christians-pets-after-judgment-day/ 

http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/ 

http://gizmodo.com/5803629/crazy-people-drive-post-rapture-pet-pickup-boom 

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_08/b4167070046047.htm 

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpps/news/offbeat/atheists-offering-post-rapture-pet-care-dpgoha-20110518-fc_13255888 

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/19/business/la-fi-rapture-20110519 

http://www.postrapturepetcare.com/ 

Several companies have sprung up promising, for a fee, to care for the the animals left behind by Christians after the Rapture.  Some of the companies say they have been organized by Christians, others by atheists.  All say that the people who will care for the animals are animal lovers and confirmed atheists.  We “will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward”

Some Christians are using the services. The Eternal Earth Bound Pets company says that they have 259 subscribers who have paid $135.00 each for the service.

This sounds like a sarcastic swipe at Christians, but the people at the British company Post Rapture Pet Care say that "This is not a joke. We feel very strongly about pet care and want to offer the best possible services to British pet owners. Feel free to get in touch at pets@postrapturepetcare.com  for more info."

The fact that some atheists do take this to be a joke is evidenced by the statement of someone going by the name of Flange Wogskit Bardgeholly at the RawStory.com site.  "Dint yo momma tell you not to make fun of the cripples?"

If the atheists involved with these companies really are serious about this, I would have two things to say to them:
1. Be sure to honor your committment.
2. Realize that when this happens, you will know the truth and you will have a momentous decision to make.

Film Comment: Be Human

Betty Boop is a cartoon character created by the near-legendary animation pioneer, Max Fleischer (1883-1972) who brought numerous well known characters to the screen (Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Grampy, Popeye, and Superman). Betty is often incorrectly said to have been based on the "It" girl, Clara Bow but she was actually based on the singer, dancer, and television and film actress Helen Kane.  The Fleischer Betty Boop cartoons were voiced by actress Mae Questel (who portrayed Betty, Olive Oyl, Aunt Bluebell, the Sea Hag, Swee'Pea, Little Lulu, Little Audrey, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and the hilariously senile "Aunt Bethany " in the comedic film Christmas Vacation.)

Most of the Betty Boop cartoons are acceptable for children to view, but a few were actually banned.  Betty was recognized by adults almost immediately as a sexual character and a few of her cartoons have elements which are seen as objectionable today.  Be Human (1936) is such a cartoon.  Once you see it you will know why children must not see it.

In response to severe animal cruelty by an ill-tempered farmer , Betty and Grampy decide to take matters into their own hands and inflict severe cruelty on the farmer, in a sort of "eye for an eye" justice.  While torturing the man, they laugh and obviously enjoy themselves.

The first video seems to have been deleted. Try this one instead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWoNsOWhbXQ

Justice in the Bible means "setting things right."  God, whose motives are always pure, reserves to Himself the right to exact vengeance.

"To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Deuteronomy 32:35

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19

The Bible is very clear that we must not mistreat animals and we also should not allow others to do so.  The desire to inflict physical pain or harm on abusers, though, and especially the desire to enjoy doing it, is as evil as the animal abuse itself.

Animals of You Tube Sing "Jingle Bells"

Just for fun!

Book Comment: Will I See My Dog in Heaven?

Father Jack Wintz is a Franciscan and, so, he is in the tradition of the respect for animals expressed by St. Francis of Assisi.  Wintz's book, Will I See My Dog in Heaven? God's Saving Love for the Whole family of Creation examines the question.

I am not convinced of the effectiveness or necessity of rituals such as the "Blessing of the Animals" as is practiced in some religious traditions, but these rituals are certainly not harmful or unbiblical.  It seems to me to be more for the humans than for the animals, since the animals are incapable of understanding what is being done for them.  They do understand the kindness and love with which they are treated.

One question which Father Wintz asks is "...does God's plan of salvation include only humans, or does it include animals too?  In even broader terms, does God intend the whole created world to be saved?"

Yes.

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Colossians 1:20

 

The Wealth of King Solomon

“Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;” 2 Chronicles 9:13

“Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.” 1 Kings 10:14

1 talent was the mass of water needed to fill an amphora, a standard sized two-handled vase with a long neck designed for pouring.  The Greek name for the vase, amphora, came from αμφι (“on both sides”) and φορεύς (“carrier”).  Talanton is a Greek word meaning “scale” or “balance.”

 1 talent (a measure of weight) = 3000 shekels = 60 minas = 34.3 kg = 75 US pounds.  On 20 September 2011, the price of gold was $1798.60 per ounce.  There are 16 ounces in a US pound, so one pound would be valued at $28,777.60.  75 pounds would be valued at $2,158,320.00.  666 talents, at today’s price for gold, would be approximately $142,449,120.00.   Remember, this was just his gold.  Solomon also received silver, jewels, animals, slaves, and wives.

Solomon’s wealth came from commerce, mining, and tribute (1 Kings 4:21) and from gifts brought by visiting dignitaries (1 Kings 10:25}  The Bible describes Solomon as being tremendously wealthy.  Obviously, he was.

Film Comment: Splice

"She's not human ... not entirely."  This is the tagline for the truly disturbing 2009 Canadian science fiction film, Splice , starring Academy Award winner (2002) Adrien Brody, Canadian actress Sarah Polley, and French actress Delphine Chaneac in the role as the adult creature/specimen/thing/woman.  When I saw this film , I heard someone say that they felt like they needed a bath upon leaving the theater. It is that intense, bizarre, and perverse.

A male-female genetic research team (Brody and Polley) at the Nucleic Exchange Research and Development laboratory (N.E.R.D.) are working on creating hybrid animals (mixing genetic material from several species) for medical use.  When their funding is threatened they rush to accelerate their results and secretly add human DNA (their own) to the mix.  A viable little bird-like thing results.  They name it Dren (N.E.R.D. spelled backwards) because the female researcher almost immediately takes a mothering attitude toward the creature and insists that it is not a "specimen."

Dren cannot speak, after all, she is an animal; she coos like a bird.  She proves to be inquisitive, intelligent, graceful, and she grows at an alarming rate.  She is an adult within days.  She is tall and slender with a beautifully innocent face, her knees bend backward instead of forward, her feet resemble hands, and she has a long prehensile tail tipped with a poisonous stinger.

As she matures, Dren becomes very noticeably female and increasingly seductive. "Poppa" makes the mistake of spending time alone with her and willingly/unwillingly ends up as the object of her intense attention.  Then his wife catches them.  He is having sex with his "daughter," he is having sex with an animal, he is having sex with himself.  Dren is all three.

This film touches on the subjects of cloning, responsibility toward our offspring, aberrant sexuality, intense self pride, and amoral scientific research just for the "science."  It is, in reality, a variant on the Frankenstein theme.

The most disturbing thing about this film is that it is on the edge of no longer being science fiction.  Much of science fiction eventually becomes science fact.  Jules Verne wrote of space travel and submarines; now they are established fact.  On the first Star Trek television series, the characters would reach into their pockets and pull out their personal communicators; we now call them cell phones.

Modern molecular biology can already insert DNA sequences into bacteria and cause them to produce synthetic chemicals they would normally not produce.  The entire human genome has now been deciphered with the prospect of the ability to insert healthy DNA sequences in place of faulty ones.  The mutant genetic sequence which causes the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to be resistant to methicillin (MRSA) can be detected in one hour from a nasal swab.

Artificial life may be just around the corner.  It may already be here.  In 2010, Dr. John Craig Venter of Utah, USA announced the creation of an artificial bacterium using synthetic DNA.  His research is aimed at producing modified microorganisms which can produce clean fuels and biochemicals.

Christians believe that God is the Creator.  There are so many questions. What will it mean if man also is a creator?  What will God think of our glorification of the human intellect?  Does God intend for us to learn all things?   Are there things we should not learn?  Are there things we should not do even if they are possible? Do scientists bear any responsibility for their discoveries?  What if our science creates a Dren?

Film Comment: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast (La belle et la bête, 1946) is a classic French film directed by Jean Cocteau.   Most of us know the rudiments of the story.   To save her father (Marcel Andre) from a death sentence declared by a werewolf-like beast (Jean Marais), a beautiful young virgin (Josette Day) must agree to substitute herself as the beast’s victim.  She reluctantly but willingly goes to meet her fate only to realize that her host is actually a sensitive and caring person.

Unlike the 1991 Disney version, this fairy tale film was never intended for viewing by children.  The Beast’s castle is a mixture of elegant beauty and creepy visual effects which may be frightening for children.  The beast is truly a beast and looks very much like a traditional werewolf.  The visual and poetic beauty of the film can’t obscure the fact that it deals with many adult themes such as familial duty,  love, violence, frustration, and sexual tension.  An underlying tension is present when one realizes that the intensely heterosexual Beast is portrayed by Jean Marais, the longtime homosexual lover of the director, Jean Cocteau.

We may not like to acknowledge it, but, biologically, we are animals.  Animals are innocent in their selfishness, but, as sentient beings, we are not.   We are a mixture of the law of the Jungle, survival of the fittest, and of our higher impulses.  By our own power, we cannot overcome our selfishness (the true essence of sin) and our separation from God.

Just as the Beast is redeemed by the pure self-sacrificing love of the Belle, we are saved by accepting the gift of Jesus’s sacrifice.

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24. 

The Snake's Problem

"Some say that the snake became a troublemaker because he was bitter.  After all, God had told all creatures to multiply; but the snake is just an adder. Buh dum bum."  Kristin Swenson in Bible Babel (2010)

Film Comment: Island of Lost Souls

Island of Lost Souls (1933) is a truly perverse film and was recognized as perverse almost as soon as it was released. On Dr. Moreau's island there are some "strange looking natives."

The hyper-talented Charles Laughton portrays Dr, Moreau, who has created a tribe of animal-men who worship him as their God. He rules his subjects with an iron hand, always with the threat of returning them to The House of Pain, where he performed brutal unanesthetized surgeries on the island's animals to transform them into "men." He has deputized the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi) to remind his "men" of the three laws: "Not to run on all fours. Not to eat meat. Not to spill blood."

This was bad enough, but then the real fun starts: Moreau attempts to spark a love match between a shipwrecked man and one of his "girls" named Lota (the beautiful Kathleen Burke), who began her existence as a panther.

This film was more than controversial. Remember that this was 1933. The film hints at brutality, sadism, animal abuse, torture, human-animal sexuality, unprincipled science run amok, and a man who has basically made himself into God the Creator. Add to this the fact that Laughton clearly portrays Moreau as a soft, self-pampering homosexual.

Moreau's world begins to fall apart when his subjects ask the question, "Are we not men?"