Brother Michael Sky

Frequently I find, when one has a pet idea they WANT to believe, they will overlook much to uphold it... Did you miss the dozen or so references to the fact that the "record of Jewish History" is also, and just as importantly, an HISTORICAL record of the interaction between the Jewish people and their God... When you wish to brandish the names of someone's else's religion - it behooves one to be aware of what the words they are spouting mean..... You are taking opinion into the realm of an attack.... with zero provable foundation - towards a religion which is convinced it has proof ( The Historical Record of God's interaction with man ) of Who their God is. A religion which doesn't even approve of the name being written - and you do not understand how this could be offensive? Yes, a misunderstanding can still be an insult - but the onus is on the one putting forth the idea to show some sort of basis for their claims. Otherwise there is no other recourse but to see such behavior as insulting - if only through ignorance... I am thoroughly convinced - you simply desire to be sensational in your claims... there is no substance to the idea, and I will not let it take up further of my time... I tried - feel free to continue the tirade... Why not simply address your issues - you dislike Jews.

I was specifically interested in your continued use of the name Yahweh, to further your particular view of the Judaic and Christian Cosmology.... I still do not really understand how it all comes together for you - it is understanding of your view I was, and am looking for... I am not arguing actuality, in regards to you - This was meant to spell out the very real HISTORIC side of the religions in question, to point out that Christianity is not some instantly appearing phenomena, but the product of a very long and continually evolving Jewish understanding... and which very clearly defines what they understand of this god- without limiting further understandings... You are putting an entirely new spin on things with the name you choose to use... and I just wanted to know how it all makes sense to you... I try to be careful with the Names others use in their religions.... people get offended...

Of course what we do here is converse - poor choice of words on my part, I was simply teasing.... I knew I was posting before you could properly respond... But my point was that they all start at the same place - irregardless of where the separate paths lead... God being common.... whether it be God v.1 - 2- or 3. The very reason you gave Him versions...... they are rivers springing from the same spring... blades of grass from the same plant... fingers on the same hand......... shall i go on.... ( don't make me wax poetic..... )

You just gave up the fight that easily? or were you saying something other than agreeing with me...?

No matter where ya are, There ya are ! You're never lost... The Main Thing is : Don't Panic..... I knew a guy who said that frequently..... It was humorous the first fifteen hundred times....

make's ya just wanna go find a messianic Jew to hug....

Why do Christians use Jewish Holy Texts? Whatever Paul did would have been pretty inconsequential had there been no Jewish Religion.... Paul did not Create Christianity from nothing... Doctrine is irrelevant to the question... History tells us that Christianity split off from Judaism... By your reckoning then, Buddhism stands completely free of Hinduism? Islam stands completely separate from Judaism and Christianity?

You'll have to explain better than that, If I am to understand your point. Every religion must consider those who are not of the faith. Considering how Christianity sprang from Judaism, I don't see the point you are trying to make. sure sounds like the concept of "the Examiner" - Satan, to me... If the texts didn't specifically point to a being whose job it is to "test" mankind, I would find more understanding in what you say....

One of my all time favorites - done by Gompie this time.... to keep it clean... Now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice.... Alice, Who the #$-at-^ is Alice? Smokie's version - bad, bad language....

well, a definite thanks Hex!

I can as well. But it is only a problem for a mind which has not been exercised. I can hold a conversation while meditating nowadays... I have meditated in Grand Central Station - on the floor with my back against the wall. I have meditated in a full amusement park.... The mind is like a muscle - use it or wonder where it has gone....

No fair - how am I to sully such beautiful words with questions - or alternate perceptions of awareness? You do not play fair, Hex.... ( yes, that question was rhetorical...)

Bonnie could really reach into your soul when she was young, am I right? Made you wanna protect her...

There is a difference between Actively practicing Old Testament principles, and recognizing where they fit in MAN's understanding of God. There are not many Christians who use Old Testament practices, but the unbroken line of history revealing Yahweh, is indeed the foundation of their belief - as I said, even if they do not realize it. The difference between Jews and Christians is The Christ...... not the texts leading to him....

First we need some history: Abraham -2,000 B.C. – Mesopotamia -> Canaan ( by way of Shechem ) Isaac - (we know who Isaac was) Jacob – after a Famine went to Egypt – eventually enslaved. Moses – 1,300 B.C. – solidified into a single religious and social entity. Joshua – Attacked Canaan and claimed it as their own, fighting near constantly to keep it. Saul – Pressure from outside sources forced the formation of a monarchy under Saul. Israelite Empire – 1,000-922 B.C. – Kings David and Soloman. Ephraim (Israel) and Judah – Death of Solomon sees the United Kingdom split. The Northern Kingdoms were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. The Southern Kingdoms were conquered by Babylon after almost a hundred years of vassalage to Assyria, as Babylon wrestled worldly control away from Assyria. Jerusalem falls to Babylon in 587, and the people are carried into captivity. Persia comes on the scene and allows exiles to return to their homeland. Jerusalem is rebuilt and life is resumed. The restoration occurs around 450 B.C. in the times of Nehemia and Ezra. Alexander the Great – 332 B.C – brings the Greeks to the scene – The policy of imposing Hellenistic cultural uniformity upon conquered lands is eventually – 168 B.C. – the cause of the rebellion fomented by the House of the Maccabees Rome arrives and things go downhill for Hebrews…. But this is not simply history – in this record can be witnessed God’s activity, in the playing out of events, guiding the fate of Israel. God’s actions being so much greater than man, the perspective of history must be used to see them. Both Jews and Christians use this view of God as the foundation upon which to rest their present understanding. What differs is the perspective of meaning, on certain historical events… It is the unique character of the Old Testament, which both the Jew and Christian agree upon. It is an historical document of unique importance. The entire history of Israel before us, it is not the migration of Abraham that is mentioned as the central event in Israel’s memory, but Exodus and the time in the wilderness. The prophets mention Exodus as the formative moment. The words of Amos (3:1-2 & 2:9-11), Hosea (11:1), Micah (6:4), Jeremiah (2:2-7), and many psalms mention Exodus as the pivotal point. Keeping this in mind, the book of Genesis must be regarded as a sort of Prologue to the beginning of the story of Israel. Hidden within Deuteronomy is a very telling little piece of liturgy – Deuteronomy 26:5-10. It is, in actuality, a profession of faith that one makes when he presents the first fruits of his harvest. This ritual could possibly date back to the time of Joshua, Moses successor. Since the themes of this liturgy are greatly elaborated upon in the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua, we can think of this passage as the Pentateuch, or Hexateuch in miniature (An idea I borrowed from German Scholar Gerhard von Rad). And again, we see all the emphasis being placed upon the exodus, as the founding moment of Israel. It has been noted that the God of the Bible is the “God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob”, not the God of philosophers and sages. This is true in the sense that Biblical faith, to the bewilderment of many philosophers, is essentially historical in character. Its doctrines and events are historical realities, not abstract values and ideas existing in a timeless realm. One cannot take single moments in history to define God. It is essential that the entire known history of God’s revealed will is required for appropriate understanding. It is the historical playing out of the Will of God towards Israel which colors the facts relayed by Moses, as he relayed the “Ways” of God which were “made known” to him (Psalm 103:7). In some senses we must study backwards, from Exodus to genesis, to understand the story more thoroughly. Throughout the generations, Israel’s God has been known and worshiped as the Lord who brought his people out of Egypt. So HERE we have our Yahweh – Same being as He was when He led Abraham to Canaan. Yes, they had different names for Him. But they all refer to the very same God; they were merely trying to understand Him better when they called Him by multiple names, or when His name morphed from earlier understandings. A name is a descriptor, and as the description becomes clearer, the Name will be defined further. For the Christian, it is a basic foundation of faith that the God of Israel was Jesus’ father. It is what makes them a Christian, even if they do not understand this. edit: I'm probably the last one who should have done this - not a Jewish bone in my body - and I took zero time doing it ( ), but no one else was offering.( and maybe someone who knows better will spot a flaw in my thinking... )

That dude's a NUT !! My brother and I hung out with him after a concert in Richmond ( or was it Hampton? - it's all fuzzy... ) Whew, the stuff they get up to on busses....

Hey, You! Standing in the aisles, with itchy feet and fading smiles, do you Feel Me?

In case anyone's interested, I found this lil program here : Download dot com That will capture the stream from YouTube and convert it to MP3 on your harddrive. There's a lot of music I would like to have, but simply cannot afford - and I cannot use the bandwidth to continually stream from the internet... so i save a dozen or so songs every once in a while - to mix up my random playlists - and keep them in a revolving file... I erase the last dozen to save new ones... Keeps me from getting tired of music, and I still have reason to purchase cd's when I have the cash.... This lil program is really nice - it captures the link simply by clicking the song - I open a video, open this proggie, and it already has the link... but I DID deny associations to some of the microsoft suite products as it was setting up.... don't exactly know why it wanted them - maybe connecting to the clipboard i guess...

The crows are visiting in my yard....

Can some one show me something that moves you like these old songs do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s0Ugkz1FMI&NR=1

Thanks for the reminder Raven !!

Pssst, Raven..... your dad's got me to thinking about John Prine... Thanks man, I enjoyed the music !!

Marilyn Manson wouldn't post either.... so what ya gonna do?....