Burl

Jesus predicted his crucifixion, and with Pentecost and the the destruction of the temple the Hebrew religion of blood sacrifice was eliminated and replaced with several sects based on prayer. It was more a case of people leaning on their own understanding and not recognizing what Jesus meant. In John 11 Jesus wept. Not because of Lazarus, but because his own mother failed to comprehend his message. I think he realized at that point that mankind was not going to understand his prophecy.

http://www.capsulamundi.it/en/

Bahamian funeral song. Written by Joseph Spence, performed by Aaron Neville.

Bo Dollis was the biggest chief ever. He was the man who changed the Mardi Gras Indians from thugs into cultural guideposts.

http://narrative.ly/these-elderly-diyers-came-to-peace-with-death-by-crafting-their-own-coffins/?utm_source=Narratively+email+list&utm_campaign=47e47784a4-Narratively_1_5_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f944cd8d3b-47e47784a4-66443269

150k people die every day from balloon releases? I think your statistics are inflated :-)

Juré from French Creole Louisiana, likely from the area around Opelousas. Very little of this remains because it was home music, often sung between different households from the front porch and rarely recorded.

Matthew 5:38-48 The Message (MSG) Love Your Enemies 38-42 Heres another old saying that deserves a second look: Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Is that going to get us anywhere? Heres what I propose: Dont hit back at all. If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. 43-47 Youre familiar with the old written law, Love your friend, and its unwritten companion, Hate your enemy. Im challenging that. Im telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his bestthe sun to warm and the rain to nourishto everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. 48 In a word, what Im saying is, Grow up. Youre kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

Can't do it in a paragraph.

Speaking of moving on, Thormas, have you read Heiser's "The Unseen Realm" yet? The sequel, concentrating on 2 Enoch and the Watchers is due out in May and is already #1 on the pre-release list.

Burlesque is a sort of mystery school. There is much hidden which begs to be revealed. We are even a tax exempt organization. IRS 501(c )(thru).

Excellent, Rom. Burlesque needs you! We don't want the Orthodox Jews to be the only group with tassels on their vestments.

Matthew 5:21-37 21You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, You shall not murder; and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment. 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, You fool, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 27You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 31It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord. 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your word be Yes, Yes or No, No; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Rom is clearly a Rom-eranian. A religion of one-ness. It even has only one adherent. He would be less contentious and much happier if he believed as I do and became Burl-esque.

Mexican retablo of St. Matthew

The Points are a creedal statement. Sorta kinda. The Babylonians only took the most valuable Hebrews into slavery. Samaritans were descendants of the Hebrews who were left behind. They stayed, worshipped Yahweh and incorporated Canaanite culture. When the Babylonian Hebrews returned (under royal decree) they rejected the Samaritans and pushed them out. The Samaritans still had the Pentateuch, but rejected the Babylonian Hebrews and their new books which were written in Babylon. The Samaritans moved their holy mountain to Mt. Horeb and carried on in their own way. Both groups could claim to be heirs in the covenant of Abraham. It's easy to see why there was so much enmity between the two groups.

Every sect has its creedal statement. Even Progressive Christianity has its creed. Early on, I even had an offical PC inquisitor on this board question my beliefs to determine if I was a PC heretic.

Matthew 5:13-20 13You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 17Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

An old Emo Phillips joke: I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. I immediately ran over and said "Stop! Don't do it!" "Why shouldn't I?" he said. I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" "Like what?" "Well ... are you religious or atheist?" "Religious." "Me too! Are you Christian or Jewish?" "Christian." "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?" "Baptist." "Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?" "Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!" To which I said, "Die, heretic scum!" and pushed him off.

I like Peter Abelard's thought that the Lord's Supper reflects the transformation of true God and true man found in Jesus. God creates the grain, but raw grains are not digestible. It requires humanity to transform the nutrition in God's grain into something useful by making bread. This is the gospel. God creates grapes, but they rot. Humanity must transform the grapes into wine or they will perish. This is the gospel. In sum, the Lord's Supper is a profound metaphor for the integration of God and mankind into a new creation. God provides the raw materials, and mankind provides the labor. This is the gospel. Humanity and divinity are bought together and transformed into a new creation - Jesus. This new creation cannot be reversed or seperated into the original purely human or purely divine elements. This is the gospel. I reject the RC notion that somehow there is 'more God' or 'purer God' present in the Eucharist. Instead, I think it is more accurate to see the Lord's Supper as the pinnacle of the entire liturgy which is designed to help purify the worshippers by helping them temporarily shed their secularity. The elevation of the host is an ensconsement of God and a unification of the congregation. Not an invocation or new creation, but rather a tight focusing and intense concentration of what was diffusely present all along coupled with a deep spiritual cleanliness.

Welcome! Good point about the music and ceremony. These are vital in healing and unification

Schaeffer. The Calvinist tradition tends to sprout these overly intellectual wingnuts.

No. Please continue your non-evidentiary argument from silence. As silently as possible, please. Other people are trying to think.

Flavius Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews", circa 90 AD, is the best extant account. Book 18, chap.3,3 . . . Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. Book 20, chap. 9,1. . . Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions] . . . The disputes are minimal. Were later marginal notes or glosses transcribed as part of the manuscript, would Jewish Josephus really use the term Christ, &c but it is generally agreed that the key parts of Josphus are correct. Roman consuls kept detailed records. That corpus is missing entirely today. It is doubtful Josephus would have falsified his history - against his own interests - while contradictory official records existed.