TPM: News Pages | Talking Points Memo | TOPWRAP 3-More economic pain seen in 2009, but some hope too: "For all markets, the damage was probably much worse. The World Federation of Exchanges, which tracks stock markets in 53 developed and emerging economies, said some $30 trillion in market value evaporated through to the end of November."
What have we not learned from Adam Smith and JS Mill? They taught that capital, not money, was the important measure of an economy. BUT, their idea of capital was investment in productive enterprises. The amazing thing about the current balloon is that the enterprises and their markets have not changed! What has changed is the ability of hedge funds and their ilk to create money, money that has no connection to any productivity. This bubble has nto pburst, it never existed. that money wasa afcition .. as valuable as the deprciation on the new Ferrari I bought a week ago or the 3.5 million dollar house next to ours .. ahouse that can not be sold..
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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Black Racism
Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis: "Election Central Morning Roundup
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) went on Larry King last night and reiterated that the fate of African-Americans and race relations in America is dependent on the appointment of the heretofore unknown Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate. That and the day's other political news in the TPM Election Central Morning Roundup."
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) went on Larry King last night and reiterated that the fate of African-Americans and race relations in America is dependent on the appointment of the heretofore unknown Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate. That and the day's other political news in the TPM Election Central Morning Roundup."
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Egypt in Quandary as Gaza Raids Divide the Muslim World
There is a glimmer of hope here. Israel may have set up a situation where Egypt will have to intervene. An Egyptian or Arab peace force in Gaza could be the thing we al;l need to keep the peace long enough for economic plans to replace rockets asa tool for ending the conflict.
There is one obstacle .. Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood seem to me to be very much the same thing and the MB is a huge threat to Egypt's oligarchy. To make a peace force work, therefore, the effort would have to be painted as a pro-Palestiian effort, showing respect for Fatah rather than for Israel.
Anti-piracy warriors set for big mission
Anti-piracy warriors set for big mission: "Sailors sign on a Chinese national flag during an oath-taking ceremony on the deck of a missile destroyer of the Chinese naval fleet on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, December 28, 2008, two days after departure from Sanya, south China's Hainan province. [chinadaily.com.cn/ Wang Hui]"
|
 A helicopter prepares to land on the deck of DDG-169 Wuhan, A good poertent? This is much bigger news than the press eems to realize. For the first time in hindreds of years, China is projecting force outside of its border regions and is doing so as part of in international effort. China is acting like a world power! I have expected this for sometime and see this as great opportunity for That One to promote a new era of internationally ... rather than American inperially .. enforced peace. We need allies and, though I detest the Chinese c oproratist system, it is, I believe, a peaceful system and therefore a worthy partner. |
Monday, December 29, 2008
Obam and Kotel
JPost.com | S L I D E S H O W: 
"Sen. Barack Obama visits the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, July 24, 2008."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Hindu : Front Page : A Jewish wedding in Kochi
The Hindu : Front Page : A Jewish wedding in Kochi: "Kochi: Amid tight security in the wake of the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, the Paradesi Synagogue in the old Jewish town in Mattancherry on Sunday witnessed a Jewish wedding after a gap of 21 years.
The marriage of Solomon, son of Josephai Abraham of the Thekkumbhagam congregation of the dwindling Cochin Jewish community (called by Israelis as Cochinis) to Susan of the Bene Israel (sons of Israel) Jewish community in Mumbai was solemnised at 5.30 p.m. as a select gathering of about 250 guests with security passes issued by the police witnessed the customary colourful ceremony held behind closed doors.".
The marriage of Solomon, son of Josephai Abraham of the Thekkumbhagam congregation of the dwindling Cochin Jewish community (called by Israelis as Cochinis) to Susan of the Bene Israel (sons of Israel) Jewish community in Mumbai was solemnised at 5.30 p.m. as a select gathering of about 250 guests with security passes issued by the police witnessed the customary colourful ceremony held behind closed doors.".
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Al Jazeera English - AJE
McDermott: ISI activities a matter of concern to India, U.S.
McDermott: ISI activities a matter of concern to India, U.S. K.V. Prasad
Jim McDermott
| The lawmaker has suggested to Obama that he make India his first stop |
Jim McDermott
NEW DELHI: A leading American lawmaker, Jim McDermott of the Democratic Party, feels that the activities of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence “are of mutual concern” to both India and the United States and that Washington would remain engaged in its effort to resolve problems in Afghanistan, tribal areas and Pakistan........
Mr. McDermott told The Hindu that while the events in Mumbai drew the issues of Afghanistan and Kashmir “closer and closer to each other so that it is impossible to solve one without convening all the players at the table, I do not know at this time if a special envoy makes sense. The activities of the ISI are of mutual concern to our countries.””
............
A strong advocate of granting work permits to people trained in the U.S., he said the 111th Congress would have to get down to immigration reform in all its manifestations but was not prepared to endorse expansion of the H1B visas cap.
Mr. McDermott, who voted against the U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Enhancement Act this September, said that while his friendship with India “has not [changed] and will never change,” the Act was not in India’s best interest.
“As presented to the House, the legislation undermines the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and that can only serve to destabilise the region in the coming years. In my judgment, there were insufficient safeguards in the bill and that worries me greatly. With nuclear-armed India and Pakistan separated by a border where violence is all too frequent, I cannot see how giving India additional nuclear capacity will not be countered in Pakistan. Despite the goal of providing additional energy, we are in reality fuelling a nuclear arms race.”
What in hell is Jimbo doing on my dime in India. Who cares what this inconsequential snowball thinks?
Democracy in Kashmir
The Hindu : Front Page News : Sunday, December 28, 2008: "J&K elections a vote for democracy: Manmohan
New Delhi (PTI) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday hailed the elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying it was a vote for democracy and national integration. 'The large turnout is a vote for democracy."
New Delhi (PTI) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday hailed the elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying it was a vote for democracy and national integration. 'The large turnout is a vote for democracy."
Moscow News - Business - US, Russia, China in Dogfight Over Jet Sales
Moscow News - Business - US, Russia, China in Dogfight Over Jet Sales: "'I don't want to get into the numbers because they were given to me in confidence but the price the Russians are estimating for their fifth generation fighter is substantially less than the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) and substantially less than F-22,' U.S. aviation expert Reuben Johnson told a Washington forum last week on 'challenges to the Asian air power balance.'"
Moscow News - News - Siberian shepherd sues Roscosmos over rocket debris
Moscow News - News - Siberian shepherd sues Roscosmos over rocket debris: "NOVOSIBIRSK (RIA Novosti) - A villager in southwest Siberia is to take legal action against Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, after a rocket fragment fell on his land, a local administration official said on Tuesday.
Boris Urmatov, a shepherd in the Republic of Altai, filed a lawsuit after he was refused compensation when a three-and-a-half-meter (11 ft) fragment from a Proton-M carrier rocket, launched fro"
Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.
Boris Urmatov, a shepherd in the Republic of Altai, filed a lawsuit after he was refused compensation when a three-and-a-half-meter (11 ft) fragment from a Proton-M carrier rocket, launched fro"
Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.
Christian Bigotry from HA
87. keepitsimple spews:
Because Jesus died on the cross for you and rose to conquer death, hell and the grave , It gives you free will to choose to serve whom ever you will, It sounds as though you serve yourself, I am not an arrogant bully by any means,And the God I serve is the same God the Jews serve.I am grafted in by the Royal Blood of God himself who came to earth to live among us to restore us to Himself,To shed Royal Blood one time for all,Even though you deny it, it’s still there for you.Just think about the commandments How many do you break a day? How many have you broken in your life? (I know you are familiar with them)Jesus who is God said, If you broken one you have broken them all.But some can not believe they can recieve something for just asking because thats not the way the world has programmed us.Would it be easier to believe God paid the price and live with peace in your heart or to always wonder, what if I am wrong and Christians are right.Oh yeah where do you do your sacrificing now adays? My God has a name and he is the God of all.HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF.HIS BLOOD ONCE AND FOR ALL ETERNITY. MERRY CHRISTMAS JESUS LOVES YOU!
THIS IS THE WAY IT IS IF YOU ARE OFFENDED THEN GLORY TO GOD. You shall know the truth and the thruth shall make you free.I think this speaks for itself and, unfortunately for too many hate filled Christians. Imagine any other people claiming to coopt another people's God? Imagine any other religion that celebrates a blood sacrifice as a source for LOVE while depicting its deity as condemining the rest of mankind to hell for not accepting the sacrifice. Imagine any other religion that claims a nothe rpople's God has now renounced that people?
Unique.
BTW, for what it is worth, in the name of his God, this man himself sins against the very law he claims jesus came to defend, especially the first commandment. "Thou shall have NO other Gods before me." If Jesus actually claimed deity for himself, at that time and under ther laws that existed then, he would have been killed for the sin of blasphemy.
A Good Man at Christmas Time
No need to compate That One to jesus. TO says he is inspired by Jesus, if so then there is a great lesson to be learned.
Will That One become the great father? When did we last have a President whose role as a parent was so central to his character?
Friday, December 26, 2008
Gmail - Comments on Pascals' Wager - stephenm.schwartz@gmail.com
It is hard to understand, I agree, Yet, there is something eerie about the resemblance of Genesis to the truth of evolution.
This could mean one of four things:
1. pure chance.
2. Popper's idea of error due to selective research.
3. our ability (my) to project our models onto reality.
4. some threads of the real story were passed on and survive in the Torah.
Remember I am not talking about a "memory" of what happened at the origin of the species in Africa, BUT when we left Africa we encountered at least one more human like species. We were also small in numbers and left a fertile place of origin to move to one more difficult.
There is also a peculiar similarity of the Abraham story, the orig8ins of the Hyksos, and accounts of the habiru in both Mesopotamian and Egyptian accounts.
So, my thesis is this:
Some point of origin, when humans were very few, perhaps a band that passed into Arabia rather than following the coastal plain to become the Chinese and Australians, seems to have existed about 20k years ago. If we imagine a similar group of say 20 or 30 folks, it is not hard at all to imagine a legend that gets passed on, esp. in wandering people like the habiru.
About 10,000 years ago, the other races no longer existed. Did the existence of a second sort of people not give rise to legends. perhaps int he form of stories or songs? At that time too, we had become not only numerous but divided into hunter gatherers, the habiru?, and the first urbans. What would have happened to the old legends as farming and towns changed reality?
The other issue that I find intriguing is the identification of Abraham with Ur. I realize there are tow ideas about Ur .. one that it is Ur of the Chaldees, a contemporary palce about 3K years ago, the other that legend of that first city .. then dead for 6k years or so, lived on ... in the habiru???
One tiny piece of evidence comes from Campbell and from Spencer. These folks, a religious theorist and a Chines historian, speculate that the first dynasties of China, supposedly simultaneous with the origins of the Torah about 5k years ago, are a dim memory implanted by wanderers (habiru?) from Mesopotamia. If they are correct, the idea of historic transmission, as a cultural trait of semites, could be quite old and common. This wold also explain the oddity of the Jews as the first people to write a history rather than a mythology of origins.
So, the story is plausible, the question is how much of it can be tested? Habiru leave little traces behind, other than their descriptions by the city folk. Most "Jewish" customs .. are pretty generally semitic .. except for the pork issue. Dever writes that the hill dwellers of Canaani times, the putative Hebrews, did no leave pork bones in their kitchen middens. So that makes something plausible as far back as 3-5k years.
Anyhow, as a scientist, the best thing is discovery and wonder .. in both of that words meanings. It is fun to think about the sorts of evidence that would fit into my Popperian construct!
BTW, I have posted some of this dialogue to my Blog, SeattleJew. I hope that is OK.
--
Stephen M. Schwartz
Pathology
This could mean one of four things:
1. pure chance.
2. Popper's idea of error due to selective research.
3. our ability (my) to project our models onto reality.
4. some threads of the real story were passed on and survive in the Torah.
Remember I am not talking about a "memory" of what happened at the origin of the species in Africa, BUT when we left Africa we encountered at least one more human like species. We were also small in numbers and left a fertile place of origin to move to one more difficult.
There is also a peculiar similarity of the Abraham story, the orig8ins of the Hyksos, and accounts of the habiru in both Mesopotamian and Egyptian accounts.
So, my thesis is this:
Some point of origin, when humans were very few, perhaps a band that passed into Arabia rather than following the coastal plain to become the Chinese and Australians, seems to have existed about 20k years ago. If we imagine a similar group of say 20 or 30 folks, it is not hard at all to imagine a legend that gets passed on, esp. in wandering people like the habiru.
About 10,000 years ago, the other races no longer existed. Did the existence of a second sort of people not give rise to legends. perhaps int he form of stories or songs? At that time too, we had become not only numerous but divided into hunter gatherers, the habiru?, and the first urbans. What would have happened to the old legends as farming and towns changed reality?
The other issue that I find intriguing is the identification of Abraham with Ur. I realize there are tow ideas about Ur .. one that it is Ur of the Chaldees, a contemporary palce about 3K years ago, the other that legend of that first city .. then dead for 6k years or so, lived on ... in the habiru???
One tiny piece of evidence comes from Campbell and from Spencer. These folks, a religious theorist and a Chines historian, speculate that the first dynasties of China, supposedly simultaneous with the origins of the Torah about 5k years ago, are a dim memory implanted by wanderers (habiru?) from Mesopotamia. If they are correct, the idea of historic transmission, as a cultural trait of semites, could be quite old and common. This wold also explain the oddity of the Jews as the first people to write a history rather than a mythology of origins.
So, the story is plausible, the question is how much of it can be tested? Habiru leave little traces behind, other than their descriptions by the city folk. Most "Jewish" customs .. are pretty generally semitic .. except for the pork issue. Dever writes that the hill dwellers of Canaani times, the putative Hebrews, did no leave pork bones in their kitchen middens. So that makes something plausible as far back as 3-5k years.
Anyhow, as a scientist, the best thing is discovery and wonder .. in both of that words meanings. It is fun to think about the sorts of evidence that would fit into my Popperian construct!
BTW, I have posted some of this dialogue to my Blog, SeattleJew. I hope that is OK.
On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 7:05 PM, Paul Tobin
Stephen,
That the Torah may contain very old elements of history is certainly intriguing, I doubt it though. I do not think oral tradition is as veracious as to be able to keep a memory intact for 20,000 years. But still, who would have guess without the breakthrough in regulatory genes that humans and flies use the same type of genes to built their segments (i.e. the segments of flies and backbones of humans) until recently?!
Good luck in your quest.
Cheers
Paul Tobin
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:55:48 -0800
From: steves@u.washington.edu
To: tobinator99@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Comments on Pascals' Wager
BTW, if I may suggest ...
One reason that this intrigues me is that there is parallelism between genesis and the emerging confluence of genetics and linguistics. We are to pretty sure that non-African humans left "Eden" at about 40-50Kyears ago and Semitic origin is around 19k years. Since the early tigris/euphrates cultures were of the Semitic root, this makes me wonder whether the Torah may have VERY old elements of truth that may actually be testable as genetics progresses. If so, Eden could reflect some lost oral history of the original migration from Africa or, more likely, the origin of the Semites and genetic markers might still be able to identify the Hyksos amongst modern Jews.
The political problem here is that the Arabs have constructed a political fantasy of their own origins that can be explosive. Many, perhaps most, believe that the stories of Joshua are real and that the modern Arabs of the area are the lineal or at least cultural descendants of the Canaani. This is obviously wrong, but it is heavily intertwined with the politics of the Palestinians.
While I am on that subject, there is an equal challenge in these ideas to the orthodox Jews. Since these people claim that maternal descent is all that is required to be a Jew, I suspect that one day the Palestinians will discover mitochondrial DNA and make the argument that THEIR ancestors were Jews so ....On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 7:41 AM, Stephen Schwartz <steves@u.washington.edu> wrote:I will take a look but frankly wonder if this is not too sensitive an issue for public discussion. I am "talking" with some experts here on early Islam and arabic culture.--On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 1:03 AM, Paul Tobin <tobinator99@hotmail.com> wrote:Steve,
This is an interesting field, I agree. Unfortunately I am not able to help you here.
You might try to post your question on this site:
http://sites.google.com/site/biblicalstudiesresources/
I am a member of the discussion group and such issues are discussed in depth with participants from various fields.
Cheers
Paul Tobin
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:00:17 -0800Subject: Re: Comments on Pascals' Wager
Hi Paul,
The second story is the issue. I am skeptical that this was a widely accepted idea in earlier times though it may well have been after the spread of Christianity.
For one thing, it seems to me that a story held in common by all semites would have appeared in some literature other than the Torah before the spread of Christianity by the Romans. It is hard to understand why Josephus would not have noted that the Bedouins were also descended from Abraham.
Nothing I have read about Babylon, the Hittites, or the Accadians suggests that these folks claimed an Abrahamic origin. The closest I can think of are references to Abraham/Isaac names amongst the Hyksos and in Semitic digs in Syria and northern Arabia. Those folks, however, seem to be more Jewish than "Ishmaelite" since they identify with Jacov.
This raises a lot of intriguing issues. Did M graft the Arab people into the Jewish root or did he adopt a widely held idea? Where did the Hyksos go?.. I rather like the idea that they are the source of the J voice and given their high level of civilization it is hard to imagine that they simply dispersed across Arabia. This is related to the argument Bloom makes for the Moses story in his introduction to the Book of J, accept that I wonder if the J people were not actually Hyksos, the Joseph/Moses story a revamped version of their history in Memphis, and the Abraham story also part of that heritage.
Do you know of any references to this story in Arabic poetry? Given their proclivity, I would imagine that something this important would feature prominently in the pre-literal oral tradition.
The politics are, of course daunting too.
On Thu, Dec 25, 2008 at 5:17 PM, Paul Tobin <tobinator99@hotmail.com> wrote:Stephen,
Hi. By "the story of Ishmael", I presume you mean either (1) the Muslim version of Abraham's (or Ibrahim in Arabic) sacrifice of his son who instead of Isaac (as in the Bible) was Ishmael or (2) the belief that Arab's were descendents of Abraham via Ishmael.
On (1), the Quran mentioned that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son but no mention is made of the name of the son. So the identification of this unnamed son with Ishmael instead of Isaac must have happened at a later date.
On (2) Ibn Al-Rawandi in his book "Islamic Mysticism" (Prometheus 2000) p. 97 mentioned a work dated to 5th century CE called "The Ecclesiastical History" by Sozomen who was an Arab. Here the belief that Arabs were descendents of Ishmael was already mentioned.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Paul Tobin
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:12:12 -0800
From: steves@u.washington.edu
To: tobinator99@hotmail.com
Subject: Comments on Pascals' Wager
I ran across your website while trying to find out more aboutt he origins of the story of Ishmael.
I have been unable to find any evidence that the Arabs took this on as a story prior to M. Do you lknow anything of this?
--
Stephen M. Schwartz
Pathology
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Stephen M. Schwartz
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Pathology
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Pathology
Group News Blog
by Sting
In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria (...)
There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie that we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
It seems to me that we have a great opportunity to move on from that horror. No major power in the world now has the prospect of world domination. China may be led by confuscian fascists and Russia may be more corrupt than Chicago of the 30s, but this sort of personal need does not provide a need for international conquest. maybe we can find a new modus vivendi where the big powers, China, the US, Russia .. joined by Brazil and India, can come together to form sopemthing like Europe, a world union devoted to commerce rather than war?
In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria (...)
There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie that we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
It seems to me that we have a great opportunity to move on from that horror. No major power in the world now has the prospect of world domination. China may be led by confuscian fascists and Russia may be more corrupt than Chicago of the 30s, but this sort of personal need does not provide a need for international conquest. maybe we can find a new modus vivendi where the big powers, China, the US, Russia .. joined by Brazil and India, can come together to form sopemthing like Europe, a world union devoted to commerce rather than war?
Why I Fear Christmas
To my many dear Christian friends who do not understand why some of us find your great day offensive, please read on:
Responses to to keepitsimple on HorsesAss
This I know, Because of the birth of Christ,We have hope,That all the prophecies are true.
Including hell and the fires of Armageddon. Now that is scary!
Believing that on the same cloud he assended to heaven he will return and we will be with The Lord forevermore. Just because you don’t believe dosen’t mean it won’t happen
Aha, so now we are at polytheism. How is this different from Gilgamesh? Why should I care that YOUR God might be real rather thna that Sahaddia, Ashera, Odin, or Hanuman is real?
Do I get t choose or will He get mad if I prefer Raven to as God so bllody minded as to commit suicide to save me?
just the way the bible says. God will not be mocked.And it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.God has always been God, He is God now and will be God when your vapor of life is over. Have no doubt He will judge ,rule and reign over His whole creation.
nuff said. I choose Ashera!
What has a person got to lose,If you give God this life, And live eternally with God,Surely you are intelligent enough to know it just makes life better
To lose? Ask yourself! If Judaism is correct, your post is blasphemous and Hashem (the unnamed God) is gonn be very angry with you.
Choose this day whom you will serve.MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
Gad, you make me want to hide!
Climate Control: Germany Reaches Kyoto Emissions Commitments - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Climate Control: Germany Reaches Kyoto Emissions Commitments - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "Germany Reaches Kyoto Emissions Commitments
A new study shows that Germany has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions to the level pledged in the Kyoto Protocol. But a greater reliance on coal-fired power plants may soon reverse the trend."
A new study shows that Germany has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions to the level pledged in the Kyoto Protocol. But a greater reliance on coal-fired power plants may soon reverse the trend."
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Microsoft gearing up for layoffs? Let's hope not | The Open Road - CNET News
Microsoft gearing up for layoffs? Let's hope not | The Open Road - CNET News: "I've been competing with Microsoft for years--at Lineo, Novell, and now Alfresco. But I can't get even remotely excited by the prospect of a big layoff at the software giant, with some speculation suggesting it could go as deep as 10 percent of Microsoft's 91,000 full-time employees."
Newsmax.com - Elie Wiesel Foundation Loses Everything to Madoff
Newsmax.com - Elie Wiesel Foundation Loses Everything to Madoff: "'We are writing to inform you that the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity had 15.2 million dollars under management with Bernard Madoff Investment Securities,' said the foundation, which aims to combat anti-Semitism, on its Web site.
'This represented substantially all of the foundation's assets,' it said.
'We are deeply saddened and distressed that we, along with many others, have been the victims of what may be one of the largest investment frauds in history.'
The statement added that the foundation 'remains committed to carrying on the lifelong work of our founder, Elie Wiesel. We shall not be deterred from our mission to combat indifference, intolerance, and injustice around the world.'
Wiesel, 80, a Nobel laureate and prolific author who survived the Holocaust, created the foundation two decades ago to foster international dialogue and youth programs to teach tolerance."
'This represented substantially all of the foundation's assets,' it said.
'We are deeply saddened and distressed that we, along with many others, have been the victims of what may be one of the largest investment frauds in history.'
The statement added that the foundation 'remains committed to carrying on the lifelong work of our founder, Elie Wiesel. We shall not be deterred from our mission to combat indifference, intolerance, and injustice around the world.'
Wiesel, 80, a Nobel laureate and prolific author who survived the Holocaust, created the foundation two decades ago to foster international dialogue and youth programs to teach tolerance."
Chicag is to Kiev as .....
RT: News: "Meet the mayor, pay the price
The mayor of Kiev has found a new way to boost the city’s coffers during the recession. From now on, those wanting a private audience with Leonid Chernovetsky will have to pay $100,000 for the privilege. Many Ukrainians have been outraged by the decision."
The mayor of Kiev has found a new way to boost the city’s coffers during the recession. From now on, those wanting a private audience with Leonid Chernovetsky will have to pay $100,000 for the privilege. Many Ukrainians have been outraged by the decision."
Israel moves closer to Gaza invasion - Yahoo! Philippines News
Israel moves closer to Gaza invasion - Yahoo! Philippines News: "By MARK LAVIE,Associated Press Writer AP - Friday, December 26
JERUSALEM - Israel moved closer to invading Gaza, saying Thursday it had wrapped up preparations for a broad offensive after Palestinian militants fired about 100 rockets and mortar shells across the border in two days.
Israel's foreign minister brushed off a call for restraint from Egypt's president, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak made a direct appeal to Gaza's people to pressure their leaders to stop the barrages. But the attacks showed no signs of ending. By nightfall, three rockets and 15 mortar shells had exploded in Israel.
Olmert issued his appeal in a rare interview with the Arabic language satellite channel al-Arabiya, saying Israel would not hesitate to respond with force if the attacks continued.
'I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger,' he said.
Thursday's rocket fire was far less than the barrage of 80 rockets the previous day, and there were no reports of injuries. But Israeli leaders said the continued fire _ the most intense since Egypt brokered a cease-fire last June _ was unacceptable."
JERUSALEM - Israel moved closer to invading Gaza, saying Thursday it had wrapped up preparations for a broad offensive after Palestinian militants fired about 100 rockets and mortar shells across the border in two days.
Israel's foreign minister brushed off a call for restraint from Egypt's president, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak made a direct appeal to Gaza's people to pressure their leaders to stop the barrages. But the attacks showed no signs of ending. By nightfall, three rockets and 15 mortar shells had exploded in Israel.
Olmert issued his appeal in a rare interview with the Arabic language satellite channel al-Arabiya, saying Israel would not hesitate to respond with force if the attacks continued.
'I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger,' he said.
Thursday's rocket fire was far less than the barrage of 80 rockets the previous day, and there were no reports of injuries. But Israeli leaders said the continued fire _ the most intense since Egypt brokered a cease-fire last June _ was unacceptable."
HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » How the Kvetch Stole Chanukah
@19 JB
Some 1000 years after the time of your god, a great writer, Judah Halevy, wrote of the two natures of God. One version is called the Lord(s) or adonai and provides the wonder behind the universe, the motif for all things that work. The other, the unamed Deity, represents the wonder we express in our words, the ability of Man to see things that are beyond the immediate world of senses.
He wrote these words in a great book the Khazari, as an effort to explain Judaism in the context of Islam, Christianity, and philosophy.
I like the Khazari, it expresses a shared sense of wonder that transends all specific beliefs in the Lord or Lords, and opens a kind of respect for the ideas that make us all human.
Be good!
Some 1000 years after the time of your god, a great writer, Judah Halevy, wrote of the two natures of God. One version is called the Lord(s) or adonai and provides the wonder behind the universe, the motif for all things that work. The other, the unamed Deity, represents the wonder we express in our words, the ability of Man to see things that are beyond the immediate world of senses.
He wrote these words in a great book the Khazari, as an effort to explain Judaism in the context of Islam, Christianity, and philosophy.
I like the Khazari, it expresses a shared sense of wonder that transends all specific beliefs in the Lord or Lords, and opens a kind of respect for the ideas that make us all human.
Be good!
International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten: "Resettlement in Germany Could Work, Say Ministers
Germany is the second EU nation to suggest it could resettle Guantanamo prisoners, if President-elect Obama is serious about closing the camp. European cooperation is seen as a prerequisite to shutting the facility down. more..."
Germany is the second EU nation to suggest it could resettle Guantanamo prisoners, if President-elect Obama is serious about closing the camp. European cooperation is seen as a prerequisite to shutting the facility down. more..."
PaleoJudaica.com
PaleoJudaica.com: "CAN'T MAKE IT UP and don't think I'd want to:
Dung souvenir based on holy phrase
(BBC)
The manager of a tourist centre in the Holy Land has come up with an unusual idea for a souvenir.
Visitors to Menachem Goldberg's tourist compound at Kedem village in Galilee can buy pieces of donkey dung presented in a plastic cube inscribed with religious text.
Mr Goldberg based the idea on a phrase in the Jewish Talmud which says, ''Let the messiah come... may I be worthy to sit in the shadow of his donkey's dung.'
Dung souvenir based on holy phrase
(BBC)
The manager of a tourist centre in the Holy Land has come up with an unusual idea for a souvenir.
Visitors to Menachem Goldberg's tourist compound at Kedem village in Galilee can buy pieces of donkey dung presented in a plastic cube inscribed with religious text.
Mr Goldberg based the idea on a phrase in the Jewish Talmud which says, ''Let the messiah come... may I be worthy to sit in the shadow of his donkey's dung.'
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Islam
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post: "Saudi Arabia Rejects Divorce Plea From 8-Year-Old Girl Married To 58-Year-Old Man
Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis
Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis: "Franken Camp: We Will Win Recount By A Margin Of 35-50 Votes"
In the Tradition of Eugene Smith and Robert Capa
Photo Gallery: UNICEF's Photos of the Year - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "Photo Gallery: UNICEF's Photos of the Year
Saturday, December 20, 2008
span.fullpost {display:none;}Monday, December 15, 2008
On Religion, From Effin Unsound
Lee, if you are interested, there are a number of exciting recent books on the evolutionary origin of religion.
The general theory is that part of the development of our species, that is the origins of speach, included the development of what might be called causal thinking. As we became able to communicate with words, about 60k years back, the theory suggests we also developed (or adapted) parts of our brains that provide complex causal models. When Uragli told Gimcrik about the valley where the good berries were, she did her best to create a logical model of how the valley came to be. Since hard facts were sparse then, Uragli constructed hypotheses. Wheh Gimcrik, acting on the hypotheses, came back with berries, a religion was born.
The arguments for this hypothesis are from many different sides. Genetics suggests that we have a “constriction point” at about that time. This means the numbers of our common ancestors were small, about 2000 at that time. Anthropology and archaelogy suggest that such a group would have been organized into small clans or families and that these would have shared “instruction” through some sort of leader. In many modern cultures, esp semitic, this person is sort of a communally associated judge and he or she is expected to make decisions based on clan/tribal knowledge. MUHAMMUD BEGAN HIS CAREAR IN MEDINA AS A JUDGE and Dever has suggested that The Book of Judges is an accurate record of how the early hebrews lived. The overlap between a judge, a pontifex maximus and a witch doctgor or priest is interesting?
Anyhow, shortly after the constriction point, religous behavior appears in the form of ritualized burials and depictions of animals as art. Not long after this Eden like event, an even smaller number of humans left Africa to breed … us. The concetration of mythilogy caused by that exodus could, I suggest, be reflected in much of the sahgred structure of modern religions.
Back at evolution, what strikes me is that the primitive religions were (and still are) efforts to provide a commicateable logic to a complex world. Of course that is what science now does. Going one step further, I suggest that science is very much like religion in 3 ways:
1. Scientific thought presumes that there is some underlying, discoverable
reality.
2. Science claims that by obeying its laws, we can control the universe.
3, Science has one other attribute of religion, the sense of wonder!
4, Science REQUIRES a priesthood. NOONE is smart enough to know all of science. Instead we trust in the priesthood.
Put all together, this suggests that science is not only a religion, it is the underpinning of all religion.
Friday, December 12, 2008
HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Epic Senate Fail
HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Epic Senate Fail: "39. headless lucy spews:
http://www.phoenixmotorcars.co m/company/index.php
If the big three fail, there are small companies waiting in the wings to fill the void. If we keep bailing out these failing dinosaurs, we’ll never be free of them – and that includes the financiers and their ‘bailout’."
40. Response by SJ
DJ Scorns Demicans
I listened to Senator Cocker (rep, Tenn) today. He seemed rather rational in his argument that the bailout proposed by the Bush/Dekm coalition was fatally flawed because it left GM with an unsustainable debt. If his numbers are correct, this proposal was more of an effort to protect bond holders and the pension fund than to help restructure GM. (I suspect Chrysler is a basket case).
As I understood him, the pension funds are going to be hit no matter what happens here. This means the taxpayers, who now underwrite PART of the funds, will be hit and that hit is going to be big. UAW retirees are going to be hit by a huge cut in their takehome to the guarantee level. Non-UAW folks may get really pissed that their taxes are bailing out the relatively highly paid UAW retirees.
BUT, the real issue, as Cocker preneted it, may be whether there is model that leaves GM and the union viable? Cocker's proposal sounded the best I have heard: Squeeze bondholders to 35% or debt, do the same to pension fund, convert both to stock. This would result in a smaller company but one with a realistic debt level. The now smaller union would have an investment in the company's future that could, IF the company does well, reduce the taxpayer contributions to the retirement fund. Not a win-win but perhaps a plan the shares the pain.
The most likely opponent would be the UAW ... assuming that their goal now IS to let GM go into bankruptcy and maximize the eventual pension fund over the levels of the fed guarantee. This also would cut the number of jobs and force Detroit UAW workers to compete on an even footing with Tennessee's non unionized workforce. Perhaps painful but isn't this better for the country?
This issue, like so much else since Reagan, is hidden behind a miasma of misinformation. The conservatives spin the Union wages by adding in the pension debt. (In real wages and bennies Toyota and GM pay out similar amounts now). The dems wring their hands and talk of cataclysm and seem more driven by a new civil war, this one ironic in that once again the Union is Opposed to the Sout over a labor issue. The Bushies ... well they never was a there, there anyway.
The real demon n all this is the LACK of leadership. Someone, presumably the real President whoever that is now, needs to gather the facts and present them as simply and clearly as Cocker did this AM.
While I remain an Obamist, this seems to me to be an occasion whre he could step in.
http://www.phoenixmotorcars.co m/company/index.php
If the big three fail, there are small companies waiting in the wings to fill the void. If we keep bailing out these failing dinosaurs, we’ll never be free of them – and that includes the financiers and their ‘bailout’."
40. Response by SJ
DJ Scorns Demicans
I listened to Senator Cocker (rep, Tenn) today. He seemed rather rational in his argument that the bailout proposed by the Bush/Dekm coalition was fatally flawed because it left GM with an unsustainable debt. If his numbers are correct, this proposal was more of an effort to protect bond holders and the pension fund than to help restructure GM. (I suspect Chrysler is a basket case).
As I understood him, the pension funds are going to be hit no matter what happens here. This means the taxpayers, who now underwrite PART of the funds, will be hit and that hit is going to be big. UAW retirees are going to be hit by a huge cut in their takehome to the guarantee level. Non-UAW folks may get really pissed that their taxes are bailing out the relatively highly paid UAW retirees.
BUT, the real issue, as Cocker preneted it, may be whether there is model that leaves GM and the union viable? Cocker's proposal sounded the best I have heard: Squeeze bondholders to 35% or debt, do the same to pension fund, convert both to stock. This would result in a smaller company but one with a realistic debt level. The now smaller union would have an investment in the company's future that could, IF the company does well, reduce the taxpayer contributions to the retirement fund. Not a win-win but perhaps a plan the shares the pain.
The most likely opponent would be the UAW ... assuming that their goal now IS to let GM go into bankruptcy and maximize the eventual pension fund over the levels of the fed guarantee. This also would cut the number of jobs and force Detroit UAW workers to compete on an even footing with Tennessee's non unionized workforce. Perhaps painful but isn't this better for the country?
This issue, like so much else since Reagan, is hidden behind a miasma of misinformation. The conservatives spin the Union wages by adding in the pension debt. (In real wages and bennies Toyota and GM pay out similar amounts now). The dems wring their hands and talk of cataclysm and seem more driven by a new civil war, this one ironic in that once again the Union is Opposed to the Sout over a labor issue. The Bushies ... well they never was a there, there anyway.
The real demon n all this is the LACK of leadership. Someone, presumably the real President whoever that is now, needs to gather the facts and present them as simply and clearly as Cocker did this AM.
While I remain an Obamist, this seems to me to be an occasion whre he could step in.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
JDiagramming a Sentance Reveals Truth about Joe the Plumber
Joe the Plumber: McCain 'appalled me' - Andy Barr - Politico.com: "While Wurzelbacher was critical of McCain during the interview, he had nothing but praise for his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “Sarah Palin is absolutely the real deal,” he said." "He =Joe?
EPA Chief On Religion And Science: "Not A Clear Cut Division"
EPA Chief On Religion And Science: "Not A Clear Cut Division": "Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson willingly endorsed the Bush administration's push to put business interests ahead of his agency's mission to 'to protect human health and the environment.' An extended profile of Johnson published Sunday by the Philadelphia Inquirer reveals that the evangelical Johnson is unwilling -- or unable -- to separate religion from science.
Johnson -- not a Ph.D. scientist -- received his bachelor of arts degree in biology from Taylor University, 'an evangelical, interdenominational covenant community committed to advancing life-long learning and ministering the redemptive love of Jesus Christ to a world in need.' His Taylor adviser, biology professor Timothy Burkholder told the Inquirer that the school teaches a religion-inflected view of evolution."
Johnson -- not a Ph.D. scientist -- received his bachelor of arts degree in biology from Taylor University, 'an evangelical, interdenominational covenant community committed to advancing life-long learning and ministering the redemptive love of Jesus Christ to a world in need.' His Taylor adviser, biology professor Timothy Burkholder told the Inquirer that the school teaches a religion-inflected view of evolution."
Monday, December 08, 2008
Encounter with a sad mind.
HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Friday Night Open Thread
144. manof truth spews:
@144 man of truth
Bottom line, you really should be ashamed of this post. These were American heroes who acted in the vest American tradition, bringing our own cultural strengths to this unique nation.
1. No I did not go south. Nor did I say that I did.
2. Jewish support for liberty has deep roots, it began long before the holocaust in the fights for freedom from the Romans, the Greeks, the inquisition. Many times Jewish thinkers have brought hate onto us by speaking the truth ... Baruch Spinoza was excluded by Christians and Jews.
Where does this drive come from? Obviously not from fear because that route leads to assimilation. Rather it comes form a tradition of being "chosen" not for rewards but to uphold waht many today call humanism.
Once a year, we celebrate a holiday called Passover. Christians know it because of the tie to Easter but rarely understand its real meaning. For example, on that night we all eat a bitter herb. Why? We are told to tell our children, that the herb eaten to now how horrible slavery is so we will not tolerate it for anyone.
You should attend a Passover seder (many families welcome goyem)
.. you might learn a lot.
3. Jews like Lee, and many of those who worked so hard against discrimination, were and many still are "ethical Jews," not ethnic and not religious. but accepting the traditions of service, freedom and learning that are rather deep in our tradition. They have no special commitment to the people, often marry outside the people and raise their kids as "white" but do retain this great tradition. Hardly the attitude your poisoned post suggests!
Many of the organizations supported by Jews or founded by Jews have no visible ties to us .. eg Medecin sans Frontiers. Jews also are major supporters of groups like the American Friends Service Committee and have served valiantly as soldiers in every cou .ntry that let us be free and equal.
These fights are not in the US alone, Jews have founded, led and joined movements of liberation from South Africa to Russia.
My advice to you is to visit a shul and meet some of us. We do not have horns, do not bite and really have no interest in converting you. We might, however, help you be a better Christian.
+++++++++++++++++++++
144. manof truth spews:
seattle jew, in your post 143 you said you were down south in the 60’s during the civil rights movement. here’s why that annoys us (some of us) chrsitian white folks. i am going presume that you would agree with me that genetically, white christians are no more evil than jews or blacks or any other group or race. so that means that when it comes to civil rights, there should have been an equal representaion of all groups in fighting for civil rights. but, as you know, that was not true. jews were at the forefront in disproprtionate numbers. so why the disparity. because jews wanted to make discrimination one of the worst acts you can commit in our culture.(pretty much succeeded i would say). i dont believe in discrimination either, but people like yourself have trampled on the constitution, cost us billions extra in education, cost business’ billions in defending ridiculous discrmination lawsuits, added to business cost with sensitivity and diversity training, weakend police and military with mandatory placing of substandard recruits, and more i cant think of at this hour. in other words, you’d sacrifice everything so you wont be singled out, even if it means the rest of us can go to hell. i think you think all christians want to recreate the holocost. you’re wrong. but to me, your acts are selfish, you could have your survival in the greatest and fairest country the world has ever seen, but you want to ruin it for everybody.
@144 man of truth
Bottom line, you really should be ashamed of this post. These were American heroes who acted in the vest American tradition, bringing our own cultural strengths to this unique nation.
1. No I did not go south. Nor did I say that I did.
2. Jewish support for liberty has deep roots, it began long before the holocaust in the fights for freedom from the Romans, the Greeks, the inquisition. Many times Jewish thinkers have brought hate onto us by speaking the truth ... Baruch Spinoza was excluded by Christians and Jews.
Where does this drive come from? Obviously not from fear because that route leads to assimilation. Rather it comes form a tradition of being "chosen" not for rewards but to uphold waht many today call humanism.
Once a year, we celebrate a holiday called Passover. Christians know it because of the tie to Easter but rarely understand its real meaning. For example, on that night we all eat a bitter herb. Why? We are told to tell our children, that the herb eaten to now how horrible slavery is so we will not tolerate it for anyone.
You should attend a Passover seder (many families welcome goyem)
.. you might learn a lot.
3. Jews like Lee, and many of those who worked so hard against discrimination, were and many still are "ethical Jews," not ethnic and not religious. but accepting the traditions of service, freedom and learning that are rather deep in our tradition. They have no special commitment to the people, often marry outside the people and raise their kids as "white" but do retain this great tradition. Hardly the attitude your poisoned post suggests!
Many of the organizations supported by Jews or founded by Jews have no visible ties to us .. eg Medecin sans Frontiers. Jews also are major supporters of groups like the American Friends Service Committee and have served valiantly as soldiers in every cou .ntry that let us be free and equal.
These fights are not in the US alone, Jews have founded, led and joined movements of liberation from South Africa to Russia.
My advice to you is to visit a shul and meet some of us. We do not have horns, do not bite and really have no interest in converting you. We might, however, help you be a better Christian.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Jeremy Jacquot: A Nobel Laureate Physicist in Obama's Cabinet?
Jeremy Jacquot: A Nobel Laureate Physicist in Obama's Cabinet?: "A Nobel Laureate Physicist in Obama's Cabinet?
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Drone lands in ND we are SAFE!
Drone lands in ND in preparation for border patrol: "Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the state's congressional delegation had been working for four years to get the unmanned aircraft to North Dakota.
'It is vital to America's security that we protect our borders, particularly the northern border,' Conrad said. 'The Grand Forks Air Branch plays an essential role in helping shut the door on terrorists who want to sneak across remote border points to strike on U.S. soil.'"
Can anyone explain to me why North Dakota's NORTHERN BORDER is less safe than its SOUTHERN BORDER? How about dronhes over the Oregon/Cal border?
This is a stupid waste. If we want more security on the north, we should work with Canada in a joint effort to improve immigration surveillance.
The simplest answer? National identity cards. Immigrants and visitors, unless they come form trusted countries with their own NIC, would be required to acquire one at entry to the US or Ca. Anyone eligible for entry in one but not the other country would be stymied in crossing the border.
Drones etc would only make sense if we thought it was awfully easy to get in to C. Wanna bet which of the two North American English speaking countries is easier to infiltrate now?
A Collary to Detroit
IF it is OK to finace the big three, in the national interest, why wouldn't the same be true of putting fed dollars into venture capital?
Asa an example, it is clear that genetic engineering has he huge and a patentable future. Why not add a new Institute to the NIH, the National Institute for Biologic Entrepreneurial Resources. The NIBER would function to centralize development of resources that would give Americans either patents or resources to compete on an unequal footing with the rest of the world.
Examples:
Combinatorial Chemical Libraries
Sequencing Technology
Proteomics 's, esp high throughput cytokine analyses (himones that control most dideases).
Large scale human genomic sequencing.
The criteria for all the NIBER would be profit. The US HAS done this very successfully in the past (RCA, Groton, the Internet, Computing). Moreover a major issue for modern coprpoations, incl. GM, is that they have a probl,e undertaking long term projects.
Finally, unlike a lot of energy research, most of this is now easily dooable. There is no dicovery here, merely the need to spend capital at low risk.. These probrams could be undertaken by private industry with NIBER and might require particcpation fincaially in return for rights to IP.
Asa an example, it is clear that genetic engineering has he huge and a patentable future. Why not add a new Institute to the NIH, the National Institute for Biologic Entrepreneurial Resources. The NIBER would function to centralize development of resources that would give Americans either patents or resources to compete on an unequal footing with the rest of the world.
Examples:
Combinatorial Chemical Libraries
Sequencing Technology
Proteomics 's, esp high throughput cytokine analyses (himones that control most dideases).
Large scale human genomic sequencing.
The criteria for all the NIBER would be profit. The US HAS done this very successfully in the past (RCA, Groton, the Internet, Computing). Moreover a major issue for modern coprpoations, incl. GM, is that they have a probl,e undertaking long term projects.
Finally, unlike a lot of energy research, most of this is now easily dooable. There is no dicovery here, merely the need to spend capital at low risk.. These probrams could be undertaken by private industry with NIBER and might require particcpation fincaially in return for rights to IP.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Friday Night Open Thread
Puddy
co-posted on HA..
On God ....
Your citation makes my point.
Of course there can be a God, if we accept either that Man can not determine God's goodness of if we accept that God is not good,
Hashem (the name) saying it is good is only evidence if you accept revelation AND God's statement. BUT, accepting that statement leads to a very unchristian conclusion .. the God of Moses is not above criticism, he is not in the Christian sense, a good God!
Did you know that the word Israel means struggle .. for Jacob's wrestling with God! Indeed there is a long Jewish tradition of struggle with God, of God mistreating "his" people out of jealousy .. hardly an attribute of a good God?
Of course, we can say that Man lacks the ability to tell good from bad except by literally following the word of God. That is close to what some OJ believe and why they adhere to 613 laws (mitzvot, good deeds). Fundamentalist Islam is very much like OJ in this regard,
Unfortunately for Christians, this Jewish/Islamic concept can not be applied w/o giving up Jesus-as-God because of the three faiths, only Christianity lacks a claim to a literally true revealed legal code. On the other hand the strict monotheism of Islam and Judaism makes a blasphemy of any sort of deity other than the ineffable Hashem. (I have NEVER understood the Western fixation on the idea that monotheism is itself a good idea.)
The good side of the lack of a Christian equivalent to the Quran or Torah is that, I think, it has led to a lot of evolution in Christian thinking. (BTW, did you know the Romans accused the Christians of atheism?)
Lacking a credible Word, that is one with historicity and an explicit statement by the deity endorsing accuracy, Christians have grown in ways that I see as positive. In some ways reform Judaism is a fusion of the Christian effort with the more elegant simplicity and cosmology of Judaism. In its early days, in late 19th century Germany, Reform grew in an atmosphere where Christianity itself was also being driven by science and humanism. What I mean by this is that reform takes on the Western-Christian concepts of freedom of belief, charity, agape, without the burdensome concept of a Deity cruel enough (sorry D, that is how I see it) to sacrifice someone so man can adhere to Its will.
Some Christian sects do the same thing by de-deifying Yashka (the diminuitive affectionate name he would have been called by if he really existed). IMHO, the Unitarians fail at this because they try to hard to accommodate everyone. There are a small number of protestants, however, who come closer or exceed Reform ... some Quakers, Noachide Christians, and the "Hebrews" movement among African Americans. (Did you know about Funnye Capers, Michelle's cousin? He leads a conservative Jewish Synagogue of AA Hebrews who have converted to being Jews). I am not so sure about the SDA. You may be the most sophisticated SDA I have met.
I have thought about getting Capers out here as a speaker. If I do would you and Raj be interested? I would like to hear how he deals with the problem of conversion. While anyone can join our people, for an observant person like you and Raj, the burden of conversion seems to me to be huge. The convert who really wants to do this, ends up with 613 burdensome mitzvot t follow plus all the opprobrium that comes with Yiddishkeit AND the orthodox dogma that Hashem (remember the Jewish God is not "good in human terms) is more judgemental of jews that He is of others.
It would be fascinating to hear how Rabbi Capers reached his conclusion.
co-posted on HA..
On God ....
Exodus 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Your citation makes my point.
Of course there can be a God, if we accept either that Man can not determine God's goodness of if we accept that God is not good,
Hashem (the name) saying it is good is only evidence if you accept revelation AND God's statement. BUT, accepting that statement leads to a very unchristian conclusion .. the God of Moses is not above criticism, he is not in the Christian sense, a good God!
Did you know that the word Israel means struggle .. for Jacob's wrestling with God! Indeed there is a long Jewish tradition of struggle with God, of God mistreating "his" people out of jealousy .. hardly an attribute of a good God?
Of course, we can say that Man lacks the ability to tell good from bad except by literally following the word of God. That is close to what some OJ believe and why they adhere to 613 laws (mitzvot, good deeds). Fundamentalist Islam is very much like OJ in this regard,
Unfortunately for Christians, this Jewish/Islamic concept can not be applied w/o giving up Jesus-as-God because of the three faiths, only Christianity lacks a claim to a literally true revealed legal code. On the other hand the strict monotheism of Islam and Judaism makes a blasphemy of any sort of deity other than the ineffable Hashem. (I have NEVER understood the Western fixation on the idea that monotheism is itself a good idea.)
The good side of the lack of a Christian equivalent to the Quran or Torah is that, I think, it has led to a lot of evolution in Christian thinking. (BTW, did you know the Romans accused the Christians of atheism?)
Lacking a credible Word, that is one with historicity and an explicit statement by the deity endorsing accuracy, Christians have grown in ways that I see as positive. In some ways reform Judaism is a fusion of the Christian effort with the more elegant simplicity and cosmology of Judaism. In its early days, in late 19th century Germany, Reform grew in an atmosphere where Christianity itself was also being driven by science and humanism. What I mean by this is that reform takes on the Western-Christian concepts of freedom of belief, charity, agape, without the burdensome concept of a Deity cruel enough (sorry D, that is how I see it) to sacrifice someone so man can adhere to Its will.
Some Christian sects do the same thing by de-deifying Yashka (the diminuitive affectionate name he would have been called by if he really existed). IMHO, the Unitarians fail at this because they try to hard to accommodate everyone. There are a small number of protestants, however, who come closer or exceed Reform ... some Quakers, Noachide Christians, and the "Hebrews" movement among African Americans. (Did you know about Funnye Capers, Michelle's cousin? He leads a conservative Jewish Synagogue of AA Hebrews who have converted to being Jews). I am not so sure about the SDA. You may be the most sophisticated SDA I have met.
I have thought about getting Capers out here as a speaker. If I do would you and Raj be interested? I would like to hear how he deals with the problem of conversion. While anyone can join our people, for an observant person like you and Raj, the burden of conversion seems to me to be huge. The convert who really wants to do this, ends up with 613 burdensome mitzvot t follow plus all the opprobrium that comes with Yiddishkeit AND the orthodox dogma that Hashem (remember the Jewish God is not "good in human terms) is more judgemental of jews that He is of others.
It would be fascinating to hear how Rabbi Capers reached his conclusion.
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@15 Geov Parrish
The sadness of being Yashka
The sadness of this season is the contradiction inherent in a Christianity that celebrates the words of the Pharisees… the sermon on the mount, the belief that one can be true to one4self while not raising the sword to futiley overthrow Rome, while also celebrating the uniqueness of a message that excludes all who do not worship Jesus.
Was there a Jesus? Does it matter? What there was were people who put a synthesis of ethics, monotheism, morality and their own peoplehood, up as a shiled against Roman imperialism.
That is a memory all people should share, a memory that has long tendrils back to the Buddha and forward to Spinoza, Jefferson, Gandhi, and King.
That memory is a real miracle!