OT: The New Religion Thread.

[FogBat]

17 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

That idiot Turk actually did it.  First prayers were on Friday last.  What a terrible mistake, IMHO.  The father of modern and secular Turkey (Ataturk) must be just spinning in his grave.

=====

In other news ...

The stangest Hajj ever starts tomorrow at sunset and will end at sunset on August 2nd.  This means that Eid will start at sunset on Thursday, July 30th.

I am not a big fan of Eid for reasons I have explained here and vowed that I would not go on Hajj (one of the 5 pillars of Islam) until the Saudi's were removed from power and that the country was again referred to as Arabia and there was no longer a Kingdom.  Fat chance in my lifetime.

But now the love of my life has asked me to take her on Hajj, so we will do it and I will enjoy it very much.  Things are viewed differently when the love of your life asks you to take her someplace very nicely.  Yup.

It doesn’t surprise me that Erdogan did this. He’s a megalomaniac. (Although I had a bit of a chuckle a few years ago when a “Christian” End Times “expert” (Jimmy DeYoung) tried to tie in Erdogan with the modern Christian view of eschatology and Armageddon. I do not subscribe to what we call “premillennial dispensationalism” since that piece of theology was nowhere to be propounded until the 1840’s. I am an amillenialist, and I believe that this is the best and most proper explanation of Christian eschatology.)

Since you are going to the Hajj this time of year, how will you be able to keep cool? I know that temps can easily reach 50C out there.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, Crosschecking said:

It doesn’t surprise me that Erdogan did this. He’s a megalomaniac. (Although I had a bit of a chuckle a few years ago when a “Christian” End Times “expert” (Jimmy DeYoung) tried to tie in Erdogan with the modern Christian view of eschatology and Armageddon. I do not subscribe to what we call “premillennial dispensationalism” since that piece of theology was nowhere to be propounded until the 1840’s. I am an amillenialist, and I believe that this is the best and most proper explanation of Christian eschatology.)

Since you are going to the Hajj this time of year, how will you be able to keep cool? I know that temps can easily reach 50C out there.

You give Erdogan too much credit.  He is faithless, IMHO, but is always talking about his piety.  He is a problem in that region, where no more problems are required, thank you very much Mr. Trouble Maker.

As for Hajj and the timing, it changes each year and will be 11 days earlier each year.  So, one can, in theory, plan their Hajj for a "cooler" time of year.  "Cooler" being a very relative term, as the best case one could hope for is maybe 25 degrees.

[FogBat]

On 7/28/2020 at 12:21 PM, New Scotland (NS) said:

You give Erdogan too much credit.  He is faithless, IMHO, but is always talking about his piety.  He is a problem in that region, where no more problems are required, thank you very much Mr. Trouble Maker.

As for Hajj and the timing, it changes each year and will be 11 days earlier each year.  So, one can, in theory, plan their Hajj for a "cooler" time of year.  "Cooler" being a very relative term, as the best case one could hope for is maybe 25 degrees.

If you’re used to high temps, no problem. But it’s always been my understanding that the Maritimes have always been cooler than the Middle East.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

13 hours ago, Crosschecking said:

If you’re used to high temps, no problem. But it’s always been my understanding that the Maritimes have always been cooler than the Middle East.

Of course, you are right, but this is the first summer that I can remember since we moved to Halifax (22 years ago) that we have extreme heat and humididty even right at the ocean.  Inland has been progressively worse over the last 5 to 10 years.  And it does not cool in the evening, or overnight.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

In other news ...

Today at sunset Eid ul Adha will start.  The festival of the sacrifice.  It is the most significant day on the Islamic calendar.  It also makes the end of the Hajj Pilgrimage, which was not really much of anything this year ... a handful of residents of Arabia were allowed to be on Hajj.

Again, as with the Eid al Fitr to mark the end of the fasting month, this Eid is going to be very different than any other year that I can remember.

In 3 weeks it will be our new year ... 1442.  1442 years since the migration from Mecca to Medina.

[FogBat]

I’ve been involved in more than my fair share of informal debates and exchanges on Facebook - especially over the existence of God. So, two things have come to mind from all of them.

1, there is not a single human being who can live and breathe without God. It is just not possible.

2, everything we say and do proves that God exists.

[shrader]

39 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

I’ve been involved in more than my fair share of informal debates and exchanges on Facebook - especially over the existence of God. So, two things have come to mind from all of them.

1, there is not a single human being who can live and breathe without God. It is just not possible.

2, everything we say and do proves that God exists.

You need to go with the lowercase g there.?

[FogBat]

On 7/30/2020 at 2:50 PM, shrader said:

You need to go with the lowercase g there.?

Sorry. No can do. The Gospel will not allow me to do that.??

Edited July 31, 2020 by Crosschecking

[shrader]

On 7/31/2020 at 6:54 PM, Crosschecking said:

Sorry. No can do. The Gospel will not allow me to do that.??

Your reasons above wouldn't be proof of the one from the gospels.

[FogBat]

8 minutes ago, shrader said:

Your reasons above wouldn't be proof of the one from the gospels.

I get what you’re saying. Not everyone understands certain mysteries.

[shrader]

47 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

I get what you’re saying. Not everyone understands certain mysteries.

And Robert Stack has been gone for a long time now, so most of those will have to remain unsolved.

[FogBat]

On 8/3/2020 at 11:36 AM, shrader said:

And Robert Stack has been gone for a long time now, so most of those will have to remain unsolved.

If your response wasn’t tongue-in-cheek, then we’ll have to agree to disagree.

Having said that, I’m surprised that our resident zealot hasn’t opined any further on this thread.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

17 hours ago, Crosschecking said:

If your response wasn’t tongue-in-cheek, then we’ll have to agree to disagree.

Having said that, I’m surprised that our resident zealot hasn’t opined any further on this thread.

Seeing this as not capitalized has me thinking and wondering your opinion on something.  I often look at the accepted definition of zealot and wonder when the switch happened from it being viewed as a positive to a mostly negative view of the word and when using it to describe a person?

I think of some of the greatest men and women down through the ages to be true zealots ... Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and many others.  What do you think about this idea?

The first Zealots were a band of Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire in the time just after Jesus.

[FogBat]

11 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Seeing this as not capitalized has me thinking and wondering your opinion on something.  I often look at the accepted definition of zealot and wonder when the switch happened from it being viewed as a positive to a mostly negative view of the word and when using it to describe a person?

I think of some of the greatest men and women down through the ages to be true zealots ... Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and many others.  What do you think about this idea?

The first Zealots were a band of Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire in the time just after Jesus.

I was referring to someone else on this forum who stirred things up a few months ago. I haven’t heard much from him since then.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

11 hours ago, Crosschecking said:

I was referring to someone else on this forum who stirred things up a few months ago. I haven’t heard much from him since then.

Yeah, I know who you were referring to.

My question was in general terms and not about anyone specifically.

Do you have any thoughts to share on my question?  If not, that's okay.

[FogBat]

15 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Yeah, I know who you were referring to.

My question was in general terms and not about anyone specifically.

Do you have any thoughts to share on my question?  If not, that's okay.

That would be a topic for a formal, moderated debate, such as James White vs. Shabir Ally. I’m not going to do that on here.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Crosschecking said:

That would be a topic for a formal, moderated debate, such as James White vs. Shabir Ally. I’m not going to do that on here.

The only debate I'm interested is between Frank the Tank and James Carville.

[FogBat]

On 8/6/2020 at 12:44 PM, shrader said:

The only debate I'm interested is between Frank the Tank and James Carville.

You lost me on this one. Please explain.

[shrader]

On 8/9/2020 at 12:43 AM, Crosschecking said:

You lost me on this one. Please explain.

Old School.  Watch it.

[FogBat]

9 hours ago, shrader said:

Old School.  Watch it.

The movie?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

As a very *liberal* Muslim I must say that I love the Pope.

[LGR4GM]

@I-90 W

Quote

Two people who both deny the Bible arguing on morality is a bit amusing, must admit. Neither of you can even consistently say that something is right or wrong, as both of you must rely on moral relativism to even evaluate right from wrong. What makes something wrong, popular opinion? That is transient and changes with each generation; without God there is no right or wrong. Just opinions.

Say what you want about Christians, at least we can logically and consistently speak in absolutes. Before anyone charges me with bringing up religion (I know how intolerant the majority of posters are here towards orthodoxy), the non believers brought it up first. 

Here is your quote from the other thread. I laughed at it a lot. I just wanted you to know that. I highlighted the parts that made me laugh the most. Enjoy your "absolute morals", I have no desire to follow the "morality" of Christianity or any religion. I did not bring religion up or even comment on it but in your persecuted christian mind you felt so attacked by me saying "I don't care what the bible says", that you literally had to go on the offensive. So much for turning the other cheek. 

Quick side question, what color is Jesus's skin?

There is a reason I stay away from this thread so I will leave it at that.

[LGR4GM]

And now the quote has been deleted. Fun times. I stay out of this thread because I believe ppl should be allowed to believe in their religions and practice them... until you drag me into your religion and pressure me to adhere to your beliefs, at which time you are forcing it upon me and my moral reaction is absolute. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I have a feeling that @Taro T is enjoying his Lenten break.

Ramadan in less than 3 weeks away.  I did not take my break last Ramadan on the good advice of @Eleven, but I am looking forward to it again this year.

[nucci]

18 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

And now the quote has been deleted. Fun times. I stay out of this thread because I believe ppl should be allowed to believe in their religions and practice them... until you drag me into your religion and pressure me to adhere to your beliefs, at which time you are forcing it upon me and my moral reaction is absolute. 

I go by George Carlin's philosophy on religion