Yeast Infection

An interesting post on Atheist Revolution examines some of the disconnect between the word of God and the word of God's followers. For instance, under the "old" law, the law of Moses, God liked burnt offerings, the sacrifice of animals - by today's religious standard, satanism. Homosexuality is also forbidden and punishable under the old law, but no more emphasis is placed on this violation than any other.

So, wait...why aren't animal sacrifices, yeastless unleavened and other kosher laws followed by Christians today?
Oh ya! Christ! He's part of that whole "New Covenant" thing, like in Hebrews 9:15:

For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

The Hebrews author continues in 10:9 - "He abolishes the first in order to establish the second."

Christ came to replace the old law so we wouldn't have to sacrifice animals, so we wouldn't have to stone people for minor offenses, or kill people for being gay. As far as my memory serves, Jesus didn't seem all that caught up with hatin' on gays; in fact, he seemed a little more concerned with the poor, disabled, children, widows, and sinners across the board. The closest thing to gay hate in the new testament are broad statements that include a list of several other kinds of sinners like thieves, the greedy and robbers.

Which begs the question: If Christ's new covenant of "love thy neighbor" replaced the old "kill the homo and every other sinner," why do Christians still have the opposite concerns and hold the opposite values as Christ himself?

Some Thoughts for the Day

I very recently started getting quotes of the day and such and found this coincidence amusing and worth dwelling on.

"When you give a shilling to a beggar - do you realize that you are giving it to yourself? When you help a lame dog over a stile - do you realize that you yourself are being helped? When you kick a man when he is down - do you realize that you are kicking yourself? Give him another kick - if you deserve it!" - Why Lazurus Laughed by Wei Wu Wei
From the Buddhist daily thought

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:34-35


The parallels are not direct, but the Buddhist is in a way justifying this golden rule. You help these others, you don't kick them, you love them because how you treat others is not only a reflection of who you are, but we're all in this together, all connected, and it's gonna come back to you somehow. So pay attention, be aware, be mindful of these instances in our daily lives, these passing moments - they are not just your moments, you're sharing them with others, so love them for it.

Fear or Love?

A short list of lovers:

Frank Zappa, T.S Elliot, Tarantino, Van Gough, William Burroughs, Peter Sellers, Ferndo Meirelles and Paulo Lins, De Niro, Rowan Atkinson, The Smiths, Roman Polanski, Rembrandt, Jerry Sadowitz, Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward, Harvey Pekar, Neichtze, Nick Cave, the guy who stood he's ground in Tiananam Square, Mozart, Hunter S Thompson, Martin Luther King, Andy Warhol, Shakespeare, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, Dom McCullin, Ian Curtis, Brian, Hogarth, Chris Gardner, George Orwell, Geoffrey Rush, George Elliot, Gary Larson, Graham Chapman, Richard Dawkins, Francis Dashwood, Robert Crumb, Coppola, Brian Jones, Winston Churchill, Richard Attenborough, Banksy, Joan Littlewood, PerryFarrell, Bill Hicks, Raymond Chandler, Aleister Crowley, Mr Benn