words, words, words
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
If I begin to detail myself here, will you understand?
P. I am me
Q. I don't always know exactly who that is
R. I am Quaker
S. I like words and playing with them
T. I like genmaicha tea
U. I like the word napkin more than most others
V. I spend time walking my neighborhood
W. I cook rice often
X. I sleep well most every night
Y. I eat large amounts of fruit and vegetables
Z. I munch, sleep, write, create, cook, bike, watch, walk, listen, hope, learn, drink, live, breathe, touch, know, question, taste, copy, read, stare, carry, talk, dance, finger, try.
raisin@gmail.com
albums:
Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs
Erasure: I Say, I Say, I Say
Depeche Mode: Black Celebration
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Marvin Gaye: What's Going On?
David Bowie: Hunky Dory
George Michael: Listen without Prejudice
George Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
Yo La Tengo: And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
songs:
Wild is the Wind: Nina Simone
Come Undone: Duran Duran
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Rachmaninov
My Funny Valentine: Chet Baker
Feeling Yourself Disintegrate: The Flaming Lips
This Must Be the Place: The Talking Heads
Hyperballad: Bjork
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Apparently, some old friends of mine, the evangelical branches of Christianity, are amassing their numbers against the Muslims, perhaps to commemorate the battles of Israel against the Philistines back in Biblical days. This NY Times article shows the recent growth of condemnation towards Islam and claims like, "Christianity [represents] what is good, true and peaceful, and Islam what is evil, false and violent."
Let me tell you about the peaceful Old Testament that many evangelicals love to use against homosexuality and all their favorite vices. Just a few quotes:
I Samuel 23
2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines
[also spoken by David]
II Sam 22
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
Judges 3
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
Yes, ever so peaceful. I was raised on these verses because my parents and most of the churches we attended believed that the Old Testament had been too long forgotten by most denominations and should be meditated on thoroughly to know the true nature of God as an angry tryrant.
Somehow, they forgot that when Christ came, he established a new covenenant, not based on the old laws, the documents stored in the ark which caused so many wars, not based on "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," but based on the most amazing love one can have for one's brother, the willingness to die for him. This is why the New Testament is separated from the Old Testament, because Christ changed how humans were to interact with one another.
One could actually say that Christianity (based on Christ's example not on the Old Testament) is or at least should be a peaceful religion. But the way it has been practiced, with many churches leading the way to Iraq, with Bush citing God as his helpmate, the religion that so many Christians practice is much more in tune with the Old Testament than with the new peaceful covenant between God and man. Claims that the Koran is much more violent than the Bible can hardly be true. I can't say I've done much study of the Koran, but I can show you page after page after page of war and destruction, bloodbaths and raucous encouragment of the killing of enemies in the Bible. Perhaps I should continue working on a project I started long ago, a version of Shakespeare's insults, but from the Bible, including all the curses God gave to men. could be wonderful fun as well as a good reminder of what kinds of words the Bible includes.
3:04 PM
|
|
| |
|
|
|
