aikido7

I caught a little of Jon Stewart's comedy program (The Daily Show) and apparently the subject was the recent election of the new gay Episcopalian Bishop. After poking fun at the film clips of the ceremony and ritual, Stewart then deadpanned: "And now some voices from the other side...."

A clip showed a dottering old guy in his 70s who reminded his listeners that they must "listen to biblical reason." Cut to Jon looking at the camera with one eyebrow slightly raised:

"Oh yeah--lot of reason in religion. Like two nudists getting dietary advice from a talking snake?"

Gawen

That is why people like this are labeled delusional.

Doctor X

Let me see . . . can I get this tranfered to Media . . . Elsewhere?

Actually, one can probably keep this here. First, I love Jon Stewart--his is a great and ballanced satire of the news. I wonder if some of the "interviewers" understand that the interviews are a joke.

Anyways, the question is did the various writers expect people to take the stories "seriously"--as in "true"--as in "this happened."

Wander over to one of the sources of the Noah story . . . the Istanbnupbrupiwhatever part of the Gilgamesh epic. Gilgamesh, not content with defeating giants, and pissing off goddesses wants to be immortal. He meets the the two immortals--"Noah" and his wife.

"Noah" tells him this is impossible . . . Gilgamesh does not take no for an answer . . . what follows is a wonderful motif where "Noah" agrees to help him if Gilgamesh can stay awake for three (?) days. It involves "Noah"'s wife making bread and leaving it beside Gilgamesh. Basically, Gilgamesh wakes each time realizing by looking at the loaves that he had, indeed, fallen asleep.

Thus, "Noah" can ask Gilgamesh, "how if you cannot even stay awake can you avoid death." It is a very good story of "why" we are mortal--it is our nature.

The point of this departure is I think it possible that the "fall" is reasonable. Granted, the writer lays the blame--justifiably of course!--on a woman . . . but the story is set up for Adam and Eve to make the choice. It is, perhaps from the perspective of the writer, a choice anyone would make. "This is why we are mortal" and suffer the what comes with mortality.

Would then, the author expect anyone to take it seriously--as in "it actually happened?"

I do not think so.

--J.D.

Godless Wonder

Damn, I wish I could do that.

Brian_iiiii

"Fascinating."

Joe V.

How 'bout...

^-
00

or...

|o
<o

Hmm... which looks better?

- Joe

(sorry, couldn't resist)

Celsus

I'm moving this thread to MP&C tentatively, but it will need more than one-liners to stay there.

Joel