Amos

That was just an early witch hunt. The Medianites were captives and it seems that most of them were witches that had fornicated their own spiritual virginity and so their children would have been bastardised by the world out of which they were born (had slept with the world instead of divine impregnation). They would never find peace on earth but become like a plague among Gods people and lead others astray to sooth the pains of their own insecurities (quench the fires of hell).

That there were no girls born etc. should tell you that this was a spiritual event that happened to real people.

Hawkingfan

Please tell me more. This sounds like fun and is something I am very interested in doing. How can I do this?

Captain Pedantic

I heard how someone who was visited by door-to-door preachers claimed that "original sin" was none of his business because he was descended from the other humans.

I forget the whole story, but it's pretty funny (and if anyone can use the Bible to get rid of the door-to-doors, let them!)

Anyway, I'm not as educated on the Bible as some of you, but I do remember hearing conflicting stories about the Christian mythologies surrounding this time of year. That is to say, was Jesus born in a stable with shepherds visiting him, or was he born elsewhere, with "wise men from the East" visiting him (with Christmas presents). Ever since I found out those were in two different bits of the Bible (aged about eleven), I've been a bit suspicious.

gravitybow

I see. 3000+ years of civilizing influence casually dismissed without batting an eye. Since the answer comes so easily to your friend, maybe he would like to discuss preferred methods with you. Make sure you bring it up when there are other people around that he respects. You could start with, "Hey, Joe, remember when we were talking about killing women and children? You know, the sinful ones?" Ask what the best way is to kill a six-year-old boy whose eyes are red from crying because he's separated from his family as your acquaintance drags him behind a rock. What is the correct protocol for killing a pregnant woman who is in labor? Do you wait for the child to be born to see if it's a sparable virgin (get to keep that one for yourself), or do you disembowel her in the spot? How about a warm, smiling, cooing six-month-old infant? Dashing him against a boulder seems to be an approved biblical solution. Is that the method he prefers? You can't possibly get too graphic as long as you're talkin' 'bout God's love for his chosen people, eh?

An easy, zero-thought answer comes when they're "just Midianites." Hopefully a different answer comes when you present the captives as living, feeling human beings. The only way I can see to get an honest answer is to paint a detailed scenario for him in front of his friends and then press for details. Profess his unwavering love and devotion for God before the world, as it were.


That girls are readily mentioned in the passage tells me that this is a negative reading comprehension event that happened to Amos.

Vinnie

Tradingthat made me dizzy....

Vinnie

NOGO

Since you have been chosen by a mythological God then you remain totally disconnected with reality.

Your reality exists in your subconscious mind.
The rest of us live in a reality which is external to us.

Not blessed but anointed.
To be king of a country (Israel), however, you cannot just start your own religion and call yourself king.

If we are to believe the NT Jesus had a blood line claim to the throne of Israel. This has nothing to do with any new religion.

Amos

</strong>

Not true at all because myth is real (except for a Disneyfied myth). </strong>

The rest live an a world of illusion where they see only vague images of reality. For example, life is an illusion only because eternal life is real and we are mortal only because in eternal life we are immortal. A new religion taken out of Judaism from the root of David to Joseph through Mary in Matthew and grounded into God via the son of Joseph to the son of Adam to God. Hence a new religion.

[ December 20, 2002: Message edited by: Amos ]</p>

Amos

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-who returned from the battle. "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
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So where is all these girls that were born and not to be killed.

Amos

But the interesting point was that Matthew cannot recognize Jesus as Christ because Judaism must become the judge to condemn Jesus if religion is to be a means to the end.

So Vinnie, what appears to be a contradiction is there for a reason and should become an asset when resovled in the correct interpretation.

[ December 20, 2002: Message edited by: Amos ]</p>

gravitybow

You're kidding, right? Here they is...

"...but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man."

Furthermore, I clipped this passage from the New International Version, which uses more modern phrasing in this instance. Here's how the phrase "all the boys" is more literally rendered in other Bible translations:

New American Standard Bible: every male among the little ones
Amplified Bible: every male among the little ones
King James Version: every male among the little ones
English Standard Version: every male among the little ones
American Standard Version: every male among the little ones
Young's Literal Translation: every male among the infants
Darby Translation: every male among the little ones

Just who do you think "little ones" is referring to? Little birdies? Little dogies? Little sugar plum fairies? Help me out here...(I think there's a clue in Young's LT above).

Not much wiggle room there, huh?
Now let's see if we can get back to the thread topic.