BH your can of Wolf brand chili would have to find something that exceeds the speed of light to exceed the speed of light itself. That is the snag. One of the problems with sending people to Mars is the time life has to be sustained in space. I would not be surprised to see robotic visits to the moon. One of my first jobs in silicon valley was to inspect productions work on a robotic microscope. I've sat at consoles worth in excess of a million dollars many times. Most robots don't look human. I have seen robotic faces make expressions that are so life like that it's eerie to watch. I've seen better than this. There are over one hundred muscles in the human face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy4SihW1O5I
The costs of doing those things are so outrageous that I do not expect to see it in production. I am much more excited about robotic prosthetics. I don't know how neural interconnects are done. I have seen where a blind person can be given enough sight to get around. Cochlear implants allow deaf kids to hear some. Here is an upright wheelchair that allows paraplegics to get around.
It is neat. Takes almost no more room than a standing person. The person can stand up and sit down. The physical effects on the body will be amazing. No crying! It is beautiful! They are attached to a body stirrup with a hoist. You can see it under their behind if you look carefully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GFuy6wsZaw
Ask about Judaism
Re: Ask about Judaism
Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic and Canaanite are related languages - the cognate for 'el' in Arabic is 'allah' which is related to Ali (name) which means 'the high one' and in Hebrew one receives an honor in the synagogue called an 'aliyah' which means 'to go up'. Aliyah is also the word we use to mean immigrating to Israel because you are 'going up' to a higher spiritual place.
In that story in Genesis about 'the sons of gods and the daughters of man' the word used is 'elohim', and some scholars think the story is talking about the useless rich sons of important men, of which we still have ample examples.
BH or Jackie can confirm but I believe the word for 'god' (general) in Arabic is illaha which is very close to elohim - again, it is not a name, but a description.
In that story in Genesis about 'the sons of gods and the daughters of man' the word used is 'elohim', and some scholars think the story is talking about the useless rich sons of important men, of which we still have ample examples.
BH or Jackie can confirm but I believe the word for 'god' (general) in Arabic is illaha which is very close to elohim - again, it is not a name, but a description.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Ask about Judaism
I've been reading a short article by Neusner (he is not an easy read) about differences between Judaism (current) and Christianity, which he traces to the origins of both, in the late Second Temple period and after the destruction of the Temple. In his scenario, each took elements from pre-existing 'Judaism' and redefined elements in different ways, such that the two religions (currently) can't even communicate adequately at all, because we are talking about/answering questions completely different topics.
I almost get it but not too clearly, but one thing did strike a chord:
Christianity is talking about salvation (in the sense of universal/world population), and Judaism (modern) is talking about sanctification (within Israel the community).
It is quite true that Judaism spends MUCH more time talking about bringing holiness into this world by the way we live our lives, then it ever does talking about 'saving' anything at all, especially at the end of time. The concept is still THERE, but it is about as important as my left little toe, figuratively speaking. To Christianity, it is the central heart of everything.
I almost get it but not too clearly, but one thing did strike a chord:
Christianity is talking about salvation (in the sense of universal/world population), and Judaism (modern) is talking about sanctification (within Israel the community).
It is quite true that Judaism spends MUCH more time talking about bringing holiness into this world by the way we live our lives, then it ever does talking about 'saving' anything at all, especially at the end of time. The concept is still THERE, but it is about as important as my left little toe, figuratively speaking. To Christianity, it is the central heart of everything.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Ask about Judaism
Here's a good example: we say blessings on every conceivable occasion (and a few not so conceivable), there are two (and only two) basic constructions of all blessings:
Everyone starts like this:
Blessed/Praised are You, O Lord our God...
and the ones we say BEFORE PERFORMING AN ACTION continue with:
Who makes us Holy with His commandments, and commands us to....(fill in the blank).
See that? We become holy, by following God's commands/wishes/desires. We don't 'save' people, or 'save' ourselves, or anything else but increase our 'holiness'.
Holiness in Hebrew (kiddush) means to distinguish something by separating it out from the herd for a special purpose. The people of Israel (Biblical Israel) are 'holy' among the nations, the Land of Israel (physical land) is holy among the other places in the world, the city of Jerusalem is 'holy' within the land, and the Temple is holy (was) within Jerusalem. And inside that temple (once) of course was the very Holy OF all Holies - the sacred space where God figuratively dwelled 'in the midst of the people'.
Bingo. Sanctification.
Harking back to the 'kosher' discussion - keeping kosher is a commandment in the Torah. The effects of keeping kosher is creating a 'separation' between what is lawful to eat and what is not lawful to eat - and following from that, between what is correctly prepared and cooked and what is not correctly prepared and cooked - and following from THAT, it is exceeding difficult (or at least, a concern) to eat with people who don't care, or don't keep kosher: separation = holiness = sanctification of the act of eating.
We call the dinner table a 'small/lesser altar', and ritually wash (purify) our hands before eating (after regular washing for plain cleanliness).
All that is developed within/by the Judaism which grew out of the rabbinic/pharisaic period, developing into modern Judaism, concurrent with the development of modern Christianity.
Everyone starts like this:
Blessed/Praised are You, O Lord our God...
and the ones we say BEFORE PERFORMING AN ACTION continue with:
Who makes us Holy with His commandments, and commands us to....(fill in the blank).
See that? We become holy, by following God's commands/wishes/desires. We don't 'save' people, or 'save' ourselves, or anything else but increase our 'holiness'.
Holiness in Hebrew (kiddush) means to distinguish something by separating it out from the herd for a special purpose. The people of Israel (Biblical Israel) are 'holy' among the nations, the Land of Israel (physical land) is holy among the other places in the world, the city of Jerusalem is 'holy' within the land, and the Temple is holy (was) within Jerusalem. And inside that temple (once) of course was the very Holy OF all Holies - the sacred space where God figuratively dwelled 'in the midst of the people'.
Bingo. Sanctification.
Harking back to the 'kosher' discussion - keeping kosher is a commandment in the Torah. The effects of keeping kosher is creating a 'separation' between what is lawful to eat and what is not lawful to eat - and following from that, between what is correctly prepared and cooked and what is not correctly prepared and cooked - and following from THAT, it is exceeding difficult (or at least, a concern) to eat with people who don't care, or don't keep kosher: separation = holiness = sanctification of the act of eating.
We call the dinner table a 'small/lesser altar', and ritually wash (purify) our hands before eating (after regular washing for plain cleanliness).
All that is developed within/by the Judaism which grew out of the rabbinic/pharisaic period, developing into modern Judaism, concurrent with the development of modern Christianity.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Ask about Judaism
And that concept reappears in Lurianic (and other) kabbalah, because BY OUR ACTIONS (our behavior) we bring holiness 'down' into this imperfect world, and eventually the world (all of it, Jews and gentiles and everything) will be completely 'redeemed' because everything in it that lacks 'holiness' will have been 'sanctified' through our lives and actions. Bingo. Total connection between this world and the 'world to come'. End of time.
Salvation, on the other hand, is purely and simply the rescue and redemption of the physical 'Israel' (the people and land) in this world. The Jews are preserved from (physical) destruction: that is salvation. You can see 'the hand of God' in that, or not - depends on how people look at it, you can 'see' a miracle or you can 'see' chance or human effort.
We are taught, however, that we should not rely on a miracle happening, but should act as if miracles do not exist (and then, if a miracle DOES occur, we will of course be very thankful - but we don't count on it. There's a funny (sort of) story in the Talmud about that. A couple of scholars got very drunk, got into an argument, and one of them killed the other. But he prayed and a miracle occurred and his friend was revived. So they discussed (being scholars) whether they should try it again as a kind of test....and decided that was probably pushing things, so they didn't.)
Salvation, on the other hand, is purely and simply the rescue and redemption of the physical 'Israel' (the people and land) in this world. The Jews are preserved from (physical) destruction: that is salvation. You can see 'the hand of God' in that, or not - depends on how people look at it, you can 'see' a miracle or you can 'see' chance or human effort.
We are taught, however, that we should not rely on a miracle happening, but should act as if miracles do not exist (and then, if a miracle DOES occur, we will of course be very thankful - but we don't count on it. There's a funny (sort of) story in the Talmud about that. A couple of scholars got very drunk, got into an argument, and one of them killed the other. But he prayed and a miracle occurred and his friend was revived. So they discussed (being scholars) whether they should try it again as a kind of test....and decided that was probably pushing things, so they didn't.)
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Ask about Judaism
Good. Here is a link. It is old and includes other languages. Mind blowing stuff.agricola wrote:Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic and Canaanite are related languages - the cognate for 'el' in Arabic is 'allah' which is related to Ali (name) which means 'the high one' and in Hebrew one receives an honor in the synagogue called an 'aliyah' which means 'to go up'. Aliyah is also the word we use to mean immigrating to Israel because you are 'going up' to a higher spiritual place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_%28deity%29
Praying for/to others
My POV re 'praying to the saints/Mary' - removed from the ask about Catholicism thread -
asking other people to pray for you in the first place is relatively useless; asking DEAD people to do so is doubly useless, and why on EARTH (or in heaven above) a person can't just pray on the 'direct line' straight to God, I don't understand that reasoning at all. Just like I don't get the point of 'Jesus' : why do I need an intercessory person putting a totally unnecessary barrier between me and God in the first place? What's that stupid 'gate' thing? You only put in gates when there is a WALL. There was never a wall, and a gate is therefore totally useless.
asking other people to pray for you in the first place is relatively useless; asking DEAD people to do so is doubly useless, and why on EARTH (or in heaven above) a person can't just pray on the 'direct line' straight to God, I don't understand that reasoning at all. Just like I don't get the point of 'Jesus' : why do I need an intercessory person putting a totally unnecessary barrier between me and God in the first place? What's that stupid 'gate' thing? You only put in gates when there is a WALL. There was never a wall, and a gate is therefore totally useless.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Praying for/to others
I can understand that from Jewish point of view.agricola wrote:My POV re 'praying to the saints/Mary' - removed from the ask about Catholicism thread -
asking other people to pray for you in the first place is relatively useless; asking DEAD people to do so is doubly useless, and why on EARTH (or in heaven above) a person can't just pray on the 'direct line' straight to God, I don't understand that reasoning at all. Just like I don't get the point of 'Jesus' : why do I need an intercessory person putting a totally unnecessary barrier between me and God in the first place? What's that stupid 'gate' thing? You only put in gates when there is a WALL. There was never a wall, and a gate is therefore totally useless.
I am curious whether the Jews today are waiting for the messiah?
How do they interpret scriptures that point to the messiah?
Re: Ask about Judaism
Hi Scott - short answer: sure we are waiting for the messiah. But 'waiting' doesn't involve any particular EFFORT, really. So we don't spend much time or energy on the topic. He'll come eventually - so what? Meanwhile we have lives to live.
As for 'interpreting the verses', that depends on which verses you are talking about. Some of the passages which Christians believe are messianic prophecies aren't considered to be that from within Judaism.
As for 'interpreting the verses', that depends on which verses you are talking about. Some of the passages which Christians believe are messianic prophecies aren't considered to be that from within Judaism.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.