At least something good happened in the UK this week

[BoSoxGal]

I don't mind if you pray for my soul, Meade. Pope Francis assures me that God will forgive my good hearted atheism in the end but I'll not reject any good juju anyone sends my way.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, he starts off in the Roman church so we know he's all wrong there...

[Lord Jim]

[BoSoxGal]

I don't want to believe in a God who wouldn't forgive and welcome to paradise any good hearted person who simply failed to recognize, from confusion if nothing else, which of the hypocritical fantastical murderous racist misogynistic etc. religious narratives was the one true path to enlightenment.










I'll stick to believing that if there's a God, she gave us dogs and will love us equally unconditionally in any afterlife as she does through them.

[RayThom]

... I'll stick to believing that if there's a God, she gave us dogs and will love us equally unconditionally in any afterlife as she does through them.

"IF" there's a God, and if that God is a "SHE?" Whoa, Nelly! That's sure to earn you "double heretic" standings in the eyes of the fundamentalist, true believers.

Whatever you do, don't throw the word "GAY" into the mix. That will send you directly to Hell, and for more than eternity.

However, let's be thankful for the King James version of the bible -- written in today's English to express exactly what God intended to convey. Absolutely no room for misinterpretation.

Hallelujah!

[MajGenl.Meade]

KJV? Thumbs down

[Big RR]

Even though some of the translations are not completely accurate (or so I've heard and read from linguists and other scholars), I do think the KJV is the most poetic and beautiful English language translation of the Bible. It does contain some imagery that is out of our modern perceptions (since it is centuries old), but then a lot of the more modern translations (NRSV and later) often have all the poetry and prose of a standard primary school reader.

KJV.

[oldr_n_wsr]

I don't want to believe in a God who wouldn't forgive and welcome to paradise any good hearted person who simply failed to recognize, from confusion if nothing else, which of the hypocritical fantastical murderous racist misogynistic etc. religious narratives was the one true path to enlightenment

One does not need religion (which is man made) to know/feel/believe in a God, or in my case, some other kind of "Higher Power". I am not "fond" of the word "God" as it conjurs up my time at Catholic school and those nuns.
But i am getting better at being able to say "God" rather than "Higher Power". If only because the pragmatist in me says one word has one syllable in it and the other term has four syllables. Economics of speech baby.

[MajGenl.Meade]

poetic and beautiful English language translation

That's true enough. Also one of the most inaccurate. The standard of scholarship and scientific knowledge has improved since 1611.

[Big RR]

True, but I do think the most commonly used KJV bible was completed in the late 1700s and is not the 1611 translation. Sure, scholarship has changed and more accurate translations of the earliest scriptures are available, but the KJV really doesn't get all that much wrong. Indeed, the main criticisms i have heard is that it contains a lot of unsupported violent and similar imagery, as well as it perpetuation of sexist and racist language.

[Gob]

[MajGenl.Meade]

Bollocks. Maybe the numpty who created the meme should try reading the Bible instead of making stuff up?

There is no scriptural basis for left-handedness being sinful. Admittedly, however, as it is presented in the Bible, being on the left side isn't always presented as the best option. Acts 2:33, for instance, says that Jesus is exalted to "the right hand of the Father." It says nothing about what, if anything, is on God's left side, but Jesus is implicitly in the best place. Matthew 25:33 says that on Judgement Day That God will put the sheep (the faithful) on his right side and the goats (the wicked) on his left. It also bears mentioning that the Written Hebrew language is read from right to left. All of this imagery, coupled with the fact that the majority of humans are right-handed, created a historical/cultural implication that left-handedness is a sign of something sinful or diabolical in the nature of the southpawed individual. The same things have also been said about people with red hair or eyes colored differently, e.g. green, than that of the average local population. But again, these things arise from culture or misinterpretation of Scripture. There is no scripture indicating that anyone is born with an especial physical trait indicating a greater proclivity

But let's see what Islam has to say about it:http://en.islamtoday.net/node/1841

The left hand is used by a person to clean up filth, wash himself after going to the bathroom, and other similar activities. The right hand is used for clean practices like eating and shaking hands.

It is not permissible to eat with the left hand. Whoever does so has engaged in something unlawful and has committed a sin.

Once a man was eating in the company of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and was using his left hand. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Eat with your right hand.”

The man responded: “I am not able to do so.” He only said this out of obstinacy.

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Then be unable to do so.”

The narrator of this hadîth then adds: “He was not able after that to raise his right hand to his mouth.” [Sahîh Muslim (2021)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If one of you eats, he should eat with his right hand. And if he drinks something, he should drink with his right hand. For indeed, Satan eats and drinks with his left hand.” [Sahîh Muslim (2020)]

When `Umar b. Abî Salamah was a boy, he ate in the Prophet’s company, his had went all over the table setting, grabbing from here and there. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: “My child, invoke Allah’s name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5376) and Sahîh Muslim (2022)]

Therefore, a person must give preference to his right hand while eating. No one should eschew giving preference to his right hand unless that person has suffered the loss of his right hand or suffers from some genuine affliction that makes using the right hand truly difficulty.

It is not a legitimate excuse for someone who has no injury to the right hand to merely claims that he has tried to eat with his right hand but finds it difficult to do so. A Muslim is obligated to put the teachings of Islam into practice and not be neglectful of them.

It is alright for a person to use the left hand for other activities like physical work, cleaning, cooking, writing, and the like.

[Gob]

Admittedly, however, as it is presented in the Bible, being on the left side isn't always presented as the best option.

Acts 2:33, for instance, says that Jesus is exalted to "the right hand of the Father." It says nothing about what, if anything, is on God's left side, but Jesus is implicitly in the best place.

Matthew 25:33 says that on Judgement Day That God will put the sheep (the faithful) on his right side and the goats (the wicked) on his left.

It also bears mentioning that the Written Hebrew language is read from right to left.

All of this imagery, coupled with the fact that the majority of humans are right-handed, created a historical/cultural implication that left-handedness is a sign of something sinful or diabolical in the nature of the southpawed individual.

[Lord Jim]

All of this imagery, coupled with the fact that the majority of humans are right-handed, created a historical/cultural implication that left-handedness is a sign of something sinful

Which of course is absolutely nothing like The Bible calling left-handedness a sin which is the completely false message conveyed in that meme.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Gob
You could have added something of interest instead of just parroting my even-handed (ha!) contribution. The meme-moron said he got it from the Bible and yet "There is no scriptural basis for left-handedness being sinful". What he means is, he got this idea from twats who don't know what the Bible actually says.

If you want look into society, we can see that dexter (as in dexterous) is right-handed and sinister is left handed. The heraldic device for a bastard is the Bend Sinister, not descended from the "right" hand but from the left. And that was my faction name in the game of Kingmaker.

I don't know why the Islamic (or is Arabic?) people wipe their bums with the left hand - I could never manage that - but it's one theory as to how left-handedness came to be thought of as unclean in primitive societies.

Maybe you created the meme? If so, sorry.

[Lord Jim]

Nicholas Ferroni-
educator, activist

Kind of ironic, a guy spreading such ignorance calling himself an "educator"....

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, he is a left-hander

[Scooter]

34 Public Displays of Affection that Straight People Take for Granted

[MajGenl.Meade]

One of the traditional ways for two Sotho men to walk together is to hold hands. The first time I encountered that, it felt a little awkward because I wondered what other people would think. After an uncomfortable first few minutes, it stopped bothering me. I wasn't interested in what the (let's face it) white Afrikaaner thought of it as my friend Thapelo and I strolled chatting through the mall.

Men greeting each other with a hug is not unusual and doesn't call into question their sexuality at all. The French do this kissing each other on the cheek thing but two men French kissing is repulsive - as would be two women or a man and woman. Exhibitionist twats - all of 'em.

I don't know what the 34 bits were - it was too boring to click 'em all (Kenny Lofton). Probably walking along with hands on each others arses is in there - keep it for home.

Personally, I'm not overfond of PDA amongst any people - usually it's some ostentatious "look at me; I'm so important" things. Public proposals such as one sees occasionally at baseball games (not so much at cricket perhaps) are desperate cries for attention (DCA). Wedding ceremonies held in public places are twee attempts to be "different".