Sodaiho

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]I understand your defense of the hebrew faith Sodaiho, but it is clannishness, and it is also an "earthly" attachment. Although I suspect that you don't really have all that great an attachment to it, as evidenced by your also being a buddhist.[/quote] NS. It is important to differentiate between a religion and a people. Peoplehood does often appear "clanish". There is no separation between earthly and unearthly. There is just the Universe, a non

Hitbodedut in Religion JoeUser Forums

Good Morning Everyone, Last night we practiced meditation at Temple Beth El. Our small group is growing. We have three new people attending and it is delightful to experience their energy. Practice within a group is a long Jewish tradition. Still, a private practice is an excellent daily obligation we should take on for ourselves. Hitbodedut means to "withdrawal" oneself and Hasidic Masters such as Rabbi Nachman

Appreciate Your Life in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, When we appreciate our lives our lives assume meaning. Appreciation requires us to stop, open, and experience. We stop our self talk, that constant chatter going on in our mind by directing our attention to something outside of ourselves, then we experience that something. We can experience with all of our sense organs: our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and mind. These organs become gates an

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

Good Morning Everyone, A theory is two or more variables that explain or predict something. A good theory should be empirically testable to have any use value. Usually theory is constructed from observation first, then as concepts are isolated from observation, they are operationalized into empirically verifiable variables. We look to see if there are relationships between variables. Does a rudimentary scheme arise? All of this is what is called "qualitative" theory buildi

Reply to A Bleeding Heart Has a Change of Heart in Politics JoeUser Forums

:) I might add, however, that it is a distortion to think that Democrats do not believe in personal accountability. The Republican Party seems to think that it has a corner on the morality market. Baloney. I know I'm a Democrat and I believe people should work for a living and be personally accountable, and so on...all the ethical and moral aspects we should maintain ourselves as good citizens. I also believe we, as a society, have an obligation to care for each other, espe

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]I'm just curious Sodaiho, who do you pray to? [/quote] Adonai, the Holy One, blessed be He. A/K/A , the Absolute , the Infinite , Big Mind , Elohim , El Shaddai , the Universe. God is God by any name. The God that pervades the universe, is the universe and all that is in it. Be well.

Reply to Daily Blessings in Religion Stardock Forums

Boudica, Its sort of strange, eh? I am Jewish, yes. I am also a Zen Buddhist who took vows to become a Zen priest. Its important to keep in mind that Zen Buddhism is a practice, not specifically a belief system. Zen and Judaism have very much in common. Sometime I'll write about these commonalities, I am sure. TA, A bow to you. :)

Reply to Noah's Flood: the Beginning and the End in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]It's clear that there was a downward decline in post Flood life spans. That would beg the question why? Some scientists suggest that man's environment underwent a drastic change which reduces our life span. [/quote] Only so if we completely ignore changes in how "years" were counted. Many traditions uses long spans of time to support the greatness of someone or something. Its part of how we construct powerful stories. It doesn't mean the numbers ar

Daily Blessings in Religion JoeUser Forums

The Shulhan Aruch, in the Orah Haim section (46), codifies the obligation to recite a minimum of one hundred Berachot each day. Several different sources have been suggested for this requirement. The Talmud and the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides , Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) c

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]Alas, atheism is in ascendance.[/quote] Not so. We non-Christian theists only require a secular, pluralistic state. While I think Christian attempts at conversion are repugnant, I do understand that you think it is your obligation and I believe in a free country, your right. On the other hand, then, it is equally true that I, from my religious perspective, have the right to keep my faith and rebuke your attempts. Lula, the fear underlying your con

Reply to Noah's Flood: the Beginning and the End in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]Hebrew "har" is not a mountain, it's a hill. And Noah did not land on the top of the mountains or a mountain but simply "on the hills". Northeastern Iraq is a mountainous region, but the relative height of the hills of Urartu wouldn't be that impressive. "Urartu", written without vowels, can be read as "Ararat". The two are the same word. (The word begins with an Aleph, a silent glottal stop: 'RRT. Fill in /u/ /a/ /-/ /u/ and you get "Urartu", fill in /a/ /a/ /a/ /-/ and you get "Arara

Reply to Noah's Flood: the Beginning and the End in Religion JoeUser Forums

Hello Leauki, Yes, Harvey Sodaiho Hilbert. Rabbi Kane is not a linguist, but he is quite perceptive I think. I have another rabbi friend, actually our Temple's new rabbi, coming into town in a few days. I'll share your piece with him, as well. I am surprised that KFC or Lula have not dropped by here on this blog as yet. Be well...and I am looking forward to reading your work.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]Oh well....Yes, I quoted certain passages from the Talmud and yes, what I quoted is vile stuff. Those quotes stand. They are what they are...quotes from pages of the Talmud. One does not have to read the Talmud to acquire quotes from its pages.[/quote] This is true if one wants to appear completely uneducated. Quoting something without having read the material then making judgements about the entire work is not very good form. Take it from this former professor. One needs

Reply to Daily Life in Religion Stardock Forums

Boudica, :) The question isn't whether reality exists without perception, but rather what that reality is without perception. What we call reality is really an interaction between mind and environment, but it is not reality itself. To get to reality without perception, we practice zazen. Zen monks, like myself, use koans to help people consider these things. For example: What was your face, the face you had before your father and mother were born?</p

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

Lula! Your theology is getting stranger and stranger! Are you a monotheist or a polytheist? Jesus was not "in Abraham", for goodness sake. Jesus wasn't born for another couple of thousand years! If you say Jesus was with God in heaven, then God is two, not one. [quote]God created us for eternal life with Him and He gave us the path to everlasting life. [/quote] Boy, this says a lot. I actually agree, but I am sure not as you understand your wo

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

Leauki, check your Noah article for a comment by my rabbi friend. Be well.

Reply to Noah's Flood: the Beginning and the End in Religion Stardock Forums

Leauki, FYI: Hi Harvey Thanks for sharing the interesting commentary. I think the column you sent is a good one, assuming one is familiar with the way that the Hebrew language works . I knew immediately where the author was going -- namely, that in Hebrew "shin,

Tisha B'Av in Religion JoeUser Forums

Good Morning Everyone, Today is Tisha B'Av, the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av. It is a day of mourning. On this day both Temples were said to be destroyed some 600 years apart from each other. On this day, the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and on this day the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began to be transported to Death Camps. We are to remember. We are to mourn. Many fast on this day. Many do not wash or wear clean clothes on this day. It is considered a mitzvah to

Daily Life in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, In another day or so I will continue my brief commentary on the Faith Mind Poem. I find this poem to be a clear reminder of how we should make our lives our practice. Its a challenging life, the Zen Way. Open, flowing, without attachment, yet at the same time, in the very midst of things. We practice to love without possessing, care without concern for being cared about, and do these with no self. A

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]Have you ever looked at a public school earth science textbook, SoDaiho?[/quote] Lula, :) Yes. Unfortunately, due to a severe stream of anti-intellectualism and suspiciousness of education here in the US, among other factors, our textbooks are dumbed down incredibly. We teach to the lowest common denominator. On the other hand, I have read both the Origin of Species and the Descent of Man . And have a pretty good understanding of historical

Reply to Noah's Flood: the Beginning and the End in Religion Stardock Forums

Very interesting, Leauki. And impressive. I am passing this article on to a rabbinical friend for his feedback. I'll let you know. BTW, we usually spell out "He" as "hey" in the US. It does seem to me that we invest a lot more into the text than may actually be there. Be well.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]First of all Eve, we can see quite clearly, knew because she was able to explain to the serpent the rules of the Garden as Lula has pointed out clearly. Later Adam was held responsible because it was he who was supposed to pass this knowledge down and make sure she obeyed God. Adam and Eve did have knowledge but what they lacked was experimental knowledge. That happened when they disobeyed God. Sort of like telling our children not to touch a hot stove because it's hot. While they may

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]God breathes life into us and we become alive. Where's the metaphor here?[/quote] God's "breath".

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

[quote]See I don't think that's it. They were capable. They [/quote] Hi KFC, I am really puzzled then. Moral action is contingent upon the ability to discern right from wrong. As I understand the story, it wasn't until after they ate of the tree's fruit that they posessed these attributes. God's commandments are moral imperatives. So, it seems to be suggesting that God held the couple accountable before they had the ability to be accountable. How do you

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion Stardock Forums

Leauki, Good Shabbos. My sense of this material in post 914 is that human beings tend to anthropomorphize their fears and hopes. Stories, such as the biblical creation stories, are our attempts at understanding and teaching. Human beings use devices like "God" as a being and the "Adversary" as a being, to play out the drama in our lives. Much as the Greeks and Romans did with their pantheon. In trying to undersand God it seems, historicaly, that we must