Cain and Abel

[MattK]

Feeling particularly blasphemous today? Well head on over to Free Range Thought for the next installment in a series I like to call, the Bible (don't read ahead or you'll spoil it!).

[Tonyblack]

That's good!

[Sjoerd3000]

It´s funny Like the Adam and Eve story a bit more though

[Beth]

I've been reading a couple of books on Matthew Manning, the British psychic and healer. First is about him in general the other is about experiences he had with poltergeists in his house when he was younger. Very very interesting. Also reading Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland by Lady Gregory.

And um..Carpe Jugulum. You know how it is.

[poohbcarrot]

Love it!

[chris.ph]

very good matt liked the bit about him marrying a very close relation

[Tonyblack]

The story about the prodigal son always bugged me. It seems to me that what it is saying is - go off, enjoy yourself, live irresponsibly and as long as you say you're sorry you'll get treated better than someone who has worked hard, been a good person and behaved yourself.

What sort of message is that?

[MattK]

Thanks everyone. The semester is starting next week so my writing will slow down a bit. Except for those ever so much fun papers for organic chemistry, A&P, and 3 other classes that I can't remember right now. But I'm glad you all (or you'se as people say around these parts) enjoyed it. I'll write some more when I can.

[Batty]

The story about the prodigal son always bugged me. It seems to me that what it is saying is - go off, enjoy yourself, live irresponsibly and as long as you say you're sorry you'll get treated better than someone who has worked hard, been a good person and behaved yourself.

What sort of message is that?

It's an unfair message, Tony. It's like the sibling that never visits or helps a parent, only for that parent to cherish them more than the other siblings who are around constantly.

I can only guess at the prodigal son as meaning that someone who is naturally inclined to be good makes less effort to be so than someone who struggles to be good but decideds to act responsibly anyway.
The first step to turning over a new leaf towards 'goodness' is to have acted badly in the past.
Does that make sense??

[MattK]

There's another part of that story that people usually forget. The whole situation was compared to a shepherd losing a sheep. That shepherd, it stated, would leave the rest of his flock to go search for that wayward sheep. And when he found it, would celebrate its return. So the whole thing is just a metaphor (allegory?) for someone losing their faith, then coming back to the church. And when someone does return, you realize how much they were missed and celebrate. It's more of a you don't know what you have until it's gone idea.

At least that's the interpretation I remember from religion class. Personally, I think the other sheep in the flock would have run off somewhere else while the shepherd abandoned them to go find the one stupid sheep, but that's just me.

Besides, who wouldn't celebrate their son returning after they thought he was gone for good?

[Tonyblack]

At least that's the interpretation I remember from religion class. Personally, I think the other sheep in the flock would have run off somewhere else while the shepherd abandoned them to go find the one stupid sheep, but that's just me.

No, that's the way I saw it as well.

[Jan Van Quirm]

what if he was a she and came back with a load of kids from various people who were definitely not close relatives?

I quite like god in this - makes a nice change anyway