Re: Making money from Java

"Alistair" <alistair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Judson McClendon wrote:
>> "Alistair" <alistair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> > Judson, another God (Allah) told his faithful to spread his word with
>> > force if necessary. Does that make it right?
>>
>> Jesus never sinned, and even Pilate said He was innocent. Jesus gave His
>> life willingly. He further proved that He is God by raising from the dead
>> and being seen by over 500 people at one time. Mohammed was a cruel man
>> (like his father) who beat his wives. Mohammed didn't give his life for
>> anybody. And we know where Mohammed's bones are. Moslems are free to
>> believe what they like, but I'll go with Jesus. :-)
>
> You have blatantly avoided the question. Both are God-given
> philosophies and are equally valid/with merit.

In your mind, perhaps. :-)

> Both philosophies are
> fundamentally of their time and flawed. We are all aware of Mohammed's
> liking for multiple wives and how he changed the rules to accomodate
> his enlarging appetite (I can feel a fatwah coming in my direction
> soon) but Allah requires his faithful to use jihad to spread the word.
> Is it right to use force when one's god demands it?

It depends on who/what one makes their 'god'. The real God, the one who
created everything, and before Whom every being will stand and be judged,
chose not to force people to believe. Had He wanted to do that, he could
have avoided being blasphemed and cursed by those who hate Him. If this
'Allah' is all powerful and pre-determines every act, then calls upon some
to destroy others for not believing, that is logically inconsistent. The
real God permits people a choice, calls upon them to do right, provides a
way to be reconcilled to Him even after they fail to do this, then judges
them based on what they choose to do with their own hearts. If you can't
tell which of those created this universe we see, then no evidence could be
presented that can change your thinking. :-)

> In contrast, Christianity requires turning the other cheek. However,
> Papal action allows the killing of heathens and pagans (in crusades)
> and banned the crossbow as the work of Satan. Can a crusade be
> justified?

The Pope isn't God, he is just a man.

>> Considering the vast public attention focused on these
>> events, is it reasonable to believe the soldiers would have done so for a
>> bribe, knowing the scrutiny their betrayal of duty would receive? In the
>> Biblical account, the soldiers only took a bribe *after* they were in
>> deep
>> poo, in hope of getting out of said poo, a far more likely scenario. The
>> Roman Empire did a thorough investigation of the events surrounding
>> Jesus'
>> trial, crucifixion and resurrection. The Roman orator Tortulius (sp?)
>> made
>> reference around 200 AD to the then extant records of that investigation,
>> and his comments are consistent with the Bible. The vast preponderance of
>> evidence supports the truth of the Biblical account. Such was the
>> conclusion
>> of the world's greatest authority on evidence, Simon Greenleaf.
>
> Never heard of him.

Google him. Greenleaf was one of the founders of Harvard School of Law, and
wrote, quite literally, 'The Book' on evidence: "Law of Evidence". I
understand this is a standard legal reference in virtually all western law
schools. When it comes to legal evidence, Greenleaf is The Authority. When
one of his law students at Harvard asked him what would happen if the
evidence for Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection were tested in a
court of law, Greenleaf's curiosity was piqued, causing him to devote
several months to studying the issue, resulting in a little book called "The
Testimony of the Evangelists: The Gospels Examined by the Rules of Evidence
Administered in Courts of Justice."
--
Judson McClendon judmc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (remove zero)
Sun Valley Systems http://sunvaley.com
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."


.

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