JULY 25, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Oldest known Bible goes online
Oldest known Bible goes online
By Richard Allen Greene
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/07/06/ancient.bible.online/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The world's oldest known Christian Bible goes online Monday -- but the 1,600-year-old text doesn't match the one you'll find in churches today.
The British government bought most of the pages of the ancient manuscript in 1933.
1 of 2
Discovered in a monastery in the Sinai desert in Egypt more than 160 years ago, the handwritten Codex Sinaiticus includes two books that are not part of the official New Testament and at least seven books that are not in the Old Testament.
The New Testament books are in a different order, and include numerous handwritten corrections -- some made as much as 800 years after the texts were written, according to scholars who worked on the project of putting the Bible online. The changes range from the alteration of a single letter to the insertion of whole sentences.
And some familiar -- very important -- passages are missing, including verses dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, they said.
Juan Garces, the British Library project curator, said it should be no surprise that the ancient text is not quite the same as the modern one, since the Bible has developed and changed over the years.
"The Bible as an inspirational text has a history," he told CNN.
"There are certainly theological questions linked to this," he said. "Everybody should be encouraged to investigate for themselves."
That is part of the reason for putting the Bible online, said Garces, who is both a Biblical scholar and a computer scientist.
"Scholars will want to look very closely at it, and some of the Web site functionality is specifically for them -- the ability to search the text, the ability to highlight a word, the degree of detail is particularly interesting for scholars interested in the text," he said.
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Codex Sinaiticus project
But, he added, "It's for everyone, really a wide audience, because of curiosity, because they appreciate the value of it."
By the middle of the fourth century, when the Codex Sinaiticus was written, there was wide but not complete agreement on which books should be considered authoritative for Christian communities, according to the Web site where the Codex is posted.
The Bible comes from the Monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai desert, where a scholar named Constantine Tischendorf recognized its significance in 1844 -- and promptly took part of it, Garces explained.
"Constantine Tischendorf was in search for ancient manuscripts, so he appreciated the age and value of it," Garces said.
He took a handful of pages to Germany to publish them, then returned in 1853 and in 1859 for more. On that last trip, he took 694 pages, which ended up in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Soviet government decided to sell them in 1933 -- to raise money to buy tractors and other agricultural equipment.
The British government bought the pages for £100,000, raising half the money from the public. Garces called that event one of the first fundraising campaigns in British history.
Film footage from the time shows crowds of people turning out to see the manuscript, which was considered a national treasure, he said.
Though the Bible has been reassembled online, in the real world it remains scattered.
Most of it is in London. Eighty-six pages are held at the University Library in Leipzig, Germany, parts of 12 pages are held at the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg, and 24 pages and 40 fragments remain at St. Catherine's Monastery, recovered by the monks from the northern wall of the structure in June 1975.
The manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. (A copy held at the Vatican dates from about the same period.) Older copies of individual portions of the Christian Bible exist, but not as part of a complete text.
The Codex also includes much of the Old Testament that was adopted by early Greek-speaking Christians.
That portion includes books not found in the Hebrew Bible and regarded in the Protestant tradition as apocryphal, such as 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 1 & 4 Maccabees, Wisdom and Sirach.
The New Testament portion includes the Epistle of Barnabas and The Shepherd of Hermas.
As it survives today, Codex Sinaiticus comprises just over 400 large leaves of parchment -- prepared animal skin -- each of which measures 15 inches by 13.6 inches (380 mm by 345 mm).
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Why is There Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses?
Why is There Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses?
Author: Fleur Hupston
Published: May 8, 2009
Throughout the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs and practices have spurred controversy and opposition all over the world. Why do they face such opposition?
Persecution has been a recurrent experience of the Jehovah's Witnesses since its foundation. Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to mob action and government oppression, in countries such as Cuba , the United States , Canada and Nazi Germany.
Activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have previously been banned in the Soviet Union and in Spain and they are still banned in several countries such as China , Vietnam and many Islamic states.
Ken Jubber writes that, "Viewed globally, this persecution has been so persistent and of such an intensity that it would not be inaccurate to regard Jehovah's Witnesses as the most persecuted religion of the twentieth century."
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not seek to be persecuted or hated and they do not enjoy the hardships — fines, imprisonments, beatings even executions. They desire to lead a calm and quiet life, they appreciate the religious freedom they have in most lands to carry on with their worship and preaching activity and are generally known to be honest, law-abiding citizens in every country they reside in. Why, then, are they objects of hatred?
Politically Neutrality and Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses act upon their religious beliefs in ways that make them unpopular with some. They remain neutral towards the politics and wars of the nations and will not get involved in taking up arms to kill other human beings.
Sometimes this has been wrongly taken to mean that the Witnesses are disloyal citizens. But as a whole, Jehovah's Witnesses will obey the laws of the land to the fullest extent without political involvement or the sacrifice of human life — Jehovah's Witnesses refuse conscription.
"Perhaps the most notable thing about the Witnesses is their insistence upon their primary allegiance to God, before any other power in the world,” points out Dr. C. S. Braden in These Also Believe.
Jehovah's Witnesses Are Targets of Accusations
The accusations lodged against Jehovah's Witnesses sometimes take the form of lies or twisted presentations of their beliefs. Misinformation and unjustified attacks of their beliefs have led some to persecute and punish members of this religion in some lands.
For example, because Jehovah's Witnesses seek non-blood medical treatment that is in harmony with their desire to obey the Bible’s command to "abstain from blood," (Acts 15:29) they have wrongly been labeled “child murderers” and “a suicide cult.”
But the fact is that Jehovah’s Witnesses place a high value on life, and they seek to obtain the best available medical care for themselves and their children. One accusation holds that numerous children of Jehovah’s Witnesses die each year as a result of refusing blood transfusions, though some claim that this allegation is unfounded.
In addition, research in 2006 shows that there are over 100,000 doctors in the United States alone that offer some version of bloodless treatment to all patients regardless of religious beliefs, providing Jehovah's Witnesses with a viable alternative treatment.
Religious Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses
In many instances, the principal instigators of persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses have turned out to be religious opposers who have used their influence with political authorities and the media to try to suppress the activities of the Witnesses.
For example, they zealously preach the good news of God’s Kingdom, but people often misunderstand their zeal, viewing their preaching as “aggressive proselytizing.”
Jehovah's Witnesses have fought legal battles the world over to protect their right to worship and preach.
As Dr. Charles Haynes said, “We all owe the Jehovah’s Witnesses a debt of gratitude. No matter how many times they’re insulted, run out of town, or even physically attacked, they keep on fighting for their (and thus our) freedom of religion. And when they win, we all win.”
http://religious-persecution.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/why_are_jehovahs_witnesses_so_unpopular
Sources:
Jubber, Ken (1977). "The Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Africa ". Social Compass, 24 (1): p.121.
Cox, Archibald (1987). The Court and the Constitution. Boston , MA : Houghton Mifflin Co.. p.189.
Dr. Charles Haynes, First Freedoms: A Documentary History of First Amendment Rights in America (2006) and Religion in American Public Life.
Jehovah's Witness Official Website.
Author: Fleur Hupston
Published: May 8, 2009
Throughout the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs and practices have spurred controversy and opposition all over the world. Why do they face such opposition?
Persecution has been a recurrent experience of the Jehovah's Witnesses since its foundation. Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to mob action and government oppression, in countries such as Cuba , the United States , Canada and Nazi Germany.
Activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have previously been banned in the Soviet Union and in Spain and they are still banned in several countries such as China , Vietnam and many Islamic states.
Ken Jubber writes that, "Viewed globally, this persecution has been so persistent and of such an intensity that it would not be inaccurate to regard Jehovah's Witnesses as the most persecuted religion of the twentieth century."
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not seek to be persecuted or hated and they do not enjoy the hardships — fines, imprisonments, beatings even executions. They desire to lead a calm and quiet life, they appreciate the religious freedom they have in most lands to carry on with their worship and preaching activity and are generally known to be honest, law-abiding citizens in every country they reside in. Why, then, are they objects of hatred?
Politically Neutrality and Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses act upon their religious beliefs in ways that make them unpopular with some. They remain neutral towards the politics and wars of the nations and will not get involved in taking up arms to kill other human beings.
Sometimes this has been wrongly taken to mean that the Witnesses are disloyal citizens. But as a whole, Jehovah's Witnesses will obey the laws of the land to the fullest extent without political involvement or the sacrifice of human life — Jehovah's Witnesses refuse conscription.
"Perhaps the most notable thing about the Witnesses is their insistence upon their primary allegiance to God, before any other power in the world,” points out Dr. C. S. Braden in These Also Believe.
Jehovah's Witnesses Are Targets of Accusations
The accusations lodged against Jehovah's Witnesses sometimes take the form of lies or twisted presentations of their beliefs. Misinformation and unjustified attacks of their beliefs have led some to persecute and punish members of this religion in some lands.
For example, because Jehovah's Witnesses seek non-blood medical treatment that is in harmony with their desire to obey the Bible’s command to "abstain from blood," (Acts 15:29) they have wrongly been labeled “child murderers” and “a suicide cult.”
But the fact is that Jehovah’s Witnesses place a high value on life, and they seek to obtain the best available medical care for themselves and their children. One accusation holds that numerous children of Jehovah’s Witnesses die each year as a result of refusing blood transfusions, though some claim that this allegation is unfounded.
In addition, research in 2006 shows that there are over 100,000 doctors in the United States alone that offer some version of bloodless treatment to all patients regardless of religious beliefs, providing Jehovah's Witnesses with a viable alternative treatment.
Religious Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses
In many instances, the principal instigators of persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses have turned out to be religious opposers who have used their influence with political authorities and the media to try to suppress the activities of the Witnesses.
For example, they zealously preach the good news of God’s Kingdom, but people often misunderstand their zeal, viewing their preaching as “aggressive proselytizing.”
Jehovah's Witnesses have fought legal battles the world over to protect their right to worship and preach.
As Dr. Charles Haynes said, “We all owe the Jehovah’s Witnesses a debt of gratitude. No matter how many times they’re insulted, run out of town, or even physically attacked, they keep on fighting for their (and thus our) freedom of religion. And when they win, we all win.”
http://religious-persecution.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/why_are_jehovahs_witnesses_so_unpopular
Sources:
Jubber, Ken (1977). "The Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Africa ". Social Compass, 24 (1): p.121.
Cox, Archibald (1987). The Court and the Constitution. Boston , MA : Houghton Mifflin Co.. p.189.
Dr. Charles Haynes, First Freedoms: A Documentary History of First Amendment Rights in America (2006) and Religion in American Public Life.
Jehovah's Witness Official Website.
ATM MACHINE..MALE VS. FEMALE!
MALE VS. FEMALE AT THE ATM MACHINE
A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:
'Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles..
Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.
After months of careful research, MALE &FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the Appropriate steps for your gender.'
*******************************
MALE PROCEDURE:
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.
*****************
**************
FEMALE PROCEDURE:
What is really funny is that most of this part is the Truth.!!!!
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2.. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card..
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow
easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
1 3. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17.. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty handbag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26.. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.
A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:
'Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles..
Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.
After months of careful research, MALE &FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the Appropriate steps for your gender.'
*******************************
MALE PROCEDURE:
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.
*****************
**************
FEMALE PROCEDURE:
What is really funny is that most of this part is the Truth.!!!!
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2.. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card..
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow
easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
1 3. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17.. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty handbag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26.. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
this is disgusting.
By Paula Hancocks
CNN
as seen on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/15/tv.show/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
GAZA CITY (CNN) -- It's meant to be a children's program, but "Young Pioneers" on Hamas-run television is well-known for pushing the boundaries of what most people would deem suitable content for children.
The martyrdom mission re-enactment using actors, was played to Reem Riyashi's children.
1 of 2 One episode raised eyebrows when it first aired two years ago on al Aqsa TV, featuring two young Palestinian children being shown a re-enactment of their mother's preparations for and execution of a suicide bombing.
The show was recently aired for the children of the bomber and other youths in a studio audience.
The young anchor sounds a defiant note: "And here we say to the occupier that we will follow her doctrine, the doctrine of the martyr mujahida Reem Riyashi, until we liberate our homeland from your illegitimate hands."
Riyashi killed four Israelis in a 2004 attack at the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel.
In the video, an actress playing her prepares explosives for her mission, ignoring her children's questions about what she is doing.
"Mummy, what are you holding in your arms -- a toy or a present for me?" her daughter asks.
Her daughter then sees a news report about the suicide bombing and sings, "Only now I understand what was more important than us."
The camera cuts back to the faces of her two children watching the re-enactment.
The Israeli monitoring group Palestinian Media Watch publicized and condemned the program when it first appeared.
The group told CNN, "These young children are tragic victims of horrific child abuse." Watch a report on the controversial episode »
Dr. Eyad Sarraj, a leading Palestinian psychiatrist in Gaza, worries about how glorifying suicide bombers affects children.
"Three years ago, we did a study on children in Gaza between the ages of 12 and 14, and we asked them, what would you like to be when you are 18?" Sarraj said. "At that time, 36 percent of boys said, 'I would like to be a martyr,' and 17 percent of the girls said the same."
He said children in Gaza had been so traumatized by Israeli-Palestinian violence over the years that their perceptions of life and death were damaged.
It's possible for most people in the region to watch al Aqsa television if they have the right satellite dish, though it's not possible to tell how many have seen the footage.
It is Hamas-run and its audience probably is restricted to those with that political affiliation.
Al Aqsa did not return CNN's calls for comment on the program.
Two years ago, the station created a Mickey Mouse-style character that encouraged "violent resistance" against Israel and simulated the use of an AK-47 and grenades.
CNN
as seen on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/15/tv.show/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
GAZA CITY (CNN) -- It's meant to be a children's program, but "Young Pioneers" on Hamas-run television is well-known for pushing the boundaries of what most people would deem suitable content for children.
The martyrdom mission re-enactment using actors, was played to Reem Riyashi's children.
1 of 2 One episode raised eyebrows when it first aired two years ago on al Aqsa TV, featuring two young Palestinian children being shown a re-enactment of their mother's preparations for and execution of a suicide bombing.
The show was recently aired for the children of the bomber and other youths in a studio audience.
The young anchor sounds a defiant note: "And here we say to the occupier that we will follow her doctrine, the doctrine of the martyr mujahida Reem Riyashi, until we liberate our homeland from your illegitimate hands."
Riyashi killed four Israelis in a 2004 attack at the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel.
In the video, an actress playing her prepares explosives for her mission, ignoring her children's questions about what she is doing.
"Mummy, what are you holding in your arms -- a toy or a present for me?" her daughter asks.
Her daughter then sees a news report about the suicide bombing and sings, "Only now I understand what was more important than us."
The camera cuts back to the faces of her two children watching the re-enactment.
The Israeli monitoring group Palestinian Media Watch publicized and condemned the program when it first appeared.
The group told CNN, "These young children are tragic victims of horrific child abuse." Watch a report on the controversial episode »
Dr. Eyad Sarraj, a leading Palestinian psychiatrist in Gaza, worries about how glorifying suicide bombers affects children.
"Three years ago, we did a study on children in Gaza between the ages of 12 and 14, and we asked them, what would you like to be when you are 18?" Sarraj said. "At that time, 36 percent of boys said, 'I would like to be a martyr,' and 17 percent of the girls said the same."
He said children in Gaza had been so traumatized by Israeli-Palestinian violence over the years that their perceptions of life and death were damaged.
It's possible for most people in the region to watch al Aqsa television if they have the right satellite dish, though it's not possible to tell how many have seen the footage.
It is Hamas-run and its audience probably is restricted to those with that political affiliation.
Al Aqsa did not return CNN's calls for comment on the program.
Two years ago, the station created a Mickey Mouse-style character that encouraged "violent resistance" against Israel and simulated the use of an AK-47 and grenades.
Friday, July 10, 2009
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