Dang, I Missed National Catfish Day

With Jesus as my witness, I can't believe I missed this one:

National Catfish Day is a national observance of the United States celebrating "the value of farm-raised catfish."

Okay, now I now why I missed it. :/

Oh, and July 4th is Independence Day over here. Have fun, but make sure you don't blow your head off:

What makes up the Christian Bible?

Are we just talking about the books in today's New Testament? What about the The Book of Splendor or The Gospel of Judas? Someone wrote all that stuff down a long time ago, but someone since decided it was heretical. Why?

It seems that early Christianity was a very segmented and heterogeneous collection of interpretations of Christ's teachings - many of which didn't agree with each other. The oldest original surviving manuscripts are translated copies of texts originally written down and copied by hand over and over many years after Christ and His disciples left this planet. We're so used to the Bible as it stands today that it's easy to understand why books previously expurgated seem odd, fanciful, or even downright bizarre.

But what if the Book of Revelations was a new find? Wouldn't it seem completely odd when compared to other books of the New Testament? To me, it seems more comparable to some of the removed texts than much of the rest of what was deemed acceptable. It almost seems, dare I say, more like a gnostic tract than comparable to Matthew or Mark.

So what makes up the real Christian Bible? That's a question to which I don't have an answer, but I have lots of incomplete opinions. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

JWSTSOOY #0002b - The $54 Million Pants Followup

Thank God. Literally.

No $54 Million for Missing Pants, Judge Rules

BBS - The Parable of the Sower

Welcome to the first BBS at Twisted Christian Blog. The first Bible quote we'll study is...

Matthew 13:1-9 - The Parable of the Sower

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

In case anyone wants to read the following discourse between Christ and His disciples (something I whole-heartedly encourage because it's great stuff!), here's a link to the entire surrounding section of Matthew for this parable - Matthew 13:1-23.

I'll refrain from commenting here in the post, but please check the comments below and join in on the discussion!

New Section - Blog Bible Study (BBS)

I'm seriously considering an online blog-based Bible study. I love the idea of taking a section of the Bible and reviewing it with smart people who want to dig for the truth. My main concern now is how to get started, but I think the solution might be to choose a concept and dig into it from some "random" starting point.

How about we begin with a miracle? I love Jesus' miracles, the (usually unexpected) lessons taught, and the strange way people around him react to them. Does anyone have a favorite they would like to get started with?

I think today would be a great day to select a miracle (or parable) and Monday would be a great day to begin discussing it. What do you think?

The world is going to hell?

If the title of this post is accurate, who wants to be meek? I guess I shouldn't be so pessimistic, but I have to admit that I'm a little upset by the current state of affairs in the U.S. How can someone who professes belief in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit also be so diametrically opposed with me on nearly everything... including how to understand the Bible and live his (or her) life?

Of course, I'm perfect. :/

Note: On Friday, June 22, I changed this post to end the title with a question mark. I guess I'm feeling better about things today and didn't want to scare anyone away with such a pessimistic title.

JWSTSOOY #0002a - The $54 Million Pants

First, if you haven't heard of this case, please read this: Dry Cleaner Calls $54 Million Lawsuit Over Pants a ‘Nightmare’

Now that you know what's going on, you have to admit something is really fishy here. I can't imagine Jesus wouldn't shake his head at the huge pair this dude must have grown to expect anyone to take this case seriously. There are always two sides to every argument, but at what point is a single pair (or even a closet full) of pants being damaged or lost, even with personal abuse being heaped on, worth $54 million?

Update: Here's a link to the man's Wikipedia page (search term: 'Pants Lawsuit'). It should be interesting to watch over the next few weeks.

Note: The last link above is an archived version of his Wikipedia page which was revised and then locked due to this kind of inappropriate (but funny in a NSFW way) vandalism.

Simple Question #007a: Should Drugs Be Legalized?

Who needs coffee? I do, for one. Is that an addiction? Maybe, but since I have a steady supply, it's cheap and legal, and I'm not hurting anyone when I "get high" I think I'll stick with it at least for now. There is one kind of coffee I would probably never try and I'm sure it's possible to overdose, but I don't abuse it that badly.

Some drugs are seriously problematic. Getting addicted is easy. Staying high becomes more important to the user than anything else. Using can destroy your life. Cessation can kill you (or make you wish you were dead). But not all illegal drugs are like this. Maybe there's room for legalization of at least some? Some would argue that marijuana is safer than alcohol. Is a drug okay just because it's legal? Jesus turned water into wine, so it can't be all bad.

Maybe the bigger issue is over whether the legal definitions of drug use are the same as the moral parameters. What do you think?

What happened to all the "challenging" posts?

I admit, I've fallen away from the big, somewhat argumentative, challenging posts. Does that mean there will never be another one? Hell no. In fact, I know there will be more. But life isn't about long, tedious platitudes. It's the small details where true wisdom and enlightenment lies (or is it lays?).

I also think a blog clogged with longer posts tends to wear out the author and alienate the reader. It seems the discussions in the comments have been more stimulating than anything else going on here. I love that people are participating and thank everyone for reading and chiming in!

So, in summation, the State of the Blog is strong and growing. ;)

Mr Wizard Goes to the Big Lab in the Sky

Mr. Wizard (1917-2007)

Dang, I Missed Pig Day!

I can't believe I missed a national (to the U.S.) event as critical and notworthy as National Pig Day! Oh well. I'll look forward to next March 1. The site claims that pigs are "our most intelligent domesticated creature." I wonder if this person has seen the first episode of Deadwood.

Oh, and Father's Day comes up on the 17th!

Simple Question #006a: What Makes a Word "Cursed"?

I know there is a long list of "forbidden" words in today's world. In English alone there are dozens. Some of them are really fun to say, but what exactly is it about then that makes them less than acceptable to say in mixed company?

Would Jesus use some of these words? If not, then why? Methinks He might not avoid them just because he's supposed to. There must be an underlying reason beyond avoiding offense.

What do you think?

Jesus Wants You to Quit Smoking!

I know He does... He told me so. If you just need a little encouragement, check out this smoking cessation info-porn:

Followup: Creation Museum - Ars Technica Visit

For anyone wanting to see what the insides of the Creation Museum are haunted with, check out this page where Ars Technica takes a field trip: the Creation Museum.

Simple Question #005a: Does Old = Prejudiced?

What is it about getting old that makes (some?) people so prejudiced? Is it the outdated intolerance of a passing generation or is it something we will contend with too? I ask because in my more honest moments, I have to admit that I feel it occasionally creeping into my head and that sucks.

I need to determine whether this is an inevitable aspect of aging or something that can be avoided with a judicial application of resistance. Am I an eventual old, grumpy, hateful bigot or am I just dealing with the same demons we all face as our minds slow down and we have something more to lose if society changes.

I tell ya, those damn kids with their spirographs and their iPods messin' up my lawn are really hoarkin' me off. Did I just say that out loud?

So, is "Old" the same this as "Prejudiced" and, if so, is that a bad thing?

What is it that's really close to Godliness?

The old saying is "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." I think Brendan McBride, the author of the wonderful Off the Beaten Path, has found the real concept close to God's heart: Laughter.

Simple Question #004a: What is a Church?

Is it the building? Is it the leader? Is it the people? Is it the community efforts? What really is a Church?

I know that Christ said, For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. So what about when I'm all alone? Why isn't that a Church too. What if I'm standing alone at the altar of a well-known cathedral and praying earnestly? I guess that's not really a Church... but why?

Set your recorders: June 2 & June 16

BBC Celebrates Sgt. Pepper's 40th Anniversary

Should be good if I can remember it's playing many hours ahead of the time they listed.