The Religion Thread

[rstrong]

Absolutely. On many handheld scientific and graphing calculators the highest factorial that can be calculated due to memory limitations, is 69 (or about 1.711224524×1098).

[O Really]

Even if 666 does have a specially spooky meaning, sometimes it's just the number after 665 and before 667.

[Ombudsman]

Didn't someone figure out which beast went with that number back in the 90's.

Barney the Antichrist

[neoplacebo]

Special report; for immediate release. Ok, I'm here at Reverend Graham's big birthday at the Grove Park Inn. I was hiding out in the pool house until things settled down and it got dark. That's also where I changed into my suit and grabbed my Bible. In another hour or so, I figure on launching into the sermon proper. Until then, I remain obscure and observe the activity, awaiting the correct opportunity. Stay tuned.

[rstrong]

Ronald Wilson Reagan - 666.

The new mayor of New York City is a progressive Democrat with an African-American wife who used to be a lesbian. Or as Fox News reported, the apocalypse is upon us.

His campaign slogan: “If I turned her around, imagine what I can do for New York City!”

[O Really]

Fear of 13, and, as a derivative, Friday the 13th, has a Christian origin. So does "lucky" 7, which is covered many more times in Revelation than the number 666. Semi-serious question - if she could decline number 666 for religious reasons, could she insist on being give 7 for religious reasons?

[Mr.B]

"And it likely wouldn't have meant that for you without the definition gaining pop-culture popularity thanks to a horror movie in the 1970s."

In the 70's I didn't care one way or the other, wouldn't have given it a second thought. Somehow though, methinks the defining of 666 came long before the meaning of "pop culture", movies, or the 70's.....

"Before your time here but Mr.B used to be Mr.Barney."

You had to tell him didn't you butthole!

[Ombudsman]

As rstrong mentioned, Nero is the most likely candidate to be the beast.

http://books.google.com/books?id=IzzAFl ... &q&f=false

[Mr.B]

"Special report; for immediate release. Ok, I'm here at Reverend Graham's big birthday at the Grove Park Inn. I was hiding out in the pool house until things settled down and it got dark. That's also where I changed into my suit and grabbed my Bible. In another hour or so, I figure on launching into the sermon proper. Until then, I remain obscure and observe the activity, awaiting the correct opportunity. Stay tuned."

If you had mingled with the protestors, you wouldn't have come out smelling of chlorine, waited for darkness, or had to change clothes.

The protestors were there; (all of about 6-8) protesting that the b-day bash was a promotion for the Tea Party. ( )
There were a number of Democrats there, though none were high profile like Palin, Trump, and others who are Republican.

Here's the surprise.....Franklin Graham revealed last night that his Dad is a <gasp!> life-long Democrat!

I bet those protestors felt foolish!

[Mr.B]

"I think Mr.B is coming over to the dark side."

excuse

[Mr.B]

A Christmas Celebration

After Christmas vacation, an elementary school teacher was asking her students how they
celebrated Christmas. When she got to Sammy, whose father ran a local toy store, she said,
"Sammy, since you're Jewish, I guess your family didn't celebrate Christmas." Sammy replied,
"Oh yes, we did. We all held hands and danced around the cash register singing,
'What A Friend We Have In Jesus.'

[Ombudsman]

Is this how xtians start their "Lord's Day," with a little anti-semitic humor?

[O Really]

"Anti-semitic" humour? That's bit harsh isn't it?
Sometimes the best lawyer jokes come from lawyers. I wouldn't be surprised if some Jews haven't told that one themselves, since they end up as the smart ones in the story.

[O Really]

Ombudsman is correct, the stereotype of the greedy Jew is longstanding and well known.

Indeed it is, sometimes earned, sometimes not, But it's interesting you guys see Sammy's family as greedy, whereas I saw them as astute business people and the teacher as stupid and culturally ignorant.

[O Really]

...

What was stupid and culturally ignorant about the teacher's open-ended statement?

Seriously?

1. Asking her students in an (apparently) public school how they celebrated Christmas when she knew or should have known she had at least one Jewish kid and maybe some other or non-religious kids? What's wrong with asking what they did on their Holiday vacation? Or how did they celebrate the holidays? Those that celebrated Christmas from a religious standpoint could say so; those who celebrated Christmas with Secular Santa could say so; those who celebrated other holidays could say so. Nobody gets left out, excluded, or made to feel different.

2. Making assumptions of Sammy because she knew him to be Jewish? What's wrong with just saying, "Sammy, how did you spend the holidays"?

Look, I could take yours and Ombuds side. I know the probable intent of the joke's originator (who I'm guessing was not Mr.B), was to make fun of the "greedy Jews," but I think if that was the intent, it fell flat. I think Sammy, and his family, were the good guys, and I bet a lot of Jews who read the joke would think so, too.

[Ombudsman]

"Anti-semitic" humour? That's bit harsh isn't it?
Sometimes the best lawyer jokes come from lawyers. I wouldn't be surprised if some Jews haven't told that one themselves, since they end up as the smart ones in the story.

You know better than that. It's a joke based on the stereotype of the greedy Jew moneychanger. Christians have a long history of hatred towards their god's chosen people. Odd huh?

[Mr.B]

Good grief y'all...get a grip.

It was a joke centered on the fact that Jews don't celebrate Christmas, or even recognize Christ the same as Christians, but were celebrating a good business season centered on the spending of those who do. The fact that the Christmas season is the moneymaker in any business, this family was celebrating.

Yes the teacher in this joke was a bit un-sensitive, but anti-Semitism? Oms got his step-ins in a wad just to bash me.

It didn't work, I ignored his ranting that's he's famous for. Odd huh?....hardly.

[Mr.B]

"Antisemitic is what we're saying the "joke" author and you are, Mr.B, not the teacher."

Like I said...it's a joke; get a grip and come on down off your "I'm offended" soapboxes. You're beginning to sound like Ombudsman.

[O Really]

I don't see, "Sammy, since you're Jewish, I guess your family didn't celebrate Christmas," as being as laden with malicious intent as you do. We'd have to know a broader context before deeming it "stupid and culturally ignorant".

"Stupid and culturally ignorant" does not necessarily equal "malicious intent." But let's see, the teacher apparently knew Sammy was Jewish. She thought he probably didn't celebrate Christmas. Wouldn't it have been reasonable to ask him about Hanukkah? Saying "I guess your family didn't celebrate Christmas" shows an ignorance both of Sammy's actual practices as well as what practices might reasonably be expected of a Jewish family.

Yes, Mr.B, we all know it's "just a joke," but it does make for entertaining and lively discussion, doesn't it?

[Ombudsman]

I don't see, "Sammy, since you're Jewish, I guess your family didn't celebrate Christmas," as being as laden with malicious intent as you do. We'd have to know a broader context before deeming it "stupid and culturally ignorant".

"Stupid and culturally ignorant" does not necessarily equal "malicious intent." But let's see, the teacher apparently knew Sammy was Jewish. She thought he probably didn't celebrate Christmas. Wouldn't it have been reasonable to ask him about Hanukkah? Saying "I guess your family didn't celebrate Christmas" shows an ignorance both of Sammy's actual practices as well as what practices might reasonably be expected of a Jewish family.

That argument only makes sense if this were a true story and not a joke. The teacher is fictional. The author of the joke and the one telling it are not. The joke is clearly playing on the greedy Jew stereotype. Doesn't matter what the teacher's personal shortcomings are, because…well, she isn't real.