Also, it is said that God has *many* names, and not just what YHWH really is.

Because he is the *only* god, and no other god really counts here, we refer to him as God. You don't like it? Go piss on some other religion.

As a matter of fact, that gives me an idea...

But, anyway, "YHWH" comes from the name originally used to refer to the Hebrews' god. Back then, they didn't write vowels, and, by the time they did, they'd stopped saying the name aloud ("YHWH" is the "ineffable name", not something used in place of it), so no-one really knows how to pronounce it. "Yahweh" is the closest they've been able to figure out, from the availbale evidence. The name you're thinking of that is used in its place is "Adonai", which means "lord".

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You're wondering why we use the term "God" to describe our god, when others believe in different gods? This is a rather silly question. The reason WE call our god "God" is because He's the only one WE believe in.

When something that's completely internal to your beliefs is questioned, the argument takes place using your terms and definitions.

If they speak of Allah, then you would, most likely, assume that they were not Christians.

Tim, what happened? Did a Christian come round and take a shit on your lawn?

Omega: Okay, well, when you're talking to all your little church-buddies, you can call your deities "Bubba, and his son Fred" for all I care. But, if you're discussing something publicly, cut the self-righteous "my god can beat up your god, 'cause I don't believe in yours" crap.

B) So you're suggesting that we hold one set of beliefs in private, and yet act completely differently in public? Isn't that called hypocrisy?

Anyway, Mike was what people called an "angel." You know, smooth talker, always smiled, parents loved him, the whole package. Did well at school, played on the football team, etcetra, etcetra.

He was also forging New Jersey driver's licenses on his computer.

He also raped two girls.

Slashed people's tires. Vandalized school property, etc, etc.

Now, on one hand, he "preached" the word of God and acted as a good Catholic boy would; and on the other hand, he totally threw the Bible away and acted like the sick-fuck he really was. He's at Penn State these days, if anyone cares.

That's hipocracy.

Also, the whole "Thou Shalt Not Kill but The Death Penalty is okay because in Hebrew kill means murder and God wrote that with modern laws in mind!" is a pretty good example of Christian hipocracy as well, IMHO.

Oh, and you know, the God Omega speaks of and Allah are one and the same.

I don't think believing "your" god is the only god is self-righterous. I think when people go around saying to people who don't believe, "you're going to burn in hell, sinner!" or push their religious beliefs on people who don't have - or want - those beliefs is self-righteous.

Frankly, I also find un-swerving loyalty to anything to be rather self-righteous, so people who disrespect or dismiss other's religious beliefs tend to piss me off as well.

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.83 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux
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"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier ... just as long as I'm the dictator." - George "Dubya" Bush, Dec 18, 2000

No one here said that.

You are not paying attention.

Listen to me very carefully.

Are you listening?

Good.

God did not say, "Thou shalt not kill."

God said something in ancient Hebrew, which, as translated by modern experts, means, "Thou shalt not murder."

Understand?

"Frankly, I also find un-swerving loyalty to anything to be rather self-righteous"

I must also ask you, how do you define self-righteous? This does not fit any definition of which I am aware.

You are not paying attention

Listen to me very carefully.

Are you listening?

Good.

You're assuming that God means "murder" to mean "a legal killing under law" and not "you don't kill anybody unless I, God, myself, personally tell you to do so." Therefore, you're assuming God says "Thou Shalt Not Murder" with the assumption that he means by the legal-definition of the current day.

I know this, because otherwise you wouldn't keep saying, "no, no, he said 'thou shalt not murder', not 'thou shalt not kill.'"

Frankly, you're also assuming that the person who copied the Ten Commandments into the Bible copied them word for word.

I'm not disputing that God may (or may not) have said "Thou Shalt Not Murder", I just want to know why you all think that 'Murder' means today what it meant many thousands of years ago? How do you know it doesn't mean the taking of ANY human life? Well, you don't, do you? Unless, of course, you converse regularly with a certain deity?

I define self-righteousness as someone who needs to pull the stick out of his/her ass.

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.83 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux
***
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier ... just as long as I'm the dictator." - George "Dubya" Bush, Dec 18, 2000

MURDER n. 1. Law. The unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. 4. To kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously.

(all the others were slang)

"He's at Penn State these days, if anyone cares."

Name, please. We'll have him "dealt with," either before I get there or after.

And nobody reported this?

Or at least cut him?

The one who did report it did so two years later. Suffice to say, nothing much happened because of it. Some people said she was lying, others said they had sex but "she wanted it" and others said "boys will be boys."

The other girl I wasn't friends with until we were both at College together, and she told me one night.

Suffice to say, he got away with those two and who knows how many others?

No one cut him. Not that I know of, anyway.

Now I'm assuming that's what you meant, but correct me if I'm wrong.

A) Laws in ancient Israel were given directly BY God. Therefore, the distinction you draw is meaningless.

B) Since God did say, "Thou shalt not commit murder," you call the definition of "murder" in context into question. Fair enough.

"Murder" obviously does not include the death of someone who has done something to warrant death, as there are numerous occasions in Leviticus where crimes are listed that God says warrant death (the death of the unborn among them, BTW). If the word "murder" does not apply to the deaths of people who deserve to die, it would follow that the word applies to the deaths of people who do NOT deserve to die. Thus, "murder," in this instance, would be defined as the intentional death of one who does not deserve to die.

"Frankly, you're also assuming that the person who copied the Ten Commandments into the Bible copied them word for word."

No, I'm not. Frankly, you sound rather arrogant when you act as if you know what and how I think. As someone said earlier, the word can mean either mean "kill" in general, or "murder" specifically. Since it obviously doesn't mean "kill," it must therefore mean "murder."

"I just want to know why you all think that 'Murder' means today what it meant many thousands of years ago? How do you know it doesn't mean the taking of ANY human life?"

Now who's assuming a word-for-word translation?

If God had meant to say that we shouldn't kill ANYONE, then he would have said that. Redefining the english word "murder" to mean something completely different from what it currently means does not affect the actual meaning of the word spoken several millenia ago. It simply means that we must find a different word that conveys the same meaning, since the word "murder" in our language had been corrupted to mean something other than intended.

When you translate something, you don't translate word for word. You find an equivalent word that conveys the feeling or intent of the original. In Latin, the phrase "Furem fur cognoscit, et lupus lupum" literally translates as "A thief recognizes another thief, and a wolf another wolf." However, if you wanted to convey the feeling and intent of the phrase, you'd find an equivalent english phrase. "It takes one to know one."

God spoke Hebrew words which conveyed the command not to kill unjustly. This is how Hebrew scholars interpret the word in question, when context is taken into account. How you (mis)define "murder" is irrelevant.

"I define self-righteousness as someone who needs to pull the stick out of his/her ass."

You would get along fine with the Chinese in "TBatD." They liked misdefining words to suit themselves, too.

That would be a poor assumption to make, as the word Allah means God in Arabic, and is used as such by anyone who speaks the language, regardless of their religion.

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20th century, go to sleep.
--
R.E.M.
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Read chapters one and two of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet"! Show no patience, tolerance, or restraint.