[~ot] why is programming so fun?

[Yigal Chripun]

Don wrote:
<snip/>
> 
> It was Molech. You had to throw your firstborn son into a furnace and
> perform religious ceremonies as he was burned alive.
> This is where the image of flames in hell comes from.

that's right. I've forgot the name, thanks for the reminder :)

> 
>> The bible uses that term to refer to a
>> place of pure evil and this is a real location on earth, in Jerusalem,
>> you can come and see it yourselves.
> 
> In later times it was used as a rubbish pit. In the New Testament's use
> of gehenna it's essentially an incinerator for evil.
> 
>> the word שטן (the devil) has two meanings one of which is "obstacle" and
>> the other refers to one of god's angels which of course never "fall from
>> the sky" or anything like that. Satan represents in the bible the role
>> of the prosecutor. God is the judge and he put Satan on the job of
>> pointing our faults since god is merciful and cares for his creations,
>> and didn't want to do it himself.
> 
>> Btw, angels are _not_ people with wings. מלאך is the word in the bible
>> and it literally means "a messenger". they can take a form of a human
>> just like they can be elements of nature like wind.
> 
> This sounds mostly correct to me. I'm surprised John disagreed with it.
> BTW, Another similar bizarre belief is that 'Lucifer' is Satan. Lucifer
> = Latin for the planet Venus, also known as the morning star. The Bible
> is very explicit that 'Lucifer' is Jesus, not Satan (see the second last
> verse of the New Testament, for example!). It's a good example of how
> common these types of misconceptions are.

And yet he did...
About Lucifer - this is entirely a Christian issue since it only appears
in the New Testament and therefore I don't know anything about it.

> 
> (Another classic: the Bible never says that Jesus was born in a stable.
> Hasn't anyone ever heard of Middle Eastern hospitality??).

So very true! :)

> 
> Please don't assume that Christianity is based on blind faith. Those of
> us who are evangelicals are constantly trying to find the places where
> we've made mistakes, places we've ended up believing all kinds of
> rubbish. Which is why I like talking to atheists, since you can
> potentially learn the most from people you disagree with.
> 
well, if all Christians had a similar world view as yourself we wouldn't
have so many religious wars in our history. Unfortunately, It doesn't
seem that you are in a majority.

>> "pain of eternal damnation" does not exist in the bible or in the Jewish
>> faith.
> 
> Some similar concepts do, though. See the last few verses of Isaiah.
> 
I don't remember anything like that but the last time I read it was in
middle school so maybe I'll read it again when I'll have the time. Or I
could ask a religious buddy of mine.

Thanks for your comments. It's nice to see that not all Christians
believe in all that nonsense.

--Yigal