This is the third day on which Christ arose from the dead, ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.
While on earth, He led a group of twelve. He was their Savior, teacher, leader, peer, friend and brother. Had I been there as an observer, I would likely have noticed that the disciples were not in agreement with Christ at all times and that they retained their individual personalities. Even though they all were chosen by Christ, Thomas, for instance, remained a skeptic and John remained Christ's favorite since it was John to whom Christ entrusted His mother before He died on the cross. Despite the differences the disciples had among themselves, together they stayed until Judas Iscariot, the weakest of them succumbed to the power of Satan and left the group during The Last Supper.
They were a family just like any family bound together by a certain love but this love could be different from the love that shares common strands of DNA. [1] The first thing that came to mind was that it was an ideal love, a kind of love that is not exactly immediate or passionate and one that is easy to claim that he/she has it in him/her. However, on second thought, that cannot be right. The disciples' love for Christ was not a distant and idealized love that was low-maintenance; it was an immediate and passionate love that required constant attention which was simultaneously exhausting, frustrating and unrewarding at times, like loving and caring for a relative who is always right.
Thus, for the love for Christ to be real, it has to be as equally passionate, immediate and high-maintenance as the love for someone who is near and dear. In other words, to truly love Christ is not easy. Christ is not someone with Whom we share the same mind (we have more in common with the Devil in that way) just as we do not think like our parents even though we love them to a certain inexplicable degree.
[1] Because I did not come from a family with adopted children and have never been married or partnered, I do not know whether the love between a parent and an adopted child or between spouses or partners is equally as passionate and difficult as the love between a parent and his/her biological child.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
On Good Friday, April 6, 2012
On Good Friday, April 22, 2011, this was my blog:
At St. Dominic’s church, the huge cross was there before me but the two smaller ones were not yet in place even though I did not notice or care about them not being there. Later a pair of acolytes in white vestments carried out one of the smaller crosses followed by another pair carrying out the other. They placed them in their respective stands but took them away after a fitting and centering the main cross between the two.
After saying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, I reflected on the purpose of the crucifixion of Jesus. From occasional church attendances over the years, I learned that Christ died for our sins, and that the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world, but I have never questioned the validity of the statements. Today, however, I thought how could that be since I am still sinful and I am pretty sure a lot of others are as well, which brings me to this blog entry.
The first thing I did after coming back from church was to open up my Bible, to find out if Jesus said Himself that His death would take away sin. Since I do not read it much, I researched the issue on the Internet. A website directed the reader to Matthew 1:21. [1] In my Bible, that passage reported that an angel told Joseph that Jesus would save His people from their sins. [2] The angel did not say that Jesus had to die on a cross to do so.
The website also referred the reader to Matthew 26:28. [1] This was the scene of The Last Supper where Jesus took a cup and told His disciples to drink from it “for this is my blood of the covenant, which shall be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” [2] These words of Jesus, together with the bloody scourge at the pillar and Jesus’ blood from the thorny crown and the five wounds inflicted upon His body on the cross are all the evidence I need to convince myself that the lessons I have learned are not unsubstantiated extrapolations.
Perhaps it would be well to stop here.
But I will not. What entered my mind while I was kneeling in meditation before the large cross was new to me and certainly unorthodox as it relates to the forgiveness of sins (to put it mildly).
So here goes it: Death of Jesus on the cross was definitely not enough for the forgiveness of my sins unless Jesus’ death is a continuous remission of sins continuously committed.
Is Jesus’ death a continuous remission of sins continuously committed? How can that be true, thinking that one can go on sinning and sinning and Jesus’ blood will keep on cleansing and cleansing the stains of sins to save one’s soul, even though I have faith that it is true?
What if it is not true? Have I deceived myself into NOT believing that experiencing the death of our own sins is necessary for the salvation of the soul and that relying solely on the blood that Christ has shed during His torture and His crucifixion is not enough?
Perhaps it is easier to live with the fiction that the blood of Christ is the detergent for sins than to look at Christ and the forgiveness of sins another way. Perhaps it is time I do.
Was the death of Christ not also the death of temptation, of greed, of pride and of vengeance? Is it possible that Christ was showing us the path to salvation by His refusal to prostrate before Satan and accept Satan’s offer of the world’s riches and by His humility in accepting Judas’ betrayal, His haters, His false accusers, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the taunting and the unjust death sentence? Could therefore the blood that Jesus Himself said He would shed for the forgiveness of sins is not to be taken literally but illustratively?
I think so. Accordingly, we cannot expect automatic salvation but need to shed our weakness for temptations, our greed, our pride, our desires for vengeance and justice just as Jesus had in order that we may save our own souls. [3]
[1] http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/WhatDoesTheBibleSayAboutSalvation.html
[2] The New American Bible. NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1990.
[3] Note: Why didn’t God simply write on another tablet the recipe for salvation and hand it to someone? The Ten Commandments have not proven to be effective since neither Jew nor Gentile has paid them much heed. Why did God make Jesus the sacrificial lamb? Perhaps man is only capable of recognizing the road to salvation by seeing the Son of God Himself suffer profoundly and only able to have salvation by living purely as He had and dying humbly as He did.
Kneeling at St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco before a huge cross flanked by two smaller ones on either side, praying: Cleanse my sins. Starting today, may my years begin and end with Good Friday.
At St. Dominic’s church, the huge cross was there before me but the two smaller ones were not yet in place even though I did not notice or care about them not being there. Later a pair of acolytes in white vestments carried out one of the smaller crosses followed by another pair carrying out the other. They placed them in their respective stands but took them away after a fitting and centering the main cross between the two.
After saying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, I reflected on the purpose of the crucifixion of Jesus. From occasional church attendances over the years, I learned that Christ died for our sins, and that the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world, but I have never questioned the validity of the statements. Today, however, I thought how could that be since I am still sinful and I am pretty sure a lot of others are as well, which brings me to this blog entry.
The first thing I did after coming back from church was to open up my Bible, to find out if Jesus said Himself that His death would take away sin. Since I do not read it much, I researched the issue on the Internet. A website directed the reader to Matthew 1:21. [1] In my Bible, that passage reported that an angel told Joseph that Jesus would save His people from their sins. [2] The angel did not say that Jesus had to die on a cross to do so.
The website also referred the reader to Matthew 26:28. [1] This was the scene of The Last Supper where Jesus took a cup and told His disciples to drink from it “for this is my blood of the covenant, which shall be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” [2] These words of Jesus, together with the bloody scourge at the pillar and Jesus’ blood from the thorny crown and the five wounds inflicted upon His body on the cross are all the evidence I need to convince myself that the lessons I have learned are not unsubstantiated extrapolations.
Perhaps it would be well to stop here.
But I will not. What entered my mind while I was kneeling in meditation before the large cross was new to me and certainly unorthodox as it relates to the forgiveness of sins (to put it mildly).
So here goes it: Death of Jesus on the cross was definitely not enough for the forgiveness of my sins unless Jesus’ death is a continuous remission of sins continuously committed.
Is Jesus’ death a continuous remission of sins continuously committed? How can that be true, thinking that one can go on sinning and sinning and Jesus’ blood will keep on cleansing and cleansing the stains of sins to save one’s soul, even though I have faith that it is true?
What if it is not true? Have I deceived myself into NOT believing that experiencing the death of our own sins is necessary for the salvation of the soul and that relying solely on the blood that Christ has shed during His torture and His crucifixion is not enough?
Perhaps it is easier to live with the fiction that the blood of Christ is the detergent for sins than to look at Christ and the forgiveness of sins another way. Perhaps it is time I do.
Was the death of Christ not also the death of temptation, of greed, of pride and of vengeance? Is it possible that Christ was showing us the path to salvation by His refusal to prostrate before Satan and accept Satan’s offer of the world’s riches and by His humility in accepting Judas’ betrayal, His haters, His false accusers, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the taunting and the unjust death sentence? Could therefore the blood that Jesus Himself said He would shed for the forgiveness of sins is not to be taken literally but illustratively?
I think so. Accordingly, we cannot expect automatic salvation but need to shed our weakness for temptations, our greed, our pride, our desires for vengeance and justice just as Jesus had in order that we may save our own souls. [3]
[1] http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/WhatDoesTheBibleSayAboutSalvation.html
[2] The New American Bible. NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1990.
[3] Note: Why didn’t God simply write on another tablet the recipe for salvation and hand it to someone? The Ten Commandments have not proven to be effective since neither Jew nor Gentile has paid them much heed. Why did God make Jesus the sacrificial lamb? Perhaps man is only capable of recognizing the road to salvation by seeing the Son of God Himself suffer profoundly and only able to have salvation by living purely as He had and dying humbly as He did.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Thoughts On God - Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012
Palm Sunday.
Man is unable to bestow upon another (or himself) an honor more lasting than the Crown of Thorns man forced upon the Son of God. [1] He wore it in humility while suffering from painful wounds, thirst, hunger and exhaustion and He carried a heavy wooden cross to Golgotha where He would be crucified alive. At His death, He was a man without guilt and without sin.
For believers, Jesus was God's son Who had died to redeem the sinful; for non-believers (those who know about Jesus but do not believe that He is the Son of God), he was a just man who once wore a crown of thorns whose life's story remains a thorn in their lives.
[1] From my "tweet" this morning @al_in_sf
Man is unable to bestow upon another (or himself) an honor more lasting than the Crown of Thorns man forced upon the Son of God. [1] He wore it in humility while suffering from painful wounds, thirst, hunger and exhaustion and He carried a heavy wooden cross to Golgotha where He would be crucified alive. At His death, He was a man without guilt and without sin.
For believers, Jesus was God's son Who had died to redeem the sinful; for non-believers (those who know about Jesus but do not believe that He is the Son of God), he was a just man who once wore a crown of thorns whose life's story remains a thorn in their lives.
[1] From my "tweet" this morning @al_in_sf
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Obamacare - Day Two At The U.S. Supreme Court
Arguments on Day 2 at the United States Supreme Court on Obamacare (Department of Health and Human Servs. v. Florida) are fascinating and on audio. [1]
The key questions on the constitutionality of Obamacare's individual mandate are:
1.
2.
The defense: In my opinion, there is none that would pass constitutional muster or even on moral grounds because the coverage is not limited to emergency health situations but includes contraception and general wellness.
I predict that the individual mandate will fail by more than a 5-4 margin. I think Justices Kennedy and Bader-Ginsburg will side with individual freedom, leaving the two Obama appointees to argue some kind of fiction to uphold Obamacare.
Tomorrow's hearing is on the severance clause. There was one originally but it was taken out in the final version of the bill. The issues is whether the rest of Obamacare can stand without a severability clause if the individual mandate fails. No prediction on this yet.
The first day was on the issue of whether the penalty on the individual mandate, effective in 2014, is a tax, i.e, you will have to pay a penalty starting in 2014 if you do not buy health insurance as mandated under Obamacare. If the 2014 penalty is a tax, then "the Anti-Injunction Act, an 1867 law that says taxpayers can't challenge a tax until it's collected," [3] and the case would not be ripe for judicial review. On this issue, I think there could be a unanimous ruling that the individual mandate is a penalty and not a tax and therefore Obamacare will be decided on the merits before the November presidential election. The audio on Day 1 of Obamacare at the U.S. Supreme Court is not that exciting and may well serve as a sleep aid. [4]
[1] Listen to the oral arguments here -- http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio_detail.aspx?argument=11-398-Tuesday
[2] http://ifawebnews.com/2012/03/27/justices-question-constitutionality-of-obamacares-individual-mandate/
[3] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577305783436646466.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
[4] http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio_detail.aspx?argument=11-398-Monday
The key questions on the constitutionality of Obamacare's individual mandate are:
1.
“Can you create commerce in order to regulate it?”
— Justice Anthony Kennedy, U.S. Supreme Court, Tuesday, March 27, 2012, addressing U.S. Solicitor General Don Verrilli on his defense of the portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires all Americans to purchase health insurance. [2]
2.
“What is left? If the government can do this, what, what else can it not do?
— Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. Supreme Court, Tuesday, March 27, 2012, asking U.S. Solicitor General Don Verrilli what limits the government might have if the PPACA’s requirement that all citizens purchase health insurance is found constitutional. [2]
The defense: In my opinion, there is none that would pass constitutional muster or even on moral grounds because the coverage is not limited to emergency health situations but includes contraception and general wellness.
I predict that the individual mandate will fail by more than a 5-4 margin. I think Justices Kennedy and Bader-Ginsburg will side with individual freedom, leaving the two Obama appointees to argue some kind of fiction to uphold Obamacare.
Tomorrow's hearing is on the severance clause. There was one originally but it was taken out in the final version of the bill. The issues is whether the rest of Obamacare can stand without a severability clause if the individual mandate fails. No prediction on this yet.
The first day was on the issue of whether the penalty on the individual mandate, effective in 2014, is a tax, i.e, you will have to pay a penalty starting in 2014 if you do not buy health insurance as mandated under Obamacare. If the 2014 penalty is a tax, then "the Anti-Injunction Act, an 1867 law that says taxpayers can't challenge a tax until it's collected," [3] and the case would not be ripe for judicial review. On this issue, I think there could be a unanimous ruling that the individual mandate is a penalty and not a tax and therefore Obamacare will be decided on the merits before the November presidential election. The audio on Day 1 of Obamacare at the U.S. Supreme Court is not that exciting and may well serve as a sleep aid. [4]
[1] Listen to the oral arguments here -- http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio_detail.aspx?argument=11-398-Tuesday
[2] http://ifawebnews.com/2012/03/27/justices-question-constitutionality-of-obamacares-individual-mandate/
[3] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577305783436646466.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
[4] http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio_detail.aspx?argument=11-398-Monday
Sunday, March 25, 2012
More "Tweets"
Al in SF @Al_in_SF
After 300 Tweets-A look back:like a volatile bt thinly traded stock.0 followers 4ever then up2 11 now back to 8.Humbled 2have even1.Thank U!
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if the world's growing debt mirrors the rapid pace w/ which resources r consumed beyond Eden's replenishment or replacement capability?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if human's sole mission on earth is not to conquer Mother Nature but to discover her rhythm and harmonize with it?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if every human is born with the power to transform earth into heaven?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if there are an infinite number of virtual Knowledge Trees and Apples of Temptation & the challenge is to leave them alone?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if planet Earth is the Garden of Eden?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
When are environmentalists not hypocrites?When they become wildlife & synchronize with Mother Nature =>The Great Environmentalist Migration.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
"Ethics, not rules.." by @ISISLESPACE to which I'd like to humbly add "or scams."
Expand
10 Mar Isis L'espace Isis L'espace @ISISLESPACE
Ethics, not rules..
Retweeted by Al in SF
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
A true charity: Donate to a bank owned by those very people who need to take out micro loans to fund their work to maintain their livelihood
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why do RICH PEOPLE need to go half way around the world to do charity in order to feel good about themselves? Give 2 your local motel maid.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Investment advice [cont.] - How to lend money to say, AIG? Call your broker, buy its bond.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Investment advice:Lend your $ to & collect interest frm those TooBigToFail, not to those who don't know what's a bailout-they won't get one.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I get it. http://Kiva.org gets a %-tage off the top even if u poor suckers can only lend $25. If the biz goes sour, ur $25 is gone.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I had no idea that poverty can be so enriching for the privileged - perhaps I have ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO KNOW!
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
http://Kiva.org is a win-win-WIN: Blood,sweat & tears win for them, a comfy couch win for you and a jackpot for its Linked-in founder.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
OMG! http://Kiva.org is brilliant -- making the underprivileged work hard & make $ for the privileged. It's a win-win-win!
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if the Apple plucked from the Tree of Knowledge was a "placebo" to test the human's strength in resisting temptation?
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Al's"What If's" begins today. (Emphasis Added)
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Actually, I relish @EricFehrn's imagery of Etch A Sketch b/c it'll be fun to see how Obama's Etch A Sketch matches up with Romney's.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
A jaded consultant @EricFehrn sees campaign promises as political entertainment & caricatures them on Etch A Sketch. It's time 4 a vacation.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
"Romney's positions are written not in stone but in polystyrene beads" http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/stocks-triple-etch-sketch-company-romney-campaign-173859076.html Moses' were in stone but became polystyrenebeads
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Imperfections can be endearing (so long as they are not repetitive to the point of annoyance).
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
An angel thought (on humans): They are so cute but they need help.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Everyone, especially the young, ought to live their lives with at least a scintilla of compunction while indulging in ravenous consumption.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Humans naturally survive based on one another's existence, not the other person's extinction.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Perhaps peace can begin with this mutual thought: how my enemy can help me, not how I can destroy my enemy.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Origin of hate begins with an over-inflated ego feeding its ignoble character.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why are terrorists not synonymous with bullies? b/c victims of bullies aren't aggressors, can't kill the bullies or bomb them pre-emptively.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Sen.ScottBrown on Santorum getting Secret Service said,"I think it’s the first time he’s actually ever used protection.”http://nation.foxnews.com/scott-brown/2012/03/19/scott-brown-secret-service-santorum-first-time-he-s-used-protection
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
With @JLin7 & @TimTebow both in NY, God can cut commute time and save on gas.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Happy 6th Birthday @Twitter! A billion "tweets" every 3 days until I showed up then it's every 2 days & 23 hours :-)
21 Mar Jack Dorsey Jack Dorsey @jack
It's 12:50. Happy 6th Birthday @Twitter. From 1 tweet to over 1 billion every 3 days. I'm so proud of our users and our team.
Retweeted by Al in SF
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Some claim that Jesus was a Jew. Was the Holy Spirit Jewish? Is there a Jewish person who was immaculately conceived?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Of course, not all Jews are a pain in the holes of the universe & Jews cannot be blamed for all the wars (MelGibson) & I have Jewish friends
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Is it possible that the Jews aren't as Christ-like as Jesus would like them to have become but r just as sinful as&more needy than the rest?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why haven't the Jews sued Deutsche Bank Group? Were the holocaust victims worth nothing compared to the victims of Gaza?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
By suing the Bank of China, the Jews have put the lives & livelihood of the American people and its economy at risk for what, a few bucks?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The Jews want to sue a bank owned by a sovereign(China) that lends $ to the US which they have asked 4$ &lives 2defend against their enemies
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Jews would've branded Jesus a "terrorist" had the term existed then but it didn't matter. He was crucified.Still NO apology & NO reparation.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
NY Sup.Ct.rules Jewish victims may sue Bank of China in NY http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145744#.T2pnVNlq_Yg Not surprised since only Jews can define who is a terrorist.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Humans are continually in a tug-of-war between good and evil even though the line demarcating them remains fuzzy within Human Reason.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Lenten thought: Only Christ can resist "the last temptation" in the "Last Temptation of Christ" movie (1988) and go to His crucifixion.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The things on Satan's Temptation platform are too attractive, too convenient & too luxurious for me to let go but I also cannot let go God.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Has life been lived correctly in this 21st century?
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I. God created earth for humans & Satan created on it a platform called Temptation over which it has perpetual intellectual property rights.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
II. Satan owns everything that is grown or built on its Temptation platform. When they consume the being & the soul is when Satan gets paid.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
III. The more fulfillment & enjoyment come from enticements on Satan’s Temptation platform the more Satan gets rewarded.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
IV. When complete fulfillment & happiness arise solely from Satan’s Temptation platform is when Satan owns both the slave & his/her soul.
After 300 Tweets-A look back:like a volatile bt thinly traded stock.0 followers 4ever then up2 11 now back to 8.Humbled 2have even1.Thank U!
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if the world's growing debt mirrors the rapid pace w/ which resources r consumed beyond Eden's replenishment or replacement capability?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if human's sole mission on earth is not to conquer Mother Nature but to discover her rhythm and harmonize with it?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if every human is born with the power to transform earth into heaven?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if there are an infinite number of virtual Knowledge Trees and Apples of Temptation & the challenge is to leave them alone?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if planet Earth is the Garden of Eden?
23 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
When are environmentalists not hypocrites?When they become wildlife & synchronize with Mother Nature =>The Great Environmentalist Migration.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
"Ethics, not rules.." by @ISISLESPACE to which I'd like to humbly add "or scams."
Expand
10 Mar Isis L'espace Isis L'espace @ISISLESPACE
Ethics, not rules..
Retweeted by Al in SF
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
A true charity: Donate to a bank owned by those very people who need to take out micro loans to fund their work to maintain their livelihood
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why do RICH PEOPLE need to go half way around the world to do charity in order to feel good about themselves? Give 2 your local motel maid.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Investment advice [cont.] - How to lend money to say, AIG? Call your broker, buy its bond.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Investment advice:Lend your $ to & collect interest frm those TooBigToFail, not to those who don't know what's a bailout-they won't get one.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I get it. http://Kiva.org gets a %-tage off the top even if u poor suckers can only lend $25. If the biz goes sour, ur $25 is gone.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I had no idea that poverty can be so enriching for the privileged - perhaps I have ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO KNOW!
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
http://Kiva.org is a win-win-WIN: Blood,sweat & tears win for them, a comfy couch win for you and a jackpot for its Linked-in founder.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
OMG! http://Kiva.org is brilliant -- making the underprivileged work hard & make $ for the privileged. It's a win-win-win!
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
What if the Apple plucked from the Tree of Knowledge was a "placebo" to test the human's strength in resisting temptation?
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Al's"What If's" begins today. (Emphasis Added)
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Actually, I relish @EricFehrn's imagery of Etch A Sketch b/c it'll be fun to see how Obama's Etch A Sketch matches up with Romney's.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
A jaded consultant @EricFehrn sees campaign promises as political entertainment & caricatures them on Etch A Sketch. It's time 4 a vacation.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
"Romney's positions are written not in stone but in polystyrene beads" http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/stocks-triple-etch-sketch-company-romney-campaign-173859076.html Moses' were in stone but became polystyrenebeads
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Imperfections can be endearing (so long as they are not repetitive to the point of annoyance).
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
An angel thought (on humans): They are so cute but they need help.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Everyone, especially the young, ought to live their lives with at least a scintilla of compunction while indulging in ravenous consumption.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Humans naturally survive based on one another's existence, not the other person's extinction.
22 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Perhaps peace can begin with this mutual thought: how my enemy can help me, not how I can destroy my enemy.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Origin of hate begins with an over-inflated ego feeding its ignoble character.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why are terrorists not synonymous with bullies? b/c victims of bullies aren't aggressors, can't kill the bullies or bomb them pre-emptively.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Sen.ScottBrown on Santorum getting Secret Service said,"I think it’s the first time he’s actually ever used protection.”http://nation.foxnews.com/scott-brown/2012/03/19/scott-brown-secret-service-santorum-first-time-he-s-used-protection
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
With @JLin7 & @TimTebow both in NY, God can cut commute time and save on gas.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Happy 6th Birthday @Twitter! A billion "tweets" every 3 days until I showed up then it's every 2 days & 23 hours :-)
21 Mar Jack Dorsey Jack Dorsey @jack
It's 12:50. Happy 6th Birthday @Twitter. From 1 tweet to over 1 billion every 3 days. I'm so proud of our users and our team.
Retweeted by Al in SF
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Some claim that Jesus was a Jew. Was the Holy Spirit Jewish? Is there a Jewish person who was immaculately conceived?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Of course, not all Jews are a pain in the holes of the universe & Jews cannot be blamed for all the wars (MelGibson) & I have Jewish friends
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Is it possible that the Jews aren't as Christ-like as Jesus would like them to have become but r just as sinful as&more needy than the rest?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Why haven't the Jews sued Deutsche Bank Group? Were the holocaust victims worth nothing compared to the victims of Gaza?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
By suing the Bank of China, the Jews have put the lives & livelihood of the American people and its economy at risk for what, a few bucks?
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The Jews want to sue a bank owned by a sovereign(China) that lends $ to the US which they have asked 4$ &lives 2defend against their enemies
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Jews would've branded Jesus a "terrorist" had the term existed then but it didn't matter. He was crucified.Still NO apology & NO reparation.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
NY Sup.Ct.rules Jewish victims may sue Bank of China in NY http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145744#.T2pnVNlq_Yg Not surprised since only Jews can define who is a terrorist.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Humans are continually in a tug-of-war between good and evil even though the line demarcating them remains fuzzy within Human Reason.
21 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Lenten thought: Only Christ can resist "the last temptation" in the "Last Temptation of Christ" movie (1988) and go to His crucifixion.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The things on Satan's Temptation platform are too attractive, too convenient & too luxurious for me to let go but I also cannot let go God.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Has life been lived correctly in this 21st century?
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I. God created earth for humans & Satan created on it a platform called Temptation over which it has perpetual intellectual property rights.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
II. Satan owns everything that is grown or built on its Temptation platform. When they consume the being & the soul is when Satan gets paid.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
III. The more fulfillment & enjoyment come from enticements on Satan’s Temptation platform the more Satan gets rewarded.
20 Mar Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
IV. When complete fulfillment & happiness arise solely from Satan’s Temptation platform is when Satan owns both the slave & his/her soul.
Thoughts On God - Sunday, March 25, 2012
Do most people live out their lives without being concerned with the consequences of their actions?
I believe they do. Some, however, continually struggle against their fates over which they seemingly have no control, but that is a myth. Each person is in full control because of free will. To exercise his/her will in a way that conflicts with the prevailing mores of society is to choose to suffer. Nobody wants to suffer, at least nobody I know, including myself.
That maybe why there is a Supreme Being, so that people can worship an ideal. Whatever that ideal maybe, it is something better than what they are able to do or can be themselves.
I believe that the Supreme Being is the same in any religion because humans are the same everywhere. They think and fear alike. Their differences arise from the ego which is fed by greed and enhanced by wealth, power and the desire for self-importance and self-gratification. Their enemies are not those with whom they share time on this planet. Rather, they are co-conspirators against those who are yet unborn for they are polluting their pristine air and contaminating their clean water, and they are doing so with speed, the speed of their technological advancements, a speed too fast for Mother Nature to re-cycle, regenerate or replenish. [1]
The fast obsolescence of technology is not driven by need but by greed, which underlies the mores of today’s society. Each time a new generation of smart phones, personal computers and other technological achievements come to market, the old ones become trash, non-biodegradable trash, at least not biodegradable in the lifetime of those beneficiaries inhabiting the planet. The saying, “kicking the can down the road,” is not limited to deficit spending but includes irrevocably degenerative consumption of earth's natural resources.
Consumption drives the economy, but it is greed that stimulates the appetite for consumption. On an economy that is based on a reckless desire for comfort, there is no place for a Supreme Being, for God, for His creation that is earth, for Mother Nature that sustains life or for heaven on earth.
I am as responsible as anyone living on this planet, destroying it for my own comfort and turning into a hell that I pray to avoid, knowing full well that any action or inaction on my part is having an insidious impact.
My hypocrisy is patent. Knowing and having experienced holiness, I am nonetheless a slave to Satan, having accepted all the richness the world can offer, the exact offer that Christ had rejected by refusing to bow before Satan, the Tempter of souls, and worship it. [2]
Unable to overcome temptations, I believe that salvation is possible through faith in Christ and prayer. I also believe that no one is forced to go on board Satan’s luxury craft (one that is becoming more and more advanced and luxurious with relative but disturbing quickness) or that one has to sail through life on it and cannot disembark from it at will.
[1] Technological advancements are a product of the Human Intellect. It goes awry when it is motivated by avarice. I will have more to say on it in a future blog entry.
[2] Matthew 4:8-9
I believe they do. Some, however, continually struggle against their fates over which they seemingly have no control, but that is a myth. Each person is in full control because of free will. To exercise his/her will in a way that conflicts with the prevailing mores of society is to choose to suffer. Nobody wants to suffer, at least nobody I know, including myself.
That maybe why there is a Supreme Being, so that people can worship an ideal. Whatever that ideal maybe, it is something better than what they are able to do or can be themselves.
I believe that the Supreme Being is the same in any religion because humans are the same everywhere. They think and fear alike. Their differences arise from the ego which is fed by greed and enhanced by wealth, power and the desire for self-importance and self-gratification. Their enemies are not those with whom they share time on this planet. Rather, they are co-conspirators against those who are yet unborn for they are polluting their pristine air and contaminating their clean water, and they are doing so with speed, the speed of their technological advancements, a speed too fast for Mother Nature to re-cycle, regenerate or replenish. [1]
The fast obsolescence of technology is not driven by need but by greed, which underlies the mores of today’s society. Each time a new generation of smart phones, personal computers and other technological achievements come to market, the old ones become trash, non-biodegradable trash, at least not biodegradable in the lifetime of those beneficiaries inhabiting the planet. The saying, “kicking the can down the road,” is not limited to deficit spending but includes irrevocably degenerative consumption of earth's natural resources.
Consumption drives the economy, but it is greed that stimulates the appetite for consumption. On an economy that is based on a reckless desire for comfort, there is no place for a Supreme Being, for God, for His creation that is earth, for Mother Nature that sustains life or for heaven on earth.
I am as responsible as anyone living on this planet, destroying it for my own comfort and turning into a hell that I pray to avoid, knowing full well that any action or inaction on my part is having an insidious impact.
My hypocrisy is patent. Knowing and having experienced holiness, I am nonetheless a slave to Satan, having accepted all the richness the world can offer, the exact offer that Christ had rejected by refusing to bow before Satan, the Tempter of souls, and worship it. [2]
Unable to overcome temptations, I believe that salvation is possible through faith in Christ and prayer. I also believe that no one is forced to go on board Satan’s luxury craft (one that is becoming more and more advanced and luxurious with relative but disturbing quickness) or that one has to sail through life on it and cannot disembark from it at will.
[1] Technological advancements are a product of the Human Intellect. It goes awry when it is motivated by avarice. I will have more to say on it in a future blog entry.
[2] Matthew 4:8-9
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Another Thoughtful Evening
My "tweets":
Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The things on Satan's Temptation platform are too attractive, too convenient & too luxurious for me to let go but I also cannot let go God.
4m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Has life been lived correctly in this 21st century?
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I. God created earth for humans & Satan created on it a platform called Temptation over which it has perpetual intellectual property rights.
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
II. Satan owns everything that is grown or built on its Temptation platform. When they [begin to] consume the being & the soul is when Satan [first] gets paid. [1]
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
III. The more fulfillment & enjoyment come from enticements on Satan’s Temptation platform the more Satan gets rewarded.
8m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
IV. When complete fulfillment & happiness arise solely from Satan’s Temptation platform is when Satan owns both the slave & his/her soul.
[1] The 140 character limit limits my ability to write more precisely but on here I can insert more to be more clear.
Al in SF @Al_in_SF
The things on Satan's Temptation platform are too attractive, too convenient & too luxurious for me to let go but I also cannot let go God.
4m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
Has life been lived correctly in this 21st century?
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
I. God created earth for humans & Satan created on it a platform called Temptation over which it has perpetual intellectual property rights.
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
II. Satan owns everything that is grown or built on its Temptation platform. When they [begin to] consume the being & the soul is when Satan [first] gets paid. [1]
7m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
III. The more fulfillment & enjoyment come from enticements on Satan’s Temptation platform the more Satan gets rewarded.
8m Al in SF Al in SF @Al_in_SF
IV. When complete fulfillment & happiness arise solely from Satan’s Temptation platform is when Satan owns both the slave & his/her soul.
[1] The 140 character limit limits my ability to write more precisely but on here I can insert more to be more clear.
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