Comments on: In the Name of Jesus

By: The Advanced Soul

The Advanced Soul — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 14:13:12 +0000

Is it just me, or has Larry King had like 5 heart attacks and 5 divorces. I guess that’d be a broken heart for each.

By: Thom Stanley

Thom Stanley — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 08:16:03 +0000

Good point. Amityville - Detroit, right?

Is Jericho any good? Haven’t seen it. Hooked on Heroes though.

By: John B

John B — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 13:32:47 +0000

Yes but that is the key. Name it after something bad so that you are covered in case something bad happens there AND if nothing bad happens it is kind of ironic.
It is just all the good names Hope, Joy, etc always seem to end up being slapped on disasters. I would posit that they INVITE disaster by tempting fate. Therefore a name like that acknowledges human nature and keeps the citizens aware of the need for vigilance and trust.
And if something bad happens, well then you can blame the idiot who named it after such a bad place.

Point in Focus - the new TV show “Jericho”.
As an aside I wish their theme song had been REM - It’s the end of the world as we know it” cause that is what I think whenever I see it.

By: Thom Stanley

Thom Stanley — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:15:39 +0000

Gethsemane (also spelled Gethsemani). And yes. It is a nice name. It’s just a shame; it would always remind me of betrayal. Which is why I wouldn’t name ANYPLACE Gethsemane.

By: John B

John B — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:23:56 +0000

Ben - your obscure catholic trivia would also apply to those who live in areas to remote to have heard the “good word”. My understanding is that the church says Jesus opened the doors to heaven and all who are worthy may pass into it because of him rather than the limited interpretation protestants adhere to that one must pass THROUGH him to enter heaven.

If I name a space colony it sure as hell is not going to be eden. I would pick a biblical name but something less than opportune so that it never has a chance to become ironic. Gesemenee (sp.) as in the garden of always seemed like a nice name to me.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 23:59:30 +0000

As to the colonization of Mars, if the Catholics get there first can we call it New Byzantium? Just kidding.

Reason to colonize - you get to name the place. New Byzantium? Why not. Better hurry or it will be New Deseret . . .

By: Ben Kelly

Ben Kelly — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 21:33:31 +0000

John - That would be like saying can a kingdom exist without a king? Without a god to a religion you no longer have a religion but a philosophy. Can this work? Yes, I suppose it could, but it ceases to be a religion without a god.

Brian - Obscure Catholic Trivia time! The Catholic Church has long pondered such an idea as the salvation of those who die before they get the chance to choose. (We might remember the old concepts of unbaptised babies going to Limbo as their natural state is one of Original Sin. It was for this reason that babies are baptised as soon as possible as in the Dark Ages a lot of new borns didn’t make it so steps where taken to “save” the baby while they could.) Well the last theory I had heard theologians come up with is that there is not one type of baptism, but three. The first we all know, the Baptism of Water. The second is Baptism of Desire. This is the notion that if someone lives a good life in accordance with the Scripture (roughly) despite them never hearing it, they will be given an opportunity to enter Heaven. Kind of like a “late application.” The third is called Baptism of Blood. Simply put, if you’re martyed for the Faith you’ll probably get in whether you heard the Good News or not. Unless you really don’t want to…

As to the colonization of Mars, if the Catholics get there first can we call it New Byzantium? Just kidding.

By: John B

John B — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:58:00 +0000

No comments about the terraforming? Terrific plot for a sci-fi book church vs the free masons in a plan to colonize the world.
Dan brown meets sci fi.
Maybe Tom Hanks wouldn’t suck in the movie version of this film.

By: David Louis Edelman

David Louis Edelman — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:52:59 +0000

How in the heck did we get to talking about the Catholic Church terraforming Mars? Not that I’m complaining, I like discussion on my blog. This debate is very interesting to read from the outside.

Okay, yes, great for the saved but what about people like DLE who have not had the change to know Grace?

I did know Grace. She was a fabulous gal, but we weren’t meant for the long term.

By: John B

John B — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:39:27 +0000

Now here is a question:
Does the church need a god to exist or could it perpetuate forever on the weight of organizational inertia it has obtained?