A Friend Writes...

A former student-friend wrote today... the following email... and I decided to share it with you... But there are few things that I want to add... that will be after you read his note...

Hello Sir, I hope all is well. I'm finishing up work and getting ready for the weekend and wanted to share some of my thoughts. Regarding the Old Testament's inclusion in the Bible, it's definitely an interesting question that I have honestly never been asked before. On one side, your Argument does make sense in that it is just the Jewish history but on the other hand, one can also argue that it is our history. Christianity was a form of Evolution from Judaism and so because of that, it will always be a part of the Story. Jesus Himself was Born a Jew and lived most of his life like that until he was baptized so I honestly don't think that the Bible will ever Change, nor that it really needs to. I think everybody should know where they come from to be able to really understand where they are right now. A quick Point about what your friend said about Women's Day and not wanting to wear a cheap pin to symbolize that. I admire that because I too don't Need cheap Gimmicks to define me. But it does bring up a bigger question for me; does that Division within females opinions on how to define/Display themselves and fight for their rights not mitigate their efforts in effect? It's the same with every Group fighting for something in that they can never agree on a certain strategy and in the end, I feel as though it Ends up hurting the Group as a whole more than helping. Lastly, quick Point and question to maybe stir you up: you mentioned women working for 75 Cents on the Dollar compared to men and how women have it so hard. What is your opinion/reasoning behind the fact that the majority of menial manufacturing Jobs where human work incredibly long and dirty shifts like robots for poor pay, are done by men while women for the most part get to stay clean and work lesser hours sitting at a desk in some nice climate controlled Office somewhere? It's not so easy to defend that if you follow your line of thinking.

I agree with your assessment, but still I am troubled... when chaplains, pastors, priests and bishops and the rest of the Church establishment and hierarchy... preached Christianity by referring to the Old Testament and readings from it... 
I do not have anything against the Jewish history... It is as violent as all the rest... Greek, Roman, Croat... Russian and European... But still it does not make sense for me to include that in the Christian Bible and also teach from it...
The horror of events and the violence in the Old Testament is so pervasive that it negates the charity and love and harmony and sharing of Jesus' preaching... in the New Testament...
The Old Testament contradicts the New Testament... and I think it should be deleted from the Bible... or each group may substitute that with their history...
When Jesus advised his apostles to go and preach to the whole world... He did not tell them go and preach the Jewish history... He pleaded with them to "preach the gospel..."

Here is the quote for what He said...in Mark 16:15 in the King James version of the Bible...And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the GOSPEL to every creature... (My emphasis)... That is the GOSPEL of JESUS.

   

I find it depressing that the "gospel" is being interpreted to include the Jewish history too...
Again let me emphasize and underline... The Old Testament is very violent and it contradicts "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD."  Leviticus 19:18 ... 

The Old Testament is the compilation of ancient customs and traditions... It does not justify the rebellious rupture of Jesus... He rejected the OLD... "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" (Matthew 5:38) and said... "But I say unto you, That ye resist evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:39)
Here Jesus specifically and intentionally rejects the OLD... 
There are many who argue that Jesus did not preach PACIFISM just to connect with the OLD... I reject that assertion and also find it absurd to compile the OLD and the NEW together...

***

As to International Women's Day...

 

Gimmicks emphasis the materialist approach to every and all celebration... be it Christmas, Mother's Day, International Women's Day... or any others...

Also,

Women are not a monolith group... and they have the right to celebrate the way they want... The diversity is their right and does not take away from the thrust and meaning of the celebration...

Diversity is the essence of the celebration... and diversity is essential to the comprehension of everything...

You are mentioning the "pink ghetto" and the concentration of women in the offices... Most of them are educated and most are able to do much better than what they are doing... and the men who are working "hard" jobs are mostly NOT EDUCATED and they are doing those "long and dirty shifts like robots"  ...

You are comparing the educated women to the uneducated men... and that's not right...
 

***

For few days I wanted to write about organized religion again... But I prioritized your note today, and my other friend's note yesterday... Maybe I will have time to write about organized religion on the weekend...

  

I hope ALL of you will have a wonderfully peaceful weekend... I hope ALL of you will enjoy whatever you do on the weekend... and do not complain that you are sooooooo... tired... Yesterday I took a long... very long walk... I walked for three hours... and watched the celebration of spring... The flowers are blooming... My daffodils and tulips have bloomed... When I look at them I wonder... Why Adam got bored...!

I hope the weekend will be much better than Adam's lonely stay for a day or two...

Also...

Celebrate Human Imagination... Ingenuity...

Engineers are thinking of ball shaped tires so as one will be able to manipulate the car even on parallel lanes... an autonomous vehicle will be able to turn at any angle at any time...

    Goodyear Eagle-360 Concept (Credit: Goodyear)

Also... 
Good News...

Procrastination May Help Boost Creativity... Why do today what could be better tomorrow? A new study suggests that we needn't feel guilty about putting things off, which is great news for the 20 percent of us who self-identify as chronic procrastinators. Researchers had employees submit business ideas and found that those who did so after procrastinating by playing games like Minesweeper or Solitaire were 28 percent more creative than those who got straight to work. One academic notes that our first ideas are often our most conventional ... giving us more incentive to have second thoughts.

When you procrastinate... You will have time to think more in detail and not jump into conventional thinking...
Procrastination will enable you to innovate and bring in new ideas and concepts...