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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Nov 28, 2014 9:25:31 GMT
Some people really do make Jesus in their own image. No, everyone does. Have you ever heard anyone ever say "My god believes we should do X, but I disagree; we should do Y"? |
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Post by greenchristian on Nov 28, 2014 16:29:47 GMT
Some people really do make Jesus in their own image. No, everyone does. Have you ever heard anyone ever say "My god believes we should do X, but I disagree; we should do Y"? Not heard that specific formulation, but I can think of plenty of instances where I know that God says "do X", but I really wished that he'd said "do Y", or not said anything on the issue. And there are plenty of issues where either God hasn't made His position clear, or He is equally OK with a variety of different stances. And, when it comes to Jesus, not everybody accepts that He was God (or even - like Muslims - that He was a prophet). Their view of what Jesus would say or do about a particular issue won't suffer from that particular problem. Somebody like Richard Dawkins is going to answer such questions either based on his opinion of what a first century Jewish Rabbi is likely to have said, or based on his prejudices against Christianity (or a mixture of the two). |
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Post by brothersideways on Nov 28, 2014 17:50:39 GMT
A person may also give the answer they know will get the result they want.If I was asked this question, my thinking would be:
1. This survey defines "Jesus" as some perfectly moral god figure.
2. I support railway nationalisation.
3. Therefore I'll say that I think "Jesus" would support railway nationalisation.
I'm a bit of a theology nerd, so this annoys me. But I guess in truth they were asking about opinions on railway nationalisation, not the nature of God.
Although, what do I know, maybe this poll was commissioned by angels, trying to judge conditions for a second coming.
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Post by johnloony on Nov 29, 2014 1:01:55 GMT
Some people really do make Jesus in their own image. No, everyone does. Have you ever heard anyone ever say "My god believes we should do X, but I disagree; we should do Y"? I don't, because I know virtually nothing about Jesus (there is very little historical evidence about him to give us any clues or details). If I had been asked this question by a pollster, I would have got stroppy and grumpy and I would have demanded to know why they were asking me such a stupid and meaningless question. |
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Post by woollyliberal on Nov 29, 2014 9:01:53 GMT
there is very little historical evidence about him to give us any clues or details There's quite a lot of evidence. The Romans were meticulous record keepers. There's more written record than for many other historical figures. However none of it is about nationalisation of railways. |
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Post by finsobruce on Nov 29, 2014 9:18:24 GMT
there is very little historical evidence about him to give us any clues or details There's quite a lot of evidence. The Romans were meticulous record keepers. There's more written record than for many other historical figures. However none of it is about nationalisation of railways. Just Josephus and Tacitus really - aside from accepting the historicity of the bible. And there is a reference to the Beeching report in the Gospel according to John, Chapter 15, verse 2 : "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away".  |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Nov 29, 2014 10:00:30 GMT
Meanwhile, in the Levant of antiquity, the locals are baffled by Ugovius the Pollster when he asks them if this "British Rail" could have helped at the Siege of Masada.
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 10:10:06 GMT
Meanwhile, in the Levant of antiquity, the locals are baffled by Ugovius the Pollster when he asks them if this "British Rail" could have helped at the Siege of Masada. Now, there was me thinking that a Levantine was a type of half chocolate sticky biscuit. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Nov 29, 2014 10:13:40 GMT
Meanwhile, in the Levant of antiquity, the locals are baffled by Ugovius the Pollster when he asks them if this "British Rail" could have helped at the Siege of Masada. Now, there was me thinking that a Levantine was a type of half chocolate sticky biscuit. It should be, really- that would make an excellent name for a biscuit. I wonder what Italians think when offered a Garibaldi or a Florentine (I'm not sure they call the latter a Florentine- much as the Danes call a Danish pastry "Vienna Bread"). |
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 10:30:19 GMT
Now, there was me thinking that a Levantine was a type of half chocolate sticky biscuit. It should be, really- that would make an excellent name for a biscuit. I wonder what Italians think when offered a Garibaldi or a Florentine (I'm not sure they call the latter a Florentine- much as the Danes call a Danish pastry "Vienna Bread"). I knew you would make the connection. To my mind panforte and the florentine are the queens of Italian biscuit enjoyment. But a florentine (can't think of an alternative Italian word) is a true biscuit in that it is hard and gets soft if allowed to age, whilst cake is softer and gets hard with age. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Nov 29, 2014 10:35:11 GMT
It should be, really- that would make an excellent name for a biscuit. I wonder what Italians think when offered a Garibaldi or a Florentine (I'm not sure they call the latter a Florentine- much as the Danes call a Danish pastry "Vienna Bread"). I knew you would make the connection. To my mind panforte and the florentine are the queens of Italian biscuit enjoyment. But a florentine (can't think of an alternative Italian word) is a true biscuit in that it is hard and gets soft if allowed to age, whilst cake is softer and gets hard with age. Ah- now that was the subject of the infamous Jaffa Cake tax case and the less infamous but equally strange Chocolate Teacake case: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7340101.stm |
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 11:04:07 GMT
I knew you would make the connection. To my mind panforte and the florentine are the queens of Italian biscuit enjoyment. But a florentine (can't think of an alternative Italian word) is a true biscuit in that it is hard and gets soft if allowed to age, whilst cake is softer and gets hard with age. Ah- now that was the subject of the infamous Jaffa Cake tax case and the less infamous but equally strange Chocolate Teacake case: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7340101.stmNot infamous surely? It was such an elegant and beautiful argument. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Nov 29, 2014 11:07:42 GMT
Not infamous surely? It was such an elegant and beautiful argument. Oh, it was indeed- a triumph of the barrister's art. But the surrealism of it, even such a justified case, came to represent the sharp practices and greed associated with the Big Four accountancy firms. (NB: I worked for one of them at the time). I might start a thread on the subject. |
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Nov 29, 2014 11:21:48 GMT
It should be, really- that would make an excellent name for a biscuit. I wonder what Italians think when offered a Garibaldi or a Florentine (I'm not sure they call the latter a Florentine- much as the Danes call a Danish pastry "Vienna Bread"). I knew you would make the connection. To my mind panforte and the florentine are the queens of Italian biscuit enjoyment. But a florentine (can't think of an alternative Italian word) is a true biscuit in that it is hard and gets soft if allowed to age, whilst cake is softer and gets hard with age. Panforte is just evil. Where's that room 101 when you need it. |
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Nov 29, 2014 11:26:29 GMT
Not infamous surely? It was such an elegant and beautiful argument. Oh, it was indeed- a triumph of the barrister's art. But the surrealism of it, even such a justified case, came to represent the sharp practices and greed associated with the Big Four accountancy firms. (NB: I worked for one of them at the time). I might start a thread on the subject. More the greed associated with HMRC. How could any heartless bastard consider taxing a sainted jaffa cake? Bastards. |
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 11:27:50 GMT
I knew you would make the connection. To my mind panforte and the florentine are the queens of Italian biscuit enjoyment. But a florentine (can't think of an alternative Italian word) is a true biscuit in that it is hard and gets soft if allowed to age, whilst cake is softer and gets hard with age. Panforte is just evil. Where's that room 101 when you need it. It must have been a cheap tourist one or out of time for you to term it evil rather than just don't like it. |
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 11:30:35 GMT
Not infamous surely? It was such an elegant and beautiful argument. Oh, it was indeed- a triumph of the barrister's art. But the surrealism of it, even such a justified case, came to represent the sharp practices and greed associated with the Big Four accountancy firms. (NB: I worked for one of them at the time). I might start a thread on the subject. Not at all, it was a triumph of truth over wrong-headed fiction by HMRC. The silly rules on defining food are the cause. |
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Nov 29, 2014 11:38:57 GMT
Panforte is just evil. Where's that room 101 when you need it. It must have been a cheap tourist one or out of time for you to term it evil rather than just don't like it. Just not at all keen. Senese desserts are as bad as their politics.  I'd rather have some cantuccini and Vin Santo if we're talking Tuscan sweet delicacies. Usually washed down with more Vin Santo. With a Vin Santo chaser. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Nov 29, 2014 11:44:26 GMT
It must have been a cheap tourist one or out of time for you to term it evil rather than just don't like it. Just not at all keen. Senese desserts are as bad as their politics. I'd rather have some cantuccini and Vin Santo if we're talking Tuscan sweet delicacies. Usually washed down with more Vin Santo. With a Vin Santo chaser. There's a very odd Italian restaurant in Oxford where you often get handed glasses of vin santo if you've spent enough/are a regular. Bit sweet for my taste, but when it's free- well.... |
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Post by carlton43 on Nov 29, 2014 11:55:45 GMT
It must have been a cheap tourist one or out of time for you to term it evil rather than just don't like it. Just not at all keen. Senese desserts are as bad as their politics. I'd rather have some cantuccini and Vin Santo if we're talking Tuscan sweet delicacies. Usually washed down with more Vin Santo. With a Vin Santo chaser. Oh dear! Oh dear!! We are polar opposites. Vin santo and frightful little tasteless hard biscuits. Yes I am Senesi and despise the Fiorentini. I so much prefer Siena to Firenzi that it is visceral. |
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