yayyyyyy God

[Kanada Kev]

All dinos go to heaven

[Esau.]

Scientists reproduce 'fake' Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin - revered as the cloth that covered Jesus in the tomb – is a man-made relic, according to scientists who reproduced a copy of the famous fabric.

Italian chemist Luigi Garlaschelli said his experiment proves that earlier carbon dating of the shroud to the 14th century was correct.

He used materials and techniques that were available in the Middle Ages to explain how a negative image of a crucified man could be imprinted centuries before the invention of photography.

Professor Garlaschelli today said: ‘Many still believe that the shroud has unexplainable characteristics that cannot be reproduced by human means.‘But the result obtained clearly indicates that this could be done with the use of inexpensive materials and with a quite simple procedure.

However, Professor Garlaschelli said he still expected people to challenge his research and insist the shroud, kept at Turin Cathedral, is real.‘If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me.’

The shroud is first recorded in history around 1360 in the hands of a French knight - a late appearance that is one of the reasons why some scientists are skeptical of its authenticity. Measuring 13ft long and 3ft wide, it has suffered severe damage during the centuries, including from fires.

Owned by the Vatican, it is kept locked in a special protective chamber in Turin’s cathedral and is rarely shown. The last public display was in 2000, when more than 1 million people turned up to see it, and the next is scheduled for 2010.

The Catholic Church makes no claims about the relic’s authenticity, but says it is a powerful symbol of Christ’s suffering. The shroud has been strongly debated within the scientific community.

Some researchers claim that patches used in the Middle Ages to repair the cloth after a fire altered the carbon-dating results.

Another study, by the Hebrew University, concluded that pollen and plant images on the shroud showed it originated in the area around Jerusalem sometime before the eighth century

Read more here

Edited October 7, 2009 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

Happy Halloween/Christmas

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Sell the Vatican to end world hunger!

(The Vatican doesn't care for Sarah Silverman's idea)

Thu Oct 15, 8:12 AM

By Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press

ROME - Comedian Sarah Silverman has a new proposal for ending world hunger: Sell the Vatican.

In a new profanity-laced monologue making the rounds on YouTube in time for UN World Food Day on Friday, Silverman suggests that it's time for the pope to "move out of your house that is a city" and use the proceeds to feed the world's poor.

"On an ego level alone you will be the biggest hero in the history of ever!" she exclaimed. "Sell the Vatican. Feed the world."

The Vatican clearly has no plans to follow suit. On Thursday, a spokesman declined to comment. But the Catholic League, the U.S. Catholic civil rights organization, denounced Silverman and cable broadcaster HBO for her "obscene" and "filthy diatribe."

In a statement, it noted that such an attack would never have been levelled against, say, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem or the state of Israel and added that the "Catholic Church operates more hospitals and feeds more of the poor than any private institution in the world."

Yet the Rev. James Martin, culture editor of the Jesuit magazine America, says Silverman may be onto something. In an online article, Martin noted that Jesus himself told his followers to sell what they had and give it to the poor.

"Of course Pope Benedict XVI could not 'sell' any of the treasures of the Vatican, the same way that your local archbishop couldn't sell off the cathedral at a whim; they are not his, they are the church's," Martin wrote. "And the church is not simply the hierarchy but the entire people of God."

But he added: "Still, perhaps Ms. Silverman, in her postmodern, potty-mouthed way is on to something. Like Jesus was. Sell the Vatican? Well, maybe not everything but perhaps a statue or two?"

For the record, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which just released its annual report on the state of world hunger, says global food output will have to increase by 70 per cent to feed a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050.

To achieve that, poor countries will need $44 billion in annual agricultural aid, compared with the current $7.9 billion, the Rome-based FAO said. Overall, an annual net investment in agriculture of $83 billion is needed to feed the world.

Even if the pope were to sell the Vatican, it wouldn't be enough.

In 2004, the Vatican disclosed that the Holy See's real estate was worth 700 million euros, or about $908 million at the time. That doesn't include St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, which the Vatican termed priceless and valued at a symbolic 1 euro.

While the Vatican's artistic holdings are obviously worth millions, the institution itself doesn't bring in a lot of cash. In 2008, it ran a C0.9 million ($1.28 million) deficit, the second year of losses. Revenues were C253.9 million and expenses C254.8 million.

The Vatican began publishing its finances in 1981, when Pope John Paul II ordered financial disclosure to debunk the idea that the Vatican was rich.

Silverman, who is no stranger to religiously and racially charged slurs, gained international attention with her 2008 "The Great Schlep" campaign in which she exhorted Jews to go to Florida to convince their grandparents to vote for Barack Obama.

[Kanada Kev]

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

George Bernard Shaw: "No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means."

[Kanada Kev]

That's a great quote DEM. I've never heard that one before.

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1670#comic

Edited October 19, 2009 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

[Kanada Kev]

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

[Kanada Kev]

[Kanada Kev]

[Esau.]

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/Home_Page.html

Also read the FAQ.

Q: Is this a Joke?

A: No. This is a serious offer to our Christian friends who believe in the Second Coming and honestly care about the future of their pets after the Rapture occurs.

[Kanada Kev]

exactly ... and I guarantee there are a bunch of fools who have fallen for it too. I love it

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Crucific Ruling Sparks Uproar in Italy

Gilbert Reilhac and Philip Pullella

Rome — Reuters Published on Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009 11:48AM EST

The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that Italian schools should remove crucifixes from classrooms, sparking uproar in Italy, where such icons are embedded in the national psyche.

“This is an abhorrent ruling,†said Rocco Buttiglione, a former culture minister who helped write papal encyclicals. “It must be rejected with firmness. Italy has its culture, its traditions and its history. Those who come among us must understand and accept this culture and this history.â€

The court ruling, which Italy said it would appeal, said crucifixes on school walls, a common sight that is part of every Italian's life, could disturb children who were not Christians. Italy has been in the throes of national debate on how to deal with a growing population of immigrants, mostly Muslims, and the court sentence is likely to become another battle cry for the centre-right government's policy to restrict newcomers.

The Vatican spokesman said he would not comment until he knew more about the ruling but Italy's powerful bishops' conference said the ruling “evokes sadness and bewilderment.â€

Members of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government bristled, weighing in with words such as “shameful,†“offensive,†“absurd,†“unacceptable,†and “pagan.†But condemnation crossed party lines. Paola Binetti, a Catholic in the opposition Democratic Party, the successor of what was once the West's largest communist party, said: “In Italy, the crucifix is a specific sign of our tradition.â€

The case was brought by an Italian national, Soile Lautsi, who complained that her children had to attend a public school in northern Italy, which had crucifixes in every room. Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini said crucifixes on the walls of tens of thousands of classrooms “does not mean adherence to Catholicism†but are a symbol of Italy's heritage.

“The history of Italy is marked by symbols and if we erase symbols we erase part of ourselves,†Ms. Gelmini said.

Ms. Lautsi, the woman who filed the suit, said crucifixes on walls ran counter to her right to give her children a secular education and the Strasbourg-based court ruled in her favour. “The presence of the crucifix ... could be encouraging for religious pupils, but also disturbing for pupils who practised other religions or were atheists, particularly if they belonged to religious minorities,†the court said in a written ruling. “The State (must) refrain from imposing beliefs in premises where individuals were dependent on it,†it added, saying the aim of public education was “to foster critical thinking.â€

Pierferdinando Casini of the opposition Union of Christian Democrats party said the ruling showed that European institutions were “spineless,†noting the failure to mention the continent's Christian roots in Europe's constitution.

Mario Baccini, a senator in Mr. Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, said the court had “gone adrift in paganism.â€

Two Italian laws dating from the 1920s, when the Fascists were in power, state that schools must display crucifixes. Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, said such rulings were leading to “a Europe without an identity.â€

Only a handful of politicians defended the court, including some members of the Democratic Party, as well as members of the communist party and atheist groups.

Apparently, the cross never really caught on in the early history as a Christian icon until a number of generations removed from the event, and even when it did, it was first with a "laughing Christ" on the cross. The crucifix ends up looking pretty morbid in contrast, and suggests all sorts of nasty unconscious stuff which it's probably better not to get into.

All I can think is that, if you want something as intense as that as a routine, worldly image, then that's all it takes to make the image profane. And leave that shit alone, if you're going to pretend to be religious.

[SaggyBalls]

blessed be the sinners.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

[SaggyBalls]

Awesome.

[Kanada Kev]

Interesting doc I watched today while working

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/born_again/

BORN AGAIN is the story of Director Markie Hancock’s evangelical upbringing and her 20-year struggle to get out. Excerpts from Hancock’s journals, home movies and student films reveal the strong grip of fundamentalist religion. As a child, she revels in the security that promises of eternal salvation bring to both her and her family. Hancock only slowly begins to question the narrow path she has fervently followed when she falls in love with a woman. It is in Berlin when she finally begins to free herself from religion and from the family she loves. Ultimately, BORN AGAIN asks, at what price do we believe what we believe and how do we live with others who believe differently?

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Got it streaming right now - thanks!

A good book of similar content I read recently is Leaving Fundamentalism: Personal Stories . I mention it partly because it's got some amazing stories, and partly because my sister does a little blurb on the back .

[Kanada Kev]

[Esau.]

For 400 M$ points, you'll soon be able to pick up the awesomely-titled Bible Navigator X on Xbox Live Indie Games. Sure, developer B&H could have opted to choose a more modest title like Bible Navigator 360 or plain ol' Bible Navigator -- but this app is meant for the kids. "This is also a great tool for youth ministers who teach in youth spaces that already have Xbox consoles in them," the press release says. "It's a quick way to create teaching aids from equipment you already have."

X will include HCSB versions of the Old and New Testament, search capabilities and an awesome animated intro. According to the press release, this marks the first time the full Bible can be viewed through a games console. "The Xbox isn't just secular entertainment anymore," said Aaron Linne, B&H Publishing Group's executive producer of digital marketing. Certainly, some players may want to download this after the "No Russian" level from Modern Warfare 2.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/extreme-bible-reading-app-coming-to-xbox-360/

[Kanada Kev]

Cool!! That'll go perfectly with my Guitar Praise game

http://www.stuffchristianculturelikes.com/2009/08/96-playing-guitar-praise-in-lieu-of.html

Christian culture needed an alternative to the degenerate Guitar Hero, so they made their own version. Now you don't have to pretend to play guitar along to secular music. With Guitar Praise you can pretend to play guitar along to Christian music that has been run through Auto-Tune and injected with silicone.

Guitar Praise lets you “rock out†to contemporary Christian songs that each sound like a Creed/Jonas Brothers mash-up. The website for Guitar Praise says “You’ll soon be rockin’ with the best while praising the Lord!â€

Christian culture's idea of "rockin'" is as questionable as their definition of the word "best." Rather than violate your soul with secular music, violate your senses with this! Is God glorified by the Christian-ifying of video games? Christian culture seems to think so.

[Esau.]

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

This is pretty twisted.

Judge Orders Phoenix Church to Stop Feeding Homeless

The homeless in Phoenix, Ariz. will have to find a new place for a pancake breakfast after a court ruling forced a neighborhood church to shut down its charity dining hall.

The ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix, which will force church volunteers to relocate their homeless food services to commercial parts of the city or end their meal services entirely, reports Change.org.

The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church's weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood. With the increase in homeless individuals in the area came an uptick in their undesirable behaviors, including "panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, among other things," according to AZ Family.