DLH
Theoretical Skeptic
Even the atheists gasp a breath of disbelief when I say that, and as usual no one knows what I mean.
Thinking the Bible alone is relevant to any topic is very little more than thinking anything I say is relevant. Or the Watchtower, or the Pope, or Richard Dawkins, or even the late great Christopher Hitchens, who I had a great deal of respect for because he had integrity, a rarity these days, and was right about religion though wrong about the Bible. I like to refer to him affectionately as Chrissy. I know he would like that. Anyway, let me show you.
What does damned mean? Where is that word in the Bible? If it's there what did the original language say?
Alright then, let's look at that. Not just think that it must say what we believe or want to think it says.
What is cursed AKA damned? To curse someone is to warn them against harm. For example, if I think that someone jumping off a cliff with a funny flying suit will result in the death of an idiot thrill seeker I might say something like "You'll be sorry." They won't really be sorry, they'll be dead. That's a curse. Sorry and death can't be had simultaneously, so the sorrow of the impending death is either hyperbolic, situationally ironic, idiomatic colloquialism, vernacular etc.
To be cursed or damned doesn't necessarily mean "I will make you sorry." It could mean you would feel sorry if you had the sense to realize what you were doing and what that will result in. Maybe the person won't believe you, maybe you're even wrong, but you have to warn them.
But hey, I'm an idiot. That's just my theory. Or the JW theory, or the Christian or the atheist theory etc. depending on the perspective. What does the word mean? How is it used? Who says? Who, what, where, when, why?
Here's what the Watchtower says about curse. Oh! That's even better than mine. More complete than I can relate here to those who don't listen or have, like myself, the attention span of a fruit fly. It says: "The desiring, threatening, or pronouncing of evil upon . . . "
With the atheists, of course, it's impossible to convey any real or practical meaning because they've already dismissed anything the Bible says as magic, pulling a rabbit out of a hat, voodoo shit. What they think doesn't really matter. Because it's just what they "think."
What do the experts say? That's the best way to determine the truth, pay someone to say what you think. As long as they look professional it must be true. They went to a "traditional" school which pays to teach tradition and tradition, especially if it looks scientific, must be true. So long as you don't use "curse" words. The educated and religious think certain words should be replaced by other certain words which are more acceptable. Usually without knowing why.
Anyway. Ranting aside, look at this.
Matthew 25:41 They (translations) all say cursed. The Watchtower Bible also uses that word. The Greek, though, what does it say? You can see that here. It says,
κατηραμένοι (katēramenoi)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2672: To curse. Middle voice from katara; to execrate; by analogy, to doom.
There (following the Strong's link above) is some context for you. Someone, anyone, can curse you. You can curse someone. Nothing new yet, really.
Where's this place the devil and his angels, along with the damned (cursed) are put? Just a quick aside, the word devil means liar, angel means messenger. With the definite article the Devil, is the liar, just like god with the definite article is the God. Like the Arabic Allah.
The place is "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Well, that's the lake of fire. I explain that in a post from the very thread that this one came from. It isn't a literal place.
I'll quote it here for you to ignore again.
Now. Ask yourself this. Sodom was supposed to burn for all to see forever. It's currently buried in the Dead Sea. Is the smoke everyone sees real or metaphorical everlasting destruction? Is the Bible true or false?
Thinking the Bible alone is relevant to any topic is very little more than thinking anything I say is relevant. Or the Watchtower, or the Pope, or Richard Dawkins, or even the late great Christopher Hitchens, who I had a great deal of respect for because he had integrity, a rarity these days, and was right about religion though wrong about the Bible. I like to refer to him affectionately as Chrissy. I know he would like that. Anyway, let me show you.
What does damned mean? Where is that word in the Bible? If it's there what did the original language say?
Alright then, let's look at that. Not just think that it must say what we believe or want to think it says.
What is cursed AKA damned? To curse someone is to warn them against harm. For example, if I think that someone jumping off a cliff with a funny flying suit will result in the death of an idiot thrill seeker I might say something like "You'll be sorry." They won't really be sorry, they'll be dead. That's a curse. Sorry and death can't be had simultaneously, so the sorrow of the impending death is either hyperbolic, situationally ironic, idiomatic colloquialism, vernacular etc.
To be cursed or damned doesn't necessarily mean "I will make you sorry." It could mean you would feel sorry if you had the sense to realize what you were doing and what that will result in. Maybe the person won't believe you, maybe you're even wrong, but you have to warn them.
But hey, I'm an idiot. That's just my theory. Or the JW theory, or the Christian or the atheist theory etc. depending on the perspective. What does the word mean? How is it used? Who says? Who, what, where, when, why?
Here's what the Watchtower says about curse. Oh! That's even better than mine. More complete than I can relate here to those who don't listen or have, like myself, the attention span of a fruit fly. It says: "The desiring, threatening, or pronouncing of evil upon . . . "
With the atheists, of course, it's impossible to convey any real or practical meaning because they've already dismissed anything the Bible says as magic, pulling a rabbit out of a hat, voodoo shit. What they think doesn't really matter. Because it's just what they "think."
What do the experts say? That's the best way to determine the truth, pay someone to say what you think. As long as they look professional it must be true. They went to a "traditional" school which pays to teach tradition and tradition, especially if it looks scientific, must be true. So long as you don't use "curse" words. The educated and religious think certain words should be replaced by other certain words which are more acceptable. Usually without knowing why.
Anyway. Ranting aside, look at this.
Matthew 25:41 They (translations) all say cursed. The Watchtower Bible also uses that word. The Greek, though, what does it say? You can see that here. It says,
κατηραμένοι (katēramenoi)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2672: To curse. Middle voice from katara; to execrate; by analogy, to doom.
There (following the Strong's link above) is some context for you. Someone, anyone, can curse you. You can curse someone. Nothing new yet, really.
Where's this place the devil and his angels, along with the damned (cursed) are put? Just a quick aside, the word devil means liar, angel means messenger. With the definite article the Devil, is the liar, just like god with the definite article is the God. Like the Arabic Allah.
The place is "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Well, that's the lake of fire. I explain that in a post from the very thread that this one came from. It isn't a literal place.
I'll quote it here for you to ignore again.
Now. Ask yourself this. Sodom was supposed to burn for all to see forever. It's currently buried in the Dead Sea. Is the smoke everyone sees real or metaphorical everlasting destruction? Is the Bible true or false?
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