Women and Jesus

Yesterdays 26th December's 'The Age' had an interesting piece by Lesle Cannold called 'The Da Vinci Sisters'. In it she explored Jesus relationship with women and how it was counter cultural to a degree. A couple of things of note::

• 'Joshua' was probably Jesus name. Funny I've never heard of this before, I wonder where she got this information from? Interestingly she uses this name throughout the article, I wonder why?
• Quotes from the book of Thomas, always interesting when 'non-canonical' sources are used. But Thomas is a good one, it been one of the older documents around.
• A good point made, Jesus brothers are mentioned but not his sister, out of good probability there would have been at least one. How he related to his sisters would have been of real interest.
• Writing a book which will be published in April, 'The book of Rachael', presumably about Jesus sister'. I think there is a lot to gain by imagining what Jesus would have been like.
• What sources did she use? Crosson? Borg? Albert Schweitzer? As I've come to understand the understanding of the 'Historical Jesus' is of up most importance of what you believe, and in Leslie Cannold's case what you write and want people to take in.

If I remember I'll try to pick up a copy of the book. Great to read a thought provoking article in 'The Age'.

Related articles

• Crossan's absolute certainty in the historicity of Christ Crucified (vridar.wordpress.com)
• Christianity, Jesus- an Islamic Perspective (xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)
• John Dominic Crossan the Theologian Explaining the Historicity of Jesus (vridar.wordpress.com)

Apple and censorship again...

Image via Wikipedia

Another example of Apple and censorship, for thinq::

An 'unofficial' WikiLeaks App which contained published documents from the Cablegate leaks has been withdrawn from the Apple App Store.
The $1.99 App created by developer Igor Barinov has been removed from sale without explanation despite the fact that all of the information contained in it is publicly available.

 It makes me wonder why anyone would buy an apple product...

Related articles

• Apple Store Removes Wikileaks App (koolnews.wordpress.com)
• WikiLeaks App Yanked from App Store (readwriteweb.com)

Jesus the teacher within

Jesus the teacher within, by Laurence Freeman.

Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk who is well known for his work in Christian meditation.

Just some quick thoughts and quotes::

:: His anger was reserved for the rigidity of religious authority, the sin that denies that it is sin and even claims to be from God. It was not directed against ordinary sinners. His power was felt not in punishment but in the reintegration of the sinners both to himself and society. He called them to repentance and a new life: 'go and do not sin again' as he told the woman he saved from being stone do death. He convinced people that they were forgiven and he empowered them to take advantage of the invitation to live more full that is intrinsic to that discovery. Jesus' compassionate response to sin emphasises both the person's will to transcend the habit of sin and the action necessary to fulfil  that intention. People did not leave his presence fixated on their sinfulness. They left in liberty to live differently.


I love this paragraph. Its the reason that I put up my hand and say I want to be a Christian, why I follow Jesus. 
Interesting the line 'fixated on there sinfulness'. I think most of my past Christian life was like this, guilt going into Church, guilt during Church. I'm not sure other than social reasons I went to Church. I'm sure that I'm not the only one either. 

::"Faith is not the dream but the felt conviction that things will eventually work out for the best." Yep,  this has come with age for me.

::"Seeing Jesus as a guru who teaches by means of question and presence, rather that as a moralist and rule-giver, may be a challenge for many Western Christians"

:: Lawrence made the distinction between 'pantheistic' God is everything vs pantheism God is in everything. I had never made this distinction, and it is a very important one. I could radically change how people view the Holy Spirit.

Phillip Island hospital

I read in the Phillip Island and San Remo Advertiser December 15th, 2010 our local state MP say

"As far as Warley hospital 'we are not going back'"

Interesting considering I never heard him say this as explicitly during the state election campaign!

It is even stranger just prior to the federal campaign our local federal representative was in front of 'Warley' pledging money to reopen it! This was in his 'Flinders News'

My conclusion is that the liberals have to start working together and getting policy consensus.
The good news is that Mr Smith in the Advertiser is pushing for a 24 hr emergency medical facility on the island. This is a good step. My only concern is that it will be attached to Phillip Island Medical Group. PIMG the  only real option on the island, where even if you are a local, during holiday seasons you can't make an appointment, you have to ring up that morning and there is no bulk billing.

Banking reform

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Wayne Swan has put up a few recommendations for banking reform. One of the most important which I've seen was the account number which you carried around with you. A bit like your telephone number, its yours for life if you want it.

I think this is a great idea! At the thought of moving banks makes me shudder with the work involved. Not only do you change banks, you change how your wages are payed, you change what direct debits are taken out. What a pain.

Now...

If you don't like crappy sevice, you can move bank,
If you don't like been on hold for hours, you can move bank,
If there no bank in your area you can move bank, (Westpac has no bank in Phillip Island poplutation 10,000)
Your bank dosn't have an ATM in your area and every time you withdrawal money it cost you $2, you can move banks. (Westpac, no ATM in SanRemo, Newhaven, Rhyll)
Your bank is the first to put up interest rates, you can move banks.

Yes, Wayne Swan and Joe Hockey its time for account numbers which go with you!

Related articles

• There's not really a lot Wayne Swan can do about banks (thepunch.com.au)
• You: Australia unveils sweeping banking reforms (france24.com)

Arbib the Rat

Urban Monk has done a Cartoon in reference to my last post 'Arbib the Rat'.


Now what other names has Arbib been called lately...'Arbib 007' 'Arbib from the CIA' etc etc

Related articles

• Mark Arbib, aka CIA Agent 007 (theage.com.au)
• Wikileaks a powerful blow to Arbib's low-profile tactic (thepunch.com.au)
• Arbib revealed as US embassy informant (news.theage.com.au)

Wikileaks and truth

I've enjoyed the revelations from Wikileaks. In many ways it has increased my cynicism of Government. Some of articles which confirm my discomfort with government.

:: "The Age" RIO Tino giving evidence to Chinese authorities regarding one if its employees. Why isn't the Australian government responding to this?

:: "The Age" Mark Arbib one of labour 'faceless' men, telling the US that Rudd would be replaced months in advance from when it happened. Giving the US the low down on how Australian government decisions are made. What a RAT!

:: "The Age" Kevin Rudd reporting that the Afgan war 'scares the hell' out of him. It makes you wonder was the whole parlementary debate was about? What are we doing there if Rudd has such resovations?

:: The ABC Paypal refusing payments to wikileaks? Yet takes money from the porn industry, the klu klux klan. What is it about company's that make moral judgement about what is right and wrong?

I certainly don't think wikileaks is doing the wrong thing. I'm sure the Murdock press and other media moguls would publish whistle blower material if it was in there interest. But I fear that Murdock has to much money and to many friends in high places, its not in his interest to be the first to publish. Sure his paper rats on small local stuff. But this, no way.
One of the good thing about the internet is that we don't have to read media moguls material. We have a choice. Murdock et als  power base is been chipped away.
The thing which is most worrying is governments not doing things because they are the 'right thing to do'. Rather there motivations are about alliances, what's best for business, what makes our country look better.
Is there such a thing as open government? Honest government? Honest people in power?
It just makes the Greens party look better and better.

Related articles

• Arbib revealed as secret US source (theage.com.au)
• ABC The Drum - Rudd and Arbib duck the North Korea of the internet (angryindian.blogspot.com)

Transgender

As I've previously posted before my friend Scott has been diagnosed as been transgendered.
As a Christian I've worked through and still working through the idea of sexuality which isn't the norm. Some of my thoughts

Is this part of God's plan for creation? 
Mmm probably not, unless he thinks that a few mutant strands of DNA are a good thing in cell division, for evolution and diversity of species.

What does God think of people who aren't the 'norm'?
He still loves them, walks with them, communes with them.

What does God do to people who aren't the norm?

Very similar to my answer above. Except I'd add that I think he has a special affinity for these people. He would have an understanding of the pain they go through, the rejection, condemnation. How so often they want to be 'normal' but it is no choice.

Does God want to heal people who aren't the norm?
This is an interesting one, because I think that where ever a person is there can be healing. It's a more holistic idea which includes lots of things: the mind, relationship with others, the spirit. Only a small amount is do do with the body. If a person was restored physically the person would be 'Cured'. I think God is more into 'healing' than 'Curing'.
Interesting in my friend Scotts case I can see a lot of 'healing' taking place.

Whats my response?

I want to treat them as normally as possible. It is difficult though. It's difficult because its hard to relate to there experience. In my friend Scott's case I've always thought of him as a male. The shift in my thinking is a difficult one. Yet I think of the shift that Scott has made it has been a lifetime.

Bass, Ken Smith, Victorian Election 2010

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It was a bit of a surprise to me that our local liberal Ken Smith is going to be the speaker of the next parliament in Victoria.

Although it was a bit a disappointment that he is rather phobic to technology.  From the ABC::

Mr Smith was firm when asked if he would like to see a crackdown on MPs using Facebook and Twitter while in the Parliament.
"Yeah I would," he said.

Com'on Ken, get with it, like you colleagues Greg Hunt who also represents us federally, dripping us with his pearls of wisdom and government stuff ups (A bit predictable really). Occasionaly revealing that he is a human ::

Thank you @latikabourke and others for birthday wishes. Big thank you to my wife for the chocolate cake delivered here. Staff v. happy too!

So Ken, let a few tweets through, just to see that you lot are working and are human....

Apple and the Steve Jobs figurine

Another reason that Apples fame has gone to Steve Jobs head from Mobiledia::

MIC Gadget, which offered the figure for $80, sold out the initial batch of 300 figurines and was on the verge of announcing its next batch when Apple's law firm sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company, stating the product violated the use of its copyrights and trademarks and requested the company immediately cease the marketing and sale of this figure.

I wish I had one, a real rarity now.

Related articles

• Apple Squashes Production of Steve Jobs Action Figure (cbsnews.com)
• Apple Bans Steve Jobs Doll: One Less Thing (pcworld.com)

Bass, Victoria election 2010

Ken Smith easily won the seat of Bass for the liberals. Results from the Victorian Electoral commission::

LONERGAN, Gerry ALP  29.07% SMITH, Ken Liberal  56.96% RANKINE, Neil Greens  10.61%

It was a big win to Ken Smith. It was also worth noting that the Greens actually increased there vote from the last Victorian Election. The big looser was Labour.

labour and nuclear power

I'm amazed that the Labour party is going to consider nuclear power generation. Labour figure Bob Carr writes

Australia has a theological objection to nuclear power. It’s illogical. Polls have been moving and younger people are more open-minded than those who come of age politically in the 1980s. It remains the only serious base-load alternative to incinerating more coal.

Yep, base-load is a problem in which I'm sure will be worked out in the next couple of years. But Some reasons why I think it a Labour policy not to change is::

::An increasing erosion of Labour to the Greens.
::Chernobyl disaster. No way are these things ever safe. It's not worth the risk.

Related articles

• Labor MPs call for nuclear power debate (news.theage.com.au)
• World nuclear power generation 2010 (nextbigfuture.com)

linux radio

Linux Radio would have to be the most boring radio that I've ever listened.

"Linux Radio is an online radio broadcasting the latest stable version of the Linux kernel (currently 2.6.36.1), which is read in plain voice using eSpeak, an open source text to speech synthesizer."

Yet  Linux radio is something that I admire. The geek idea of just doing something interesting. Not doing it for money, but just becasue you can.

Apple the moral arbitor

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Interesting that Apple has removed from the app store the "Manhatten declaration". From Christianity Today::

Apple's iTunes App Store has removed a program for the Manhattan Declaration after critics decried the declaration as "anti-gay" and "anti-woman."
The app, which went online in October, enabled users to sign the declaration, visit the website, and take a survey relating to the declaration. Change.org posted a petition--which picked up over 7,000 signers in a few days--asking that Apple remove the "anti-gay and anti-choice" application....

....Observers have long puzzled over Apple's criteria for accepting and rejecting apps; in fact many people accused Apple of a double standard when they rejected a number of apps designed specifically for the gay community. The company said they rejected the apps for objectionable content, though many say that the cited content was no worse than that available in apps the company has accepted (like the one promoting the recent movie Bruno).

Apple in its quest for control has now become a moral arbitor for what is wrong and right. I think its a worrying situation when really large companies start to champion morals and ethics. Another reason that I'll be sticking to android. Apple should just stick to making good products.

Related articles

• "Apple Upsets the LGBT Community With the Approval of the Manhattan Declaration App" and related posts (ismashphone.com)
• Apple removes anti-gay iPhone app from the App Store (intomobile.com)