What’s in your coffee table?

Greetings.

Jewish date:  24 ’Iyyar 5769.

Today’s holidays:  Day 39 of the ‘Omer, Feast Day of Elias Ashmole.

Today’s quasi-holidays:  International Museum Day, Victoria Day.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:  “Don't dumb down the Bible” and “Let my people know!”:  There is a new translation out of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), Tanakh Ram.  This is a translation of the Hebrew Bible into Hebrew—Modern Hebrew.  While Biblical and Modern Hebrew do have a lot in common, there are enough differences that Israelis often have trouble understanding the Hebrew Bible, much as Modern English speakers have trouble understanding Shakespeare.  There is therefore a need for works to fill in the gap between knowledge and understanding.  Indeed, there have been many translations of and commentaries on the Hebrew Bible written, starting during the Second Temple Period.  Translations into languages other than Hebrew alone has at times been controversial, due to the fact that people may try using them to avoid learning (Biblical) Hebrew.  With translation, there is always the problem that the meaning of a translation is rarely identical with the meaning of the original.  One can expect plenty of people to be no happier with a translation into Modern Hebrew than with a translation into another language altogether.  I recommend using Tanakh Ram if at all as a stepping stone towards learning Biblical Hebrew.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Astronauts Use Brute Force to Rip Handrail Off Hubble”

Today’s weird thing is The Periodic Coffee Table.  Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

26 ’Adhar 5769: World Water Day/Mothering Sunday (UK)

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Stop the AIG Bonuses”, “Help us pass historic Wilderness bill!”, and “Support The Historic Bill to End Canada's Commercial Seal Hunt”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. A site I discovered recently which should prove useful for those interested in the Hebrew Bible: Tanakh Profiles. Info is given on all the named humans in the Hebrew Bible. Note, however, that all the names are given in the original Hebrew, even though the site is in English, so those who cannot read Hebrew names will be out of luck.
   
2. “The war on "man-caused disasters"”: “Man-caused disasters” is a new double-edged term. On one hand, it is an accurate description of terrorism and jihad. On the other hand, the new term sounds a lot broader than “terrorism” and “jihad”. E.g., the financial crisis the United States is also a man-caused disaster, only not the sort intended by the new term. What gets lost in the new term is whom we are really fighting: all Muslims who participate in or support jihad. It is also noted that the new term is arguably sexist; women can cause disasters as well. Let us hope the new term “man-caused disasters” never catches on.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Globe dives into World Water Day”
  
• “New Particle Throws Monkeywrench in Particle Physics”
  
• “State of U.S. birds report is "'a clarion call to action"”
  
• “Global Warming May Lead to More West Nile Virus”
  
• “Drive to the airport, get clearance, and take off in your flying . . . car?”: Cool! Now when are we getting our mylar jumpsuits and domestic cleaning robots?
  
• “Pink elephant is caught on camera”: This is actually meant with reference to the physical world and not a hallucination brought on by inebriation.
  
• “AIG bonus outrage has employees living in fear”: I think most of us can agree that what AIG did to the economy was shameful and deserving of severe punishment. Do note, however, that this is a nation of laws. Our politicians are responding very well to the fact that next to nobody thinks that anyone at AIG with a hand in the financial disaster deserves a bonus; after all, our politicians want to stay in office, which is much easier with a happy constituency. As such, there is no cause for vigilantism; the people of AIG are going to get their comeuppance legally.
  
• “Global Wheat Crop Threatened by Fungus: A Q&A with Han Joachim Braun”
  

Today’s weird thing is the blog Apostrophe Catastrophes: The Worlds' Worst. Punctuation;. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

30 Shevaṭ 5769: Ro’sh Ḥodhesh/Mardi Gras/International Pancake Day

Greetings.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Sect silent over death”: Major rule: Whatever deity exists does not show favoritism towards those who neglect medical care for religious reasons.
   
2. “Judaism from a Vending Machine”: Interesting tactic.
   
3. “Biblical seals unearthed in Jerusalem dig”: Always remember: The Hebrew Bible is not a fantasy. There is a very real history behind it.
   
4. People needing to learn tolerance: “Sectarian violence leaves 4 dead, 35 injured”. People parking in the wrong place is not a good reason for violence to break out.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Terror Attack in Egypt (1993)”
  
• “Quality Control Problems Continue at CBC”
  
• “Free IHOP Pancakes on National Pancake Day”
  
• “50 jobs, 50 states in a year? Man gives it a try”
  
• “Vitamin D deficiency linked to more colds and flu”
  
• “2009: Shaping up to be a really bad year for antivaccinationists”
  
• “Magpies reportedly build nest using scrap metal”

Today’s weird thing is “Mac Mini Inside an Apple Disk II Case”. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and happy new month.

Aaron

24 Tishri 5769: Talk Show Host Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Protect Your Right to Vote” and “Protect Otero Mesa's Wild Beauty, Wildlife”

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Unholy row threatens Holy Sepulchre”: I seriously have to ask: what would Jesus think of all this bickering?
   
2. “The Bible Reincarnated: Visually Arresting”: Interesting technique, but how good a job does it do of getting people to actually read the contents?
   
3. “Mandaeans - a threatened religion”: Yet another group endangered by Muslims in Iraq. Please compare them with the Zoroastrians, followers of another ancient religion, also persecuted in their homeland (Iran), and also facing the threat of extinction.
   
4. “Malaysians warned not to question Islam”: It is a pathetic ideology which justifies itself through threats. Other religions at least try to explain what is better about them.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Economic Meltdown”, “Pakistan's Bomb (1999)”, and “Financial Crisis (1984)”
  
• “Brainwave most likely to strike at 10.04pm”
  
• “Hijacked Iranian Ship Was A Dirty Bomb Meant For Israel On Yom Kippur”
  
• “Solar Refrigeration: A Hot Idea for Cooling”
  
• This Modern World 2008-10-22
  
• “A Stabbing in Gilo”
  

As everyone here in the US knows, October 31 will be Halloween, a secularized pagan holiday which has degenerated into parties, wearing silly costumes, practical jokes, and children going from house to house demanding unhealthy snacks that rot teeth. I do not celebrate Halloween, but I find the antics of those who do rather amusing. In that spirit, today’s weird thing (submitted by Barry) is “The 10 Most Disappointing Treats for Trick-or-Treaters”. I would like to note one item was left out of this list which should be obvious, that Peanuts classic, rocks. WARNING: Those seeking to give out disappointing treats on Halloween, please do not give out rocks, as these may end up being thrown through your windows. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

8 Tishri 5769: Ten Days of Repentance/Bathtub Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day:

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Feds bringing evangelist Alamo back to Arkansas”: This is a story which has been unfolding for a while. Tony Alamo (born Bernie Hoffman), founder of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, is in trouble with the law for alleged sexual activity with minors. (This seems to have been a problem with insane religious leaders since at least Muḥammad.) It has been repeatedly reported:

   Alamo has said the age of consent to marry is puberty and there's a mandate in the Bible for girls marrying young, but has denied the federal allegations.

   The problem is there is no specific age of consent or mandate for girls to marry young given in the Hebrew Bible or New Testament, so far as I can tell.  I will grant that probably the normal age of marriage was lower than it is today in Western countries, but 1) the contemporary Western world is rather unusual historically and 2) just because something used to be the usual practice does not automatically make it a mandate or the best way to do things. E.g., just because it used to be the usual practice for parents to spank their children does not mean it is the best form of punishment; nonviolent forms of discipline may be just as effective.  If anyone has any data on what Alamo is thinking, please let me know.
   
2. “Wall Street’s Collapse Means that Jews Can be Known for Values Rather than Money”: Stereotypes often die hard, and even harder when those stereotyped buy into them.
   
3. “Another remarkable archaeological find”: New material from the Second Temple Period!

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Day of Atonement (1998)”
  
• This Modern World 2008-10-06
  
• “Ranking Candidates Is More Accurate than Voting” (Yes, there are better ways of voting than we generally use right now.)
  
• Scientists and Engineers of America have compiled a nice resource on the views of people running for federal office.
  
• “Astronomers find a planet denser than lead”
  
• “The GOP goes back to its ugly roots” and “Bear facts about John McCain”
  
• “Israeli Approvals for Medical Entry in the Shadow of Terror Attacks at the Erez Crossing”
  

Today’s weird thing is Josiah S. Carberry. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

7 Tishri 5768: Ten Days of Repentance/Child Health Day/World Hospice and Palliative Care Day/World Habitat Day/National Storytelling Festival

Greetings.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess”: This article suggests part of the current financial crisis is due to prosperity theology, a Christian belief that correct religious belief or practice leads to material wealth. While God may well favor followers with material benefits, assuming that one will receive said benefits is a dangerous one. Humans are always imperfect, at the very least making mistakes. Frequently it goes deeper, with people can blind to at least some of their own faults, so they may not even realize that some of what they believe or do is wrong. As such, one cannot automatically assume one is worthy. And even if one is worthy, people do not always get what they deserve, e.g., the Book of Job teaches us that bad things can happen even to the most righteous people. As such, making assumptions that one will receive material benefits one for being religious is not justified.
   
2. “Faith-healing parents arrested”: To quote:

   The mother and father of a teenager who died in June turned themselves in Thursday to face charges of criminally negligent homicide.

   
   Neal Beagley, 16, died because of bladder complications nearly four months ago. Authorities said his parents belong to the Followers of Christ Church, a religion relying on prayer in place of medical care.
   
   

   After Beagley died, a medical examiner ruled his death could have been prevented had his family taken him to a doctor.

   You can probably hear me sighing at this point.  Major rule:  PRAYER IS ONLY A FORM OF COMMUNICATION.  When one prays, all one does is talk to one’s deity, be it in prose, poetry, or song, be it praise, thanksgiving, or petition; that is all.  Prayer, by itself, does nothing else.  If one is fortunate, the prayer may be granted; it may also not be granted.  Whichever happens is not in our hands, so it pays not to rely on prayer alone when other means of accomplishing worthwhile goals, such as healing the sick, are available.  As empirical evidence that faith-healing can go horribly wrong, I recommend “What's the harm in believing in faith healing?”
   
3. “Pope Benedict XVI starts off marathon Bible reading”: This is an interesting way to promote the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.
   
4. “US financial crisis causes spike in online anti-Semitism: monitor”: Anti-Semites will blame anything bad on the Jews, whether it makes sense or not.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Banks”
  
• “'Intelligent' computers put to the test”
  

Today’s weird thing is “'Smoot' measurement reaches new heights at MIT”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

17 Tammuz 5768: The Fast of Tammuz/Moon Day

Greetings.

Today is the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day beginning a three-week period of semi-mourning.  Five tragedies (listed in Qiṣṣur Shulḥan ‘Arukh 121:4 and elsewhere) are said to have occurred on this day:

1. The tablets on which the Decalogue were written were broken.
2. The daily offerings in the Temple stopped.
3. The walls of Jerusalem were breached, the beginning of the end of the Second Temple.
4. The wicked ’Apostomus burned a Torah scroll, the first time such a thing occurred in history.
5. An idol was set up in the Sanctuary by Hellenists.

While none of these things is particularly good, even worse is why much of these occurred.  Four of these are connected with the destruction of either Temple, the Second Temple in particular.  The Second Temple Period was a formative period in Judaism, during which there was a huge amount of intellectual activity and rational analysis of tradition, creating a foundation on which subsequent Judaism has been built.  It was also a time during which many competing groups existed, groups which often fought bitterly for less than honorable reasons.  The senseless infighting is directly linked with interference by the Syrian-Greeks and the Romans, leading to revolts, oppression, the destruction of the Second Temple, and the Diaspora.  It is no wonder that since sin’ath ḥinnam (“free” hatred) caused such tragedy, many are now pushing the opposite, ’ahavath ḥinnam (“free” love—and to avoid unjustified misinterpretation, that is caring for others whether or not they have earned it), as a solution.  Certainly such a solution is worth an attempt.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Texas State Board of Education approves Bible course for high schools”. I do believe that everyone should read the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, even if they do not believe in either of them, as they are two of the most important collections of works that have ever had an impact on human history. Given that, the Texas State Board of Education is indeed walking a thin line, and it is very easy to see how the course proposed could violate the Constitution. I pray these people do not screw it up.)
   
2. “The Demise of Islam?” (This is an interesting perspective on the long-term viability of Islam. Certainly Islam is set to loose a lot of influence and prestige as soon as the oil runs out.)
   
3. “Groundbreaking interfaith meeting shuns extremism” (Not only was this meeting not held in Saudi Arabia, where it would have really mattered, but no Israeli rabbis were invited. Who is Abdullah trying to fool?)

Today’s news and commentary:

• The Pickens Plan (This is not as extreme as Al Gore’s plan, but every step in the right direction helps.)
  
• “People Found Who Don't Use Numbers”
  
• “Loud music makes customers drink more”
  
• “Jim Smiths gather to honor Jim Smiths”
  
• “Shield of Invisibility Makes Lumpy Surface Smooth”
  
• “How reliable is DNA in identifying suspects?” (This is disturbing.)

As I mentioned on Friday, for the Three Weeks I will be doing something different with weird things.  This is a time of sadness and mourning, not a time of fun.  Therefore, I will tap into the spirit this period and tackle one of the great unfun jobs necessary for work on Divine Misconceptions:  The Cthulhu Mythos stories of H. P. Lovecraft. These are meant to be horror stories with a peculiar religious bent whose influence is apparent in the rituals of LaVeyan Satanism and possibly the mythos of the Buffyverse. Now, I describe this job as “unfun”, because 1) I am not a fan of horror, 2) I do not care for the Lovecraft material I have already read, and 3) I did not find said material scary—absolutely not something that should ever happen in a horror story. (Possibly #3 is a side effect of the horror genre having penetrated sufficiently into our culture that we are desensitized to it.) But despite the unfun, Lovecraft has to be covered, so suffer through it I shall.  Therefore:

In lieu of a weird thing, today’s Lovecraft story is “The Doom That Came to Sarnath”, published in 1920.

WARNING: SPOILERS ALERT!

Theological review of “The Doom That Came to Sarnath”:

Depicted are two idolatrous societies, one of which (Sarnath) destroys the other (Ib) for no good reason.  Bokrug, the idol of Ib, takes his revenge by destroying Sarnath, after which he reestablishes his cult.

1) The story seems to be taking the position that the idol itself is the god, though this is not entirely clear.  I am not clear on whether any actual idolators take such a precarious position.

2) The theology depicted is seriously maltheistic.  Bokrug does absolutely nothing to save the Ibians who worship him, even though he has the power to level Sarnath.  Bokrug therefore apparently does not care for his worshippers at all.  The only thing that matters to him is himself, and anyone who offends him shall feel his wrath.  This sounds like a stereotype and not a god anyone would actually want to worship.

Theological rating:  D.

Scariness rating:  My pants showed not the slightest sign of coming off.

Next up tomorrow: “The Nameless City”.

Aaron