ellauri016.html on line 554: However, a form of snobbery can be adopted by someone not a part of that group; a pseudo-intellectual, a celebrity worshipper, and a poor person idolizing money and the rich are types of snobs who do not base their snobbery on their personal attributes.[citation needed] Such a snob idolizes and imitates, if possible, the manners, worldview, and lifestyle of a classification of people to which they aspire, but do not belong, and to which they may never belong (wealthy, famous, intellectual, beautiful, etc.).[citation needed]
ellauri021.html on line 966: Thank the Second Amendment: Texas church shooting stopped in its tracks by armed" worshiper. Thank God too, and a prayer for those killed before the complete massacre was averted."
(Lue: Jos pahat miehet tulis Matin lasten tarhaan ammuskelemaan, aseistetut isäpapat pystyis ne kyllä nitistämään, eli take them down. Vois siinä tulla alas jokunen tenavistakin, mutta siitä selvitään sitten rukouksen voimalla.)
ellauri026.html on line 516:

ellauri051.html on line 467: Joy! Joy! in freedom, worship, love! Joy in the ecstacy of life! viinaa ja nappuloita!
ellauri051.html on line 1118: 527 If I worship one thing more than another it shall be the spread of my own body, or any part of it, 527 Jos minä palvon yhtä asiaa enemmän kuin toista, se on oman ruumiini tai sen osan leviämistä,
ellauri051.html on line 1656: 1048 The bull and the bug never worshipp'd half enough, 1048 Härkä ja härkä eivät koskaan palvoneet puoliksi tarpeeksi,
ellauri051.html on line 1708: 1098 Enclosing worship ancient and modern and all between ancient and modern, 1098 Ympäröivä palvonta muinaista ja nykyaikaa ja kaikkea muinaisen ja nykyajan välillä,
ellauri074.html on line 220: A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep talk. Motivational speakers can deliver speeches at schools, colleges, places of worship, companies, corporations, government agencies, conferences, trade shows, summits, community organizations, and similar environments. Their main motivation is money. Faith, fear, and credit. They're all made up. External links:
ellauri078.html on line 99: The singing of hymns, by the way, was not always a feature of Christian worship. For dumb anglo-saxons it was the briton Isaac Watts, a nonconformist (lue hihhuli) during the late 17th Century, who wedded the meter of Folk Song and Ballad to scripture. One of the churches that fully adopted Watts’ hymns was the The First Church of Amherst, Massachusetts, where Dickinson from girlhood on, worshiped.
ellauri080.html on line 798: Gandhi was brought up a Hindu, in the Vaishnava tradition. This is a sect that worships the Hindu god Vishnu.
ellauri082.html on line 155: Throughout the first half there are several major passages, basically monologues, from characters such as Schtitt, Hal and Marathe that critique the average American’s lack of objects of worship that are larger and therefore more permanent and perfect (in a sense) than the individual.
ellauri089.html on line 202: On the way they unknowingly enjoy the Texas hospitality of Satan himself, but as they near their destination they are separated by the Rapture — Margrethe worships Odin, and pagans do not go to Heaven. Finding that the reward for his faith, eternity as promised in the Book of Revelation, is worthless without her, Alex journeys through timeless space in search of his lost lady, taking him to Hell and beyond.
ellauri092.html on line 192: Whereas most American Methodist worship is modeled after the Anglican Communion´s Book of Common Prayer, a unique feature was the once practiced observance of the season of Kingdomtide, which encompasses the last thirteen weeks before Advent, thus dividing the long season after Pentecost into two discrete segments. During Kingdomtide, Methodist liturgy emphasizes charitable work and alleviating the suffering of the poor. This practice was last seen in The Book of Worship for Church and Home by The United Methodist Church, 1965, and The Book of Hymns, 1966. While some congregations and their pastors might still follow this old calendar, the Revised Common Lectionary, with its naming and numbering of Days in the Calendar of the Church Year, is used widely. However, congregations who strongly identify with their African American roots and tradition would not usually follow the Revised Common Lectionary.
ellauri092.html on line 194: Adding more complexity to the mix, there are United Methodist congregations who orient their worship to the "free" church tradition, so particular liturgies are not observed. The United Methodist Book of Worship and The Hymns of the United Methodist Church are voluntarily followed in varying degrees. Such churches employ the liturgy and rituals therein as optional resources, but their use is not mandatory.
ellauri093.html on line 197: Their support text is from 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived: evil communications corrupt good table manners." Among other distinctions, the Gospel Halls would generally not use musical instruments in their services, whereas many Chapels use them and may have singing groups, choirs, "worship teams" of musicians, etc. The Gospel Halls tend to be more conservative in dress; women do not wear trousers in meetings and always have their heads covered, while in most Chapels women may wear whatever they wish, including nothing, though modesty in dress serves as a guideline, and many may continue the Orde Wingate tradition of wearing a shower cap for head covering if nothing else. Open Brethren churches are all independent, self-governing, local congregations with no central headquarters, although there are a number of seminaries, missions agencies, and publications that are widely supported by Brethren churches and which help to maintain a high degree of communication among them.
ellauri093.html on line 321: The term "Eider" is based on the same Scriptures that are used to identify "Bishops" and "Overseers" in other Christian circles, and some Exclusive Brethren claim that the system of recognition of eiders by the assembly means that the Open Brethren cannot claim full adherence to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.[27] Open Brethren consider, however, that this reveals a mistaken understanding of the priesthood of all believers which, in the Assemblies, has to do with the ability to directly offer worship to God and His Christ at the Lord's Supper, whether silently or audibly, without any human mediator being necessary—which is in accordance with 1 Timothy 2:5, where it is stated that Christ Jesus Himself is the sole Mediator between God and men ("men" being used here generically of mankind, and not referring simply and solely to "males").
ellauri093.html on line 907: The Jewish form of worship is well worthy of the study of Christian theologians. It is not the object of this book. It contains only simple heart-to-heart talks to God's children about our precious Redeemer and how we can follow and serve Him best in our daily lives.
ellauri093.html on line 909: The above words came fresh in my mind in writing. They were often used by my beloved father, when he led his children to the throne of grace in family worship. If they find an echo in the hearts of the readers I shall be deeply thankful.
ellauri097.html on line 85: Mutta takas Menckeniin. 9-vuotiaana se luki Mark Twainin Huckleberry Finn, mikä oli "the most stupendous event in my life." No taisi olla tylsä elämä. Kylse varmaan luki Twainilta niitä ateistijuttujakin. For Mencken, Huck Finn epitomizes the hilarious dark side of America, where democracy, as defined by Mencken, is "the worship of jackals by jackasses." Siinä se on oikeassa kyllä mutta demokratia on silti paras kexintö. Ilman sitä samat kusipäät ja niiden sakaalit hallizis ilman aaseja. Demokratiassa sentään vaihdetaan aasit ja sakaalit määräaikoina.
ellauri099.html on line 63: It is quite true I have worshipped you with far more romance of feeling than a man should ever give to a friend. Somehow I have never loved a woman…. From the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me…. I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly. I was jealous of everyone to whom you spoke. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you.
ellauri107.html on line 95: After a few dates, Brenda persuades her father to invite Neil to stay with them for two weeks. This angers her mother, who feels that she should have been asked instead. Neil enjoys being able to sneak into Brenda's room at night but has misgivings over her entitled outlook, which is reflected in her spoiled and petulant younger sister, and her naive brother Ron, who misses the hero worship he enjoyed as a star basketball player at Ohio State University. Neil is astonished when Brenda reveals that she does not take birth control pills or use any other precautions to avoid pregnancy. She angrily rejects Neil's concerns. He prepares to leave, but she decides to persuade him to stay by agreeing to get a diaphragm.
ellauri108.html on line 92: Rastas are monotheists, worshipping a singular God whom they call Jah. The term "Jah" is a shortened version of "Jehovah", the name of God in English translations of the Old Testament. Rastafari holds strongly to the immanence of this divinity; as well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas believe that Jah is inherent within each individual. This belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that "God is man and man is God", and Rastas speak of "knowing" Jah, in the biblical sense, rather than simply "believing" in him. In seeking to narrow the distance between humanity and divinity, Rastafari embraces mysticism.
ellauri108.html on line 94: Jesus is an important figure in Rastafari. However, practitioners reject the traditional Christian view of Jesus, particularly the depiction of him as a white European, believing that this is a perversion of the truth. They believe that Jesus was a black African, and that the white Jesus was a false god. Many Rastas regard Christianity as the creation of the white man; they treat it with suspicion out of the view that the oppressors (white Europeans) and the oppressed (black Africans) cannot share the same God. Many Rastas take the view that the God worshipped by most white Christians is actually the Devil, and a recurring claim among Rastas is that the Pope is Satan or the Antichrist. Rastas therefore often view Christian preachers as deceivers and regard Christianity as being guilty of furthering the oppression of the African diaspora, frequently referring to it as having perpetrated "mental enslavement".
ellauri108.html on line 100: Other Rastas see Selassie as embodying Jesus' teachings and essence but reject the idea that he was the literal reincarnation of Jesus. Members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel denomination, for instance, reject the idea that Selassie was the Second Coming, arguing that this event has yet to occur. From this perspective, Selassie is perceived as a messenger or emissary of God rather than a manifestation of God himself. Rastas holding to this view sometimes regard the deification of Haile Selassie as naïve or ignorant, in some cases thinking it as dangerous to worship a human being as God. There are various Rastas who went from believing that Haile Selassie was both God incarnate and the Second Coming of Jesus to seeing him as something distinct.
ellauri108.html on line 143: Rastas refer to their cultural and religious practices as "livity". Rastafari does not place emphasis on hierarchical structures. It has no professional priesthood, with Rastas believing that there is no need for a priest to act as mediator between the worshipper and divinity. It nevertheless has "elders", an honorific title bestowed upon those with a good reputation among the community. Although respected figures, they do not necessarily have administrative functions or responsibilities. When they do oversee ritual meetings, they are often responsible for helping to interpret current events in terms of Biblical scripture. Elders often communicate with each other through a network to plan movement events and form strategies.
ellauri108.html on line 246: The Church of Haile Selassie, Inc., was founded by Abuna Foxe and operated much like a mainstream Christian church, with a hierarchy of functionaries, weekly services, and Sunday schools. In adopting this broad approach, the Church seeks to develop Rastafari's respectability in wider society. Fulfilled Rastafari is a multi-ethnic movement that has spread in popularity during the 21st century, in large part through the Internet. The Fulfilled Rastafari group accept Haile Selassie's statements that he was a man and that he was a devout Christian, and so place emphasis on worshipping Jesus through the example set forth by Haile Selassie. The wearing of dreadlocks and the adherence to an ital diet are considered issues up to the individual.
ellauri108.html on line 379: Solomons hubris, his tragic flaw, is the meat and bone of the Ethiopian bible, the Kebra Nagast, which, translated, is the glory of the kings. In this work, unlike the King James' bible, we see King Solomon struggling with his own mortality. Bayna-Lehkem, or David, as he is called by Solomon because of likeness to the boy's grandfather, King David, is a man of virtue who will extend his glory to Ethiopia. So, Solomon's weakness for women, which brings about his dissolution, gives him the thing he is truly seeking: a son to walk his own footsteps, like Shakespeare's Hamnet, a son wiser, by dint of his virtue, than himself. A son wiser than himself, that sounds rather like a stone too big to both create and throw. Solomon is disinherited by the lord when he marries the daughter of the Pharaoh and worships her golden insect idols. A hairy spider on its back. For this he is punished severely. We discern his absolute nihilism. His ultimate disillusionment. Knowledge is nothing but sorrow. He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. In the bitter nutmeat of the Ecclesiastes. Who was the mother? Of course, Queen Sheba. She was, by all reports, black.
ellauri108.html on line 412: King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge golden image built as a symbol of his power and glory. He then commanded that his people bow down and worship this image whenever they heard the sound of his musical herald. Those who disobeyed the order would be thrown into an immense, blazing furnace.
ellauri108.html on line 414: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, however, worshipped only the One True God, and they refused to bow down to the false idol. They were brought before Nebuchadnezzar to face their fate but remained courageous in the face of the king's demand to bow down before the golden statue. They said:
ellauri108.html on line 416: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18, ESV)
ellauri108.html on line 426: "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God." (Daniel 3:28, ESV)
ellauri108.html on line 428: Through God's miraculous deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that day, Nebuchadnezzar declared that the remaining Israelites in captivity were now protected from harm and were guaranteed freedom of worship. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego received a royal promotion.
ellauri110.html on line 1097: Dosto on kuin Jaakko Hintikka, eniten kiinnostunut omista kirjoistaan teologin kirjahyllyssä. Joo noinhan se meni, naulan kantaan, hyvin sanottu. Teologista Dosto oli nätti, vaikka potreteissa se näyttää aika sekopäältä. Tästäkin voi arvata mihin suuntaan kexustelu on menossa. Hero worshippiä tää on aasta ööhön.
ellauri111.html on line 421: That was that. Now we are getting to the brass tacks. Here's where we start whacking heretics. The unshaved, degenerate man does not keep God's commandments. God's commandments are in the Bible. The unshaved man does whatever he feels like doing every day giving no heed to God's word. He is not obedient to God's word. He lives according to the ways he chooses to live. Maybe the person reading this is what people call "religious" and they think that they love God. If you are not worshipping God according to his word, the Bible, he is not receiving your worship. This includes those that go to a church that teaches false doctrines--teachings that are not in the Bible. They that worship God must worship him in spirit and IN TRUTH (ref. John 4:24). And what is truth? Jesus said to the Father--
ellauri111.html on line 425: We have to worship God according to his word, not according to our own ideas or the ideas of others.
ellauri111.html on line 695: Many church people are quite literally magicians and devil worshippers in training.
ellauri111.html on line 699: "Contemplative" prayer is essentially an old occult technique adjusted to the ignorant church people. It can bring up that yoga kundalini serpent power. With open eyes, one can see this type of technique being magnified in society--I saw a book for magic in a place for shipping goods and for photocopies, office supplies, etc. I looked on the back of the book, it was the same technique as the church people are using. This is spreading like wildfire and not just amongst false (or extremely ignorant) brethren, it is throughout society. Revelation 13:8 teaches us that all people who are not in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world will worship the beast. Revelation 13:4 says that all the world will worship the dragon which gave power unto the beast--we learn from Revelation 12 that THE DRAGON IS SATAN. In the ecumenical movement (all the religions getting together in "peace") and under a "meditative" spirituality, Hindus, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, church people, atheists, Muslims, cabalists, new agers, etc. can get together and have a "meditation" session with no problems. This is not for the future, it is already happening, I picked up a brochure about some sessions while at a library. In Contemplative prayer, church people are calling the devil by the Lord's name. I read that many of them will not listen to the scriptures when confronted with the truth--they do not know the Lord's voice, they are not his sheep. Worldly people are under the devil and they despise holiness and speak against it as "legalism" or even as heresy or false doctrine. I have seen extreme antinomianism in Baptist churches. They derisively call work-out-your-own-salvation-with-fear-and-trembling discipleship "Lordship salvation". If a person does not obey the Lord, they are not saved. The reader may wish to see our article, Lordship Salvation.
ellauri111.html on line 733: Yoga is inherently spiritual and can raise the Kundalini serpent power which is that old serpent called the devil and Satan. Although many Americans are ignorant of this, yoga is not simply physical exercise; yoga is a spiritual exercise of Hinduism that makes room for the Kundalini serpent power. Through the controlled breathing, the posture, the stillness and/or repetition, etc. the Kundalini serpent power can rise up and possess a person. A person does not have to be looking for Kundalini in order for this to happen--the yoga itself creates the conditions. Mantras, stillness, repetition, etc. (different devil worshippers use different techniques) are summons to the devil. Gurus lead their students through different protocols to help them "prepare" for this entrance of the serpent power--the Authorized Version of 1611 of the Bible reveals who that serpent is, it is Satan--
ellauri111.html on line 749: If you have not trusted Christ, you are in a dangerous position. John 3:36 says, "...he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." You will not make it into heaven on your own "good merits" or by your own conception of who God is and what he should be like. He must be obeyed and worshipped according to his word, the Authorized King James Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ is altogether lovely and worthy to be praised. I hope that you will make the right choice.
ellauri112.html on line 821: Under certain circumstances it is even commanded of God that wine and strong drink be given (Pr. 31:6,7). And since wine was used in the worship of God (Ex. 29:40, Lev. 23:13; Nu. 15:5,7,10; 28:14), the Bible says wine is something that cheers God as well as man (Jud. 9:13).”
ellauri112.html on line 843: In his book, What Would Jesus Drink, Brad Whittington breaks down the biblical references of alcohol into three types. In all, there are 247 references to alcohol in Scripture. 40 are negative (warnings about drunkenness, potential dangers of alcohol, etc.), 145 are positive (sign of God´s blessing, use in worship, etc.), and 62 are neutral (people falsely accused of being drunk, vows of abstinence, etc.) The Bible is anything but silent on the issue of wine. The bible, like tequila, must be imbued carefully, seen as a blessing, and received with a grain of salt. It must not be abused. The old saying is true, "Wine is from God, drunkenness is from the Devil."
ellauri112.html on line 902: First, on the next page of this web site, we will study a few Bible passages concerning the public worship of God in general. We do so for simple reasons. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV). Worship is a “good work,” but we are not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Only the Bible can teach us how to worship God in a manner that pleases Him. All our worship, including our observance of the Lord’s Supper, ought to rest on a biblical foundation.
ellauri118.html on line 510: And worshipped the great miracle Ja palvonut suurta ihmettä,
ellauri119.html on line 324: Shituf (Hebrew: שִׁתּוּף‎; also transliterated as shittuf or schituf; literally "association") is a term used in Jewish sources for the worship of God in a manner which Judaism does not deem to be purely monotheistic. The term connotes a theology that is not outright polytheistic, but also should not be seen as purely monotheistic. The term is primarily used in reference to the Christian Trinity by Jewish legal authorities who wish to distinguish Christianity from full-blown polytheism. Though a Jew would be forbidden from maintaining a shituf theology, non-Jews would, in some form, be permitted such a theology without being regarded as idolaters by Jews. That said, whether Christianity is shituf or formal polytheism remains a debate in Jewish philosophy.
ellauri119.html on line 343: In Islam, shirk (Arabic: شرك‎ širk) is the sin of idolatry or polytheism (i.e., the deification or worship of anyone or anything besides Allah). Islam teaches that God does not share His divine attributes with any partner. Associating partners with God is disallowed according to the Islamic doctrine of Tawhid (monotheism). Mušrikūn مشركون (pl. of mušrik مشرك) are those who practice shirk, which literally means "association" and refers to accepting other gods and divinities alongside God (as God´s "associates").The Qur´an considers shirk as a sin that will not be forgiven if a person dies without repenting of it.
ellauri119.html on line 349: Henotheism (from Greek ἑνός θεοῦ (henos theou) ´of one god´) is the worship of a single, overarching god while not denying the existence or possible existence of other lower deities. Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primitive monotheism among ancient Greeks.
ellauri119.html on line 442: In Hinduism, kāma is pleasurable, sexual love, personified by the god Kamadeva. For many Hindu schools, it is the third end (Kama) in life. Kamadeva is often pictured holding a bow of sugar cane and an arrow of flowers; he may ride upon a great parakeet. The philosophical work Narada Bhakti Sutras, written by an unknown author (presumed to be Narada), distinguishes eleven forms of love. Kama Sutra has more. Gaudiya Vaishnavas who worship Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the cause of all causes consider Love for Godhead (Prema) to act in two ways: sambhoga and vipralambha (union and separation), like Empedocles' love and strife, attraction and repulsion, in and out in ever faster succession. Radha is considered to be the internal potency of Krishna, and is the supreme lover of Godhead. Her example of love is considered to be beyond the understanding of material realm as it surpasses any form of selfish love or lust that is visible in the material world. The reciprocal love between Radha (the supreme lover) and Krishna (God as the Supremely Loved) is the subject of many poetic compositions in India such as the Gita Govinda and Hari Bhakti Shuddhodhaya, and a lot of chanting, tinkling little bells and opening and closing of musical doors.
ellauri140.html on line 332: To winne him worship, and her grace to have, Sille kunniaa ja hiänelle paalua,
ellauri142.html on line 63: Markku is an outcast. The awkward, illegitimate son of a dazzlingly wealthy Count, he was educated in France but returns to Russia now that his father’s health is in decline. Polite society shuns him for his hero-worship of Napoleon and enthusiasm for the politics of revolution. But his blundering sincerity charms Andrei, his truest friend; and the blonde air hostess Natacha, who delights in his presence. He is quickly married off by stealth through the manipulation of others around him and is likely to face further heartache given that his wife prefers bedding her brother. It looks like this unlikely hero is smitten with her mother Pirkko Hiekkala but is set for heartache given his kind and gentle nature.
ellauri142.html on line 611: Starting either from religious belief or from science, Spencer argued, we are ultimately driven to accept certain indispensable but literally inconceivable notions. Whether we are concerned with a Creator or the substratum which underlies our experience of phenomena, we can frame no conception of it. Therefore, Spencer concluded, religion and science agree in the supreme truth that the human understanding is only capable of 'relative' knowledge. This is the case since, owing to the inherent limitations of the human mind, it is only possible to obtain knowledge of phenomena, not of the reality ('the absolute') underlying phenomena. Hence both science and religion must come to recognise as the 'most certain of all facts that the Power which the Universe manifests to us is utterly inscrutable.' He called this awareness of 'the Unknowable' and he presented worship of the Unknowable as capable of being a positive faith which could substitute for conventional religion. Indeed, he thought that the Unknowable represented the ultimate stage in the evolution of religion, the final elimination of its last anthropomorphic vestiges.
ellauri143.html on line 61: The picture was also accompanied by a couplet from the first chapter of Thirukkural — “Katradhanaal aaya Payanen kol VaalaRivan natraal Thozhaaar enin,” which translates to — “What profit have those derived from learning, who worship not the good feet of him who is possessed of pure knowledge?”
ellauri143.html on line 1332: Will live in worship and applause of all the world for aye.
ellauri146.html on line 365: Eloa comes from the throne of God, and proclaims that now the Redeemer is led to death, on which the angels of the earth form a circle round Mount Calvary, also nam'd Golgotha. Then, having consecrated that hill, he worships the Messiah. Gabriel conducts the souls of the fathers from the sun to the Mount for olives, and Adam addresses the earth. Satan and Adramelech, hovering in triumph, are put to flight by Eloa. Jesus is nail'd to the cross. The thoughts of Adam. The conversion of one of the malefactors. Uriel places a planet before the sun, and then conducts to the earth the souls of all the future generations of mankind. Eve, seeing them coming, addresses them. Eloa ascends to Heaven. Eve is affected at seeing Mary. Two angels of death fly round the cross. Eve addresses the Saviour, and the souls of the children yet unborn. Claptrap does a lot of addressing in the epos. Hope the letters reach the sender, unlike Elvis's:
ellauri155.html on line 920: Of flesh and spirit was my worship vowed. Lihasta ja hengestä oli mun palvontani kasattu.
ellauri156.html on line 570: Our text has many applications and implications for today. Let me suggest a few as I conclude this lesson. First, “Can a Christian fall?” Yes. Some folks in the Bible may cause us to question whether they really ever came to please Dog, folks like Balaam or Samson or Saul. But we have no such questions regarding David. He is not only a believer, he is a model believer. In the Bible, David sets the standard because he is a man after God's heart. Nevertheless, this man David, in spite of his popularity in Dog's circles, in spite of his marvelous times of worship and his bea-u-utiful psalms, falls deeply into sin. If David can fall, so can we, which is precisely what Paul, another crook and tricky Dick, warns us about:
ellauri158.html on line 688: All such opinions spring from the notion commonly entertained, that all things in nature act as men themselves act, namely, with an end in view. It is accepted as certain, that God himself directs all things to a definite goal (for it is said that God made all things for man, and man that he might worship him). I will, therefore, consider this opinion, asking first, why it obtains general credence, and why all men are naturally so prone to adopt it? secondly, I will point out its falsity; and, lastly, I will show how it has given rise to prejudices about good and bad, right and wrong, praise and blame, order and confusion, beauty and ugliness, and the like.
ellauri158.html on line 694: Hence also it follows, that everyone thought out for himself, according to his abilities, a different way of worshipping God, so that God might love him more than his fellows, and direct the whole course of nature for the satisfaction of his blind cupidity and insatiable avarice. Thus the prejudice developed into superstition, and took deep root in the human mind; and for this reason everyone strove most zealously to understand and explain the final causes of things; but in their endeavor to show that nature does nothing in vain, i.e. nothing which is useless to man, they only seem to have demonstrated that nature, the gods, and men are all mad together. Consider, I pray you, the result: among the many helps of nature they were bound to find some hindrances, such as storms, earthquakes, diseases, &c.: so they declared that such things happen, because the gods are angry at some wrong done to them by men, or at some fault committed in their worship. Experience day by day protested and showed by infinite examples, that good and evil fortunes fall to the lot of pious and impious alike; still they would not abandon their inveterate prejudice, for it was more easy for them to class such contradictions among other unknown things of whose use they were ignorant, and thus to retain their actual and innate condition of ignorance, than to destroy the whole fabric of their reasoning and start afresh. They therefore laid down as an axiom, that God´s judgments far transcend human understanding. Such a doctrine might well have sufficed to conceal the truth from the human race for all eternity, if mathematics had not furnished another standard of verity in considering solely the essence and properties of figures without regard to their final causes. There are other reasons (which I need not mention here) besides mathematics, which might have caused men´s minds to be directed to these general prejudices, and have led them to the knowledge of the truth.
ellauri159.html on line 411: