The Message Forum is an ongoing dialogue among classmates. The goal is to encourage friendly interaction, including interaction among classmates who really didn't know each other. Experience on the site has revealed that certain topics tend to cause friction and hard feelings, especially politics and religion. 

Although politics and religion are not completely off-limits, classmates are asked to be positive in their posts and not to be too repetitive or allow a dialog to degenerate into an argument. 

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Response" button to add your entry to the forum.

Russ Stovall

David W.  :

I have watched all 3 seasons.  I couldn't stop watching it.  I watched the 1st two seasons in like 2 or 3 days.

.

Lowell Tuttle

Steve, what about writing hymns?   That's the video/screen/playwriting of the 1800's

Wayne Gary

Steve,

You are quoting from The Revelation of John. When it was writen the canon or Holy Bible had not been discussed.  There were many writings that over time were discussed about being about being incorporated into a bible. Here is a brief history of the making of the canon.  Do you read and accept the books in The Apocrypha that were part of all Bibles until about 1900?

With the potential exception of the Septuagint, the apostles did not leave a defined set of scriptures; instead the canon of both the Old Testament and the New Testament developed over time. Different denominations recognize different lists of books as canonical, following various church councils and the decisions of leaders of various churches.

For mainstream Pauline Christianity (growing from proto-orthodox Christianity in pre-Nicene times) which books constituted the Christian biblical canons of both the Old and New Testament was generally established by the 5th century, despite some scholarly disagreements,^[18] for the ancient undivided Church (the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, before the East–West Schism). The Catholic canon was set at the Council of Rome (382).^[19]

In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent (1546) affirmed the Vulgate as the official Catholic Bible in order to address changes Martin Luther made in his recently completed German translation which was based on the Hebrew language Tanakh in addition to the original Greek of the component texts. The canons of the Church of England and English Presbyterians were decided definitively by the Thirty-Nine Articles (1563) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), respectively. The Synod of Jerusalem (1672) established additional canons that are widely accepted throughout the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

Steve Keene

Wayne,

Revelation was the last Book written by an  Apostle.  John was the youngest apostle and he wrote it at a very old age on the isle of Patmos.  Much of the vulgate is just canon fodder.  Much of the Catholic doctrine was changed to incorporate pagan practices like Easter which the majority of the Roman Empire practiced.  That is when they changed the Sabbath to Sunday, the day the sun worshipers revered.  It is also hard to take a religion like the Church of England seriosly when the King can change it to accomodate his divorce and murder of his out of favor wives and concubines.  No need to try and instruct me on doctrine,.  I prayed for God to reveal the truth to me and though it is still a work in progress, He is doing a fine job.  I do agree that some of the Apochrypha should be included as well as a book or two we have never found.  The Bible references a Book of Jasher that no one has located since biblical times.  You are right that in the original Bible there was no Old and New Testament, it was all one book which puts to rest the argument that people use that they believe in the new but not the old testament.

Lowell,

Son of a Mitch... you got me there.  Kudos from me for a funny line!  On the doctrine issue; no rap, lets just perservere and sing along.  Like everything else, some hymns are truth and some are Satan inspired. Like "I'll fly away."  We are not flying anywhere.  Jesus is coming here.

Wayne Gary

Steve,

My main point is the canon is a collection of writings from different people. You cannot use the line from Relavations to speak for the entire collection of writings.  I am glad you study the bible and pray for greater knowledge of God and his plan for you. The use of Catholic is the church ubiversal an not Roman Catholic Church

David Cordell

Steve,

I gather that the only way in your world to make a movie about Jesus or Moses, for example, is to have someone read verbatim from the Bible. That movie wouldn't draw flies. So, they invent dialogue that is consistent with the appropriate passages. The movie might have a chance to generate greater interest.

Separately, we watched Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick as a double feature last night. Great fun.

Separately, I was watching something on the American Revolution and one of the leaders in battle yelled, "Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes." I think there is an obvious tactic for the opposition. Tell your charging soldiers to squint.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Today I saw a post on Facebook that may be apropos to the current dialogue.

We may ignore, 

but we can nowhere evade

the presence of God.

The world is crowded with Him.

He walks everywhere

incognito.

---- C. S. Lewis. 

I particularly feel God's presence when standing before a wide, glass window of newborn infants in a hospital maternity ward.  So much beauty of profound love and incredible perfection to touch all hearts, and a trust in us to rear these tiny angels to revere Him, as they grow.

Wayne Gary

David,

Today I heard about how many people think we are spending too much in aid to Ukraine.  I wrote a letter to the Dallas Morning News.  Talking about how PM Neville Chamberlian signed The Munich Agreement on Sept 29, 1938 with Hitler giving the Sudetenland to Hitler promising "Peace in Our Time". A year later Germany invaded Poland throwing Europe into WW II.  Appeasement does not work.  We tried to appease Putin in Feb 2014 by allowing him to keep Crimea.  If we do not stop Putin in Ukraine then he will expand his war.

I hope the News will print my letter.

Lowell Tuttle

Steve, I can't take credit.   Though, I have been waiting a long time for that repose.

It was on an old comedy album.   1/2 Richarc Pryor 1/2 Redd Foxx.   I pretty much memorized it.

Redd....My wife's so ugly....ugh...so ugly...but she could sing...sing like an angel....Wake up in the middle of the night and turn and look....punch her in the side, hey!  wake up!   sing somethin....you mother you...

Mother you, that was her college...

Only one thing kept me out of college....high school...

Steve Keene

David and Wayne,

Okay.  TV and Film and Computers are the Devils work.  There, I said it.  Remember who the Prince of the Power of the Air is

In contrast, Jesus is the Word and the Word was God.  Jesus is the Truth, the Light and the Truth will set you free. 
It means He will set you free from death by giving you eternal life.

Steve Keene

The Big Turquoise Lizard in Grand Junction, CO:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3images.classcreator.com/35080/002/8171878/d142e886-3c91-4b1b-9bf5-65acfa5e20c1.jpg

Wayne Gary

David

Steve Keene

David,

The Russian army has begun getting its soldiers drunk on Russian Vodka before they send them into action.  The purpose is two fold.  Their eyes are so red that the Ukrainians never see the whites of their eyes and the liquor acts as a sedative so the soldiers are not in as much pain when the Ukrainians blow their ass up.

David Wier

Steve :

I agree with what you said about 'editing' the Bible. In this case, I don't believe it was or is supposed to replace it or add to it to be followed. Many people have studied a lot about certain people in the Bible and how they lived and thought. I think those kinds of things were added to this series as a way to understand it more fluidly (if you will).

For Instance, in the Bible it would say:

1. This happened

2. This happened after that

, etc.

In the movie/series, it takes into account the points of view of the Roman soldiers, the towns peoples, the Pharisees, and those who followed him. Then, they kind of rolled all that up into a story with the Bible as its base. I just don't see it as a replacement for the Bible, nor adding to it, per se.. 

For instance, understanding how Matthew was viewed by the Jewish public, his parents and the Romans, to me, helped in the basic story line. I believe the Bible and I had a general understanding of how the Jews viewed tax collectors, but this seemed to make it more seemless as a story line, if you will. I would think someone who studied any writings about Matthew himself could be rolled into the story and portrayed more easily.

David Cordell

From the NY Times re COVID masks, referencing a metastudy:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/opinion/do-mask-mandates-work.html

Lowell Tuttle

Lowell Tuttle

The Richmond Arms is closing in Houston.

My hangout for a long time.   Met a lot of people there before Rockets games, outings, to throw darts, and drink the beers of my past.

I am pretty sure I met Randy Curtis there and we even may have dart league'd there one season...as well as playing there as a visitor many times.

A friend of mine opened it in 1979, shortly after I moved to Houston.   

Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding, Cornish Paste, Scotch eggs, Bangers & mash....

Learned to love Stilton cheese and ploughman's lunches....Branston Pickle, 

Never got the idea behind Heinz' beans as a side...

Oilfield haunted the place...(A lot of UK'ers in the energy bus...)

My favorite beer was Fuller's ESB (extra special bitter.)

It was remodeled out of the old Daddy Boots, on Richmond near Fountainview in what became the entertainment/bar area for SW Houston for years.   In those days Richmond was a two lane road in most parts and flooded regularly.

David Cordell

Steve and David W:

I think movies give life to the written word. 

Did you see Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ? 

It's Lent! We went to church yesterday for Communion and to get our ash crosses on our respective foreheads.

We're going to watch a lot of religious movies/miniseries during Lent. Here is a list. Does anyone have some suggestions?

• The Ten Commandments
• The Greatest Story Ever Told
• Ben Hur (not completely religious)
• King of Kings
• The Passion of the Christ
• The Chosen
• The Prince of Egypt (animated)
• Jesus
• Jesus of Nazareth

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

I saw THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD in downtown Dallas when I was about eleven years old.  It made a definite impression on me that I have never forgotten.  It was very "real" I thought, and just like what I imagined Christ's life to have been, but was not as flashy as newer movies we have now.  However, it was a super good movie for a youngster like me.  I remember that I thought about the whole story for a long time afterward, and I felt closer to my religious teachings as a result of seeing it.  It truly touched me deeply with its meaning.

Glad I was able to see it on a huge screen.  I think it was at the Paramount Theatre, (or was it The Majestic?) and was the first movie I had ever seen that had an intermission in the middle.  The TV version may be shortened to save airing time, but I hope not.  Thw whole movie is well worth viewing in its entirety.

Several years later, Sandra Abbott and I went to that large theatre to see an ELVIS movie, with her older sister and some other girls.  It was a much different experience!  HA!

Charles and I went there once, when we were dating, and saw THE SAND PEBBLES, another good flick, with Candice Bergen and Steve McQueen----a lovey-dovey romantic story.

David Cordell

Janalu said, "THE SAND PEBBLES, another good flick, with Candice Bergen and Steve McQueen----a lovey-dovey romantic story."

David replies, "All I remember about The Sand Pebbles is when Steve McQueen shot (from a distance) the guy who was being tortured to death. Very disturbing."

Wayne Gary

David,

Besure to watch the 1962 Ben Hur.  Christ is shown twice in the film. watch the face of the soulder  in the scene at the well when Ben Hur is being carriet to the ship.

Another 2 good movies:

The Robe

Story of Ruth.

I sat The story of ruth at First Methidist Dallas before release in theators.

Jerry May

Janalu,

You've reminded me of couple of things: My big sister and I took a bus together from Oak Cliff to the "Tower" theater to see Ben Hur! 

And I saw "Greatest Story Ever Told" later at the Inwood. I was amazed for a long time at the incredible range of  characters Max Von Sydow had in roles! For instance, he played Jesus in "Greatest Story Ever Told" and the evil one in "Needful Things" based on the Stephen King novel. And of course the older..... more experienced priest in "The Exorcist" I think he was a great actor!

David, Steve may not answer but I can attest to his going to "The Passion of the Christ".....we were coming out the same theater when it was over. Steve's compassion and goodness showed! There were many, not just us.....who were moved by that movie; tears from men and women. There also were many women and men who bailed when the "scourging" scene took place! (so graphic!)

Just like yesterday, I remember my Father saying (when it was announced the movie was coming out) "The way  the world is, probably be a lot of empty seats" I said "Dad, I disagree. I think theaters will be sold out and lines wrapping around the buildings with people who have been waiting a long time for something like this" (we all know the result(s)~

Steve Keene

Jerry and I were glad to see each other after that movie.  We,were both crying like two little girls till we saw each other.  Then, seeing each other cry cemented a bond between us that we will always have.

Another good movie is One Night With the King  the Story of Esther. There is a new movie out about Esther but this version has better acting.

Bob Davidson

Lowell,

I also loved the Richmond Arms.  When I was teaching ESL at Iglesia San Mateo in Gulfton, one of my Salvadoran students was a cook there.  They had to teach her all the food, which she thought very weird at first, then came to enjoy.  She did comment on the very weird frijoles. It amused me to know that the pub fare was prepared by a Latina.

Wayne Gary

I watched The Chosen and found it very interesting and very different way of presenting the birth of Jesus and the sheperds. It shoewd them tending the sheep when a strong breeze blew out oll of their lamps then their scared look on their faces then when they looked up the light shown on their faces and "no spoken or heard word" They then jumped up and ran to find the baby Jesus. Very moving way of telling the story.

Lowell Tuttle

Bob, that man and woman pair sort of befriended me.   Many times at lunch, I was the only one there.   I almost alwasy went on Wednesdays at least because the specials included chicken curry, all you could eat.   

I want to say the husband's name was Rodolfo, or Ruberto...not sure.   They were there from the beginning until the last couple of years.   We often greeted each other.   He was also a busser there, and when I came in, he always sauntered out to clean a bit and we said hello often.

My friend Mike Holliday and Sean Wymes (of Houston Home Show and Petroleum Yellow Pages fame) started it...and they had a British chef.   But, Mark went back to England and tried to re enter US with no passport and was stopped, held, and deported. to Eng.

Your friend and her husband were the best cooks.   That was the best pub fare in Houston by a mile.

Now, although not quite as good, is the Bull and Bear way out at Dairy Ashford and Westheimer...if you ever get that far away from Humble.  Wednesday lunches are half off and they always have prime rib, if you get there early.   Since I quit drinking (now five years) I stay away.   But, I am very sad about it, yes, very sad...

Everyone drinks on TV.   Right after Susie and I quit drinking, we bing watched Mad Men.   Every single on of those ad execs had their own private bar in their office.   I tried to do that a few times, but keeping everything in stock was a real chore...My bar ended up with just mescal or bourbon (which I hated.)

Did you get affected by the sewage plant fraud crises which just occurred....Apparently an inspector falsified readings on some defective tank/resevoir detection meter of a sort.

It was Ilberto