In Paul of Tarsus, Joseph Holzner weaves together the New Testament Bible's often sketchy information about the life and mission of Saul of Tarsus, now called St. Paul by Pauline Christians, into a unified and inspiring hagiography.
With a novelist's ability to take readers into a scene and a historian's rigorous concern for accuracy, Holzner traces this Jewish Apostle's life from his early years as a disciple of the celebrated Rabbi Gamaliel through his overly zealous persecution of the Christian Assembly or "church" as a member of the competing Jewish school called the Pharisees, through his "miraculous" origin story conversion on the road to Damascus, his seemingly tireless efforts to spread the Gospel [of the newly minted Ceasar's Messiah, formerly Jesus the Nazarene not from any place called "Nazareth"], and his Christian martyr's death at the hands of his former bosses in imperial Rome.
Along the way, Holzner provides instructive background information about the religious and social situation of Saul's times and the circumstances of his New Testament letters (epistles). Here, then, is a complete and enlightening introduction to the Apostle to the Gentiles aka "the Converter of the Non-Jews" to this new much less Jewish Roman Empire-approved Universalist religion, the new opium of the masses]. More
Burn heretics for saying what we don't like!
John the Apostle with Marcion
Marcion preached that the benevolent God [the "One," the Monad] of the Gospel who sent Jesus (Yeshua) into this world as a "savior" was the true [omniscient, omnipotent] Supreme Being.
That unknowable, unfathomable, impersonal [Brahman-type GOD] is different and opposed to the malevolent Christian creator deity, the Demiurge [the "Craftsman" called Yaldabaoth], identified as Jehovah, Yahweh, YHWH in the Hebrew Bible [3, 4, 6].
He allegedly considered himself a follower of Saul of Tarsus or Paul the Apostle, whom he believed to have been the only true apostle of Jesus [3, 4], Ceasar's Messiah.
Thank you, Marcion, for creating the 1st Bible
Marcion's canon, the FIRST Christian Bible (biblical canon of which books to include) ever compiled. It consisted of 11 books: the Gospel of Marcion, which was a shorter version of the Gospel of Luke, and ten Pauline epistles [3, 4, 7].
Marcion's canon rejected the entire Old Testament, the crazed Jewish compilation (Sumerian appropriation) of a genocidal henotheistic "God" called Jehovah and his jealous and unhinged exploits, along with all other epistles and gospels of what would become the 27-book canon of the New Testament, which during his life had yet to be compiled [3, 4, 8, 9].
Let's find this heretic and crucify him.
"Marcion-ism" was denounced by its opponents as heresy and written against by the Church Fathers – notably by Tertullian in his five-book treatise Adversus Marcionem (Against Marcion) in about the Year 208 [3, 4].
Marcion's writings are lost [banned, buried, burned, destroyed], even though they were widely read and numerous manuscripts must have existed at one time [3, 4].
Even so, many scholars say it is possible to reconstruct and deduce a large part of ancient Marcionism through what later critics, especially Tertullian, said concerning him [3, 4, 10].
I'm your creator! Worship me...or else!
The movement was widespread, which forced rival sects to begin throwing up defenses. Marcionites founded churches across the Roman Empire. Their eventual decline is attributed to state intervention by later imperial edicts banning all groups deemed heretical from assembling [11].
Marcion of Sinope (Ancient Greek Μαρκίων [2, Note 1] Σινώπης (c. 85–c. 160 [3]) was a theologian [4] in early Christianity [4, 5].
Marcion preached that God had sent Jesus Christ, who was distinct from the vengeful God (Demiurge, the misbegotten son of Sophia Yaldabaoth, Jehovah, Yahweh, YHWH) who had created this physical world [4, 5, 6] or simulated reality. More
Seriously sick Professor Jordan Peterson seems to be hallucinating or conflating as he pontificates on the allegory of the "Story of the Buddha" mixing it up with the Christian interpretation of the "Story of Adam and Eve" and Paradise Lost in terms of Joseph Campbell' "hero's journey."
From AI girlfriends to Grok Hitler, TDS takes on AI | The Daily Show
Who needs real human flesh models? Considered the $$ advantages of digital simulations?
.
(The Daily Show) Aug. 28, 2025: TDS takes on AI as AI takes over the world: Jon Stewart, Ronny Chieng, and Lewis Black examine how AI has infiltrated modern dating, made itself an integral part of college education, and even turned itself into "MechaHitler" on X. #DailyShow #AI #Grok. Subscribe to The Daily Show: @thedailyshow
We pretend we (USA) don't have royalty, but we have "stars" and a king in the White Castle
Now that our stars are settling down and aging, what will they look like in a few years?
Swift's not the only Nazi Barbie. Amatue, too
The news (spectacle) gets to be so much nowadays that there's no way to consume it except maybe in TikTok morsels. But that sort of chunkification is not good for the attention spans, focus, or dopamine addiction and serotonin levels in the mind. More sugar! It's almost as if some giant PR firm working on Fleet Street is bombarding us to keep us constantly distracted and spinning. That way no one notices real news items like Zionist Israel's atrocities, Trump's long history of inc3st and child s3x crim3s, the economy, the enrichment of the military-industrial complex under a leader who was supposed to be the peace candidate pulling us out of foreign involvements.
It's almost as if Zionists run the Deep State and therefore the country, with blackmailed Trump their witless victim. He has no power to stand up to anyone but fellow moles in the blue wing of his party, the Money Party, the duopoly that rules the swamp.
Some kids got shot in Catholic Church by possible LGBTQIA+ individual, 23, in Minneapolis, MN
Two parents accidentally kill their baby then lie about it, claiming it was kidnapped before cops figure out there was no kidnapping
Trump is covertly trying to take Greenland...
What's the most important story grabbing our attention gay demon worshipping pop rapper Lil Montero Hill Nas X getting a visit from the contract signer to make good on his deal with the devil? Maybe he should have referred to Lil Uzi Vert for advice on the wording because he's barely had a few hit songs to already be out of his gourd on drugs walking nearly naked down the streets behind Tinsel Town?
Diddy is in even BIGGER trouble? We thought Trump was ready to pardon him and his other close, personal, child molesting associates like Ghislaine Maxwell. Hulk Hogan didn't die of a heart attack from working out too much and shooting up steroids? It was a surgical disaster during an operation that killed him, medical malpractice, fourth degree negligent murder???
Did Lil Nas X make a Deal with the Devil? (Faust) Is it possible Mr. Hill (Lil Nas X) struck a bargain with a demon from some dimension and, being tricked, is now getting his card pulled early? Say he gets sent to prison through the racist testimony of some LAPD type cops in our illegal system, and the judge sentences him severely for multiple felonies? Downcast, depressed, cheated from worldwide fame, he may unalive himself in his cell as the Devil laughs like that Ozzy song that made Black Sabbath a hit: "What is this that stands before me? Figure in black which points at me?" (lyrics)
"Old Town Road" (rejected country hit)
Lil Nas X “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” explained: The music video serves as a commentary on religious views on the LGBTQ community, with a gay relationship portrayed through the famous biblical Garden of Eden story. He flips the script with a descent into hell that’s viewed not as torturous but erotic. (lyrics and tracklist | Genius)
Will he make a comeback after catching charges while intoxicated and being arrested, spending a "terrifying" four days in jail and getting traumatized? It seems like only a few years ago he was living at his sister's house, being thrown out, throwing a Hail Mary pass with a song-idea combining country and rap in his breakout hit "Old Town Road." Then came the over Satanism, Illuminati behavior, overt homosexuality, and Garden of Eden themes. Did Diddy or Beyonce's hubby Mr. Carter produce this?
How many summers are there? There's cultural summer (starting on Memorial Day), meteorological summer (as the weather changes), seasonal (astronomical) summer (the real thing beginning with the summer solstice, June 21, 2025), and Indian summer (that lingering often very hot period after fall equinox). When school lets out for summer vacation, that's summer. The Los Angeles Unified School District just let out, so summer has begun...at least in Southern California, where it's kind of always summer.
Youth is wasted on the young who do not appreciate it until it's too late
American Theravada scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Buddha's Teaching: As It Is, 1: The Buddha
1. "The Buddha" taught by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Humble Dr. Bhante Bodhi, Maha Thera, Ph.D.
佛陀教育法音宣流集 The Buddha’s Teaching: As It Is. It was 1981 at the Washington Buddhist Vihara in DC when American Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi finished recording ten talks explaining Buddhist basics published in March 2008. The original set of recordings came with additional material, including a glossary of terms that no longer seems to accompany the distributed CDs.
He began conceiving of a set of talks in the fall of 1979 as a WBV resident, composing lectures on the fundamental teachings of what the Buddha taught as recorded in the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism.
Bhante Gunaratana, at the time the president of the Buddhist Vihara Society, suggested he record the lectures so that the monastery could distribute them as a set of ten cassette tapes, saving Ven. Bodhi from a wave of invitations to speak to his fellow Americans interested in understanding the teachings of the historical Buddha Gautama also known as Siddhartha and Shakyamuni.
It was the summer of 1981 in the monastery's basement when Ven. Bodhi recorded them using an ordinary, nonprofessional recording device. An enthusiastic lay supporter had the master copies reproduced in large quantities for distribution.
They have continued to be distributed on tape and as CDs for over a quarter century. Decades ago, a set arrived at the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara when the future Dharma editor of Wisdom Quarterly first heard them, crisp, in modern English, covering deep topics with excellent breadth and depth, not getting too consumed by the details except when it became necessary to clear up misconceptions about the Buddhist meaning of nirvana (moksha, vimutti, complete liberation). Meeting Bhikkhu Bodhi at the offices of the Buddhist Publication Society (bps.lk) in Kandy, Sri Lanka, he granted permission that we distribute these talks and we have ever since.
O, Buddha, what's the best gift? - Dhamma-dana
He was sure that it was not necessary as these talks were further refined and incorporated into his books and the explanatory notes of his many translations of the ancient Buddhist texts of the Pali language canon, but we assured him that these original talks were still very valuable to a basic understanding.
They are now considered “public domain” for anyone to copy and distribute freely as a gift of Dharma or Dhamma-dana (not for profit). The one condition is that they must not be sold. The tapes are now on CDs containing the original ten lectures, available freely at BAUS.org, Buddhist Association of the United States, Chaung Yen Monastery, Carmel, Upstate New York.
It is recommended that they be listened to as recorded in the original sequence.
ABOUT: Bhikkhu Bodhi (born Jeffrey Block is born on Dec. 10, 1944) is a Jewish American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka under Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Maha Thera. he now resides at Chaung Yen Monastery, Carmel, and still visits his former monastery, Bodhi Vihara (not named after him) in New Jersey. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and edited and authored many publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. He is the founder of Buddhist Global Relief a charity that funds projects to fight hunger and to empower women across the world.
Buddhist Summer School Committee ft. Bhikkhu Bodhi (The Buddha's Teaching: As It Is, Talk 1: The Buddha), Wisdom Quarterly; Alice Cooper, "Schools Out for Summer"; Last Day of High School vs. College
(China Deep Dive) June 15, 2025: Hello, this is China Deep Dive. We have all the information needed to know about China at present. Today's topic is: China’s dating scene.
In China, women are crowding gender imbalanced matchmaking events — sometimes 50 women to 1 man — while men are disappearing. Why are so many women chasing so few men in a country where men supposedly far outnumber women? This deep dive goes into a growing social paradox that’s leaving hearts unheard.
Viewer support allows China Deep Dive to produce more high-quality videos. #Chinadeepdive. Any illegal reproduction of this content in any form will result in immediate action against the person(s) concerned.
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China Deep Dive, June 15, 2025; CC Liu, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Hippies John Lennon (The Beatles) and companion Yoko Ono (hanger on) in bed in 1969 (EK)
"Rock Lobster" is more meaningful than anyone ever thought
(Music Mongoose) April 1, 2025: "Rock Lobster" was the B-52s' debut single. It launched Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, and Keith Strickland to stardom.
Weird SNL made weird B-52s famous overnight. - Where is Lennon today, heaven?
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Weird = good
02:38 - Stupid genius
05:05 - Talk of the town
05:55 - Recorded version 1
06:57 - Recorded version 2
08:08 - Just a silly song?
On first listen, the quirky song seems to be totally bizarre with no clear meaning or structure. However, on deeper inspection, the musicianship behind the song is nothing short of genius. Plus, it holds a much deeper and meaningful message than anyone might realize. Let's take a look at the full story behind the creation of this song and uncover its true meaning. (Wait, John Lennon cheated on Yoko with permission? Hippies John Lennon’s former girlfriend on what she wants people to take from her documentary).
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Does it sound like Parliament Funkadelic just a bit with the fish sounds?
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It always seemed that it would be nice to live in a country where Hollywood saw fit to do movies on all religions, but seeing what it does to Christianity, it's good that it does not see fit to warp every other religion. Secular Judaism gets the most exposure, but as for historical fantasies, it's all Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston. Religion is the addictive opiate of the masses, so the government and its propaganda arm have to wield it to maintain control, so Christians should beware of what they are being fed. JC Superstar was good, coming from the Jewish perspective, but how much of it was real? John C. Reilly helped almost get a Siddhartha G Superstar play off the ground, possibly turning it into a spec script then a Broadway play and finally a big movie release. Alas, it was not to be because one of the first drafts was pretty darn good and accurate, having played in Westwood next to UCLA years ago in a tiny playhouse. Then in 2003, he played a Buddhist monk in the comedy Anger Management.
5 faith-based movies and shows Christians and Catholics can’t miss in 2025
(Movieguide) Jan. 23, 2025: Get ready for 2025’s most inspiring [Judeo-Christian propaganda, Bible based but much less violent and gross than the Book version] faith-based movies and TV shows. These upcoming releases are perfect for the family and packed with uplifting stories that will warm hearts and soften brains. Don’t miss out on the best in faith-filled entertainment coming this way.
🎥✝️ #spiritualcinema #movieguide #christianministry #christianfilm #christian #hollywood #inspirational #moviereview #moviereviews #wholesome #christianmovies - Subscribe to get more uplifting Hollywood content, because if Hollywood can do anything, it is make psyops and recruitment films for the military (like Top Gun) and wholesome Disney entertainment promoting LGBTQIA+ issues. Visit https://movieguide.org. Facebook: movieguide, Twitter: movieguide, Instagram: movieguide. Movieguide® is a not-for-profit organization, so tithe and donate here: https://www.movieguide.org/donate. Music: https://www.artlist.io. All trailer footage provided to Movieguide® courtesy of Studio via Electronic Press Kit and being used for promotional purposes as per required by the rights holders.
Team Recovering Catholics (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
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