On Mon, 23 Sep 2002 09:25:46 -0400 "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
writes:
> Blainer wrote:
> >>> Japan is part of this ring, and has earthquakes so
> >>> frequently that houses and buildings are built to
> >>> sustain them with minimal damage.
>
> David Miller wrote:
> >> Sloppy scholarship. You know full well that
> >> Japan was not part of what the Book of Mormon
> >> was talking about.
>
> Blainer wrote:
> > Japan is part of the area known as the "Ring of Fire," where
> > the Pacific plate meets other continental plates. Any 7th Grade
> > Geography book will tell you more about this phenomenon.
>
> The "Ring of Fire" covers half the continents of the world. You can
> use it
> to provide evidence for earthquakes and volcanos in Alaska, Russia,
> Japan,
> the Phillipines, Australia, Antartica, the Andes in South America,
> the
> Caribbean Islans, Central America, Mt. St. Helens, etc. Bringing up
> earthquake resistent architecture in Japan to justify comments in
> the Book
> of Mormon about earthquakes and volcanic activity is "sloppy
> scholarship" in
> my opinion. Why not justify comments about earthquakes in Russia,
> Australia, or Antartica using the same architeture?
Blainer) Actually, that is not a bad idea (:>)
>
> David Miller wrote:
> >> But Mount St. Helen's lasted much more than 3 days, and
> >> most areas were not at all affected with darkness. Was
> >> it dark for 3 days at your house when Mt. St. Helen errupted?
> >> Furthermore, the Book of Mormon says that not even fires
> >> could not be made for 3 days. I think you either need to go
> > > with a miraculous viewpoint here, or a natural one, but stick
> >> with whatever viewpoint you choose. Otherwise, it is impossible
> >> for us to consider your arguments.
>
> Blainer wrote:
> > Mutually exclusiove events are not necessarily going to be
> > exactly alike. I was simply stating there were some similarities
> > in general, which I maintain was the case.
>
> It looks to me like you grasp at any similarities to bolster your
> faith in
> Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. This is the wrong way to
> think.
> People who think this way get deceived by spurious observations, and
> that's
> how astrologers, idolaters, and mystic treasure hunters gain
> confidence in
> the practice of their arts.
Blainer) I study astrology myself, and am seriously convinced it not
only contains some fundamental truths, but is God's giant clock that can,
if read accurately, fortell events. I do not see any cause-effect
relationship between the stars and what I do, think, say, etc., however.
I think the stars all testify of Jesus Christ in one way or other.
For instance, if Jesus was born on April 6th, as many Mormons claim, he
was born under the sign Aries, symbolized by the Ram--Jesus called
himself the "Lamb of God." I think he was born on the 15th day of the
Jewish month Nisan--which is the Passover. He died 33 years later on the
14th day of Nisan, the day of the killing of the Paschal Lamb, and the
eve of the Passover. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, the months
starting with the new moons--these birth-death dates indicate the moon
and probably the stars were all synchronized to his birth and death
times.
> Blainer wrote:
> > I believe there is always a natural explanation for
> > events described in either the Bible or the BoM.
>
> That is sad. Your disbelief in the miracles of the Bible are now
> being
> revealed. Is God confined by natural laws, or does he exist outside
> the
> natural laws which he created?
Blainer) God rules the heavens through natural law. He rules with
wisdom, understanding--perfect understanding-- of all the truths and laws
of the universe, many of which we have not the slightest conception of.
When something happens we do not understand, we call it a miracle, but in
reality, it is a natural event which hopefully we may someday understand
as well as God does. God's power is his perfect and complete
knowledge, and his perfect and pure love for mankind. ( "For this is my
work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
all mankind.")
"Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants
thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. Great
is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings, none
can find out. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay
his hand. From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never
fail.
For thus saith the Lord--I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious to all
those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in
righteousness and truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and
eternal shall be their glory.
. . . And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach
to heaven, . . . I make known unto them the secrets of my will--yea,
EVEN THOSE THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEHARD, NOT YET ENTERED
INTO THE HEART OF MAN." D&C 76: 1-10
>
> Blainer wrote:
> > JS must have been a real "Wizard of Oz" con artist,
> > to hear you talk.
Blainer) He received the revelation, part of which I quoted above, that
tells me he was a great prophet.
> Now you are catching on! Yes, this is exactly how I view Joseph
> Smith.
> I've read most every Mormon source I can on him, and that is my
> conclusion
> about him. He was a con artist.
Blainer) That is sad that you have read and not believed. Your biases
are the problem, I would say. (:>)
>
> What do you think of his early occupation as a treasure hunter? Do
> you
> think he deceived people by claiming to be able to find buried
> treasure on
> their property by looking into a stone placed in his hat? What
> natural
> explanation do you have for this behavior of Joe Smith?
Blainer) I don't really believe he did that, although I understand he
used the peepstone in helping to translate the BoM. I think I have some
actual photos of one of those stones. Do you receive files?
>
> Peace be with you.
> David Miller.
>
> ----------
> "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you
> may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6)
> http://www.InnGlory.org
>
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----------
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