jerrys1960

Most everyone has heard of Near Death Experiences where the person says they saw a tunnel/hallway/cave/corridor/etc. with a light at the end of it.

For my question I am not concerned about what people might think causes the experience.

What I am looking for is the earliest recorded written reference about the experience. The account of the experience can be from ANY WRITTEN SOURCE including accounts referenced in fiction material. However, the description must be of a closed passage where the only movement choices are forward or backwards AND has a blinding/very bright light. (This would eliminate traveling on rivers, rainbows, or other open areas.)

The earliest accounts I have found so far (with both conditions) have been in the 1900’s (1950’s to be exact). I have found much earlier references of just the “tunnel” or just the “light”, not both together.

Again what I am looking for is the earliest documentation where a person after a near death experience described seeing (or being in) a “tunnel” AND a bright “light”, not a debate if the experience is real or what might cause it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

This is one of the current news stories to the situation.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20090330/tph-icrc-pre...

A little background history there are several Islamic groups (or at least they claim to be Muslims following Islam) that want to illegally and forcefully overthrow the Philippine government. Insisting upon implementing Islamic law and control throughout the Philippines. At this time it is predominately in the southern regions of the country that are the main “hot spots”.

To this end, one of the groups kidnapped three Red Cross workers that were trying to help people in some of the poorest regions of the Philippines.

The group says that if the government does not pull out, they will murder (behead) one of the hostages. (Seems like a nice honest peaceful group, they kidnap-unarmed humanitarian workers then hide behind the hostages like cowards to make unjust and unreasonable demands.)

Obviously the government must continue to pursue the kidnappers. It is also obvious that the government cannot simply withdraw from any region and give control of areas over to such unreasonable murderous groups. Plus it would seem clear that the government must respond if the groups do harm or kill any of the hostages.

So my question, what do you, as a Muslim believe would be an appropriate government response to these terrorist actions? What would you want to see happen to the kidnappers if you personally knew one of the hostages?

A few weeks ago three (3) Red Cross Workers while trying to help people here in remote areas of the Philippines were kidnapped.

Now the leader of an Islamist rebel group, which kidnapped the three Red Cross officers in the southern Philippines, has threatened on today (Wednesday) to behead one of the hostages if troops did not stop pursuing them.

I agree the group is an extremist group, but why are none of the “peaceful muslims” protesting the actions of that group, writing letters/emailing the local mosques demanding that they co-operate with the government to help find the hostages, or why is no one denouncing the group for claiming to be following the teachings of Islam and giving Islam a bad name?

Here are several news links from different sources:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/25/conte...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/18/rebels-th...

http://genevalunch.com/2009/03/18/red-cross-hostag...

http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/604151

http://www.mashget.com/world/2009/03/25/abductors-...

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/662...

http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUS...

I keep reading Muslims and Muslim supporters saying Islam is a religion of peace, it is time to put actions behind you words and help save the lives of these people. I am sure your local mosque has ways of contacting the mosques here in the Philippines to help put pressure on the “rebels”.

However, my question for you right now, is very simple, if Islam is a religion of peace why am I not seeing Muslims (locally or anywhere) protesting/denouncing these actions made by people claiming to be Muslim and following the teachings of Islam, be it the kidnappings or this current threat of beheading?

Why are more friends that were are simply trying to make the world a little better place about to be killed by your religion of peace and apparently no one in your religion of peace is lifting so much as a finger to condemn the actions?

I need a little help understanding other people’s logic regarding the Ten Commandments.

I have read several statements from various people that the Ten Commandments are not relevant in today’s world. (NOTE: I am NOT talking about Old Covenant vs New Covenant.)

They say the only rules that even remotely apply today are not to kill and not to steal.

For those that do not know what the Ten Commandments are:

I: - - -Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

II:- - -Thou shalt not worship graven images.

III: - -Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

IV:- -Keep the Sabbath day holy.

V: - -Honour thy father and thy mother.

VI: - -Thou shalt not kill.

VII:- -Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

VIII: -Neither shalt thou steal.

IX: - -Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

X:- - -Neither shalt thou covet.

If a person believes there is no God and that The Bible is purely man made, I can understand 1-4 being irrelevant to a non-believer. (With potentially a little debate on 2 & 3) But for this question we will ignore 1-4 and assume them to be irrelevant in today’s world, at least to people that do not believe in anything beyond this life.

But that still leaves 6 more … how are commandments 5-10 not relevant or not a good idea to follow today (even if the bible is false/written by man and there is no god)?

Before I get a lot of rants about this. I am preparing for a debate. I figure Y/A! is a good area to try out my some ideas, for if there is a hole anywhere in it, I am sure someone here will be more than happy to point it out. With this section (the reason I put part 1), we are not discussing the divinity of Jesus, simply did He exist? Focusing predominantly on how one might show any book or any writing is fiction.

I apologize for this being long (I have shortened it as much as I could and still have everything make sense.)

In part of my talk time I plan to say something like:

Instead of Jesus, let us suppose we want to prove that Superman a.k.a. Clark Kent never really existed. How might we do that? Would we do it by going to great length to discredit his powers and his parents? Or would we simply show that Superman was the fictional creation of Writer Jerry Siegel and Artist Joe Shuster first shown in the story "Reign of the Superman" of a 1933 'fanzine'?

Personally, I think most people would choose to point out who created the story and simply say that all the people and events in the story are fictional rather than try to disprove the powers and discredit the moral character of a fictional creation.

However . . . something that is interesting with Jesus Christ, the writers from around that time period, which were against Christianity, did not choose to say He was simply a fictional creation of the religious groups, but rather chose to discredit His actions and His heritage.

For example:

Celsus, a pagan philosopher, in a literary attack against Christianity titled True Discourse argued that Jesus was born in low circumstances. Saying that Christ was born out of wedlock after His mother had been seduced by a Roman soldier named Pandera (or Panthera). Then going on to say that later in life He (Christ) announced Himself to be God, deceiving many. Celsus charged that Christ’s own people killed Him, and that His resurrection was a deception. But Celsus never challenged the existence of Jesus.

Lucian of Samosata (c. A.D. 115-200) also wrote against Christianity saying that Christians worshipped the well-known “sophist” who was crucified in Palestine because He introduced "new mysteries". But He never denied the historicity of Christ.

Porphyry of Tyre born about A.D. 233, studied philosophy in Greece, and lived in Sicily where he wrote several books against the Christian faith. In one of his books, “Life of Pythagoras,” he contended that magicians of the pagan world exhibited greater powers than Christ. Why would he bother to try to prove that any powers are greater than that of a fictional character? If indeed Christ did not exist.

Interestingly there are numerous writings from around the time of Christ that go to great length to discredit His works and His family, rather than simply saying that his entire existence was made up by the writers of the various religious documents. If Christ did not exist at all, why would these people go to such length to prove that his actions were tricks / magic and that his heritage was of questionable origin? Could it be that many, many people had seen Christ in person and were telling others of the things that they had seen Him do and heard Him say?

(Unless the other person “challenges me”, which would give me some of their time, to produce the references of other writings discussing Jesus, I do not plan on mentioning the other 15 sources I have ready and waiting.)

At this point the debate, will go over to the other person. Keeping in mind that the other person must stay on topic to what I discussed or loose points, just as I must do when it is their turn to “lead”, what "holes" do you seen in this section that could likely be used against me?

Thanks in advance for your help.

To the best of my knowledge the Standard Canonized Christian Bible does not give an exact time frame (though some very broad estimates can be deduced).

Do any of the apocrypha books from Catholic, Greek Orthodox Bibles, etc. give an exact (or at least remove some of the assumptions) amount of time that passed from the time Adam was created until they were, shall we say … evicted … for not following the one and only rule “The LandLord” gave them?

I am looking for book(s)/chapter(s) and verse(s) to narrow down the length of time that passed. For my purposes, the book(s) do not have to have been accepted by any of the various canons.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have been seeing the advertisement that reads,

“There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

I will grant the ad has got me thinking.

I have been trying to figure out what things, in this life, I could enjoy that science, logic or common sense does not say is bad, unhealthy or dangerous for me, which I could not also enjoy while believing in and following the teachings of Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.

Any suggestions?

This “critter” was found it in lightly wooded area in the central part if the Island of Mindanao, Philippines, near an area called Aglayan.

At first glance, it looks somewhat like a large millipede or centipede, however it only has 6 legs.

(Perhaps some type of large wireworm or false wireworm?)

It is about 5 inches long (between 12-13cm).

The exoskeleton is hard on top softer on the underside.

It has 13 body segments.

Has only 6 legs.

Its top is dark almost black in color.

The underside is a light brown with dark patches in the center of each body segment.

Pictures are located at the bottom of the following page:

http://troach.net/phproject/whatcritter.htm

My thought is that it is some type of wireworm. Wireworm being a larvae stage the question would be what does it develop into? (If it is even a type wireworm, which it might not be.)

Thanks in advance for your help.

For our example, suppose you run a business that provides a service for “Whatsets”. In our hypothetical situation “Whatsets” are used by over 70% of the population. And legally accepted in most locations.

One day a user of “Whosets” claims that users of “Whosets” are being discriminated against by your company because your company does not provide any services for them.

For our example “Whosets” users only make up 10%-15% on the population. Plus, In many locations around the world considered illegal. However "Whosets" are starting being accepted and legalized in some locations.

Even after explaining that your business is not set up for handling “Whosets”. Also explaining that is it not a cost effective venture for your company. As well as explaining that there are other companies which are currently in operation, and readily available, to handle the needs of “Whoset” users (companies which you have no interest in competing against), The local decimation review board still decides to take the case to court.

My question, in your opinion, should the government be able force a company to provide services to customers that are not in the scope of the company’s primary business structure?

The following is copied in part from an article by http://discovery.com/ found at:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/01/jesus-bow...

Oct. 1, 2008 -- A team of scientists led by renowned French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that, according to an expert epigrapher, could be engraved with the world's first known reference to Christ.

If the word "Christ" refers to the Biblical Jesus Christ, as is speculated, then the discovery may provide evidence that Christianity and paganism at times intertwined in the ancient world.

The full engraving on the bowl reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which has been interpreted by French epigrapher and professor emeritus Andre Bernand as meaning either, "by Christ the magician" or "the magician by Christ."

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I’ll give my opinion of the article just before I select best answer.

I am asking what primary event (if there is a main turning point) that caused YOU to believe as you do, in the faith that you practice.

Regardless of what faith you follow. Be it Baha’i, Christian, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Wicca, or whatever.

On the night of June 11, 2008 about 75 families (over 300 people) lost most everything they had.

Check out this page for information about the tragedy:

http://troach.net/phproject/fire080611.htm

If you were in the remote area and witnessed this event what would you do?

While on your way to St. Ives

you saw a man with 7 wives

Each wife had 7 sacks

Each sack had 7 cats

Each cat had 7 kittens

Kitten, cats, sacks, wives

How many were going to St. Ives?

I recently listened to the cd with her name as the title (release date 2003).

Just wondering if any one knows if she has done any other CD’s?

I was reading the web page

http://troach.org/faith/jonah.htm

Which discusses the possibility of the story of Jonah being potentially possible.

The page discusses a lot of different areas; from did the locations actually exist to why the creature that swallowed Jonah might have been called a fish in the Old Testament and a whale in the New Testament even basic anatomy and eating habits of the animals.

After you read the page, is it possible the story could have happened or are there to many holes in the writer’s logic?

I had that question on test in a philosophy class years ago.

I am just curious how people today would answer.

Be careful with the question, while it seems simple it is asking WHO are YOU?

Not what is your name. Not what is your job nor what you do for a living. Nor is it asking about your title(s), degrees or education. And it is not asking what you are nor what you physically look like.

So how would you answer the question:

Who are You?

A lot of people point out that The Christian Crusades were among the most violent in Christian history. I will agree that was a very violent time, it did have a lot of brutality and may have even been one of the lowest points in Christian History. However ... do you know what was happening at the time to get The Christian Crusaders to take up that war and fight so ferociously?