Jedną z pierwszych konspiracji to ta z ogrodu Eden,kiedy to Szatan konspirował z Ewą przeciw ludzkości.Cała historia tego świata jest ściśle związana z konspiracją.Można powiedzieć że konspiracja jest motorem który napędza światową polityke.Więc jeżeli jest konspiracja to rodzi się pytanie kto konspiruje przeciwko komu.Odpowiedź nie powinna zdziwić nikogo-to elita przeciw szarym obywatelom jak ja i ty.Kim jest owa elita na to pytanie większość z nas ma inną odpowiedź.

To: Syjoniści,Watykan,Globaliści lub Reptylianie.Prawda leży pośrodku to żadna z powyższych grup.I jednocześnie wszystkie grupy razem.A wszystko to pod kierownictwem Szatana.

Każdy student konspiracji powinien zaznajomić się z terminami jak: dialektyka Hegla,equillibrium,Ordo Ab Chao.Poznanie tych terminów jest bardzo ważne w dalszych studiach i w ogólnym rozumieniu Illuminati.Niewiedza prowadzi do zguby,więc rozpoznanie przeciwnika jest kluczowe.Wielu bojowników z tkzw. NWO nie zdaje sobie sprawy że są przednią strażą owego organizmu.Prawica tępi lewice,liberałowie walczą z konserwatystami a wszytko to według scenariusza elity.Zasada Ordo Ab Chao czyli dywiza elity masońskiej to budowa porządku z chaosu.To ładnie brzmi każdy człowiek by się pod tym podpisał,smutne jest to że owi masoni sami zaczynają od chaosu.Robią więc zamieszanie suportując dwie zwalczające się frakcje.Gdy szara masa się wybije i zmęczy się walką wtedy pojawia się lider bądź partia polityczna wcześniej przygotowana do przejęcia władzy.Scenariusz ten widzieliśmy w obu wojnach światowych i zobaczymy wkrótce na bliskim wschodzie.Wynikiem pierwszej wojny było powstanie komunizmu druga natomiast umieściła Izrael na mapie.Trzecia wojna światowa połączy świat w wielki związek NEW WORLD ORDER z siedzibą w Jerozolimie.

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]]> http://cencio4.wordpress.com/?p=492 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:22:48 +0000 David Cenciotti http://cencio4.wordpress.com/?p=492 Thanks to the BBC, on June 14 I've had the possibility to watch the footage of the flypast provided by the Royal Air Force to mark the Queen's official birthday. The flypast involved 57 aircraft of 14 different types ranging from the WWII Spitfires, Hurricane and Lancaster, to the Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon who overflew the Buckingham Palace in large formations. Absolutely stunning in my opinion, the sight of 16 Tornado GR4, a formation composed most probably by all the airworthy "Tonkas" from RAF Marham. Noteworthy, among the 5 aircraft of the Battle of Britain Flight, there was also the only airworthy Lancaster bomber in the UK. The flypast comprised a C-130J flanked by two King Air 100, a 9 ships formation of Tornado F3s, a formation of 9 Typhoons, an E-3, a VC-10, a Nimrod and a C-17 flying along with two F3s each, and a Tristar flanked by a pair of HS125. According to the RAF website, the formation assembled over the North Sea and routed towards Buckingham Palace with the support of two Hawks from 100 Sqn and an A.109E that performed weather checks and acted as a camera ship. The formations flew over London at altitudes between 1.300 and 1.700 feet along a corridor 20 NM long that was flown in 4 minutes.

Watching the images of all those formations made me compare the RAF flypast to the once traditional Italian flypast provided by the Italian Air Force on June 2 until 2006. In the last two years, the only formation providing a flypast during National celebrations is the one made of 9 MB339 of the Frecce Tricolori: budget constraints don't permit the ItAF and other Armed Forces to "waste" flight hours. Actually, even in the 2001 - 2006 period, the flypasts taking place in Italy were light years away from those that brought hundreds of aircraft and large formations of fighters above Rome: in the '70s and '80s, the flypast was one of the highlights of the military parade (that took place almost all years from 1948 to 1992, when it was suspended), and I have pictures of formations made by 18 F-104s and 18 G.91s or 36 F-104s overflying The Eternal City. Look at the following video (1:38) to have an idea of a flypast of 18 F-104s in 1972.

Eight years after it was abolished, in 2000, the parade with an interesting old-style flypast was planned, but something very "Italian" happened: after performing 3 rehearsals neitheir aircraft was cleared to perform the flypast on Sunday June 4, 2001. All those formation, it was later explained, would have rendered the flypast too military! Strange isn't it? Especially if we consider that the whole parade is provided by all the Armed Forces (Navy, Army, Air Force, Carabinieri, Coast Guard, Police, Guardia Di Finanza etc). In 2000, 100 aircraft, spares comprised, from 8 airbases, were expected to fly over Rome. Even if it was never confirmed, it was decided to keep the aircraft on the ground since many citizens (and politicians) protested for the "show of force", for the noise pollution, for the Widow Maker (the F-104) overflying the Nation's Capital etc. As a consequence, only the Frecce Tricolori could attend the flypast and the following elements of the Aeronautica Militare were cancelled: 3 MB339 of the 61° Stormo (callsign “Veltro”); 3 SF-260 of the 70° Stormo (“Vespa”); 3 NH-500 of the 72° Stormo and 3 HH-3F of the 15° Stormo (“Eolo” and “Ettore”); 1 C-130 and 2 G-222 of the 46^ Brigata Aerea (“Vega”); 3 Atlantique of the 41° Stormo (“Vicky”); 3 Tornado IDS and 3 ADV of the 36° Stormo (“Vortex” and “Vulcan”), 3 AMX of the 51° Stormo (“Violet”); and 3 F-104 of the 5° Stormo (“Victor”). The fixed wing aircraft (whose c/s began with the letter "V", for "Velivolo", "Plane") were expected to fly at 1.500 ft AGL, while helicopters (with c/s beginning with the letter "E", as "Elicottero", "Helicopter") were expected to fly at 1.000 ft AGL.
In the following years the flypast took place but, as a compromise, only aircraft with two or more engines were authorized to overfly Rome and as a consequence, in 2001, only 48 aircraft (helicopters comprised), took part to the flypast. In 2002, the aircraft were 68 but, despite the single-engined aircraft were still banned (MB.339PAN of the Frecce Tricolori display team aside), nobody noticed that in spite of the 4 nozzles, the Italian Navy Harriers with a single engine were cleared to overfly the center of Rome. The 2003 edition saw only 54 aircraft belonging to all the Armed Forces and Corps performing the flypast; among them there was no AV8B+. Until 2005, when the last one was performed, the flypast had approximately the same shape with less than 30 aircraft and around 20 helicopters.

The following pictures (courtesy Troupe Azzurra, Aeronautica Militare) show the 2003 edition of the military parade.

di Vincenzo Birra

Paragraph #1: La Spiaggia di Nimrod

(Il primo paragrafo (#0) è noioso e comunque da pubblicare postumo affinchè io non debba ripeterlo inutilmente)

[Una voce fuori campo: «POTETE AMMIRARE ALLA VOSTRA DESTRA LE SONTUOSE VILLE DEI MATRICIDI, PARRICIDI E DEL FRATELLICIDIO.]

Arrivato alla spiaggia Phil si guarda intorno: sulla sabbia, come ombre si muovono figure indistinte di persone. Tra la folla, la figura atipica che Phil sta cercando Nimrod.

Nimrod è il possibile risultato di un evoluzione biologica. Il corpo, dalle spalle in giù, è di uomo, distinto per giunta: mocassini e doppiopetto grigio topo, il panciotto nero copre per metà la camicia bianca stretta al collo da una cravatta rosso cardinalizio. I pantaloni all'altezza dei glutei sono strappati; dal buco sbuca una cosa orizzontale, piatta, a forma di spatola, una coda di animale, marino per giunta. La testa è di pelle grigiastra piena di rughe, ricca di pieghe e fori; tane di piccoli molluschi.

Il cranio, piccolo, si allaga in un muso morbido, simile a quello di leone marino o tricheco, ma senza denti. No ha denti, infatti, solo due ossa piatte fissate una al palato l'altra alla mandibola.

Ciò che state pensando differisce dal vero; Nimrod ha una voce calda e sensuale e una perfetta dizione, le mani (di uomo) sono curatissime, lisce, consumate dalle periodiche manicure.

Phil viene subito riconosciuto (si erano intravisti e presentati ad un party)

«Salve Phil, è una splendida giornata! Non trovi?»

Piccola puntualizzazione meteorologica: Si prevede una situazione asfittica, come coperta da una cappa di vetro.

[La giornata è calda e afosa. Il cielo rosso è schiarito leggermente da un sole offuscato da nubi leggere che danno alla sabbia un tono grigiastro. La sabbia emette calore, non c'è vento e il mare verde è totalmente piatto, fermo, il tempo sembra fermo quando cala anche il vento.]

«Ma cosa dici Nim? Questo tempo fa schifo. Tu abiti qui?»

«Si, proprio dietro quelle rocce a pochi metri dal guardrail, c'è un avvallamento.»

«Dimmi Phil, hai portato il pezzo che ti avevo chiesto?»

«Certo. È in macchina.»

«Bene.»

«Dov'è la tua barca Nim?»

«Dove vuoi che sia? Sott'acqua!!È un sommergibile non una barca.»

«Avrei dovuto immaginarlo (immaginarlo?).»

«Hai notato il cielo Nim? È strano, è rosso!»

«Niente di strano, è così da sempre, lo vuole la legge.»

«La legge?quel'è l'ordinamento politico di questo posto?»

«Anarchia»

«Tu si che la sai lunga... In giro si dice che non si contano i tuoi anni, troppi per un uomo.»

«Non sono un uomo.»

«Allora cosa?»

«Un Sirenide.»

«Dimmi di più»

«qualche secolo fa, stanco del mare sono venuto a morire su questa spiaggia. Proprio qui ho visto per la prima volta una femmina d'uomo, me ne sono invaghito e l'ho posseduta. Da quel incontro sono nato io.»

«Quindi sei tuo padre?»

«Diciamo di si.»

«Mi prendi in giro?»

«Si.»

«E ti diverti?»

«Non ci trovo niente di divertente, smettila.»

«Ehi Phil, vuoi sentirla una storia divertente?»

«Devi sapere che: l'uomo che per primo vide una femmina della tua razza iniziò subito a raccontare di un essere metà donna e metà pesce, solo perchè l'aveva vista, o meglio, aveva visto la sua forma (vaga) che allattava i suoi cuccioli sott'acqua. Da allora in poi in molti hanno scritto di sirene, hanno desiderato sirene.»

[Ridendo Fragorosamente]

«Mio padre, la prima volta che ha visto una femmina d'uomo l'ha presa su questa riva.»

«Non è divertente Nim, mi hai stancato Nim, io vado via, qui il tempo sembra fermo.»

«Ti sbagli.»

«Ah Nim.. prima di andare volevo chiederti; cos'è quel buco là terra che risucchia sabbia?»

«È il punto di centro di una clessidra.»

«E risucchierà anche te? Anche questa gente?»

«Si.»

«Cosa c'è lì sotto?»

«Beh.. Chiedilo ai fedeli e ti risponderanno con una parola incomprensibile e intraducibile che si avvicina, come concetto, al bene noioso. Per loro è il massimo, ed è per questo che si lanciano ad occhi chiusi nel buco.»

«E poi cosa succede?»

«Li sento urlare mentre precipitano.»

«Ora vado Phil, ho passato troppo tempo a terra, il tempo limite di resistenza è scaduto.»

«Non capisco.»

«L'hai dimenticato? Sono un mammifero. Ti saluto Phil.»

[Corre verso l'acqua e si tuffa per non riemergere.]

Phil è pensieroso mentre si allontana. Improvvisamente incomincia a tossire; una tosse stizzosa; ha conati di vomito; respiro rumoroso; si fa scuro in volto; blu, anzi indaco; muore.

[Il tutto va letto battendo a terra col tallone un ritmo sincopato]

]]> http://sonicando.wordpress.com/?p=230 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:18:27 +0000 sonicando http://sonicando.wordpress.com/?p=230 Green Day

Nimrod

The Grouch

They only completed four of the buildings from the plan: Thaw Hall, Pennsylvania Hall, State Hall, and the Mineral Industries Building. I believe only Thaw and Mineral Industries are still extant. However, the latter is relatively hidden (and possibly renamed) while the former has been mutilated beyond recognition. The plan was abandoned because the new chancellor wanted a massive, phallic Cathedral of Learning instead. (What a nimrod!) Check out more Pitt acropolis-related photos here.

I had hoped to make a lengthy, uber-informative post about this missed opportunity, but don't think I'll get around to it. So here is a limerick I composed instead!

The Belated Lament for Messieurs P&H

Back in the day,
in Pittsburgh, PA,
before the Cathedral of Learning,
Palmer and Hornbostel
designed halls 'n' hostels;
their élan - fo' sho' - it was burning.

To be placed in Pittsburgh's metropolis,
they fashioned a Greco-Roman acropolis,
four buildings, completed,
then their project, defeated,
the abandonment sure was dolorous. =(

Bibliography:
University of Pittsburgh Digital Research Library. Full Record for University of Pittsburgh Archives (ASC): ACRP01.UA. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. 2 June 2008.

By way, Al Quaida, who were not in Iraq before we arrived, will obliging follow the bulk of our troops to Afghanistan should we send them there. For Al A Qaeda, we are the lure and the target. I sure hope some smart general is setting a trap for Al Qaida on that basis alone. Just think, those fools will come a running wherever they think we are....

But I digress. Not only should a fund be started to send all conservatives to Iraq. In addition, we should also make sure that pack of Chicken Hawk, Satan Worshiping Nazi war criminals can never come back here. As soon as they leave, they should all be but on a no fly list.

By the way could some tell that Jack Ass Dubya we don't need to fight them over there.  All we need to do is to become energy independent and take the rest of the West with us.  At present, we are paying oil money to people who worship at the altar of our destruction.  All we need to do is drill for oil off our coasts and in Alaska, build more nuclear power plants, build more refineries, use more coal, and use more natural gas and the terrorists will be starved for cash.

Nimrod surely needs his suit else one would find him weak.  Without the eye ubiquitous upon the characters of my story I would at once partake gladly of his command.  But ever I have sought in other forums to make my story known, that at once I am found poor and hardly given room to speak.

Not that I am all as young as some, who win acclaim in interviews, reviews, with galas in their name.  I should think that age has little to do with having one’s say.  To be sure, one needs not age, nor money, nor knowledge to win the ear of intelligent or copious ears.  At last we return again to the late-comer, sooth Elihu fearing for the wake of his words because of their power.

And return we will but first:

There is of necessity exposition upon the matters tearing at my heart, not because of the threat of retaliation or any such thing, but because of the deliberation of conscience on matters yet obscure.  If one feels I have left sanity for the sparrows of the moon, then that one shall count them one by one until at last he believes my story.

I write often trite stories that give me amusement.  This I do, and reading the same often giving me ideas of how this or that shall come about.  At present my writing books I study are packed up and waiting to be moved to my next house.  So I am left here to write, hoping that at the root of the matter I shall find some one who will believe an even greater story than my wit could write, the story of my life.

Now that story, the one of which I am touching upon, my life, although it is steep, it can be reached.  Although it is deep, it can be said that it is such a simple thing.  I lie not.  Terror, heartache:  I have known these.  You may say I am burnt out, but I know better.  My body will corrupt in the flame and melt, leaving the pure substance of a golden body where once there was this frail frame which by its flesh deceives all but a dozen dozens of men.

It was in 2006 that I wrote the “Adventures in the Underground” series, subsequently deleting it on my MySpace profile because I didn’t want the girl who I was starting to date to know the abstruse truth about me.  But my celibacy commends me to the knowledge of my story, the true story, my terror, and my heartache.  Fraught with moments of LOVE, ecstasy!  Yes, I have known the strangeness of election, to accomplish what any man, given the opportunity could do; yet to know that few if any have ever had that chance.

As for politics, I am yet quite ignorant of policy.  However I have more intuition than the mother of all politicians, by reason of my strange story, which now I shall explain.

“I must decrease, so that he may increase,” said The Son of God, the Creator and First Cause.  By birth and election, by birthright and blessing, he has a name so wonderful that none may know it but himself.  And it is this person that often I shall have to lay recourse to, to amend my heart when it grows proud for all I have endured for the sake of peace.

The Son of God is neither a republican or a Democrat.  This, we shall soon discover, is what makes his name so wonderful.

Although when it was first started is nebulous, for me it first started November 1^st, 1996.  My story took a noticeable turn as I was walking down Sixth and Lewis around 9:00 at night.  I saw an airplane flying at about 1,000 feet, and as I turned, it turned too, and I remarked to my friend Matt, that I thought it was following me.  Not us, me.  For those of you who know, I need not mention the secret yet, that separated me so much from my associates at the time.  That time is coming, and right soon.

I am not an ambitious man.  In fact, I scorn ambition, because crabwise, I am arrogant.  However, I still listen to Dan Fogelberg and write sappy poetry.  In fact, the only reason I am writing this at all is because of the moon-sparrows and my love for thwarting the so-called wise. 

I can remember seeing black helicopters at the age of 17, back in 1994.  I was very much at that time under the ubiquitous eye of Big Brother, although in the wake of recent events, it seems more and more likely to have started 1865, but dates themselves have little to do with the facts.  The point is, is that COINTELPRO was employed sometime in May of 1995, when it did not begin, but rather was captured in a camera, again pointing me back to Lincoln and my own absurd conspiracies.  Those I shall have to visit as I learn more, but for now I will suffice to say that the dates are not as important as the photograph.

I shall explain some other time.  However, I will have to hide behind theories I have about the Watchers and the destruction of the giants who now inhabit, for the most part, the United States of America.  In fact, I could set the date at somewhere around the time when Paleolithic man met Neolithic man.  But that is hardly important.

The point is, that in order for the end to begin, there must be something leading up to it.  This is a hard point to follow, but the age old Axiom, “The beginning of the end” pretty much sums it up.  Jesus was often asked what the sign would be that the end was coming, and he gave more than one answer for each occasion.  Personally I like the reply “then shall you see the sign of the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven”, which sign I will approach to answer by the end of this entry. So this “sign” precedes the end, and must be looked for.

So obviously the end is described in detail over and over again in the Bible, but particularly in Daniel and Revelation, there are portrayed several scenes that depict the beginning of the end.  The destruction of the Temple, and the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation are the foremost sign that “the work” was being completed.

So now I move on to discuss the phenomenon of contrails, or “Chemtrails” as the conspiracy theorists like to call them.  I have found several videos about Chemtrail conspiracies people have been formulating since late in 1996, when the program started.

Now I know that there is obviously something going on that we aren’t being told.  This video suffices to show that the anomaly began as late as 1953.  Known observation and scientific analysis of contrails has existed since the year 1953, but was somewhat slackened by the end of the 1970’s and into the 1980’s judging from all that I have read about the conspiracy.

However, in the first campaign that was started in the 1950’s, there was no global surveillance, big brother was not watching everything, the technology was not present to do what was begun in the 1990’s.

What I can say about my reason for believing that this attempt to foil the greenhouse effect by dumping chemicals into the atmosphere is simply that, and that I do not believe that there are drugs in these contrails is simply because I have seen several hundreds of thousands of these since November 1996, and I am no less healthy now than when I was then.

Then I wonder if indeed there is some kind of halcyon drug laced in these clouds to put us to sleep, but it seems idiotic to follow this theory, because not only would they be poisoning themselves, but television already does that much cheaper and more powerfully anyway. 

However, I did believe until early this year, that it was only happening where I was—to me—as a part of a 12,000 year old conspiracy reaching back to the time of Neolithic man.

But six months ago when I searched “contrails” on Youtube, I saw the conspiracies that people have been formulating since 1997 and the “El Nino” phenomenon, before the space station was even one module in orbit.

So I immediately was astonished that this phenomenon has been happening all over the civilized world.  This made me very happy because I then realized that there were other people who, although they may not have believed that there was an election happening, they still had the idea that this was very out of the ordinary.

I reference the blogs I have deleted, alluding to my suspicion that the people on these airplanes have recorded every movement I have made since 1865.

Consider this verse from the 1^st book of Enoch, chapter 15, verses 20-31:

“and the dwelling of the spirits in heaven is in heaven, but the dwelling of the spirits of earth, who were born on earth, is on earth.  And the spirits of the Giants *the clouds* which do wrong and are corrupt, and attack and fight and break on the earth, and cause sorrow, and they eat no food and do not thirst, and are not observed.  And these spirits will rise against the sons of men and against the women because they came out from them”.

The commentary in my book has the asterixes around “the clouds” calling them possibly the Nephilim – (the spirits of the giants, the Nephilim, do wrong) and also, my preferred translation:  And the spirits of the giants wrong the clouds.  This “clouds” (the Ethiopian), also has connotations of “Lay Waste” in the Greek.

Now at the same time that an ancient text has been translated that I do interpret it, I realize that it could mean many things.  But it is a striking text and makes the distinction between the “two men” compelling to consider.  For instance, is not the idea of Divinity mating with the Virgin Mary and producing himself akin to the Angels coming down from heaven and creating the giants by mating with the daughters of men?

Now whether or not you believe, it is said exquisitely.  Why do clouds play such an imminent role in this birthing of the end of sin?  Perhaps this passage from Enoch is also depicting the birth of Sin, in the time of Jacob and Esau?  I do not know, nor do I intend to find out, for I know that the end shall come as surely as did the beginning.

I can’t sum up what I am saying in just one blog.  But what I will do is leave you with a video for now, and you can decide for yourself if you will read the next blog I post.  And I promise to talk about Nimrod and the City of the Pyramids.  But I'm tired of writing and need to take a break.

The RAF's fleet of Nimrod aircraft should be grounded as it "was never airworthy", a coroner investigating the deaths of 14 servicemen recommended today.

Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, declared that none of the planes have been airworthy since the fleet was introduced into service in 1969.

He called for the fleet to be grounded after considering a number of safety recommendations at the inquest that followed the explosion of a spy plane in 2006.

While the Ministry of Defence admitted in April that two-thirds of its Nimrods are not fit for purpose, it is under no obligation to carry out the recommendation.
Mr Walker concluded that opportunities to spot inherent dangers on the plane were missed.

"The crew and passengers were not to know that this aircraft, like every other in the Nimrod fleet, was not airworthy," he said.

"The aircraft was never airworthy from the first release to service in 1969."

The 37-year-old reconnaissance plane exploded in mid-air over Kandahar, Afghanistan, in September 2006.

All on board were killed.

An RAF Board of Inquiry into the loss of the plane, call sign XV230, found that ageing components and a lack of modern fire suppressants were among the “contributory factors” which led to the accident.

It concluded that the most probable cause of the crash was a fuel leak during air-to-air refuelling, either from an overflow or the aircraft’s fuel system.

Read the rest:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2014281/Nimrod-inquest-%27Ground-fleet-
that-was-never-airworthy%27%2C-says-coroner.html

{PATH INSTALACION NB}/etc/netbeans.conf

y agregamos a las opciones de inicio del IDE, al final del valor del parametro netbeans_default_options la clase:

netbeans_default_options=" . . . --laf javax.swing.plaf.metal.MetalLookAndFeel"

y si tenemos que agregar un L&F desde un jar, por ejemplo de la librería NimROD, lo siguiente:

netbeans_default_options=" . . . --cp:p bin\nimrodlf-1.0c.jar --laf com.nilo.plaf.nimrod.NimRODLookAndFeel"

Acá les dejo un screenshot de NetBeans 6.1 usando NimROD como L&F:

Más Info

• NimRod LookAndFeel

• Can I run NetBeans with a custom look and feel?

A saber...

The Nimrod MRA - developed from the de Havilland Comet 4 airliner

The families of 14 servicemen who were killed after their Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft crashed in Afghanistan have heard the final moments of the aircraft’s flight.

The Coroner’s Court in Oxford was emptied in order to allow privacy for the families.

The Nimrod crashed after it had undergone air to air refuelling on 2nd September 2006. The aircraft, and most if its crew, were based at RAF Kinloss in Scotland.

The accident claimed the biggest single loss of British lives in conflict since the Falklands war, and was the fourth Nimrod crash in 36 years.

The aircraft involved had been regularly used in air to air refuelling.

More here.

This is God's ideal for the world. But look what happens at Babel. There the energy of human beings is directed at maintaining unity, God seeks diversity; human beings seek one centre; God seeks dispersal; Human beings want to be safe with homogeneity; God welcomes pluralism. Here in the story that emerges in chapter 11 the centrifugal energy of God is in conflict with the centripetal force of human beings.

But before we get there, a wee word on another city builder, this time it's Nimrod the hero.

In Chapter 4 of Genesis, Cain builds the first city and intends it as a city of refuge in an attempt to escape the judgment of God. Cities emerge as places to hide. Here the cities built by Nimrod are launchpads for Empire.

It is as if Cain, exiled from the environment of his origins, seeks to construct one of his own bounded this time not by rivers but by walls. If the open reaches of the creation were to be places of threat and condemnation for him, then he chooses instead to establish a secure community, where that threat, which was part of God’s judgment, is removed.

Given time however, the security of the walls of the city are breached, not by outside enemies but from within the family itself, with the violence of Lamech who glorifies his actions in song, one of the cultural developments of the city. It seems that violence is never far from the one who is alienated.

The story moves on then to the great hunter Nimrod. He is described as a ‘mighty warrior’ (Gen 10:8) who grew to be a ‘mighty hunter before the Lord’ (Gen 8:9). Unlike his ancestor Cain, who sought refuge from violence in the building of a city, Nimrod becomes the first empire builder and builds cities as the staging posts for his expansion.

“The first centres of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Ninevah, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Ninevah and Cala; that is, the great city.” (Gen 10:10-12)

Jacques Ellul draws our attention to the curious phrase ‘a mighty hunter before the Lord’ (Gen 10:9) and argues that ‘before the Lord’ may indicate some sense of condemnation or approbation and that, in reality, Nimrod is separated from the Lord His designation as hunter may also be termed ‘plunderer’ or ‘conqueror’. Ellul thus argues that Nimrod is a man of violence who launches his mission of empire building in defiance of, or distance, from God. Whatever the merits of this argument, it is clear that city building becomes the means by which Nimrod gains a formidible reputation and this leads Ellul to comment that,

“The city is now a centre from which war is raged. Urban civilisation is a warring civilisation. Conqueror and builder are no longer distinct. Both are included in one man, and both are an expression of that desire for might which is revolt against the Lord.”

The centrifugal force of the creation mandate is opposed by the centripetal force of human will expressed in urbanisation, and the conflict is centred on the city of Babel.

So, my question is...Where did we get our modern day "Nimrod?"

Originally Posted by David Ben-Ariel The Church of God needs to clarify and make widely known the biblical position on race and grace.

Response by talkingchristian Yes. God is the author of the wonderful diversity of human existence, and this diversity can only be preserved, and the unique contributions of each group fully realised, within national and sovereign homelands. The cultural marxist (pc) agenda wishes to erase all distinctions of race and gender, and Christians promoting this are fighting God and promoting the doctrine of Babel and Nimrod.
*********

The Plain Truth About Race And Responsibility

Also, does anyone else laugh at the poor jackarses who buy Suburbans and do notknow how to park them? I watched this nimrod take 5 shots at parking his suburban cattle van so that he would NOT park inside the lines. This arse purposely parks in an end spot so his giant truck can spill out into traffic.

Dude- no one wants to hit your door with their door, but did you stop to think of the people who are driving who may take out the other side of your vehicle? I think I might need to ask about it...I'll keep you informed.

The famous BAE Hawk - built at Brough.

Defence company BAE Systems has announced that it will cut almost 600 jobs at two of its sites - Brough in East Yorkshire and Woodford in Cheshire. Brough will lost almost a quarter of its 2000-strong workforce and 134 jobs will go in Woodford.

The move is blamed on the loss of a contract to supply 35 Hawk jets to the United Arab Emirates, the Hawk is made at Brough, and the factory is Hull’s biggest employer. The Hawk jet is most famous for its role as the current display aircraft of the Red Arrows aerobatics team. Its less well-known role is that of a training jet.

Woodford is the home of the Nimrod MRA, developed from the Comet 4 airliner. Jobs related to Nimrod production are, however, believed to be safe. The types affected by the job loses are believed to be the Typhoon, the Airbus series and the F-35.

BAE is said to be focusing on unmanned fighter aircraft as the government is phasing out the UK capability for large, manned military types.

The (UK) Government has responded by stating that it remains committed to the MRA4 Nimrod replacement programme.

The current Nimrod MR2 has become of a matter of concern, with a number of relatively recent media stories referring to problems with the aircraft, and concerns over leaks in the fuel system. In September 2006, 14 crew members died (12 based at RAF Kinloss) when their aircraft crashed in service in Afghanistan.

Although the aircraft has seen considerable upgrading over the years, to extend its life, and the operator has said that it is operating satisfactorily, suggestions that the replacement programme be scrapped, without an alternative, have led to calls that such a move could put lives at risk if the existing aircraft are subsequently obliged to extend their operating lives even further than currently expected.

The Nimrod MRA aircraft - derived from the Comet airliner

The MOD has been urged to cancel its order for the replacement Nimrod fleet owing to the fact that it is eight years late and nearly £800million over budget.

The Nimrod MRA, which is based at RAF Kinloss, should have been retired in 2003, and there are claims that lives could be put at risk if the order for eight new aircraft is cancelled.

There have been concerns over the current Nimrod’s safety record after one crashed in Afghanistan in September 2006, killing 14 men, 12 of whom came from RAF Kinloss. The government says the aircraft is still safe to fly.

The Nimrod is a derivative of the Comet 4 airliner, which is itself derived from the Comet 1, the first ever jet powered aircraft to operate passenger services. More about the Comet 1 will appear on here in May.

More here.

These days, I can still get a hard copy of the Post - three days late - but surfing and blogging are a fair substitute.

Something to share while I got do a crossword (online, since my local Sunday paper hasn't made it here yet) is this little tidbit from Your Three Cents (via that radio babe who definitely doesn't have a face for radio, Miss Cellania)

 And to be fair to our president (I still refuse to capitalize the title while that f**kwit's in office), our own former governor Jim Gilmore showed his own continuing fiscal prudence in the news last week.

Who'da thunk that, after running Virginia's transportation system into the ground and adding another $100 million annual burden to our state budget, that Gilmore would have been given a chance to preside over another good financial screwing?

(fom Associated Press, via Yahoo News)

RICHMOND, Va. - Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, who was criticized for his handling of state finances, was chairman of a Bear Stearns subsidiary set up to market some of its highest-risk securities tied to the home mortgage industry meltdown.

One money manager said Gilmore's involvement in Everquest Financial Ltd. reflected his "naivete" in finance. Gilmore, a Republican, is now running for U.S. Senate.

Two troubled hedge funds managed by Bear Stearns owned a 60 percent share of Everquest when it was created in 2006. Everquest withdrew its bid for an initial public offering last June amid criticism of the hedge funds — which saw the mortgages underlying the bonds in some of their holdings fall sharply in value because of increased mortgage defaults.

I can't wait to see the vote tally in our senatorial election.

Stilletto can appreciate this little side story. I got to watch one of the final public appearances of Jim Gilmore in our fine corner of Virginia before that idiot sailed off into hopefully permanent public oblivion. After presenting a big foam core check for some funding with which he had essentially noting to do with obtaining, Gilmore stood around for an hour in a chapel at what was then Clinch Valley College. He and his aides picked at the table of refreshments, half-heartedly nibbling at mini-muffins or cookies and drinking canned soda while waiting for the fog to lift so they could catch a plane out of town.

Several lawmakers who attended the event didn't stay to talk with the governor - they beat it as soon as the presentation was over. After a few folks who just wanted to be able to say they shook hands with the governor did so, the chapel emptied in about 5 minutes.

Hemingway might have written; "His party stood alone. In the chapel. In the fog."

I would have written; "What goes around comes around, with an extra 200 knots."

Abraão
Primeiro dos patriarcas, ele moldou a fé monoteísta e estendeu sua influência até os dias de hoje. Mas apesar de toda essa importância, a ciência acredita que ele jamais tenha existido.

O primeiro dos patriarcas bíblicos mudou para sempre o pensamento religioso da humanidade, ao introduzir a crença em um Deus único e onipresente. Tornou-se modelo de fé incondicional e da unidade entre os povos para seguidores do judaísmo, do cristianismo e do islamismo. Saiba o que a ciência já descobriu a respeito do Abraão histórico

O mundo espera, ansioso, a gradual concretização do plano de paz entre o governo israelense e organizações palestinas, que parece finalmente deixar o rol das boas intenções para se tornar realidade. Tal plano, chamado de "mapa de estrada", pretende pôr fim a décadas de conflitos sangrentos e atentados terroristas na região, apostando no cessar-fogo e na criação de um Estado palestino até 2005. A almejada paz entre judeus e muçulmanos, israelenses e árabes, remete à história de um homem que se tornou símbolo da fé desapegada e da unidade entre as nações e que, hoje, anda um tanto esquecido sob a poeira dos combates e da discórdia na Terra Santa. Esse homem é Abraão, o primeiro dos patriarcas bíblicos, considerado pai biológico, adotivo e ético de todos os povos. Figura fundamental nas três grandes tradições monoteístas - judaísmo, cristianismo e Islã -, carrega em si a idéia primordial da paz: se todas as nações são irmãs entre si, filhas de um único pai, por que existe ainda tanta guerra?

Conta o Gênesis, o primeiro livro da Bíblia, que Deus chamou Abraão e lhe disse: "Sai da tua terra, da tua parentela e da casa de teu pai e vai para a terra que te mostrarei. Eu farei de ti um grande povo, eu te abençoarei, engrandecerei teu nome. Sê tu uma bênção". Naquela época, Abraão era ainda Abrão, um homem de 75 anos de idade que vivia em Harã, importante centro comercial do mundo antigo e cidade da atual Turquia. Mesmo sem garantias prévias da dupla promessa de terra e descendência, Abraão acreditou em Javé, o Deus único, invisível e onipresente. Partiu sem saber para onde ia. Não levava nas mãos qualquer contrato que garantisse a posse de um trecho de terra. E, embora sua esposa Sara fosse estéril, não duvidou, em momento algum, que teria uma posteridade mais numerosa que as estrelas do céu. Foi sua fé plena e irrestrita em Javé que deu origem à tradição religiosa monoteísta, que prega a existência e a adoração de um só Deus, algo inovador no mundo antigo.

Hoje é impossível conceber o mundo sem o monoteísmo (mesmo que você não partilhe dessa concepção) - e sem Abraão.

A ciência ainda busca pistas sobre a existência desse personagem. Atualmente, historiadores, arqueólogos e estudiosos dos textos bíblicos admitem que provavelmente um homem chamado Abraão tenha vivido na chamada era dos patriarcas, período histórico que remete à Idade do Bronze, entre 2000 a.C. e 1500 a.C. Tabuinhas de argila encontradas em cidades próximas ao rio Eufrates, onde na Antiguidade se localizava a Mesopotâmia e hoje estão a Síria e o Iraque, indicam que os eventos da vida de Abraão, presentes no relato bíblico, podem ter realmente acontecido, mas não necessariamente protagonizados por um único homem.

O que hoje os especialistas afirmam é que um Abraão, chefe de um grupo seminômade, realmente existiu - talvez menos heróico e formidável que o Abraão bíblico, porém não menos importante para a história do seu povo. Assim como tantos outros chefes seminômades, o Abraão histórico deve ter deixado um legado fundamental para o seu clã. Sua história, contada de pai para filho, acabou prevalecendo sobre as demais e incorporando elementos, alheios à saga original, de outros personagens também conhecidos pelos povos da época. Talvez historicamente não tenha existido um só Abraão, mas vários, que ajudaram a compor o Abraão bíblico. Bem-vindo à história da bem-sucedida jornada rumo à Terra Prometida e à descendência numerosa. Uma jornada que ainda não acabou - nem para os fiéis, nem para a ciência.

A religião de Abraão

São 14 capítulos do Gênesis dedicados a Abraão. Ao contrário de outros profetas e personagens do Antigo Testamento, cuja saga começa a ser narrada a partir do nascimento, Abraão estréia já adulto. No início do relato, ele vive com seu pai, Terá, seus irmãos e sua esposa, Sara, em Ur, uma das cidades mais importantes do mundo antigo, localizada ao sul do rio Eufrates (veja mapa na página 44). Não tem filhos, porque Sara era estéril. Certo dia, Terá reúne Abraão, Sara e Ló, sobrinho do patriarca, e resolve seguir com a família para as terras de Canaã, que se estendiam do sudoeste da Síria até o Egito. Ao chegarem à cidade de Harã, depois de uma viagem longa e exaustiva, decidem ficar por lá mesmo. Terá morre. Abraão ouve pela primeira vez o chamado de Deus, que lhe promete terra e descendência. Sem pestanejar, ele deixa Harã e parte rumo à terra dos cananeus.

O relato bíblico narra o episódio como se Abraão fosse monoteísta desde sempre, segundo a concepção que temos hoje. No entanto, o Alcorão, livro sagrado dos muçulmanos, evoca passagens da vida do patriarca que não constam da Bíblia e que explicitam como se deu a adesão ao Deus único e o rompimento com a crença dos antepassados. Abraão (ou Ibrahim, como é chamado no Islã), ainda jovem, inicia seu itinerário religioso recusando a adoração dos astros. Nega os deuses petrificados como estátuas e parte para uma verdadeira batalha de fé contra a idolatria dos seus antepassados, destruindo os ídolos locais e pregando a existência de um único Deus - como fez o profeta Maomé mais de 20 séculos depois, quando o Estado Árabe estava se constituindo. O povo condenou Abraão à fogueira e, milagrosamente, ele se salvou. "Por revelação divina, Abraão sabia que deveria divulgar o Deus único, o monoteísmo", diz o xeque Ali Abdune, da Associação Mundial da Juventude Islâmica, em São Paulo.

"A aceitação dele ao chamado de Deus significou submissão total e voluntária à vontade divina. Abraão deixou tudo - por isso, se tornou o patriarca, o amigo de Deus."

Narrativas semelhantes são encontradas em textos apócrifos, como o Apocalipse de Abraão, e em histórias da tradição oral judaica, compiladas no Talmude. Uma das passagens relata que tanto o nascimento do patriarca quanto sua luta pessoal contra os ídolos foram previstos por astrólogos, que logo avisaram o rei Nimrod. Este decidiu matar o menino assim que ele nascesse, mas Terá, o pai, o escondeu numa caverna. Abraão ficou no esconderijo durante alguns anos. Ao sair, quando viu o Sol pela primeira vez, pensou consigo mesmo: "Deve ser este o Deus que criou o céu, a terra e a mim". E rezou o dia inteiro ao sol. À tarde, ao ver o astro desaparecer, pensou: "Não é um Deus". Avistou a Lua, à noite, e cogitou que talvez fosse ela a senhora do mundo. Durante a noite inteira, fez orações à Lua. Pela manhã, observou que ela havia sumido. Levantou as mãos ao céu e disse: "Não, não são esses os criadores do mundo. Só um Deus existe no céu, que reina sobre todos os outros.

A Ele orarei e perante Ele me curvarei". Surgia, aos olhos da fé judaica, a concepção monoteísta.

Mas não para a ciência. Achados arqueológicos mostram que os povos da região do Crescente Fértil - como ficaram conhecidas as terras produtivas que se estendiam da antiga Mesopotâmia ao Egito - não acreditavam em um Deus único e soberano. No período patriarcal, que vai de 2000 a.C. a 1500 a.C., vigorava o politeísmo. Os seminômades, porém, eram henoteístas, ou seja, adoravam apenas uma divindade, mas admitiam a existência de outras. "Cada clã cultuava o seu próprio deus", diz o pastor luterano Milton Schwantes, cientista da religião da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo. "A cultura seminômade não permitia uma diversidade grande de concepções de mundo."

Segundo Milton, o politeísmo surge porque vários subgrupos, dentro de uma grande população, requisitam funções diferentes da divindade - deus da guerra, deus da colheita, deus do poço... Como a população do clã é pequena e homogênea, uma diferenciação como essa poderia pôr em risco o grupo social. "Daí a tendência a um só caminho religioso", afirma Milton. "Mas isso não significa que exista um pensamento teórico monoteísta no mundo antigo. Existe, sim, um monoteísmo de adesão, em que cada grupo adere a um único deus."

Abraão interpretado

Segundo o narrador do Gênesis, o Deus de Abraão é Javé (Iahweh, em hebraico). No entanto, os exegetas, como são chamados os estudiosos dos textos sagrados, reconhecem que se trata de um anacronismo, um acréscimo posterior feito ao relato. No período patriarcal, a denominação mais comum de Deus seria El, como comprovam achados arqueológicos da época. Para entender por que El (o Deus da vida) se tornou Javé (o Deus libertador), você precisa voltar no tempo e mais precisamente ao início da formação do povo de Israel, entre 1250 a.C. e 1000 a.C., quando os primeiros cinco livros da Bíblia, que também formam a Torá judaica, começaram a ser redigidos.

Até aquela época, as narrativas eram basicamente orais. Circulavam várias histórias sobre Abraão e os demais patriarcas. Aos poucos, esses relatos começaram a ser escritos, obviamente sofrendo influências literárias e ideológicas de acordo com o momento histórico que o povo vivia. A versão final do Gênesis e dos demais livros data de 400 a.C., mais de mil anos depois da época em que Abraão teria vivido. "Nesse período, houve um grande movimento para considerar o povo de Israel uma raça única e Javé, o Deus único. Era preciso consolidar a teocracia, e esse tipo de instituição exigia a existência de um Deus absoluto para justificar o poder do rei", afirma o padre Shige Nakanose, biblista do Centro Bíblico Verbo, em São Paulo.

Até então, havia vários nomes para Deus e Javé era um deles. Referia-se a uma divindade masculina cultuada ao lado da deusa Aserá em um período posterior ao patriarcal. Javé era o Deus adorado pelos grupos que escaparam da escravidão e do exílio e que se juntaram ao incipiente povo de Israel. Assim, quando as últimas versões do Gênesis foram escritas, os redatores tentaram substituir referências às divindades da região de Canaã - como o nome El - por invocações a Iahweh.

Interferências como essa também moldaram a figura do Abraão bíblico. "Originalmente, existiam diversas tradições orais sobre os patriarcas. Eram narrativas curtas e independentes, que falavam do sacrifício de Isaac, da visita dos três estrangeiros à tenda de Abraão, da destruição de Sodoma e Gomorra e assim por diante", diz o padre Shige. Essas narrativas tinham, inclusive, uma função pedagógica para o grupo e traziam mensagens intimamente relacionadas com o contexto da época. Pouco a pouco, tais memórias foram sendo reunidas e adaptadas conforme a intenção do redator. "Vários clãs contavam as histórias dos seus pais e fundadores. A história de Abraão foi a que prevaleceu e acabou absorvendo as demais", afirma o biblista.

Por isso, ao longo do relato do Gênesis sobre o patriarca, existem versões de uma mesma história e vários anacronismos, como as passagens que citam o uso de camelos (esses animais só foram domesticados em torno de 1100 a.C.) ou mesmo as promessas divinas de terra e de descendência numerosa. "São promessas recentes no contexto bíblico, porque pressupõem um Estado. Para o chefe de um clã, a promessa de muita gente é um problema, já que ele pode alimentar uma quantidade restrita de bocas. E a necessidade de terra é muito mais agrícola que seminômade", diz Milton Schwantes. "A promessa de um descendente faz parte da história de Abraão. Mas as outras, de posteridade e de terra, referem-se a um povo. Um país, para dar certo, precisa de terra e gente."

O Abraão bíblico crê em Javé e mantém-se fiel a Ele, mas não consegue imaginar a concretização das promessas. Ele não tem filhos e sua esposa é estéril - como, então, sua descendência será tão numerosa quanto as estrelas do céu? Diversos povos já habitavam a Terra Prometida - como ele poderia possuí-la? Deus, então, sela duas alianças com o patriarca. A primeira, pela terra, envolve o sacrifício de animais. Abraão toma uma novilha, uma cabra e um carneiro e divide-os ao meio, colocando as metades umas diante das outras. Oferece também dois pássaros, sem dividi-los. "Eu dou esta terra aos teus descendentes, desde a torrente do Egito até o grande rio Eufrates", diz o Senhor.

Mais tarde, Deus firma a segunda aliança, dessa vez pela descendência. E propõe a circuncisão de todos os homens do clã e de todos os meninos no oitavo dia a partir do nascimento. Até aquele momento, o nome do patriarca era Abrão, que significa "pai elevado" ou "pai erguido". A partir daí, Deus o chama de Abraão, "pai de uma multidão". Para simbolizar a dimensão do acordo entre ambos, Deus também muda o nome de Sarai para Sara. "Eu a abençoarei e dela te darei um filho. Eu a abençoarei e ela será a mãe de nações e dela sairão reis." A promessa se realizou e Sara gerou Isaac.

A Era Patriarca

A dimensão religiosa das figuras de Abraão e de Sara é enorme - mas o que a ciência tem a dizer sobre "o pai de uma multidão" e "a mãe das nações"? "Existem achados arqueológicos que comprovam que existiu, sim, um período patriarcal no qual podem ter ocorrido todos os eventos que são descritos no Gênesis", afirma a historiadora Ruth Leftel, da Universidade de São Paulo. "Nomes, costumes e normas de comportamento dos patriarcas do relato bíblico eram realmente aqueles. O que não foi comprovado é a existência física de Abraão, Isaac e Jacó, esposas e filhos como figuras históricas."

Hoje se sabe que os patriarcas habitaram o lado ocidental da Mesopotâmia, a oeste do rio Eufrates, e partilharam o mundo material, cultural e ritual dos povos conhecidos como semitas ocidentais. As tabuinhas de argila encontradas em escavações na região referem-se a eles como amuru, que significa: "homens" (am) e "ocidente" (uru).

As descobertas esclarecem certos procedimentos presentes na história de Abraão. Na primeira aliança firmada com Deus, por exemplo, o patriarca matou alguns mamíferos e os cortou ao meio, colocando as metades uma na frente da outra. "Como na época não havia tabelião para reconhecer firma ou legitimar contratos, uma aliança entre dois chefes de tribo ou dois governantes de cidades precisava ser feita entre as metades de um burro para ter validade", afirma Ruth. Os animais do relato bíblico são outros, porque na época da redação já existiam certas prescrições quanto aos animais, mas o costume é rigorosamente igual. Outro exemplo é a atitude de Sara. Como ela era estéril, cedeu uma de suas servas, chamada Agar, a Abraão para que ele garantisse a descendência. Nas tabuinhas de argila, a lei é bem clara: a mulher permanente ou temporariamente estéril era obrigada a escolher uma filha ou uma escrava para dormir com o marido e assim gerar descendentes.

Também os nomes que constam do Gênesis são idênticos àqueles atribuídos aos amuru, formados por um verbo e uma denominação de Deus, em geral El. "Os nomes dos patriarcas têm relação com a história e os atos da vida deles. Foram colocados posteriormente", diz Ruth. Um exemplo é o nome do filho de Abraão com a escrava Agar, o primogênito Ismael. Vem de Ishma-El e significa "Deus ouve", em referência à passagem em que Agar está no deserto, grávida, e Deus aparece e a ampara. Já o filho nascido da promessa divina é Ytzhak-El, na forma abreviada Isaac, que quer dizer "Deus ri". Tanto Abraão quanto Sara riram, quando Deus lhes prometeu uma posteridade numerosa, porque ambos eram idosos e não imaginavam como poderiam gerar um filho.

Hoje se sabe que os patriarcas, assim como os amuru, viviam de fato em clãs seminômades e mantinham elos econômicos com as cidades - troca de produtos dos rebanhos pelos manufaturados. Apesar da relação comercial, as tabuinhas mostram que os amuru não podiam participar da vida das cidades nem ser considerados cidadãos de Canaã. Eles não tinham direitos e não podiam fixar-se numa cidade, a não ser que o governante fosse benevolente e permitisse que levantassem tenda por um tempo determinado. As leis eram claras: um cidadão livre, para ter direitos, precisa ser dono de terras e ser sedentário há gerações. "Isso explica por que os patriarcas não podiam se fixar e ficavam circulando durante todo o tempo", diz Ruth Leftel.

Se as tabuinhas não podem garantir se algum Abraão se destacou entre os amuru, outros registros arqueológicos comprovam que a história do patriarca alcançou outros povos da Antiguidade. "A dúvida sobre a existência de Abraão é nossa, mas não dos antigos", afirma o historiador André Chevitarese, da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. "Eles se relacionam com o passado de modo bastante diferente. A fé justifica tudo. Acreditam que Deus - ou os deuses - intervém em torno de determinadas figuras, transformando-as em heróis fundadores."

Amuletos de uso mágico de origem desconhecida encontrados em escavações piratas estampam a figura de um jovem carregando um cutelo. Há uma criança e um altar. Uma mão sai do céu e aponta para um arbusto, onde está preso um cordeiro. Não há dúvidas: trata-se da passagem do sacrifício de Isaac, uma das mais marcantes do Gênesis, em que Deus põe Abraão à prova, pedindo que ele sacrifique o filho tão amado. Abraão obedece. No momento em que ergue o cutelo, Deus o interrompe e salva Isaac. Um carneiro, então, é oferecido em holocausto. Nas costas dos amuletos, um alfabeto semítico, provavelmente com palavras em hebraico e samaritano, sem significado aparente. "Se não há significado, são palavras mágicas. Só quem usava o amuleto as conhecia", diz André.

Para ele, a existência desse tipo de material e a invocação do nome de Abraão em fórmulas mágicas são provas de que ele existiu. Além disso, o fato de estarem em hebraico demonstra que o uso é próprio de quem está inserido na narrativa e acredita nela. "Quem fez e quem usou o amuleto muito provavelmente é um judeu", afirma ele. Referências a Abraão também aparecem em textos de magia escritos em papiros e usados para submeter demônios, unir namorados etc. Chamar pelo "Deus de Abraão, Isaac e Jacó" era uma prática bastante freqüente, o que revela a influência cotidiana dessas histórias.

O legado de Abraão

De acordo com a Bíblia, Abraão morreu aos 175 anos de idade e foi enterrado por seus filhos Ismael e Isaac onde estava o túmulo de Sara, nos arredores da cidade de Hebron. Seu legado espiritual independe da existência histórica. Para milhões de fiéis no mundo todo, basta o exemplo de fé e obediência do patriarca. "Abraão introduziu o revolucionário conceito de monoteísmo ético", diz o rabino Henry Sobel, da Congregação Israelita Paulista. "Ético porque acreditar em um único Deus exige assumir a igualdade entre todos os filhos dele. Todos os povos, portanto, são iguais. E, embora tenhamos um único Deus, Deus tem mais do que um único povo."

Para o psicólogo Henry Abramovitch, da Universidade Tel Aviv, em Israel, a saga de Abraão foi uma verdadeira viagem em busca do autoconhecimento - que ainda se mantém como fonte de inspiração para muita gente. Abramovitch, cujo nome em russo significa "filho de Abraão", escreveu o livro The First Father ("O primeiro pai", ainda sem tradução em português), no qual traça um estudo psicológico sobre o patriarca. "Ele tinha tudo e deixou esse tudo a fim de buscar um novo destino. As palavras do chamado divino, em hebreu Lech Lekha, podem ser lidas literalmente como 'Vá para si mesmo'", afirma o psicólogo. "Assim, ele se torna o protótipo da jornada ao conhecimento de si mesmo e da individualização." Abraão não é um homem que simplesmente segue ordens. Pelo contrário, ele ensina como estar em contato com o self, o âmago de si mesmo.

Uma das passagens mais célebres da história do patriarca, o sacrifício de Isaac, inspirou o filósofo dinamarquês Sören Kierkegaard a refletir, na obra Temor e Tremor, sobre o que é a fé. O livro lançou as bases para uma nova teologia no século 20, voltada ao mesmo tempo para a transcendência e a ação no mundo. "Abraão acredita que deve obedecer a ordem divina e sacrificar seu filho, mas tem a certeza de que Deus não vai abandoná-lo", diz o filósofo e cientista da religião Ricardo Quadros Gouvêa, da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie de São Paulo. Situação a princípio absurda, Kierkegaard parte daí para concluir que a fé vai além da capacidade da razão, não se resume à ética e aos valores universais e, especialmente, exige um engajamento no momento presente. "Abraão sabia que teria Isaac de volta. Demonstrou, ao mesmo tempo, desprendimento e compromisso", afirma Ricardo.

Na mística islâmica, o patriarca representa um símbolo da busca pelo centro de si mesmo. Ele é o amigo íntimo de Deus, o jovem herói que destrói os ídolos internos e instaura a unidade de cada indivíduo. "A característica essencial de cada ser humano é a ligação com o sagrado. Você é um jeito de Deus aparecer - isso é monoteísmo, o um que está presente em cada pessoa", diz a psicóloga Beatriz Machado, da USP, que pesquisa as obras do mestre sufi Ibn 'Arabî. Para os estudiosos da Cabala, a mística judaica, Abraão também apresenta aspectos simbólicos. "Ele está relacionado à expansão de fronteiras, à superação das próprias limitações e ao princípio de que tudo está relacionado com tudo", afirma Roberto Natan, professor de meditação cabalística na Academia de Cabala Rav Meir, no Rio de Janeiro.

A unidade é um tema recorrente quando o assunto é Abraão. Primeiro, porque ele é considerado pai espiritual das três grandes tradições monoteístas. Depois, por deter, de acordo com o relato bíblico, a paternidade biológica de judeus, por meio do filho Isaac, e de árabes, pela linhagem do primogênito Ismael. A ciência vem agora corroborar essa tese. Uma pesquisa, realizada em conjunto por cientistas de cinco países, entre eles Estados Unidos e Israel, mostrou que palestinos, sírios, libaneses e judeus têm forte parentesco genético entre si. O estudo, que comparou o DNA de 1 300 homens árabes e judeus de 30 países, revelou também que esses povos possuem um ancestral comum, possivelmente os semitas ocidentais, que teriam habitado o Oriente Médio há pelo menos 4 mil anos. Seriam todos eles descendentes do mesmo patriarca?

Enquanto os cientistas ainda não têm a resposta para tal pergunta, judeus, cristãos e muçulmanos continuam a buscar cada qual o "seu" próprio Abraão. Em cada crença, um aspecto do patriarca é ressaltado. "Abraão pode ser comparado a um moderno meio de comunicação que apresenta diferentes mensagens, de acordo com os paradigmas de cada religião e cultura", afirma Reuven Firestone, especialista em judaísmo e Islã do Hebrew Union College, nos Estados Unidos. "Mas ele pode ser também a ponte entre as três tradições. Afinal, Abraão é um legado de todos." Firestone lembra o capítulo 18 do Gênesis. O patriarca está diante de sua tenda, descansando, quando percebe a chegada de três homens. Hospitaleiro, recebe-os com distinção. Não pergunta quem são nem se têm dinheiro. Simplesmente lhes oferece pão, leite, manteiga e um novilho preparado na hora. "Eis uma herança de Abraão: o exemplo de acolhida e hospitalidade", diz Firestone. Que todos os filhos sejam bem-vindos na grande tenda do patriarca.

Mulheres de Abraão

O que seria de Abraão se não fossem Sara, a esposa, e Agar, a escrava? Figuras fundamentais na saga do patriarca, elas protagonizam alguns dos mais importantes capítulos do Gênesis. "O que movimenta o texto bíblico e as promessas são os filhos", diz a pastora metodista Nancy Cardoso Pereira, teóloga especialista em Bíblia Hebraica. As memórias femininas, no entanto, são contidas pela tradição patriarcal. Abraão mente a respeito de Sara, dizendo que ela é sua irmã, em duas versões da mesma história. Quer salvar a própria pele. Muito bonita, Sara chama a atenção do faraó e, em outra ocasião, do rei Abimelec, que a tomam como concubina. Deus, porém, os castiga. Eles descobrem a farsa e repreendem Abraão. Sara não diz uma palavra - não argumenta nem lamenta.

As duas mulheres se confrontam quando o assunto é o primogênito de Abraão. Seguindo um costume comum no período patriarcal, a estéril Sara cede uma das servas ao marido para que a descendência se garanta. Agar engravida e, segundo o relato bíblico, passa a esnobar a sua senhora. Por causa disso, Sara se ressente e castiga a escrava, expulsando-a do clã. Agar foge, então, para o deserto. Num dos mais belos trechos do Gênesis, Deus surge a Agar próximo a um poço, no meio do deserto, e pede que ela volte para casa. (O "Deus do poço" é uma imagem bastante recorrente na religiosidade do período patriarcal.) Também a ela Deus promete: "Multiplicarei tua descendência de tal forma e será tão numerosa que não se poderá contar". Isso acontecerá por meio de Ismael, filho que ela carrega no ventre. Agradecida, Agar nomeia o Deus que conversou com ela de El-roí, o "Deus que me vê".

"É possível que a esterilidade de Sara e de outras mulheres do período esteja relacionada a uma tradição mesopotâmica das sacerdotisas, que não engravidavam para se dedicar ao culto da divindade", diz Nancy. "Para contar essa história, não mais no contexto da autonomia religiosa daquelas mulheres, o registro narrativo as apresenta como estéreis."

Filhos de Abraão

Segundo o Gênesis, Ismael, o filho de Agar e Abraão, deu origem aos povos árabes. O profeta Mohammad, ou Maomé, teria vindo dessa linhagem. Para os muçulmanos, o itinerário de Abraão vai além das terras de Canaã e do Egito. "Abraão passou pela Palestina, pela Arábia Saudita e por Meca, onde teve de deixar sua segunda esposa, Agar, e Ismael", afirma o xeque Ali Abdune. "Segundo as escrituras sagradas, separar-se do filho primogênito foi um teste que Abraão teve de passar."

Agar foi expulsa duas vezes por Sara - a segunda vez por um motivo que o texto bíblico não esclarece direito. Diz o Gênesis que Ismael brincava com o irmão Isaac. Sara, ao ver a cena, temeu pela herança do seu próprio filho e pediu a Abraão que expulsasse a escrava e Ismael (que aparece no texto ora como um adolescente, ora como uma criança). Ambos foram parar no deserto. A água acabou e Agar, desesperada, começou a chorar. Deus, então, apareceu e disse: "Não temas, pois Deus ouviu os gritos do menino do lugar onde ele está. Ergue-te! Levanta a criança, segura-a firmemente porque eu farei dela uma grande nação".

Para o mundo judaico-cristão, o filho da promessa de descendência numerosa é Isaac. Foi ele que Abraão quase sacrificou na colina de Moriá, local que a tradição encarregou-se de associar ao monte em que se edificou o Templo de Jerusalém. De Isaac, o segundo patriarca, se originou o povo de Israel. Para o Islã, porém, Deus testa de maneira semelhante a fé de Abraão, mas o nome do filho e o lugar não são mencionados. Numa passagem do Alcorão, o patriarca diz: "Ó filho meu, sonhei que te oferecia em sacrifício". Quando Abraão demonstra que vai se submeter à ordem divina, outro filho lhe é prometido, Isaac. Por isso, a maioria dos muçulmanos acredita que Ismael foi o menino quase oferecido em holocausto.

Transciption of seven 1-hour audio cassette messages
by John Daniel, author of “Scarlet and the Beast“ 

Turn in your Bible to Revelation 3:14-22. I'll be reading from the old King James version.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Laodicea means "the people speak or the people rule." It's opposite of Nicolaitane where the priesthood rules. So powerful was the Protestant Reformation against Nicolaitanism that the pendulum of political rule in both government and the church swung to the opposite extreme. Hence, the Laodicean church is ruled by a democracy of the people in stark contrast to the autocracy of the priesthood in the Thyatira church period. Walter Scott in his exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ wrote that Laodicea also means "the people's rights" which is essentially what was won by the political revolutions during the Sardis and Philadelphia church period. With these rights came individual autonomy, not only politically but also spiritually. In our day and with few exceptions, the congregation rules in most Protestant churches, not the priest, pastor, elders, deacons nor the board. Every decision made in most Protestant churches is finalized by a majority vote of the congregation. The people speak, or in today's vernacular, the people express their voice through their vote. As a result, we find a vicious individualism in Laodicean assemblies that sometimes split churches or we see a constant movement of people from church to church which was prophesied by the apostle Paul to occur during the time of the Laodicean church period. I quote Paul's prophecy found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 — "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

A church run by congregational vote whose membership runs the gamut of individual preferences of the color of carpet to what kind of sermons the pastor will preach is the final church period which becomes lukewarm towards the things desired by Christ. In fact, Christ has been voted out for in Revelation 3:20 we find our Savior outside the church door knocking for reentry. Following is an example of this happening in our day:

In the early 1980s a brother in Christ and personal friend of mine was preparing for the evangelical ministry; I was on his board. One of the other board members was an evangelical Southern Baptist pastor whose congregation had financed building the largest church in town with a gymnasium attached. Start-up funding came primarily from several wealthy high Masons who were irritated Sunday after Sunday by the pastor's message of repentance and salvation. Finally, these benefactors suggested to the Board of Deacons that they approach the pastor and tell him to tone down the messages. The deacons, most of whom were Lodge brothers of the benefactors, did as instructed. When the pastor refused, the benefactors reverted to intimidation and threatened to split the church and dump the payments of the gymnasium on those who remained. Sunday after Sunday the pastor preached salvation and Sunday after Sunday the Board demanded the pastor preach a social gospel. Finally, the anointed of God was discharged by majority vote of the congregation and with that vote Christ was also voted out. This is Laodicea, the wealthy, lukewarm church of the last days in which the people rule by majority vote.

The Laodicean church period is the last before Christ returns; we are living in that day. I date the beginning of this church period at the end of WWII when massive government spending began to make America affluent which affluence crept into the church. Hence, the headquarters of the wealthy Laodicean church can only be in the US for the combined wealth of the Protestant churches in our nation far exceed the shrinking wealth of the Catholic Church.

The first century church at Laodicea of Asia Minor was likewise wealthy. Its prosperity was also made possible by the city's wealth. Laodicea was situated along the banks of a river and stood at the junction of three great roads traversing Asia Minor. The location of the city was conducive to commercial enterprise, hence it prospered as a large industrial administrative center specializing in banking, textile manufacturing and medicine. Many wealthy people attended the Laodicean church which, of course, caused the church to prosper. Evidence of this prosperity is found in the present day ruins of three large church buildings dating back to the early days of Christianity. Laodicea's economy was fueled by a textile industry that manufactured from the wool of black sheep, soft, sleek, black garments and carpets that were popular both locally and in the surrounding region. The medical school was likewise famous for successfully mixing chemicals to cure diseases. Its physicians, whose allegiance was to the serpent god Asklepios, produced an ointment for the ears and eyes. Especially famous was the Laodicean eye salve for healing certain forms of blindness. The banking industry likewise flourished in Laodicea because of the city's prosperous economy. Like ancient Sardis, ancient Laodicea was devastated by an earthquake in 62 AD. But unlike Sardis, which had hot springs heated by underground molten lava, Laodicea was noted for its lukewarm springs, pleasant for bathing but sickening to drink. As for the church at Laodicea, it was not known for immorality, idolatry or open apostasy although there may have been these conditions. It was known for its wealth and its spiritual complacency which Christ calls lukewarmness.

This brings us to Christ's characteristic for the Laodicean church period. As you recall in our previous studies, the characteristics of Christ are recorded in Revelation 1:10-18. It is significant to note that none of these apply to Laodicea; we find a new set of characteristics which contradict ancient Laodicea and likewise condemns the church period of our day. Follow me as I read Revelation 3:14 — "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." Amen is not used as an adverb here but as a noun and it figuratively means "trustworthy" and in this sense is a title given to Christ, the Amen, the trustworthy one. This characteristic of Christ is further strengthened by the phrase that follows: "the faithful and true witness." In Greek "witness" means "martyr." Christ was the first true martyr of the church; he faithfully went to the cross without protest and without asserting his rights. In contrast, the Laodicean people's rights church is lukewarm toward the one who died to make atonement for their sin. They are neither trustworthy nor faithful nor true witnesses. Consequently, Christ finds nothing good in this church, it's a total failure because its thoughts are not those of urgency to evangelize nor of anticipating Christ's imminent return. Rather, it is one of spiritual complacency at it strives for wealth.

The third phrase to characterize Christ is that he is the beginning of the creation of God. This doesn't suggest that Jesus was created by God as some cults teach. In Greek "beginning" means "the magistrate, the chief cornerstone, the power which preceded creation or the one who ruled over creation." In other words, Christ is the creator and ruler over creation. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians in 1:16 — "For by Christ were all things created." Again in John 1:3 the apostle John wrote of Christ that "all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made." Christ's characteristic as the creator condemns lukewarm Laodicea for their complacency toward him. Christ has no commendation for Laodicea; there is nothing in its ministry that honors the Lord or brings his favor and blessing, there is only condemnation and that condemnation addresses Laodicea's works. Found in Revelation 3:15-16 it reads "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Unlike the nonexistent works of Sardis Christians, Laodicean Christians have works but their works are lukewarm and nauseate our Savior and he is about to vomit for "spue thee out of my mouth" means to vomit.

If Christ spues lukewarm Christians out of his mouth, does this mean they lose their salvation or were they never Christians to begin with? One author on Laodicea states that "Lukewarm refers to those who profess to be Christians but clearly are not and face the consequences of an eternity without God and without hope." I don't agree with this author for we shall see that Christ calls this church to repentance, not repentance to salvation but repentance from lukewarm works caused by an opulent lifestyle to one of hot works. The ancient Laodicean church was orthodox, it had not denied the cross and the gospel, it had not denied the deity of Christ, it had not denied the fact of sin, it knew the world was lost; it simply was indifferent to these facts. Likewise, the Laodicean church of our day is lukewarm toward the job Christ gave it to do. Because it's not faithful in witnessing, Christ is nauseated. Although Christ says "I will spue you out of my mouth" the word "will" in Greek is not imperative, it's a probability or possibility. Christ says "I'm about to, I'm ready to, I have it in my mind to" implying graciously the possibility of the threat not being executed if only the Laodiceans repent at once. Christ's dealings toward them will depend upon their dealings toward him. Our Savior doesn't work this way with the unsaved.

In Revelation 3:17 Christ addresses the prosperous condition of the Laodicean church — "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Here we find three conditions that cause complacency in the Laodicean church: First, the church is proud of its wealth and brags about it saying "I am rich and increased with goods." In many churches today, the prosperity doctrine is preached. If Christ is consulted at all it's to assist in creating wealth. When wealth is achieved by following a certain formula, it's flaunted as a blessing from God. Let's compare this wealth with the poverty of the Philadelphia church period and you decide if wealth is a gift from God that brings souls to Christ. As you recall, Philadelphia successfully evangelized the world with little strength, little funds and little training. Today Philadelphia missionaries still have little strength, little funds and some training but their funds have not increased in proportion to the wealth of Laodicean churches yet these churches find plenty of funds to increase building budgets for larger sanctuaries, gymnasiums and schools. And in these churches are millionaire Laodiceans who don't increase their support of missions in the percent that their wealth increases. Christ says that because more emphasis is placed on creating wealth, the works of the Laodicean Christians are lukewarm meaning indifferent toward evangelism and missions.

The second condition that causes complacency in the Laodicean church is their self-confidence. People with wealth say "I have need of nothing." Jesus said in John 15:1 "Without me ye can do nothing." It's obvious that material abundance is not conducive to spiritual vitality.

The third condition which causes complacency in the Laodicean church is that they are self-righteous. Christ counters in verse 17 and 18 with a description of their poverty stricken spiritual state followed by the riches he has for them to purchase: "thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Four of these five spiritual poverty stricken states have no expanded meaning in the Greek. "Poor," however, carries the idea of being "scared or frightened." Wealthy people are always portrayed as being scared of losing their wealth; their entire focus is in the protection of the wealth and growth of that wealth. Since they are lukewarm, they don't invest in spiritual things because it brings no earthly gain. In the Greek text, Christ says they are miserable in their wealth, they are pitiful, frightened beggars, blind to their spiritual nudity.

The spiritual condition of the Laodicean church is summed up in two surveys taken recently: (1)In 1985 it was reported that only 15% of Christians read their Bible and pray daily; (2) in 1987 a survey revealed that Christians place a higher value on their lifestyle than on their church. What caused such a drastic change from the fiery Philadelphia heritage to a lukewarm Laodicean finale? Although Christ mentions no secret society influence in the Laodicean church to cause it to become lukewarm there is other scripture relating to the end-time church which suggest Masonic influence. I've already quoted the scripture earlier in this study and I shall quote it again. Found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 it reads "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." The Greek rendering of three words in this passage reveal that Masonic materialism and Masonic doctrine have crept into the church of the last days. Those words are "lusts," "heap" and "fables." Webster's definition of "lust" carries only the idea of sexual desire. In Greek, however, it gives a broader meaning which is "longing for what is forbidden." This could either be forbidden physical lust or forbidden spiritual lust. In context with the thought of this scripture, it means lust for something other than sound doctrine. The second word "heap" in Greek means "to seek additional information." The additional information being sought is found in the word "fables" which means "to initiate into a myth." "Fable" comes from the Greek word "mysteries" which means "to shut the mouth; a secret through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites." There is no question as to what this is referencing. The teachers that end-time Laodiceans heap to themselves are Masonic instructors who initiate them into the additional information of Masonic mysteries for which they lust. Not only is there scriptural evidence that secret societies have infiltrated the end-time church, there is also historic evidence that Freemasonry planned to destroy the effect of the church in America by turning it materialistic.

Freemasonry began its move against the Laodicean church during the Philadelphia church period when our Lord said that he would cause the synagogue of Satan to worship alongside of evangelical Christians. When Masons fulfilled that prophecy, some came to church with orders from the Masonic hierarchy to weaken the Philadelphia church through materialism and liberalism. The church didn't have the spiritual discernment to recognize that some of the Masons were not repentant, but rather were infiltrators. Charles G. Finney himself who was at the forefront of the anti-Masonic movement was shocked after WWII to discover that Freemasonry had rebounded in greater numbers than before. For this reason, Finney wrote his book on Freemasonry to warn the church that it had been infiltrated. But his warning fell on deaf ears for materialism had already set in during the industrial revolution and by the turn of the 20th century, mainline churches had already begun to turn lukewarm. Today these churches are filled with Masons who teach Sunday School classes, who hold administrative and ruling positions. Most appalling are Masons behind the pulpit calling themselves pastors. As a res