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Today I went hiking in the Upper Galilee. It was amazing. It's a place with very little Biblical significance, so I hadn't been there. It does have significance to Jewish mysticism, but our reason for going there was simply for pleasure. We started up near the top of Nahal Ammud and hiked some distance down it. There was some scrambling in a couple areas, but in general it was pretty easy, as far as hiking goes. It was beautiful, though, and also mostly deserted except for us, which was nice. I don't think I've ever seen that many wildflowers in my life - they carpeted the hill sides: lovely sights for the eyes and sweet smells for the nose. :).JPG)
Here are some examples of the scenery we saw.
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Yes, they had cows. They were cute and I talked to them.
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Prickly but beautiful thistles.
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Also very cute tadpoles.
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These were some of my favorite flowers because of their variety of color. The same plant could have flowers with colors ranging from purple to pink.
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Barbed wire! :)
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"ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם עושה מעשה בראשית" "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe who makes the works of Creation."
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It was a wonderful day, really. It was nice to get out of town and have a bit of a break from school.
Today for Jews was a special blessing of the sun. I think the words they use for that blessing are fitting to end with:
6 comments:
Nice photographs, but why not think about using your camera's video facility to film a few short clips for this blog.
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)
PS.
If your camera isn't digital you could always ask a friend from your course, who has a digital camera, to help out.
Hi Alana,
I know you're busy at the moment preparing your final MA thesis, but I think you've missed the most important point about all religions: ie they're all nonsense. Your work might indeed be very deep and intellectually pleasing, but in some ways it's a bit like a builder building a magnificent palace in mid air: once he notices that the foundations aren't real it will all fall down and mean nothing!
Now I know what you're going to say, 'My religion is based on the truth that God is real and the Bible is his word', but if that is true why have you been unable to answer any of the points I've made over the last few months? Look back, and I think you'll have to admit that, you've simply been ignoring them hoping they'll go away.
Think about it Alana, you could be achieving so much but you're wasting your life investigating 2000 year old fairy tales. These fairy tales were written by ignorant (at least compared to us today) people thousands of years ago to explain (what was then) the unexplainable, in the only way they could; i.e. some all powerful man in the sky must have done it. And to the normal person 2000 years ago it was the only possible explanation. Not because they were stupid, but because they knew nothing about science and had no way of explaining the world other than to say: 'The great man in the sky must have done it'.
That explanation has been perpetuated (by the phenomenon of 'Group Think') for thousands of years now. Don't you think it's time we (as a species) shook off these delusions and moved forward into the light of reason?
As always I have not set out to deliberately offend, but to stimulate your mind into action.
Keep well.
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)
PS.
You may say that I'm an 'evangelist' for atheism, but that's certainly not true. I advocate only reason and logical thinking.
Hi Alana,
This is good youtube cartoon.The graphics are a bit simplistic, but the ideas it puts forward are really thought provoking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOfjkl-3SNE
Keep well.
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)
Chris,
If I may be blunt, your comments tend to be exhaustingly repetitive and increasingly demanding. In addition, they rarely add anything of value to the topic at hand. To delete your comments is hardly an act of censorship. This is my personal blog, not a public forum. You are here as a guest, and when your comments are repetitive, off-topic, illogical, or have the tenancy to offend either me or other people who read this blog, I reserve the right to delete them.
In addition, I must remind you that simply because I haven't answered all your questions to your satisfaction, it doesn't mean that there isn't an answer, or even that I can't think of an answer. Please try to understand that I don't have a lot of time and other priorities take precedence. Therefore, please refrain from repeatedly posting comments asking me to reply and then stating, illogically, that my lack of answer means you're right.
Alana
Hi Alana,
I think your assessment of my comments is a little unfair. But as you say I'm a guest here, so I guess you have the right to delete those you feel don't add to the blog.
I do realise you are very busy and don't have a lot of time to question your chosen beliefs. As for my comments causing offence, that really is not my intention at all, but quite simply sometimes the truth requires a degree of bluntness. And I do feel that a God, if he/she did exist, would be able to stand a little critical examination without being too offended.
Anyway I'll take on board what you have said, and try and keep my comments on your current post to relevant none critical observations. Leaving my questions on the older postings.
Keep well.
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)
Hi Alana,
You said:
'I must remind you that simply because I haven't answered all your questions to your satisfaction, it doesn't mean that there isn't an answer, or even that I can't think of an answer'
I say:
I'm sorry Alana, but after reviewing all my postings on this blog, I really can't see that you've answered any of my questions, or for that matter been able to refute any of the other points I've made. The one exception being my question about Jews going to heaven. An answer that I might point out could be offensive to some Jews (not your intention I know), but free-speech must include the right to offend if it is to mean anything at all.
I have to ask myself: If you do have answers why are you keeping the truth from me; and if you don't why are you not looking for them? It must surely be more important to get the basics right before trying to do an in-depth analysis of obscure Bible stories.
Please accept I really do not mean to offend, just to stimulate reason. But if the truth does offend someone, does that stop it from being the truth or mean we should pretend it isn't an issue?
As always keep well.
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)
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