Questions, questions and more questions (READ THE OP FOR ANSWERS)

[Snow]

i love his OPs

Patrician.

[Deathhappens]

Sorry for not being clearer, but my link was for Deathhappens. It's fine if he wants to disagree with the sociopolitical interpretation of Revelations; it's not fine to claim it's a mere "conspiracy theory" that has already been "debunked so many times".

I was (very clearly, or so I like to think) referring specifically to the notion that the Beast of Revelation refers to Nero, an emperor who at the latest lived more than a decade before Revelations was written and who was succeeded by three others and a number of pretenders in the interim, any of whom would have been equally valid targets for the writer to focus their "anger" on. I even explicitly said I was expecting something different.
Secondly, as a religious, if not fanatical, Christian and someone who's actually done a pilgrimage to the monastery in Patmos where Revelations was written, I hope I can be allowed a measure of scepticism when someone pops up and says "Nah, it's just political propaganda dude".
In any case,if that's the way you want to argue ("pearls before swine" indeed!), I think I'm gonna take a page out of the book you claimed to follow and quite simply not argue with you.

[Snow]

Secondly, as a religious, if not fanatical, Christian and someone who's actually done a pilgrimage to the monastery in Patmos where Revelations was written, I hope I can be allowed a measure of scepticism when someone pops up and says "Nah, it's just political propaganda dude".

Is it a book of prophecy then?

[Deathhappens]

Is it a book of prophecy then?

It is *a* book of prophecy, yes.

I'm sure secular study can show all sorts of things about its writing reflecting on the sociopoliticial climate of its time, but that's true of literally all books. They may be divine revelations (according to lowercase orthodox Christian doctrine, at least) but the conduit is still human.

[RoydGolden]

It is *a* book of prophecy, yes.

I'm sure secular study can show all sorts of things about its writing reflecting on the sociopoliticial climate of its time, but that's true of literally all books. They may be divine revelations (according to lowercase orthodox Christian doctrine, at least) but the conduit is still human.

Just as long as you don't think they're prophecies that were written to describe future events in 21st century America.

[Deathhappens]

Just as long as you don't think they're prophecies that were written to describe future events in 21st century America.

Well, if the Rapture was around the corner, that would certainly be a whole lot of problems I wouldn't need to deal with anymore...

[RoydGolden]

Well, if the Rapture was around the corner, that would certainly be a whole lot of problems I wouldn't need to deal with anymore...

Look, I kind of like and respect you. Please tell me you're joking and aren't one of those "bible prophecy" nuts who believe in a literal rapture...

[Zurvan]

As a joking man yourself you'd expect you can at least see a joke when its made

- - - Updated - - -

Well, if the Rapture was around the corner, that would certainly be a whole lot of problems I wouldn't need to deal with anymore...

You'd never see it coming

[Snow]

Just as long as you don't think they're prophecies that were written to describe future events in 21st century America.

Therein lies the catch of it though. Its documentary and symbolical value is downplayed by fearmongers, the text is easily manipulable when presented on the surface level, and in my opinion it's not getting the same amount of careful treatment as, say, the problematique parts of the Old Testament are getting. It's considered 'out there' by even religious educators, and this opens up a lot of space for it to be used for nefarious purposes. I may jokingly slice the issue into binaries of either we have the cultbreeding book in the Bible or we boot it out but the reality is you can't slice it like that, it's not so straightforward. I think the deeper approach shouldn't just be restricted to academia, as the best way to combat 21ST CENTURY AND TRUMP USHERING THE SECOND COMING BY OPENING AN EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM CALL THE TOLLFREE NUMBER YOU SEE ON SCREEN.

[RoydGolden]

As a joking man yourself you'd expect you can at least see a joke when its made

Sorry. I'm under some stress and am not thinking clearly. I could devote a billion words to justify why my case is totes different but that'd still just come off as hypocritical.

I'll bow out now. Sorry if my words offended anyone.

[Zurvan]

Well now I feel kinda bad, pretty sure you didn't offend anyone

[RoydGolden]

Well now I feel kinda bad, pretty sure you didn't offend anyone

It's okay. I just need to go for a walk and clear my head a little.

[You]

giant human-headed locusts along the way...

so these monstrosities are not dark souls originals?
learn something new erryday

[RoydGolden]

so these monstrosities are not dark souls originals?
learn something new erryday

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

Yep, 100% genuine Bible. They're also featured as enemies in Bayonetta, incidentally.

[Deathhappens]

Look, I kind of like and respect you. Please tell me you're joking and aren't one of those "bible prophecy" nuts who believe in a literal rapture...

I appreciate that! And no, I'm definitely not a religious nut (jury still out on other types of nut). I just generally dislike fedora-wearing-aren't-we-so-smart-atheists as a matter of principle, i.e. I dislike anyone who purports to be smarter than me.

[RoydGolden]

I appreciate that! And no, I'm definitely not a religious nut (jury still out on other types of nut). I just generally dislike fedora-wearing-aren't-we-so-smart-atheists as a matter of principle, i.e. I dislike anyone who purports to be smarter than me.

That's fair enough. I'm an atheist, and I tend to find the attitude you're describing just as insufferable as anyone. Sorry if my post to you came off as condescending.

[SpoonyViking]

I dislike anyone who purports to be smarter than me.

You must not like many people, then.

[Deathhappens]

You must not like many people, then.

Nah, you see, actually smart people know better than to flaunt their superiority. So you could boil it down to "I dislike idiots", really.
Do try something more original than the mirror dig, please...

[Zurvan]

I can't correct people on Nasuverse lore, but I can definitely correct people on English usage. I have a piece of paper in a file somewhere that says so.

mhmm?

[castor212]

maybe he likes self schadenfreude