Perhaps the most famous example is the destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria, around 391 C.E. But the destruction of the Temple of Artemis in Ephe...
Outside of the Old Testament, there's very little evidence of Jews in Egypt, I'm afraid, before the time Egypt became a part of the Persian Empire in ...
But he's considered the great master of Latin prose, or was considered so at least. Not that I've read him in Latin, of course, and so can have no opi...
There's very little of the works of the ancient Stoics that now exist, and of which I'm aware, which address the Stoic conception of the deity. You'll...
I think we're generally in agreement on these issues. The need someone like Dawkins apparently feels to tell everyone there is no God strikes me as no...
The peculiarities of Christianity, and in particular those of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, are fascinating in themselves, and it's easy...
Whether Christianity can properly be called monotheistic presents an interesting question. The concept of the Trinity--three Divine Persons in a singl...
Because the intolerance of the Jews was limited, and primarily local (to Israel). Rome for the most part tolerated the Jewish religion because their w...
My "thesis" is simply that the Abrahamic religions are inherently intolerant. That doesn't mean that no other religions are, or have been, intolerant....
And of course I knew you accepted it--and necessarily so. I don't think you can escape the dualism by merely asserting that you're not "discussing" it...
People who claim to be Christians have been trying to reconcile the preposterous with the rational for a long time-from the early efforts to incorpora...
Well, it rather comes with the territory, doesn't it? If, e.g., Jesus is the only true God, and Christianity the only path to God, it's a bit taxing t...
The ancient pagan religions of the Greeks and Romans were certainly friendly, even the so-called mystery religions. It wasn't unusual for someone to b...
I began this thread to criticize the Supremes for their chicken-hearted though politically expedient decision to refuse to stay the effectiveness of a...
That isn't required, however, in order for one to take the position Roe must be respected as precedent and treated as such. The majority's approach is...
Don't call me "Shirley" (sorry, I can't resist an Airplane reference). I think the pro-life folks have reached such a level of zeal that as far as the...
Since Marbury v. Madison, issued in 1803, it's been accepted that the federal courts may review legislation and executive actions and declare them unc...
Well, there's Roe v. Wade, which (broadly speaking) holds that a woman has a qualified right to terminate a pregnancy, and that after the first trimes...
Well, that may be the result if the pro-life folks and their politicians and judges are satisfied with "merely" over-turning Roe. It seems to me that ...
Well-heeled and influential fanatics, convinced of the righteousness of their cause, will always find venal politicians who will do their bidding--wha...
Well, one can insist that their demands, if they result in the adoption of laws, comport with the Constitution. That legal issue will remain as long a...
It's not unusual for a statute to provide for an award of attorney's fees to a successful litigant in what are normal laws in which private citizens h...
No I don't think that's the case. The defendant can't obtain reimbursement for the defendant's costs and fees if the defendant manages to prevail, tho...
Dammit. You're making me read and interpret a law without being paid for doing so. In all honesty, I'm not sure what the hell it is. It's worded as a ...
There are statutes allowing for enforcement by private citizens in certain circumstances, yes. However, they're generally premised on the fact the pro...
It strikes me that metaphysics, though it may purport to explain (or question) why science or other things "work", doesn't "work" itself. Merely to cl...
The comment was more a riposte to the claim that "Metaphysics will never die" than anything else. I'm one who questions the value of metaphysics gener...
Cats, whether on or off mats, certainly. Epicureanism has its charms, but isn't what I'd call religious. Stoicism has a religious component, if Cleant...
Kyrie Eleison is Greek, sorry. For "Lord Have mercy." As for the rest of the mass, helpful translations into English were included in each St. Joseph'...
Plato was an aristocrat, and quite well off. Not for nothing did Diogenes the Dog mock him for his vainglory (and other things), trampling on the carp...
Just wondering if there's a thing beside itself or under or above or behind itself. I suppose they all may be things outside itself, now that I think ...
It wasn't unusual for ancient philosophers to believe in the existence of a single god, yet also accept as appropriate the worship of more than one go...
Yes. There was Radagast the Brown, in any case. There were also a couple of "Blue Wizards" who it seems went to the east of Middle Earth but Tolkien d...
I was Ciceronianus in the old PF, and when that ended and the new version began I decided I would return as "the White" as a kind of homage to Tolkien...
Jesus has been thought rather significant himself, you know, and has been esteemed and worshipped since long before Heidegger lived to inspire us with...
Well, who knows? Perhaps Jesus was referring to the galli, who castrated themselves as part of the worship of Cybele and her consort Attis. Probably n...
Secretly, I've always wanted to be hugged by Heidegger. I think this is best expressed as Being-Hugged-by-Heidegger. For me, there can be no Other but...
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. This shouldn't be required. He's not God, after all (though it sometimes seems some think he is). I'm not obliged to br...
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