What are you Reading?

[ttriber]

Well so far I'm a firm believer of the Intelligence Community of the USA and have been reading a few books about the CIA,DIA and other intelligence agencies. I am also kind of wondering If anybody here is interested about the Intelligence community or has read any of these book's I have mentioned.
The one's I'm reading right know are these 2 which so far are pretty entertaining.

True Believer (Inside the investigation and capture of Ana Monte's, Cuba's Master Spy) By Scott W. Carmichael

Gideon's Spies (The secret history of the Mossad) By Gordon Thomas

These are the one's I have read which have been pretty interesting.

1.By Way of Deception (The making of a Mossad officer) By Victor Ostrovsky
2.Fair Play (The moral dilemmas of spying) By James M. Olson
3.The FBI Career Guide- Just read it to see how the FBI works and how to get in after getting a bachelor's degree.

[ECW]

I've read the Ostrovsky book a number of years ago.

Right now I'm reading History of The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. Fascinating stuff.

[Deadshot]

Getting ready to go back to school, so I'm re-reading the Art of War. :fight: Gotta get you game face on for school because I hate studying...

[BoogyMan]

AIX 5L Performance Management in an LPAR environment

[Questerr]

The Cryptonomicon. It's long but its a must read for signals intelligence and codebreaking.

I've read some other books on US intelligence agencies, but most of them are outdated and don't accurately represent the intelligence world of today.

[Mayberry]

Successful Celestial Navigation. I'm gonna buy that sailboat! Someday.....:sadly:

[Newscaster]

The Label on my shorts.

[Buck Laser]

The Cryptonomicon. It's long but its a must read for signals intelligence and codebreaking.

I've read some other books on US intelligence agencies, but most of them are outdated and don't accurately represent the intelligence world of today.

I'm reading Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver trilogy. I've been working on it for months, laying it aside frequently for other books. Set in 17th century Europe, it's about as fascinating a historical novel as I've ever read. Not sure, but I think I'll have read all of his books when I read the next book(s) in the Quicksilver series.

[Newscaster]

There is a book, you should all buy and read......
Its called, "We'll Have More Music, Right After The News."

You will be amazed at the handsome hunk who wrote it.

go to www.nooseline.net

[David Hume]

I read multiple tomes at one time. Currently on my nightstand are biographies of Franklin & Twain, but also David Sedaris' hilarious biography "Naked." And of course, an encyclopedia of Western philosophy is always at hand, and I just started a most interesting book entitled "Caesar's Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus" by Joseph Atwill.

[David Hume]

There is a book, you should all buy and read......
Its called, "We'll Have More Music, Right After The News."

You will be amazed at the handsome hunk who wrote it.

go to www.nooseline.net


Hi Herb! :worship:

[NortheastCynic]

Right now I'm reading [and loving]:
"For a New Liberty: A Libertarian Manifesto", by Murray Rothbard

Good stuff.

-NC

[Marley]

Non-fiction: "Bringing Down the House" the true story of MIT card counting teams and their forays in American casinos. Fascinating, reads like fiction, but appears to be perfectly true, real life.

I went off on a Twain jag a couple years ago. Not so much his most famous novels, more of his compiled cronicles of his travel. Most striking was his plain comments on Muslims, nothing has changed in the past century and a half. Twain is quite a figure in literature, history, and "pop culture." I wish the lecture circuit he toured still existed.

Relative to this forum, I picked up Boortz's "Somebody's Gotta Say It." I read a chapter every now and them for a giggle.

I'm averse to television and regularly read light fiction in lieu of it. Currently I'm enjoying the latest Clive Cussler paperback and have Connolly's latest Harry Bosch paperback behind it.

And to tweak the lefties I must inform you all that I'm dropping by the library this weekend to borrow a John D MacDonald mystery because I learned this week that Karl Rove and George Bush enjoy them.

[David Hume]

Funny you should enjoy Twain, Jimi, considering that he really hated conservatives. I could post some things here for you that would make you wish Twain were still on the lecture circuit just so you could go throw rotten tomatoes at him.

I'm assuming you read "Innocents Abroad." I would advise that you pick up a copy of "The Mammoth Cod." It is one of the funniest reads ever. In 1902 Twain was invited to attend a yachting party with millionaire Henry Rogers and other high-rollers who called themselves "The Mammoth Cod" because of their boasting of their fishing expeditions. Twain couldn't make it, but sent the following excerpt:

"Thank you for inviting me. Along with my regrets I send you this poem that I wrote for the instruction of children. It is intended for Sunday Schools and when sung by hundreds of sweet, guileless children, it produces a very pretty effect.

I.
I thank Thee for the Bull, O God!
Whene'er a steak I eat
The working of his Mammoth Cod
Is what gives us our meat

II.
And for the ram a word of praise!
He with his Mammoth Cod
Foundation of our mutton lays
With every vigorous prod

III.
And then the Boar, who at his work
His hind hoofs fixed in sod.
Contented packs the Embryo Pork
All with his Mammoth Cod

IV.
Of beasts, man is the only one
Created by our God,
Who purposely and for mere fun
Plays with his Mammoth Cod!

I object to your society for several reasons, but primarily because I fail to see any special merit in penises of more than usual size. What more can they achieve than the small ones?

Yours, Mark Twain

[red states rule]

I like books that do not take to long to read

These are my favorites

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY COUNTRY
by Jane Fonda & Cindy Sheehan.
Illustrated by Michael Moore


MY CHRISTIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS &
HOW I HELPED AFTER KATRINA
by Rev Jesse Jackson & Rev Al Sharpton


THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BILL
by Hillary Clintom


THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HILLARY
By Bill Clinton


THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE
by Al Gore & John Kerry


HOW TO DRINK & DRIVE OVER BRIDGES
by Ted Kennedy


MY BOOK OF MORALS
by Bill Clinton
with introduction by The Rev. Jesse Jackson


Complete Knowledge of Military Strategy!
By Nancy Pelosi

[Jaaaman]

LMAO! :lmao:

[Buck Laser]

I prefer to read real books like The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, by Greg Palast, and Worse Than Watergate, by John Dean.

[red states rule]

I am partial to my books

Honesty in documentaries" - - - Michael Moore

"How I invented the Internet" - - - Al Gore

"My plan for America" - - - John Kerry

"The trouble with pantsuits" - - - Hillary Clinton

"Life saving and water rescue skills" - - - Ted Kennedy

"Things I've done to help my community" Rev. Jesse Jackson

[Lazarus]

Seriously, I suggest that no one waste their money on the title I am a strange loop.
( not a link )
It sounded intriguing by description, but was dull as Hell.

[red states rule]

"My plan for Iraq" - - - Hillary Clinton
Forward written by Barack Obama

[nevadamedic]

Does Harry Potter count? :nana:[hr]
I am partial to my books

Honesty in documentaries" - - - Michael Moore

"How I invented the Internet" - - - Al Gore

"My plan for America" - - - John Kerry

"The trouble with pantsuits" - - - Hillary Clinton

"Life saving and water rescue skills" - - - Ted Kennedy

"Things I've done to help my community" Rev. Jesse Jackson


What about "How To Get Away With Murder" ~ By Ted Kennedy and OJ Simpson.

[red states rule]

How we are keeping our promises
Nancy Pelosi and Harry reid

[David Hume]

Some people here don't appear to be above the "Dick & Jane" reading level yet.

[red states rule]

You don't like my book selections?

[Professor]

We already have a thread about joke books (http://www.democracyforums.com/showthread.php?tid=5367).

I'm currently reading a book about lies; why people lie, the role of lies in our society, the psychology of liars, ect.

[Buck Laser]

We already have a thread about joke books (http://www.democracyforums.com/showthread.php?tid=5367).

I'm currently reading a book about lies; why people lie, the role of lies in our society, the psychology of liars, ect.


Would that be Sissela Bok's book, Lies?

[red states rule]

We already have a thread about joke books (http://www.democracyforums.com/showthread.php?tid=5367).

I'm currently reading a book about lies; why people lie, the role of lies in our society, the psychology of liars, ect.


Had to be written by Bill Clinton with the intro by Hillary

[tony mitra]

I read a lot of books and magazines. Don't read much fiction though, these days.

The current book, almost finished, is Paul Krugman's "The Great Unraveling".
Subheading under the title says "Losing our way in the new century".

First published in 2003, this book would, at first glance, appear to be a harsh indictment of the Bush administrator, coming from a renouned economist.

Mr. Krugman, apart from being an economist, is also an op-ed columnist for The New York Times.

While the basic theme of the book is to portray the current administration as a political force that raises dishonesty to new heights, I personally find some aspects of his analysis of the new century more to my particular interest, separate from whatever the US Government might be doing.

Mr. Krugman finds traces of economic skulduggery being the California energy crisis, as much as reasons behind some of the recent military engagements of the US Government, such as the war on Iraq.

For me, however, the thought provoking issues has been about guessing the future value of the US dollar, which is to a large extent still the currency of choice for world trade, or at least a significant part of it, including the oil trade.

Mr. Krugman added an introduction to the book next year in 2004, to reflect events that happened in the one year after the book was first published.

Some folks consider him to be about the best American economist that are yet under the age of 45 and future recipient of a Nobel Prize.

Cheers.

[Saigio]

I'm currently reading the Silmarillion.
It's a tough read, but very interesting.

[Newscaster]

I supposed there are some here who believe anything in the FICTION genre is just a pack of lies.

[preservanation]

I supposed there are some here who believe anything in the FICTION genre is just a pack of lies.

Ha!

You scamp!

[Pookie]

I like fiction, as long as it's believable. What makes me want to puke is those sappy romance novels. Gag! I like Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler, and of course the cat books by Lilian Jackson Braun and Shirley Rousseau Murphy. James Herriot is a favorite, too. I like Sara Paretsky and Patricia Cornwell too.
Purrs,

[AnnEsthesia]

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England: A Novel

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Clarke's fourth book (after the story collection Carrying the Torch) is the delightfully dark story of Sam Pulsifer, the accidental arsonist and murderer narrator who leads readers through a multilayered, flame-filled adventure about literature, lies, love and life. Growing up in Amherst, Mass., with an editor for a father and an English teacher for a mother, Sam was fed endless stories that fueled (literally and figuratively) the rest of his life. Thus, the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction, story and reality become the landscape for amusing and provocative adventures that begin when, at age 18, Sam accidentally torches the Emily Dickinson Homestead, killing two people. After serving 10 years, Sam tries to distance himself from his past through college, employment, marriage and fatherhood, but he eventually winds up back in his parents' home, separated from his wife and jobless. When more literary landmarks go up in flames, Sam is the likely suspect, and his determination to find the actual arsonist uncovers family secrets and more than a bit about human nature. Sam is equal parts fall guy and tour guide in this bighearted and wily jolt to the American literary legacy. (Sept.)

[Scorpion]

I just started The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. It regards Theodore Roosevelt's expedition into the Amazon down a unexplored river. The journey nearly killed him. Great adventure reading. I highly recommend it.

[mammalicious]

You don't like my book selections?


Very funny stuff...

I preferred "My Pet Goat''...it's so engrossing, that I couldn't tear myself away from it to save my life! Now I know why Bush sat there and read it (or listened to it being read to him)!

[preservanation]

I like fiction, as long as it's believable. What makes me want to puke is those sappy romance novels. Gag! I like Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler, and of course the cat books by Lilian Jackson Braun and Shirley Rousseau Murphy. James Herriot is a favorite, too. I like Sara Paretsky and Patricia Cornwell too.
Purrs,
I have read some Patricia Cornwell and enjoyed her immensely.
Now I'm reading a crappy Stephen King novel Lisey's Story
It sucks, so far, but I probably shouldn't be surprised.

[Newscaster]

I wouldn't poo poo those romance novels quite so fast, at least from one aspect. Thy make lots and lots of money for the authors. The story lines have specific parameters and contain a language style appropriate only for those kinds of books and if you are some heavy duty reader, you will turn your nose up at them. However, they are major sellers and there are hundreds of thousands of women who buy and read those books. Now, people are not looking for great insights hidden within the pages of those books. They are looking for escapist literature and it is there and if you know how to write a book like that......you might find yourself liing a lifestyle far beyond your dreams. Of course you might also find yourself upchucking quite a lot but it might be worth it.

[BoogyMan]

I just started re-reading Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities", just for fun. I haven't read this since high school. I saw it on my office bookshelf the other day and thought "why not."

I am certainly enjoying it more now than I did when I HAD to read it in high school.

[Newscaster]

You always enjoy things more when you do it because you want to, not because you have to.

[Scorpion]

Travelling the Equator by Mark Twain.[/u]

[Buck Laser]

Jeff Shaara's Last Full Measure, last of the Shaara Civil War trilogy.

[tony mitra]

http://www.minoguetech.com/members/Karnik/T20/T2056.gif

India remains a mystery to many westerners, even as it is poised to become the world’s third largest economy within a generation, outstripping Japan. It is being recognized by some American policy makers as worlds biggest swing state. This of course rests on the theory that China is likely to eventually end up as a rival of USA and Russia more likely than not also to stay on China's side, thus turning the next biggest powerblock, India as the swing state that would tilt the equation one way or another, depending on if it decides to get off the fence.

Mr. Edward Luce was in India for five years representing the Financial Times, and is now the bureau chief at Washington.

I heard him first, on podcast, talking to the Carnegie council, before I decided to buy the book. The world "strange" in the title of the book was a question mark for me. Why strange ? Many countries climb up the economic ladder in due course. Why should India's rise be strange.

Mr. Luce however, has a very interesting perspective. He uses the world strange to highlight the difference between India's rise, and the rise of all other nations in recent history. There is something strange indeed, in the way that country seems to be rising.

A good account, though not a heavy reading as such. Full of humor, and also of wisdom and research.

[AnnEsthesia]

I am now reading "A Nail Through The Heart" by Timothy Hallinon.

"Travel writer Poke Rafferty is good at looking for trouble - so good that he makes a little money writing a few offbeat travel guides for the young and terminally bored. His Looking for Trouble series is for travelers obsessed with the unusual: how to beat official foreign exchange rates: how to spot fake amber or counterfeit money: how much to bribe a cop; how to identify a transvestite before its too late; and how to know, within an hour of arriving in a strange city, where to find the best bars, the best food, the best clothes, and the dodgiest entertainment at the best prices. Then Rafferty falls in love with Rose, an ex-Patpong Road bar girl, and he badly wants to be a part of her new life. Both Rose and Bangkok itself have stolen his heart. To complete his new family, Rafferty is in the process of adopting a wary eight-year-old street child - one of the many casualties of Thailand's poverty - when trouble comes looking for him."--BOOK JACKET.

[heyjude]

The Pagan Christ. About the origins of Christianity. How Christianity was built on the ancient belief in a sacrificial messiah, born of a virgin, and the incarnation of the spirit in flesh. Actually, I think from what I have read that the aurthor, Tom Harpur, believes in this pagan God, and thinks Jesus is this God and he really is God. Paganism anyone?

[Buck Laser]

The Pagan Christ. About the origins of Christianity. How Christianity was built on the ancient belief in a sacrificial messiah, born of a virgin, and the incarnation of the spirit in flesh. Actually, I think from what I have read that the aurthor, Tom Harpur, believes in this pagan God, and thinks Jesus is this God and he really is God. Paganism anyone?


I'm not aware of that particular book, but I am aware how Christianity was built on ancient myths. The teachings of Jesus himself may be another matter. That's why a group of scholars has been working for years to determine what words in the gospels may be actually ascribed to Jesus. The task involves long and arduous study of ancient manuscripts, oral traditions, and other sources.

Paul brought most of the structure and theory to Christianity, and I suspect that he purposely included ideas that would tie Jesus's ministry to other religious traditions extant in the middle east at the time. Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles, and in that light, I think it's completely understandable that he would pull in those traditions.

[heyjude]

Last I read about the research, they had determined that the only original and possibly true writing in the NT is the words "Our Father" at the start of the Lord's Prayer. The NT is about Paul's beliefs, not what some guy we call Jesus may have said. It is actually Paulism.

[Buck Laser]

Last I read about the research, they had determined that the only original and possibly true writing in the NT is the words "Our Father" at the start of the Lord's Prayer. The NT is about Paul's beliefs, not what some guy we call Jesus may have said. It is actually Paulism.

I haven't kept up with it lately, but I thought that most of the Sermon On The Mount was viewed authentic.

[HumanBeast]

I finished reading Ann Coulter's Godless. I think her mistakes in that book were the chapters about evolution.


I've read every Michael Savage book. I can't wait for his next one.



I tried to read Susan Fauldi's Stiffled. I wholly recommend it as toliet paper.

[Saigio]

I finished reading Ann Coulter's Godless. I think her mistakes in that book were the chapters

I agree on that.

[Newscaster]

Wondering which words of the NT come from Jesus is pointless. First, Jesus was a Jew and as such read the OT. There was no NT at the time and all of his alleged words stem from OT writings. Anything that Paul wrote must be taken with a grain of salt. Paul was an emotional basket case having spent so many years working for the Romans and shuttling people into the the arena with the lions. He had to have become an emotional wreck from doing that. Look at how he had to change his name from Saul to Paul...it was out of shame or embarrassment. Plus, from what I have learned, Paul actually didnt know Jesus and anything he wrote was hearsay or made up by him as his method of atonement.
It is best to read what is written and believe it or dont but trying to determine if Jesus really said it or someone else will drive you crazy.

[David Hume]

The Pagan Christ. About the origins of Christianity. How Christianity was built on the ancient belief in a sacrificial messiah, born of a virgin, and the incarnation of the spirit in flesh. Actually, I think from what I have read that the aurthor, Tom Harpur, believes in this pagan God, and thinks Jesus is this God and he really is God. Paganism anyone?


I'm not aware of that particular book, but I am aware how Christianity was built on ancient myths. The teachings of Jesus himself may be another matter. That's why a group of scholars has been working for years to determine what words in the gospels may be actually ascribed to Jesus. The task involves long and arduous study of ancient manuscripts, oral traditions, and other sources.

Paul brought most of the structure and theory to Christianity, and I suspect that he purposely included ideas that would tie Jesus's ministry to other religious traditions extant in the middle east at the time. Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles, and in that light, I think it's completely understandable that he would pull in those traditions.


Has anyone else noticed that the righthand path presented in the eight Beatitudes is, as in Buddhism, an Eightfold Path. And that Jesus' Beatitudes is almost a direct plagiarism from Buddhist texts?

Interesting. . .[hr]I just started reading "The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800" by Jay Wink. I'm not too far in, so not much to say yet. I read a review of it in USA Today when it came out last Tuesday and was intrigued by his method of examining Catherine's Russia, Louis XVI's France, and post-Revolution America and how their stories were interlocking and influential of one another. I'm only 30 pages in, but already it's a page-turner.

[Deadshot]

World War Z: A History of the Zombie Wars. Great book, really enjoyed it.

[Newscaster]

Buck Lazer, a little realism.
Jesus was pretty much the same age as his apostles. Early 30's. Maybe Peter was older but the others were in the ball part.
Now, most scholars have said the Gospels were written as early as 50 years following the death of Jesus. This being the case, the Apostles who are credited with the writing, would have aged fifty years and would have been in their early 80s at the time of the Gospels. Now most of us have seen our grandparents or Parents for that matter when they reached their 80's. Senility enters the picture and maybe even alzheimers or arteriosclerosis. Their memores fade and they dont remembers things as well as they once did. And two thousand years ago, medical science did not have the tools and medicines we have today. So, if the apostles truly did write the gospels, how sure can we be about their authenticity? Could gaps in their memories have to be filled in in order for a story to make sense. Could there have been ghost writers? And dont forget, the NT was put together by scribes for the Emperor Constantine and we have no clue who they were, were they Christians or did thy have a stake in the writing? We must also remember that the NT was put together as a political book, not a book of faith. It was a book designrd to convince early Christians to backup Constantine as he fought to maintain his throne. And how much of what they wrote was original or plagerized from other writings?
Just because somebody writes something down and claims it was God inspired, does not make it so. I have written two books. If I claim I was inspired by God to write them, or that God directed my hand, do you believe me? I could be making it up.

[David Hume]

I wrote a book too. But it wasn't inspired by god. It was inspired by making some money. ;)

[Buck Laser]

Newscaster, I tend to agree with you in general. But the oral tradition was very strong in the ancient middle east when only a few officials could read--probably only the priests and the accountants. I doubt that the authors of the gospels (except perhaps Luke, who refers to writing in Acts) actually put anything in writing. Incidentally, my impression was that the gospels didn't reach written existence until about 70-80 CE, long after the apostles would have died.

But the basis for believing that at least some of Jesus's exact words are contained in the gospels is really the synoptic gospels. Even the fact that the same or similar words appear in all three gospels isn't a guarantee that they represent Jesus's actual sayings. The consensus among scholars is that Mark is the earliest gospel, because it begins with the beginning of Jesus's ministry, not with the birth stories. Since Jesus didn't become known to any significant number of people until he began preaching, one wouldn't expect birth stories to be part of the original account.

I realize that finding agreement on what were Jesus's actual words is a tricky business, and people will disagree sharply. After all, there are a great many Christians who believe that every word in the Bible comes directly from God. I don't claim that, to the dismay of some people on this forum, but I've spent a lifetime thinking about this, and I'm not through yet. I s'pose it's conceivable that I might wake tomorrow morning and suddenly come to the conclusion that every word of the Bible is literally true--conceivable, but unlikely.

[Pookie]

Uhhhh....right now I have a handbook on puppy training I am looking at. Geez, no wonder I'm an idiot!! LOL!
I'll get better....**sigh**.
Purrs,

[Newscaster]

The Oral tradition has to be considered suspect not matter how many decades or centuries it was used. It is human nature, when relating a story from one person to another, for the teller to embellish the facts. I am sure you have read about he experiment where one kid tells a joke to another and that second kid passes it on to the third and so forth. By the ime you get to the last kid who tells the joke to everyone, the joke in no way resembles itself when it started. Thats because of innocent changes or even purposeful changes and that in all liklihood is what happened to the bible stories as they were being passed from one person to another. And if one of the tellers has an ulterior motive of one sort or another, you can bet all the money you have that story will undergo major changes.

[Buck Laser]

The Oral tradition has to be considered suspect not matter how many decades or centuries it was used. It is human nature, when relating a story from one person to another, for the teller to embellish the facts. I am sure you have read about he experiment where one kid tells a joke to another and that second kid passes it on to the third and so forth. By the ime you get to the last kid who tells the joke to everyone, the joke in no way resembles itself when it started. Thats because of innocent changes or even purposeful changes and that in all liklihood is what happened to the bible stories as they were being passed from one person to another. And if one of the tellers has an ulterior motive of one sort or another, you can bet all the money you have that story will undergo major changes.


You know, we should really take this to another thread, because it's really OT. Maybe one of the mods can move the posts regarding the development of the scriptures to a new thread.

I remember playing "telephone" in the second grade, when the leader would whisper something into an ear, and it would pass around a circle of kids. At the end of a circle of eight kids, the original message would be totally garbled.

But the oral tradition in the middle east, and, for that matter, everywhere people were illiterate, or where there was no written language, have a deserved reputation for accuracy. As I understand it, the priests and story tellers of biblical times were expected to learn the words of the tradition verbatim, and to pass numerous tests before they were allow to pass on the tradition.

Consider also that a great many Christian priests were illiterate right on into the renaissance, owing to the scarcity of books, the need for parish priests, etc. These men too were drilled incessantly in the words and traditions of the Catholic faith.

Newscaster, I'm not trying to prove you wrong, but merely pointing out the factors that would militate to make the oral tradition more reliable than you might first expect. Somewhere along the line, I learned that Torah scholars were so thoroughly familiar with their texts that if one were to poke a pin through the scroll, the scholar could tell exactly which letter was on each page at the pin prick. I think the same exactitude was probably applied to the oral tradition.

The fact that there are many textual critics of the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew and Christian bibles makes it clear that there ARE variances in the texts. These scholars get into long and heated discussions about single letters that would seem utterly insignificant to us amateurs.

[Newscaster]

Sometimes, those individual letters can change meanings and the scholars try to determine if the letter was meant to be there or may have been a mistake. But if it is a mistake, an entire biblical narrative could go down the tubes.

[Buck Laser]

Sometimes, those individual letters can change meanings and the scholars try to determine if the letter was meant to be there or may have been a mistake. But if it is a mistake, an entire biblical narrative could go down the tubes.

The entire course of Christian doctrine was decided at the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. It turned on whether to used the (Greek) word homoiusian, which meant "human like" or homoiusian, which meant "fully human".

This difference is reflected in the Nicene Creed thus: " by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man."

So there's an example of how a single letter changed Christian doctrine.

[Newscaster]

So a bunch of elderly men get togetherqnd decide what everyone much believe and everyone believes it? That may be why I love Judaism. You are encouraged to think, to argue, to debate and to fully understand and act on that understanding and then believe. Its a never ending process because the evolution of earth is a never ending process.

[tony mitra]

Good argument. The same also stands for those that are spiritually inclined but does not believe in institutionalized religion. It also applies, I think, to atheists.

If one is a hard thinker and takes nothing for granted, he might conclude that Gods existence can neither be absolutely proved, nor absolutely disproved. Therefore, one might consider it a 50-50 toss up, and end up either supporting a faith system based on God's doctrine, or end up supporting a science based system where there is more scope for further investigation on the matter.

Cheers.

[namguy]

Well so far I'm a firm believer of the Intelligence Community of the USA and have been reading a few books about the CIA,DIA and other intelligence agencies. I am also kind of wondering If anybody here is interested about the Intelligence community or has read any of these book's I have mentioned.
The one's I'm reading right know are these 2 which so far are pretty entertaining.

True Believer (Inside the investigation and capture of Ana Monte's, Cuba's Master Spy) By Scott W. Carmichael

Gideon's Spies (The secret history of the Mossad) By Gordon Thomas

These are the one's I have read which have been pretty interesting.

1.By Way of Deception (The making of a Mossad officer) By Victor Ostrovsky
2.Fair Play (The moral dilemmas of spying) By James M. Olson
3.The FBI Career Guide- Just read it to see how the FBI works and how to get in after getting a bachelor's degree.


The CIA is nothing more than the KJB were.

[HumanBeast]

I recently finished reading Ann Coulter's new book. She thinks Al Franken is a bitch.

[firefox]

Yeah. The both are ;). Currently, I'm reading this thread!

[PatrickHenry]

Books? My current book is Palast's Armed Madhouse
About how the Republicans steal elections and other items of interest to a CT like me.

[Deadshot]

I'm reading The Last Days of Hitler by T. Trevor-Roper. It's really interesting how people can be so full of themselves and their vision that they failed to see the reality around them...you could almost make a corrollary to certain politicians of today...:evil: