I'll stop if it's bothering you. I don't mind people calling me names and the other kind of things that get written; but if it's annoying to other people, I should probably stop.Ordinarily I look forward to reading your posts, but I am baffled by the last few, primarily because you're throwing your pearls before swine, and what's even worse is to quote the mindless nonsense of those you yourself admit is just insulting.
If there was a way to engage obnoxious people, and quickly get them to see the error of their ways, I see no reason not to do that. Anything else is idiotic. I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but in the sense that it is to engage them on their 'own' level. Frankly, I don't see the point if they are incapable of moving beyond woefully uninspired trolling.
If one is capable of trolling the troll into obscurity, I see no point in belaboring or forestalling that goal. If not, nothing is more effective than that trusty "ignore" button. However, if the troll's posts are making their way into my watched threads via your posts, "we have a problem Houston". Perhaps you could simply respond to his posts without bothering to repost his insulting remarks?
G.K. Chesterton says that anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Insulting posts don't really warrant being reposted. I enjoy the information you share on your posts, but the other parties insults, and mindless rants are not informative.
I don't always know where to draw the line, which to follow:
Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
Now let me comment about Rachel. I search for love and useful doctrine in the Bible, more than mere facts. If something truly is Scripture, it's supposed to be about love and should also teach us doctrine.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
The Jews frequently refer to her as "Mother of all Israel." I'd say Matthew seems to hold the same view. She is not their mother after the flesh, she is their spiritual mother. Thus the Jews are right about this in my opinion. Spiritually, Jacob had one wife. It was wicked Laban's idea to get Jacob to marry Leah in earthly terms.
This also leans me to the view that calling Mary the Mother of all Christians is likely true. She always obeyed God, so she is worthy to be called Mother to me. Where would the world be without Mary, obedient servant of God?
I also believe that passage about Rachel has a clue about where the righteous go after the death of their physical bodies. I believe Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may be awaiting the resurrection in one way; but in another, they are alive since Jesus said so. Not everyone slept in the Old Testament. If people were "dead" before they died, as Jesus talked about, they'd continue to be dead spiritually and sleep after their bodies die. If their soul slept and went into the grave, of course they knew nothing; but if their soul did not sleep, it wasn't in the grave.
There is also a part of the soul that did sleep for everyone prior to Jesus' time and which still does it seems. It's complicated, and I can't say I grasp it fully.
I see Rachel weeping in Paradise -- I see it as true, yes, very true. Others here may say they believe the Bible is true, but they won't say they believe Rachel was weeping anywhere. I think she was praying; and I believe her prayers were either answered or will be. It contains a clue for me about the afterlife.
Yes, I also think Rachel saw Joseph in Egypt. Her physical body may have died, but she was there in spirit and saw him. Why did she bow? Oh, to the Light of God in him; and through Joseph, we see now many Egyptians were joined to Israel since when Israel left, many Egyptians left with them. This was thanks to Joseph, servant of God. It is part of the "mystery" Paul talked about, how Jews and Gentiles are interconnected.
I also read the "coat of many colors" to mean the various colors of the rainbow. Joseph may have received literally a coat from his father; but more importantly to me, he received something spiritual -- something that coincides to the rainbow seen after the Flood of Noah and seen again in Revelation.
Last edited: