Idle speculation

 I confess that my thinking about the whole Epstein thing has evolved, pretty much along the same lines as Betty Cracker's.  I'll mostly just outsource the discussion, but there is something in there that the Great Pumpkin very much does not want you to know, and he sure as hell is doing an excellent imitation of a guilty man.

 

The problem remains that Christopher Wray and Merrick Garland, along with quite a few FBI agents and DoJ attorneys, also know the information, and knew it while Joe Biden was president. Now, if none of it is prosecutable, then institutionalist Merrick Garland would indeed have sat on it out of principle. But a lot of people know it who, given the current state of the union, would be motivated to leak it, and so far that hasn't happened. So that is a puzzle. Feel free to speculate.

Wednesday Bible Study: Stop making sense

Matthew 11 is full of strangeness. I don't want to bore you by enumerating all of it, but let's start with a couple of obvious oddities. John the Baptist, who is imprisoned (without explanation)  sends a messenger to ask if Jesus is "the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" He's evidently pretty dense, because in Chapter 3, he baptized Jesus and heard the voice of God say "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Jesus also makes an odd remark in the following verse, "From the days of John the Baptist until now . . ." since John is still alive. 

Jesus says that John is a reincarnation of Elijah, which the other synoptic gospels support in different words. However, the Gospel of John rejects the claim: "This is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? ... And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not." (John 1:19). 

Jesus prophecies the destruction of several towns, including his home town of Capernaum, but this never happened. 

The bottom line is that these are all rather poorly edited compilations of oral tradition. They contain innumerable contradictions and nonsensical passages. As I have said many times, the people who believe in the Bible most fervently have not read it. Tufts Professor Daniel Dennett published a book with Linda LaScola in 2013 titled "Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind." They interviewed numerous clergy, who had the revelatory experience of actually reading and studying the Bible in the seminary and discovering that it is a total pile of bullshit. They became secret atheists, but because being Christian ministers was their only marketable skill, they stayed on the job, rationalizing that they were providing comfort for people. Really. Of course, a lot of them just do it for the big bucks.

 

 

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.^[a]

² When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.’^[c]

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[d] and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷ “‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The Father Revealed in the Son

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Footnotes

1. Matthew 11:1 Greek in their towns
2. Matthew 11:5 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
3. Matthew 11:10 Mal. 3:1
4. Matthew 11:12 Or been forcefully advancing
5. Matthew 11:23 That is, the realm of the dead

 

Insanitocracy

I should probably focus more here on the ongoing destruction of the public health and biomedical research infrastructure, but I've been there quite a lot and just repeating the bottom line -- they're trying to kill you and your children -- is where we'd keep ending up. (Here's a gift link to Danielle Ofri in the NYT saying it all yet again.) But what neither she nor I can tell you is why they are doing this. It obviously has nothing to do with any recognizable version of conservative ideology. I mean okay, we already know that some radical libertarians don't want government to fund scientific research, but they don't want government to actively promote disinformation either. How does this benefit the Republican party's billionaire donors or its neo-Confederate base?

 

But I'd like to focus on the whole tariff thing today, because it's equally if not more puzzling. Here's Krugthulu on the deal with Japan.  Supposedly the whole idea behind the tariff crusade is to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. This is not actually a good idea -- low skill manufacturing jobs are about the worst jobs there are, picking crops is actually more fun and pays better -- but the deal won't even achieve that, just the opposite in fact: it will make it cheaper to buy cars made in Japan than cars made in North America. It will give Japanese car manufacturers a huge advantage in the U.S. market. 

 

[W]hy are U.S. manufacturers so upset with the Japan deal? Because in combination with Trump’s other tariffs this deal actually leaves many U.S. manufacturers worse off than they were before Trump began his trade war.  ...  Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on all automotive imports, supposedly on national security grounds. This includes imports from Canada and Mexico. And here’s the thing: Canadian and Mexican auto products generally have substantial U.S. “content” — that is, they contain parts made in America. Japanese cars generally don’t. But now cars from Japan will pay only a 15 percent tariff, that is, less than cars from Canada and Mexico.

OK, it’s not quite that straightforward, because imports from Canada and Mexico receive a partial exemption based on the share of their value that comes from the United States. Yes, it’s getting complicated. But we may nonetheless now be in a situation where cars whose production doesn’t create U.S. manufacturing jobs will pay a lower tariff rate than cars whose production does.

Wait, there’s more. Trump has also imposed 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, which are of course important parts of the cost of a car. Japanese manufacturers don’t pay those tariffs. Overall, the interaction between this Japan deal and Trump’s other tariffs probably tilts the playing field between U.S. and Japanese producers of cars, and perhaps other products, in Japan’s favor.  If this sounds incredibly stupid, that’s because it is.

 

Again,  there is no conceivable interpretation of conservative ideology -- in this case especially the libertarian version -- that could possibly justify this. And now there's the supposed "deal" with the EU (not really a deal because the member countries have to approve it and they won't) that is utterly delusional and would only harm U.S. businesses and consumers if it did take effect.

 

Why is the U.S. making these insane deals? Because the president of the United States is ignorant and insane, he thinks he's brilliant, and he has an idee fixe about tariffs, so his lackeys go along with it. The corporate media are too cowardly to tell the truth, and most of their reporters are incompetent to understand this anyway, so it gets presented as a "win" for Mr. Dump. When consumer prices skyrocket, who will the voters blame?

 

And I'll just add this from Digby:  

 

So 15% tariffs are just great now? Higher than we've had in since the 1930s but since Trump said a couple of months ago that he'd put 50% tariffs that means this is really great. This is why people think Trump is such a magical figure. He has made every elite in the country into a moron. 

 

Sunday Sermonette: Door-to-door Christians

Sorry I've been scarce lately. I had a funeral to attend on Friday, a two hour drive in each direction and of course I got lost going and coming. It's an interesting experience for me being in church, which rarely happens. The last wedding I attended was actually a Jewish wedding, and it was out doors. The funeral happened at a very fancy, very old church in Cambridge, Massachusetts with plaques commemorating such late congregants as Henry Cabot Lodge. Out of respect of course I stood and sat on cue, just as I covered my head at the Jewish wedding, but I didn't recite the mumbo jumbo.  

 

Christianity, unlike many religions including Judaism (generally), is distinctive in that it proselytizes. Most religious groups are content to remain within themselves, in fact they value their religion as a marker of ethnic identity and are not interested in accepting converts. In fact in the Torah conversion is strongly discouraged, although in the Book of Ruth it is accepted, specifically for the purpose of marriage, and this is largely how it stands with contemporary Judaism. Actually the wedding I attended was of a Christian cousin who converted to Judaism in order to marry. But otherwise Jewish sects rarely actively seek converts.

 

Which brings us to Chapter 10. Jesus sends his disciples out to try to convert Jews to his cult, but he orders them to stay away from the Gentile and the Samaritans. Gentiles simply means non-Jews, but the Samaritans at this time were a breakaway group from the main body of Judaism. It's a complicated story and their own understanding of the history is a bit different from that of the Rabbinical Jews, but it doesn't much matter. The point is that for now, Jesus is only interested in preaching to the Jews. However, he changes his mind in Chapter 28, as we shall eventually see, and the disciples after his death began to proselytize among anyone who would listen. That's been the fundamental nature of Christianity ever since. Among other historical consequences, of course, is the form taken by European imperialism.

 

A couple of specific notes. The roster of the 12 apostles is slightly different in the various gospels and in Acts. The prophecy that following Jesus will rip families apart is one I can confirm has come true. Otherwise, you can make what you will of the various assertions and images in the latter part of this chapter. It mostly seems like gibberish to me but people interpret it all however they will.

 

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[b] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
³⁶     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’^[c]

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Footnotes

1. Matthew 10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
2. Matthew 10:29 Or will; or knowledge
3. Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6

 

Wednesday Bible Study: If it sounds like a quack

My post yesterday was timely, as it turns out, because Chapter 9 is where JC gets heavily into faith healing, including raising the dead. (For some reason this incident is less famous than Lazarus, but it's the same idea.) One of the protagonists in Hongoltz-Hetling's book that I discussed yesterday is Dale Neumann, a Pentacostal preacher whose daughter dies of diabetic ketoacidosis because he and his wife are convinced they can heal her by prayer. They even go on believing she will be resurrected for several days after her death. So, they read this crap and they believed it, and they ended up murdering their daughter.

 

A couple of small additional points about chapter 9. Jesus's answer in verse 16, as to why he and his disciples don't fast, is completely nonsensical. Think about it. It seems to be a total non-sequitur. Regarding verse 9, the man named Matthew is obviously not the author of this document. As a matter of fact, in Mark and Luke, his name is Levi. 

 

In verse 13, Jesus quotes Hosea, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Okay, so what is the point of Jesus's sacrifice? 

 

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ² Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

⁴ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, ²⁴ he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. ²⁶ News of this spread through all that region.

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Footnotes

1. Matthew 9:13 Hosea 6:6

 

 

 

A sinister alliance

As I believe I mentioned on Sunday, my Internet was out, due to a broken cable as it turns out, and so was my TV. Not having TV was a good thing because it meant I did a lot of reading, including "If it Sounds Like a Quack" by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling. It appears they had trouble figuring out how to get "quack" into the title, which doesn't actually make sense because the book is about quacks, not ducks. Be that as it may the book does tell an important story. 

 

The book is largely structured as the interlaced stories of 7 con artists/snake oil salesmen, most of whom probably believed their own bullshit, but that's typical of con artists. (Actually two of them worked as a team so there are really only 6 stories.) That makes it fun to read but the important history and analysis ends up getting buried in the interstices of the anecdotes. Still, it's there.

 

MHH presents the horrifying tale of how we got where we are today, with a lunatic running the Department of Health and Human Services, biomedical research and health insurance being gutted, and the federal government pushing phony miracle cures and pseudo-science. It all developed out of an alliance between libertarians and classical social conservatives, i.e. racists and misogynists and Christian nationalists. 

 

Part One is the so-called Medical Freedom Movement. As the FDA started to crack down on phony miracle cures, the industry rallied under the banner of consumer rights. As MMH tells it, "As sellers of One True Cures were converted into medical freedom advocates, a side effect was the creation of a political space that welcomed the fringe actors remaining in the anti-vaccine movement." They joined up with Ayn Rand-style libertarians. The 2000 platform of the Libertarian Party called for "a complete separation of medicine from the state. We oppose any government restriction or funding of medical or scientific research . . . . We support an end to government-provided health insurance and health care." 

 

Libertarianism, despite some contradictions, found a home in the Republican party. And so did the snake oil industry. Right-wing radio programs and podcasts largely supported themselves with advertising and promoting it (along with phony investments), and the candidates for president, from Mike Huckabee to Rand Paul were into it as well. But the most important candidate is the one who actually won the nomination in 1996, and he was the most enthusiastic. We know what has happened since.

Sunday Sermonette: Technical difficulties

In case you're wondering where I've been, my Internet service went out Saturday morning, and the ISP isn't going to send a technician until tomorrow. So I'm at a neighbor's house right now trying to catch up o my Intertubing. Hopefully I'll have a chance to make a post about public health and/or politics today, but if not, you know why.

 

So, turning now to Matthew 8, this is where JC starts to perform miracles. I think this is all perfectly ridiculous, obviously,  but at least half the country doesn't agree with me. Miracles have apparently become much less common over the past 2,000 years, and they have a way of being debunked. As a matter of fact, for those of us who explore the world scientifically, they have entirely disappeared. People have actually tried randomized controlled trials of prayer, and it doesn't work. Nature works according to discoverable mechanisms and principles. Physicians nowadays, unlike those of 150 years ago, can often but not always cure the sick. But that's because they understand what diseases are and how they work.

 

Just a couple of specific notes on chapter 8. Why does Jesus tell the man cured of leprosy not to tell anyone about it, since it happened in front of a large crowd? Note that he also tells the man to go to the priest and offer a sacrifice -- the old laws are still in effect. Second, the centurion's "servant" is of course in fact a slave. Jesus has many opportunities to denounce slavery, but it's just peachy keen with him. Finally, why couldn't he drive out the demons without gratuitously killing a herd of pigs? Evidently his powers are limited.

 

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
    and bore our diseases.”^[b]

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,^[c] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 8:2 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
2. Matthew 8:17 Isaiah 53:4 (see Septuagint)
3. Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes

 

Wednesday Bible Study: What is this really?

As I noted previously, and promised to expand on, this document implies by its very existence that Jesus had a stenographer who wrote down this sermon, and Matthew had a copy. Much of it is also in Luke, so either Luke copied it from Matthew, or they both had a lost source (that scholars, interestingly, call Q). While the stenographer is not inconceivable -- there were scribes who took dictation -- it's highly unlikely. The disciples certainly would not have had that rare capability, and the people who did worked for high ranking officials. What really happened is that this is a tradition that developed over time, before being codified by Matthew or Q.

 

Assuming Jesus existed,* presumably he said similar things on multiple occasions, and the stories, proverbs and admonitions would have become familiar to his followers. However, as with any oral tradition, the corpus would have continued to develop after his death. In the comparable case of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, there is no doubt about that. Buddhists generally accept that the accounts of his teachings and his sermons were written down after his death and are likely not verbatim records of anything he said. A very important difference is that Buddha did not claim to be a God, nor that he would be resurrected.† On the contrary, he emphasized that he was just an ordinary person and that anyone could achieve his insights and state of being by following his advice.‡ That Jesus is supposed to be God makes these literal words more important, and obviously as a commenter has already pointed out they aren't always credible. For example, verses 7 through 9 very obviously aren't true.

 

* I actually don't think it matters. Sure there were itinerant preachers running around Judea at that time, there certainly could have been one named Jesus. But since he was not God and did not perform miracles it's a category error to ask if this was the same person depicted in the Gospels. Obviously not.

† Sadly, some Buddhist traditions have made him into a sort of God, and even developed whole pantheons of lesser deities. This seems to be a common human tendency. But most traditions agree with the earliest sources, that he was just a wise and talented person.

‡ People at that time and place believed in reincarnation, that is that after death all sentient beings -- animals as well as people -- would live a new life, perhaps as a different kind of creature. However, ordinarily we would not be able to identify them as the same entity. This belief actually sits very awkwardly within Buddhism because one of Siddhartha Gautama's core teachings was that the self is an illusion. So what exactly is being reincarnated? In any event, Buddha's goal was to escape the cycle of reincarnation. Many modern Buddhists dispense with the idea and the philosophy is actually more coherent without it.

 

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

 

Wingnut crackup

 I admit I failed to comprehend the immense importance of the alternate universe inspired by QAnon in the MAGA psyche. It seemed as though nothing -- not the Dumpster continually spouting gibberish, not the TACO tariffs, not the random trashing of programs with overwhelming popular support, not the MuskMelon defection, not the violent arrests of gardeners and grandmothers -- could put a microdent in their adoration for Dear Leader.

 

But what finally did it is "Move along here, nothing to see" in the Epstein investigation. That this particular obsession got transferred from a pizza parlor in D.C. to Epstein never made sense in the first place, but one way or another the story had to stay alive. The essentially religious belief is that there is a vast global conspiracy, led by prominent Democratic politicians, donors, and activists, that kidnaps and rapes children (possibly in connection with Satanic rituals) and harvests a component of their blood that counteracts aging. Really. The most important leader of the conspiracy is Hillary Clinton, but it also includes Bill Clinton, Tom Hanks, George Soros of course, and everybody else to the left of Joe Manchin. That's what they believe. 

 

In his first term, Trump was going to expose them in an event called The Storm, in which the U.S. military would sweep up the conspirators, subject them to military tribunals, and execute them.  For some mysterious reason, this did not happen. How Jeffrey Epstein comes into this is also a mystery. His serial rape of teenage girls was first investigated back in 2005 in Palm Beach Florida, but the Florida Attorney General Alexander Acosta, a Republican obviously, for some reason gave him a ridiculous sweetheart deal. Trump then appointed Acosta Secretary of Labor.

 

Epstein was brought up again on federal charges in 2019, and as you all know he died in prison in August of that year, while Donald John Trump was president of the United States. DJT's director of the federal bureau of prisons concluded that Epstein's death was a suicide, and DJT's FBI and Department of Justice did not bring charges against anyone else in connection with Epstein for the remainder of Trump's term in office. Nevertheless, for lack of any other plausible framework on which to hang the conspiracy theory, it got transferred to Epstein. In the second Trump term he was finally going to reveal the truth and the vast left wing conspiracy of Satanic child rape would be unmasked. Then . . . 

 

Thud. It is mind boggling, utterly bizarre, impossible to grasp, that this is how the cult finally breaks apart. But just be very clear -- it isn't fundamentally about economic anxiety, or the culture wars, or even so much about racism, although all of that has something to do with it. It's fundamentally just plain nuts. 

Sunday Sermonette: The secret Bible chapter

I say that Matthew 6 is a secret because it's obvious that most Christians have never read it, or have forgotten it. I don't need to point out how this is all the exact opposite of the common beliefs and practices of Christians in the U.S. today, you can readily see that for yourselves, but I'll just give you one example to make it clear.

 

That would be the ridiculous Tim Tebow. He was the quarterback for the Florida Gators and yeah, he was an effective college quarterback and he won the Heisman Trophy. But he was super popular with the Florida fans because every time he'd make a good play, he'd ostentatiously go to one knee and pray, or pretend to pray. That inspired the Denver Broncos to draft him number one, even though most scouts had severe doubts about his ability to play in the NFL, apparently because they figured his Christian fans would buy tickets. He kept doing the public display of prayer thing, but as an NFL quarterback he was a complete bust and he only lasted three seasons. He tried to come back as a tight end but he couldn't block your grandmother and he was cut after one preseason game. 

 

Of course, Christianity is really about making millions of dollars for the megachurch pastors and TV hucksters. 

 

Next time, I'll discuss the origins of this document. By its existence, it implicitly claims that Jesus had a stenographer who wrote down everything he said, and that this writer came into possession of a copy. We'll see if that's plausible, or if it even matters. 

 

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¹⁶ “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
3. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
4. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
5. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

 

A couple of thoughts about Jeffrey Epstein

I'm pretty much down with Josh Marshall on this. We know that Epstein used his money to prolifically procure teenage girls for his gratification. His panderer (who happens to be female) was convicted and is now in prison. Two other men -- Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz -- have been publicly accused of accepting underaged girls as gifts from Epstein. Dershowitz denies it, Prince Andrew denies it less convincingly. Other than that, there is no publicly available evidence that anyone else participated in his statutory rape conspiracy.

 

Epstein did give free plane rides to prominent people including Bill Clinton, and he partied with Donald Trump in the past but it appears they had a falling out. (Hardly unusual for the Dumpster.) Epstein funded a couple of Harvard and MIT  researchers and otherwise used his money to rub up against prominent academics. But again, there's no publicly available evidence that any of these people did anything more than accept perfectly legal favors from him. (I believe one or more of the researchers got into trouble regarding university policy, but I'm not going to bother to look it up.) 

 

As for Epstein's death, he certainly had ample motive for suicide -- he was looking forward to a very unpleasant life. On the other hand, it would certainly not be news that prison guards can be corruptible. You can distrust the investigation. Donald Trump was president at the time and maybe he had reason to cover it up or even ordered the hit. I wouldn't put anything past him. And Dershowitz is a Trump fellator so maybe that's why he had immunity.  But . . .

 

The problem with this particular conspiracy theory is that Dershowitz's Trump fluffing would not give him any immunity from the New York Attorney General or Joe Biden's FBI, which also had the opportunity to take a second look at Epstein's death. (Not that I would expect Merrick Garland to get off his ass to do that.) If the reason Pam Bondi is covering up for somebody, then so did Joe Biden and Merrick Garland. Conceivably -- barely -- both figured they couldn't open the can one some people without opening it on all of them, but it seems more likely to me that there really is nothing there. 

 

The point is that while you're always free to speculate, it's never wise to start believing without good evidence. Homo sapiens sees patterns everywhere, but they're often what's called pareidolia -- seeing the face of Jesus on toast, that sort of thing. There really are conspiracies and it's legitimate to have theories about them -- law enforcement does it all the time, that's their job. But they have to prove it. 

Wednesday Bible Study: I'm down with some of this but . . .

 it's pretty much the opposite of what most people in the U.S. who call themselves Christians today believe and do. Or at least a lot of it is. Yet it's one of the best-known chapters in the Bible. It's called the Sermon on the Mount but evidently that's only because Matthew goes first. Much of this material is also in Luke, but it's delivered on a plain, not a mountain. 

 

I won't even begin to comment on everything here but a couple of notes are in order. Presumably, the part about amputating your body parts that lead you astray is not to be taken literally. The meaning of verse 13 is quite obscure. 

 

In verse 17, Jesus insists that the law -- which means the prescriptions and proscriptions in the Torah -- is still in effect and will be until the end of time. Yet Christians have never observed the Torah law. They eat pork, they eat meat and dairy together, they don't sacrifice, they mix fibers in the same textile, they don't observe the Passover or any of the pilgrimage festivals . . .  You get the idea. He advises settling out of court, which may be a good idea in some cases but hardly seems profound. Sometimes marriages don't work out and divorce is the best option, as far as I'm concerned. As for oaths (verse 33) Christians routinely take oaths with their hand on the Bible. I'm down with the rest of it.

 

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[e] 28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[f] 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.^[g]

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^{[h] 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13
2. Matthew 5:22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.
3. Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause
4. Matthew 5:22 An Aramaic term of contempt
5. Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:14
6. Matthew 5:31 Deut. 24:1
7. Matthew 5:37 Or from evil
8. Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21
9. Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18