“Hey, in the Christmas narrative, the Magi were led to Jesus by following astrology. Doesn't this suggest that astrology is true, and that one can gain reliable information through it?”
To begin with, there's no one astrological system. And that's one of the problems.
Astrology is a mechanical/computational form of divination which ascribes ulterior significance to various celestial conjunctions.
But other issues aside, if you have rival systems of astrology, then the assignment is even more arbitrary.
And even if, for the sake of argument, there was a correlation between destiny and various celestial conjunctions, it hardly follows that human beings are able to discover or detect the correlation in any stringent fashion.
Yet that is what you would need for computational purposes.
This mechanical form of divination is completely different from the idea that God, as a personal agent, might assign (and arrange) a unique, prophetic significance to a particular astronomical phenomenon.
The significance of such portents and prodigies would not be lawlike, repeatable phenomena—like a cosmic horoscope.
Rather, it would be like other prophetic signs and miracles, which make use of natural phenomena in tandem with a divine oracle of their occurrence at a particular time and place, viz. the Plagues of Egypt, Red Sea crossing, water from the rock, &c.
:::YAWN!!!:::
ReplyDeleteMore drivel to make sense of craziness such as magic stars and talking donkeys.
1. Wasn't the "star" the shekinah glory of God?
ReplyDelete2. Weren't the magi gentile converts to Judaism?
3. Doesn't astrology depend on the idea that the stars are divine beings who are focusing their will upon mankind? Thus, isn't astrology thoroughly pagan?
Hey Ted (or whatever your name is):
:::YAWN!!!:::
More atheist drivel about nothing. Go bug your fellow hairless apes and other descendants of primordial goo.
Thanks, Steve, for your cool answers!
ReplyDeletesaint n' sinner: the magi were probably zoroasterians/persians.
On the magi, we know very little about them, save that they had 'seen his star in the East.' Whether they were gentile converts to Christianity or Zoroastrians is unknown, if they were Persian, which the term Magi implies, the latter is probably the case.
ReplyDeleteLastly, for first anonymous commenter, may I make the point that if he finds it dull, he doesn't have to read it (unless of course someone is holding his head in front of the monitior with one hand and a gun on him with the other).
(unless of course someone is holding his head in front of the monitior with one hand and a gun on him with the other).
ReplyDeleteMy sources inside of CTU have informed me there is a chance (although very slim) that our anonymous YAWNer could actually be forced at gunpoint to read Triablogue at the hands of Jack Bauer, now that Jack has resurfaced from out of the Far East. For updated information on this lead, please contact Chloe O'Brian on an untracable cell phone.
If the magi were indeed Persian, and the Persian empire took over the Babylonian empire, then it's possible that they might still have had access to Hebrew prophecies from when Daniel was around.
ReplyDeleteCTU Statement on Official Update of Anonymous :::YAWN!!!:::
ReplyDeleteAfter a rigorous interrogation, Jack Bauer has managed to extract all the information he could from the anonymous YAWNer; the same worthless, incoherent, repetitive babbling that most of those at the Triablogue Web blog have already been accustomed to.
That anonymous :::YAWNER!!!::: is a first-class moron.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, love reading about interesting things like talking plants, and fish used as cash drawers, and using wet wool to figure out life decisions.
happyprophet said:
ReplyDelete---
I, for one, love reading about interesting things like talking plants, and fish used as cash drawers, and using wet wool to figure out life decisions.
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No doubt it's as thrilling as when I read about atheists who pretend that random chemical reactions hold a sense of purpose.
You are so right calvindude, as usual!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if I should donate all of my money to you, or to my local reformed church.
I'll 'put out a fleece' tonight, and if its wet, a check is on the way!
HA! Great response, Calvindude!
ReplyDelete"We believe crazy crap and think you do too!"
You are so right calvindude, as usual!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if I should donate all of my money to you, or to my local reformed church.
I'll 'put out a fleece' tonight, and if its wet, a check is on the way!
Speaking of which, according to economist Arthur Brooks, conservatives tend to donate more than liberals -- and the religious most of all. And not simply to established religious institutions such as churches, but to charities and related organizations, too.
I just got a mental picture of a seal slapping its flippers together, saying "Arf, arf!" hoping for a cookie.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how apt that fits the anonywuss posers.
happyprophet said:
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HA! Great response, Calvindude!
"We believe crazy crap and think you do too!"
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Hmm, not so great response from you. I believe that calls for a:
:::YAWN!!!:::
As to anonymous's putting out of fleece, to quote Andre Linoge: "Give me what I want and I'll go away."
Ah yes, the famous Bible story about the talking plants:
ReplyDeleteCrocus: Hi Fern, apparently there's a story about us in the Bible
Fern: What kind of demented nonsense is this, Crocus? Haven't I warned about talking drivel before?
Crocus: No, look! Here on Triablogue the anonymous atheist says there is...
Iris: Well, if he says it, it must be true
Anonymous atheist: HAW HAW Oh yes it is true! More true than you could ever know HAW Oh yes!
Some stellar examples of both christian and non-christian responses here.
ReplyDeleteBlessed be.
I checked this post for insight and comments about astrology and the three kings, but all i got were these bad comments about nothing. boo
ReplyDelete