Re: 25 Classic Books That Have Been Banned

On Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:21:32 -0700, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca>
wrote:

On Mon, 26 May 2025 08:37:19 -0700, Paul S Person
<psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
>

intended to show that none exist. The actual meaning is "something
worth looking at". Or perhaps "something you don't see every day".
>
2. Science is very good (as far as we can tell) at describing a world
(universe) /corrupted by sin/. It can say nothing about one that is
not. It is, IOW, limited in a way it cannot even detect because
nothing it studies is not corrupted. The situation in which the New
Jerusalem descends is generally considered to taking place in a new
world (universe), freed from sin.
>

In fairness, "something you don't see every day" includes things like
me picking my daughter up from the airport (which I'm actually doing
tomorrow) which to be fair isn't something people make life changing
steps in their life the way conversion to a faith they didn't
previously belong to.
>
The Christian view of heaven is "The New Jerusalem where all suffering
and pain will be banished forever - to be inhabited only by the just
which is defined by those who have accepted the teachings of the
faith. Other faiths have other definitions.
>
It certainly isn't anything remotely miraculous like parting the Red
Sea or resurrection from the dead.
>
As for events like the Last Judgement that's pretty easy to bring
about >IF< you believe in an omnipotent creator who has an interest in
this world and completely absurd if you don't.
>
"Something worth looking at" can involve fairly mundane but uncommon
things such as my daughter arriving home from seeing her sister in the
UK. Which while unusual (in terms of 'not happening every day') and is
something I am looking forward to doesn't come close to any
Christian's view of seeing heaven for the first time (or alternately
choose an analogous event in some other faith) which is expected to be
their happiest event ever.
>
In other words I understand your point but your description is a
fairly powerful understatement.

/The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language/, published
1969, does have the intellectualized definition as "1.". But then it
has:

2. A person, thing, or event that excites admiring awe.

This, of course, is the definition I am referring to.

But 1969 is a long time ago. Perhaps this meaning has disappeared over
time.

As to the New Jerusalem, it is Revelation's view of the matter. The
second /Ice Age/ film showed a Saber-tooth Squirrel Heaven at the end
which is a good representation of what most people I have encountered
actually think Heaven to be, golden fence/gate, green grass, and all.
Not to mention the One True Acorn, of which all lesser acorns are but
images.

Note that CS Lewis goes for this sort of thing in /The Last Battle/,
which knows nothing of a New Jerusalem. And where, indeed, would he
put it? Earth or Narnia?

I do find it odd that various evil types should be mentioned as not
allowed to enter -- not that they can't enter, but that they /exist/.
Only a bit earlier, these were said to /all/ have gone into the Lake
of Fire. So how is it they are still around? Surely after everything
has been destroyed and renewed human beings will no longer have the
knowledge of good and evil and so be restored to their original state
as well. There appears to be some confusion here. Probably mine, to be
sure.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"