Posts Made By: Brien Stratton

Greetings all. Back from a Grand Canyon road trip.

Red Cow:

This hype from the Middle East seems to me to be based on false interpretations of the scriptures. The Jews sometimes take commandments from the scriptures then expand them and pervert them from their original meaning.

The red cow. If you read the account of the red cow at Numbers 19: 1-13, you can see that a red cow was used for ceremonial cleansing purposes. The cow was slaughtered, then burned, and it's ashes were mixed with water so people could use this water for ceremonial cleansing, if for example someone touched a dead human corpse. (Numbers 19: 10-21). This special water was a common occurance, it seems it was to be always supplied for cleansing purposes. It was not done only if they had found a perfect red cow in colour. It was however to be without defect (see Malachi 1:13,14). Since this cleansing water was a common ocurrance, it makes sense that when a red cow was chosen, it did not have to be perfectly red everywhere on it's body, otherwise the people would never have ashes to mix with the ceremonial water, which was used for cleansing purposes, if they touched a dead human body, ect. A red cow without a defect, or blemish would mean one that was not sick, lame, or deformed, or had an obvious physical defect. So believing the last days will occur when a perfect red cow is born, seems IMHO to be based on falsehoods, and to be blunt, seems rediculous.

Brien

I picture God as a Spirit, or Personality, non-physical. I think I feel this way from my reading I have done of the Bible, ect. The Bible though, seems to have God symbolized as a glorious man-like figure to help us visualize what he is like in human terms.

Brien

Why should anyone care about what happens to man after he dies? If we never get to see man's progress, then does it really matter in the grand scheme of things to us? Many people have not contemplated why they are mortal, and if they have contemplated this condition, they may not have found answers that satisfy them. Or, why they spend their lives collecting information, experiences, then at death having to lose everything. That is why this life is at times harsh, and people are cruel at times, and life seems like a ratrace, a mad rush, and why people sometimes don't care about serious issues, or perhaps why there is such things as crime, pollution, because there is a deeper, underlying madness in everyone's heart because of knowing the time here on earth is short. This internal madness becomes manifest in man's personality as uncaring attitudes. The Bible attempts to explain to us why we have such short lives.

If man can get past his mortality, then many other goals and aspirations can be accomplished for the betterment of mankind. Is not this mortality, the most important hurdle to overcome? Maybe the Creator (if you believe in one) can help us with this.

Brien

Adam, I have a 10" UO mirror cell in front of me. The measurement from the screw on the outside of the mirror clip to the screw on the other side is 11+5/16th". But I would think that you would need at least 1/2" more room for the white nylon side screws which jut out further. These screws are tightened in to barely touch the side of the mirror, so the mirror does not move much. You may have to cut the screws if you have tight clearances with your telescope tube as the screws are 1" in length.

Brien Stratton

Bill, I have not used the design you mention for joining poles, but I think it is a nice design. Maybe adding epoxy to the nut/inserts might help to make sure they don't come apart, although tightening them down may be sufficient.

Brien

Bill, nice to hear from you, have been distracted for awhile, moving, work, ect.

Brien

It's nice to have some agreement Michael. I guess it is a bit of conjecture about the Nephilim not being able to procreate on the part of the authors of the book I was quoting from. I am surmising their reasons are as the following:

The Nephilim were a hybrid lifeform that were the combination of a spirit being and a human woman. This may be based by observing other hybrids in the natural world, like a female horse and a male donkey, which can only produce a mule which is usually infertile. Their ofspring were probably sterile as it was never designed for spirits to have sexual unions with humans.

Brien

Very stark, moving, picture Floyd. I would like to share with you some positive things the Messiah, Jesus Christ will be engaged in when he starts to exercise his full reign in power over the earth:

Micah 4

1 "But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem;
3 and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it."

The good news also is that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and we will see our dead loved ones again:

Acts 24:14,15 (Paul)

14 "But I do admit this to you, that, according to the way that they call a 'sect,' in this manner I am rendering sacred service to the God of my forefathers, as I believe all the things set forth in the Law and written in the Prophets; 15 and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."

Brien

We are supposed to be created in his image (some don't like to hear that). Not that God has arms, feet, ect. but has similar qualities. Humans like to ponder and produce plans and designs in their minds to produce something like a telescope, ect. Then they gather the necessary materials, and produce something that enriches their lives. Humans also like dialogue with other creatures like themselves, and even lower creatures like animals, which they can relate to on a certain level.

Therefore, I can see God doing the same; pondering by himself, designs for a spiritual, and physical cosmos. He then produced it out of his abundant energy. He found satisfaction communicatiing with other intelligent spirit (angels) creatures, and enjoys physical creatures like humans also. So in a sense the creation is enriching his existence in return, giving him a sense of accomplishment, and dialogue with other creatures.

Brien

I was wondering if you have a conventional diagonal holder (that cups around the diagonal), or is your scope design just an open plate that you need to attach the diag. mirror with glue/sealant in order for it not to fall on the primary?

I think the best solution would be to get a conventional diagonal holder and let the mirror sit in there freely, with only the cotton backing gently pressing on its' back to keep it into place. To install a conventional diagonal holder, may also mean having to change your spider to a conventional type too, to accept the new diagonal holder, if your original design will not accept the new holder. If you still get bad images, then you probably need to get a better quality diagonal mirror.