Sunday 14 April 2019

TL:DR: The Genesis Question part forty-nine

Hi, Everybody!

So, two things:

1, the bizness:
The Jaka's Story remaster has a Starcode! APR191258 First month orders will be signed and numbered! Cue Your Friend and Mine, Sean Robinson:
This is just a reminder that you have until April 25th to order the SIGNED, REMASTERED, SELF-DRIVING JAKA'S STORY from your local comic shop!

Regarding that "signed and numbered" bit-- I've discussed it with Dave, and there's a slight change compared to how it was discussed before. Dave will be signing the ENTIRE print run of the book. If stores order X copies, and Diamond orders Y copies over the initial order of X, Dave will be signing X + Y copies total. But the catch is, we have no idea how many copies Diamond will "pad" the order by. So! If you want a signed and numbered copy, you still should proceed with GREAT HASTE to your comic shop and order a copy! But if you're a gambler, and you want to take a chance on it... you might be able to still pick up a signed copy from Diamond shortly after the street date for the book.

Secondly, we would love to have your help in selecting the image (or images) to use for the Jaka's Story bookplate! We'll be printing these on Avery labels. They're 3.5" x 5", and they will be signed by Dave and machine-numbered. Do you have a favorite image from the book, something that's somehow representative and also an attractive stand-alone image? Do you have a design concept? Well, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a message in the comments, or email us at cerebusarthunt at gmail.com. And I'll send the winner who selects the final image a special prize in the mail.

Thirdly (and lastly)—as I've been going over the book with a fine-toothed comb, I've been mulling over what to do about three of the five Jaka's Story pages sourced from newsprint instead of original art. And I've decided to give a shot to re-toning these three pages, that is, digitally removing the Cerebus tone and creating new tone to replace it.

Are you adept at Photoshop, and have a bit of time in the upcoming week? Would you like to "adopt" one of these three pages for your own? Would you liked to be thanked in the back of Jaka's Story? if the answer is "yes" to all three of these questions, please write to me as soon as possible at cerebusarthunt at gmail dot com!

Thanks for your eyeballs and your time, everyone! I hope you enjoy the book. It won't be long now...

Best,
Sean
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There's a special AMOC auction for the cover of Green Dante/Green Virgil. (Currently winning with $1277.00 US Dollars is: 高伯乐 (Gao BoLe))  
The remastered Volume 1 is available digitally for $9.99.

Greg Hyland is Kickstartering the second volume of the Monster Atlas, and if he gets another hundred and twenty-nine bucks CAD ($97 USD), it'll have Gerhard art like the first volume. It'll look a little something like this.
2, I ran out of pages from issue 289/290 to run in front of Dave's Genesis Question commentaries. Dave suggested I use Jewish, Christian or Muslim religious images. But then, Superman's Frenemy: David Birdsong sent in a bunch of (so far) unused Cerebus in Hell? images and now I'ma gonna run them. So:
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image by Doré, Sim & Birdsong
4 January 15

Hi Troy & Mia!

Mr. Ross' next citation is:  Psalms 85:11

Truth shall spring out of the earth: and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

It's certainly, in my view, a commendable hope -- in the "maybe someday" category.  It seems also to point to David as a conduit for both God and the YHWH, while, in my view (again), inclining towards the latter rather than the former. That seems very far from being useful as a citation of anything, in my opinion, though.

The Psalm itself is dedicated "to the chief musician, a Psalm [for/of] the sons of Korah"  which, to me, is something of an eyebrow-raiser.  Korah was the rebel figure who challenged Moshe's exclusive authority over the emigrating Hebrew people. 

(The rebellion is not an unexpected event in the context of the narrative, since Moshe himself is quoted as saying immediately prior to that that he would think it wonderful if ALL of the people were prophets and would prophesy.  You have to be careful what you enunciate and how you enunciate it when you're in the prophetic "catbird seat" as Moshe was.  Miriam and Aaron also appeared to take the enunciation a little too literally and needed to be "smacked down" by the YHWH as a result)

It raises my eyebrows because a Psalm "of" or "for" the sons of an individual who was literally devoured by the earth (that is, the YHWH) for his perfidy seems more than a little weird.  "Of" is one kind of weird:  the sons of Korah are communicating with us from their crushed-to-death demise within the earth through David?  "For" is a different kind of weird:  David, on his own initiative, has decided something needs to be said "for" Korah's sons at this late date? 

YHWH, thou hast been [favourable/well pleased] unto thy land:  thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.



This verse seems to me to point in the direction of the extreme ambiguity of the YHWH.  You can bring back the captivity of Jacob by freeing Jacob or you can bring the captivity of Jacob by imposing it.  The way it's phrased makes it irrefutable:  either or both being a source of the YHWH being either or both "favourable" and/or "well pleased".    

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

I read the same contextual ambiguity here:  "thou hast covered all their sin" can be read as forgiving sin by covering it over, judgementally…

…OR as indicating the ubiquitous presence of the YHWH when it comes to sin (which, personally, I would infer):  the YHWH is the superstructure of all sin committed by the Hebrew people whether they're aware of it or not.  The "Selah" appearing at the end of the second verse suggests to me that these were two artful and poisonous assertions suggested to David by the YHWH which David then -- guilelessly and good-naturedly -- transcribed.  Not realizing that what he was doing was really taking the YHWH's side and indicting God (the relationship between Korah and Moshe being comparable to the relationship between the YHWH and God: rebellion expressing itself, contextually, in similar ways).

The first two verses, I read as being the twofold artful and poisonous YHWHistic expression.  Full stop.  Then with the next verse, the YHWH (as I read it) comments favourably upon his/her/its self and the ascribed actions:  bringing the captivity of Jacob and covering the Hebrew people's sin:

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath:  [thou hast turned from the fierceness of thine anger/thou hast turned thine anger from waxing hot]

Which (as I read it) is pure provocation directed at God, basically compounding the twofold artful and poisonous observations on the "captivity" and "covering sin" -- which I think need to be inferred negatively despite the ambiguous phrasing -- by adding to it the suggestion that (between the two) the YHWH is feeling pretty well self-satisfied and beneficent.  I mean, not really. It's the YHWH.  Self-satisfaction and beneficence are always just going to be cosmetic "outward shows of this life present".    

Turn us, O God of our salvation: and cause thine anger towards us to cease.

This, as I read it, raises the provocation of God to a higher level by suggesting that it is God and God's anger which is the cause of the Hebrew people's problems (the YHWH having "brought back the captivity of Jacob" and "covered all their sin") and that it is up to God to "turn us" -- the YHWH and the Hebrew people -- "and cause thine anger towards us to cease". 

Which strikes me as pure misconstruction and -- I would suggest -- a misconstruction which the YHWH was fully aware WAS a misconstruction.  The point isn't for God to turn ANYONE -- Moshe, Korah or the YHWH or you or me.  God has constructed our physically-incarnated context -- planet earth -- and facilitated its population and successive "replenishments" by a multiplicity of physical incarnations (birth, life, death) for the express purpose of allowing ALL spirit within that context the opportunity to incarnate, grow, evolve, develop and enact. 

Turn YOURSELF in whatever direction seems sensible to YOU whoever YOU are.  God is just one option among many.  Do you think something BESIDES God is a sensible choice?  Choose whatever that is.  And then live with the consequences.

Inferring "anger" from that just strikes me as "projection" of the worst and most delusional kind.  If you're a "rebel Korah" you're going to do that: basically rebel and then endeavour to externalize your rebellion and the consequence of your rebellion.  Basically blaming God and God's "anger" because you've made a stupid choice which has made you fundamentally and irretrievably unhappy.      

Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?  Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

Again, I don't think God is angry and that this is just -- failed -- YHWHistic provocation.  If you sincerely choose God and acknowledge His sovereignty you are going to experience tests and consequences.  My inference -- and my experience -- is that God isn't angry with you when He tests you or when you experience unanticipated consequences.  Tests, and passing tests, is a way of improving yourself.  He doesn't test you to find out what you will do.  He already knows what you will do.  He's omniscient. What His structure does, the context we all inhabit, is to present successive "forks in the road" -- one right and one wrong -- and then leave it up to us to choose, successively.  In many -- if not most -- instances of choosing, the appeal of both is carefully balanced and attuned to your own personal preferences.  One leads "Up" and one leads "Down".  You make enough "Up" choices and you go "Up".  If you make enough "Down" choices you end up "Down".  And the further "Down" you go the more likely you are to see God as being angry with you and everyone like you -- in perpetuity.     

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Well, there WERE revival points in human history -- watershed moments like Jesus' ministry and Muhammad's prophethood -- which made God's salvation more immediately apparent to those in proximity.  But, as we know from the documentation of those times, that didn't mean a universal "Up" state.  People still chose and many people in direct proximity to the Johannine Jesus and the Synoptic Jesus still chose "Down" instead of "Up" -- and thought that they were making the best choice.  Not being fooled (as they would have seen it).

There are, I infer, built-in limits to God's structure.  I infer that there would be no point in stacking the deck in His favour.  Quite the contrary.  Sending a Jesus or a Muhammad to every neighbourhood in every city in every country in every generation (well within God's ability) might result in a more godly world but it really wouldn't prove anything worth proving.  All that is worth proving is that God's creation is good -- even, or, rather, especially -- when the choices are so carefully balanced between good and bad. 

I was just thinking today, before I read Psalm 85, "If half the population of the United States would, tomorrow, decide to fast, sunrise to sundown, and pray five times a day -- to God or YHWH or both if you really think both ARE God -- and give up alcohol and televised sports for two months, I'm pretty sure that an exponential improvement would result. A staggering exponential improvement from which there would be no going back." 

COULD it happen? 

Well, technically, sure.  We all have free will.  We can all do whatever we want for the next two months. 

WOULD it happen?  Well, no, not likely. 

On the other side of the equation, I could decide to stop fasting, stop praying, buy a widescreen TV and a full cable sports package and start drinking five beers a day for the next two months.  Is there anyone who really believes that would be an "Up" choice on my part?

But, the general population of North America, not having chosen fasting and prayer and NO sports and NO alcohol are (pretty much guaranteed) going to be stuck in the "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" paradigm. 

My answer would be:  do you have another way of waking people up? 

I mean, given that MOST of us, at least intellectually, would agree that fasting and prayer are better choices than televised sports and alcohol, what do you do to get people with a "white-knuckle" grip on their TV remote and their booze to even CONSIDER letting go?  I mean, not FOREVER.  Two months.  HUMOUR God.  Even though you know so much better than He does what You. Absolutely. Need. In. Your. Life.  Give His way a two-month "benefit of the doubt". 

Two months from now, you don't feel revived, you still feel God is angry with you or angry with mankind in general.  You've just missed out on a lot of good NFL games and some drinks you badly needed after a trying day. 

BUT! What if there IS an exponential improvement?       

The Psalm concludes (as I read it) with the YHWH stacking the deck in his/her/its favour:  redemption comes only from the YHWH and pleading with the YHWH.  Only the YHWH can "show" mercy and "grant" salvation:

Show us thy mercy, O YHWH: and grant us thy salvation.

As I read it, God then replies through David:

I will hear what God the YHWH will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

That, to me, is very basic God Thinking, based in irrefutable Reality.  "YHWH the God" or "God the YHWH", it's immaterial to God which term you want to use to express Him.  Your awareness of God, the irrefutable Him who created you and everything else is much deeper than the "name of things" part of you.  "He will speak peace unto His people".  He always did, he always does, through His scriptures.  He isn't angry.  He never is and He never will be.  You go too far in the wrong direction and you'll punish yourself.  You go far in the right direction and you'll reward yourself.  But you'll always face tests as long as you're alive.  "Let them not turn again to folly."  Don't blame God if you do "turn again to folly".  You know better.   

Surely His salvation nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Salvation is always "nigh".  It's always right next to you.  It's always the best on-going choice and it's always there, available, and ready to be chosen.  And then stuck with.  You know -- or, at least, suspect -- what "folly" is.  Turn away from it and don't turn back to it.  And make that your central policy. 

Mercy and truth are met: righteousness and peace have kissed.

It's a very good way of putting it.  However temporarily the YHWH had "turned from the fierceness of thine anger" -- and presumably it was quite temporary -- it, temporarily, put God and the YHWH on the same page. Mercy and truth ARE met. Not "mercy and truth HAVE met";  "ARE met".  As in: confronted head-on, a square-on meeting place.  For God, of course, mercy and truth are ALWAYS "met".  God's grace -- God's undeserved kindness -- in constructing the totality of creation in such a way to make everything so perfectly balanced that the only thing that can affect the balance of creation is individual choice enacted and acted upon bespeaks the implicit total integrity of mercy and truth and how they are "met". 

Righteousness and peace aren't fused together in a permanent union in the YHWH's context any more than two sets of lips are fused together in a permanent union in a kiss.  But the text implies that there has been, as with a kiss, an actual point of contact between righteousness and peace. The YHWH HAS been, in the words of the Psalmist, "[favourable/well pleased]" unto Israel.  Not in a covert or manipulative or ironic or artful or poisonous way but sincerely.  If there are more connotations of "Down" than "Up" in the subsequent sentiments expressed, well, only God knows the genuine extent of any of His creations' sincerity.  And here He appears to acknowledge the YHWH's sincerity. 

Truth shall spring out of the earth: and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

It strikes me, as I said, as a commendable hope in a "maybe someday" context.  That is, I don't think truth will "spring out of the earth" overnight.  I think the YHWH is -- like mankind in general -- too far into the mindset of "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" to make any more than…fitful…progress.  That's really the essence of the core folly:  making progress and then…turning back to folly.  Either the same folly or a new folly.  In the YHWH's case, can the YHWH let go of the folly of thinking the YHWH to BE God?  My guess would be:  intermittently and anecdotally, "yes".   Generally, over the short term and for the immediate future?  My guess would be: "no". 

But, over the LONG term, God seems pretty definitive on the subject as expressed by David:    

Yea, the YHWH shall give that which is good: and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him  and shall set in the way of his steps.

Next week:  Psalms 97 (God willing).

Best,

Dave
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Next Time: You guys got your Taxes done yet?

31 comments:

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

So Dave feels that if half the population of a foreign country were like him, the world would be a better place? That's just the kind of rigorous thinking that has given Dave the reputation he enjoys today!

-- Damian

Anonymous said...

"If half the population of the United States would, tomorrow, decide to fast, sunrise to sundown, and pray five times a day -- to God or YHWH or both if you really think both ARE God -- and give up alcohol and televised sports for two months, I'm pretty sure that an exponential improvement would result. A staggering exponential improvement from which there would be no going back."

Yes, because in those countries where alcohol is forbidden, blasphemy is punishable by imprisonment or death, and people pray five times a day and fast regularly...like Afghanistan, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, or Yemen...they have seen such an exponential improvement in their well-being over the years that they now clearly outstrip those dirty, decadent Western countries in terms of literacy, healthcare, education, and protection of civil rights, and enjoy a quality of life the rest of the world envies.

What pathetic lunacy.

Jeff said...

That Dore print is gorgeous. Anyone else notice the "demon head" and/or "skull" in the rocks on the left side?

Lee Thacker said...

Well spotted, Jeff. There's also the hint of a Cerebus head on the bottom right hand side...

David Johnson said...

Thanks again Dave for the commentary, and thanks to you Matt Dow for posting them. Psalm 85:11 - "Truth shall spring out of the earth: and righteousness shall look down from heaven." I like how Spiritually, this scripture points to how Jesus would raise from the grave, and out of the tomb or earth. In Hebrew, the word righteousness is tzadiq (One of the letters also of the Hebrew alphabet.), which was once a picture of a green wheat shoot just starting to sprout 'up' out of the earth, which pointed to Jesus as that finished harvest coming.


Dave saying, "The YHWH is the superstructure of all sin.," reminds me of the Death Star, and how in a feminist sense, Satan tries to sub-plant Jesus as the prophetic star that raises out of Jacob, which is also called the day star that rises 'up' in our hearts, when we're saved.

I like Dave's, "Forks In The Road" statement, that God lets us be tested by 'up' and 'down' choices. Verse 11 shows that truth springing 'up, and God's righteousness looking 'down.' I like Dave calling David a 'conduit' too, which reminds me of the 'up' and 'down' quality to Jacob, seeing the ladder reaching 'up' to heaven, which the angels were ascending 'up' and 'down' it, in that 'conduit' way, which pointed to Jesus saying in John's gospel to his disciples, that henceforth they would see the angels of heaven ascending up and down, upon the son of man, which I think Dave thinks means the synoptic Jesus, but which I believe to mean Jesus as the conduit that came out of David.


I also like how Dave talks about Korah and the others going down into the earth, while afterwards God tells the people to take the censers up out of the ashes, because they'd be smashed into plates because of their trespass.


I like Dave's point about how we should pray, read scriptures, and fast to God in what I'd call a Gideon like, laying out the fleece twice sort of way to test the Lord, because scriptures say that God's constantly searching with his eyes across the earth, to show his self strong on behalf of those who seek him. Dave talks about how we should leave behind, what I call our Egypt like sins that Jesus saves us out of, when we're saved, and I confess in relation to his words about coveting TV and such, I too yesterday took back my cellphone and earbuds to the store, and got my money back, because it was taking me away from Jesus. Do you see how in all these things Matt and Margret Liss, and others that what I've said to all of you lately about the direction that Cerebus In Hell and such is taking, in these things, and how it shows that Dave's love is God, and not Cerebus?


About God, scriptures say, "He will speak peace to his people, but don't let them return to folly." Thank you Jesus, and thank you Dave, and thanks to everyone who has ears to hear, what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To Jesus be the glory forever and ever. Amen.


David Birdsong, if you're reading this, what I emailed you about, I meant that I no longer have email. Thanks.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Speaking of pathetic lunacy: ladies and gentlemen, David J. Thank goodness we have Davey to inform us that Dave's love is god not Cerebus; we'd never have gotten that on our own by relying solely on Dave's own statements for 20+ years.

-- Damian

Anonymous said...

'Dave saying, "The YHWH is the superstructure of all sin.," reminds me of the Death Star, and how in a feminist sense, Satan tries to sub-plant Jesus as the prophetic star that raises out of Jacob, which is also called the day star that rises 'up' in our hearts, when we're saved.'

Ah yes, just like the Death Star.

Sim's insanity seems to be contagious.

Tony Dunlop said...

How sad that when someone finally tries to engage with Dave's commentaries, he is met with nothing but scorn and name-calling. And I don't think the "Death Star" was intended as a Disney/pop culture reference...was it, David? I took it as referring to a biblical prophecy, most likely the Revelation to St. John (but I can't be bothered to actually look it up).

A blessed Holy Week to any Western Christians in the audience.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Tony D.: You feel that if one lunacy is met with another lunacy, it is worth of respect? "Lunacy + lunacy = sanity" is not really a valid equation.

-- Damian

Tony again said...

Asking a Dave Sim fan how he "feels" about something...? I THINK not!

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

All you little boys emulate Daddy Dave in that your "thinking" consists of inventing justifications for your feelings, after the fact.

-- Damian

Jeff said...

Ah! Finally!! After having been called out, appropriately, by me, and having been admonished by this site's administrator, Damian took some time off. BUT!!!

He's ba-aack! Troll away, Dame, and let everyone know what an ...

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Huh? Jeff called me out? The site's admin admonished me? When?

-- Damian

David Johnson said...

Damian, thanks for sharing your thoughts about mine and such. As for me saying that Dave's love is God and not Cerebus, I see what you mean exactly, and if it helps, I want you to know that I more meant that some Cerebus fans choose to ignore that fact, and hope that if they only keep hoping that Dave will at some point give into their hopes (I call it sin myself, but out of respect to Dave when referring to it here, call it feminisim.), and have Cerebus, Jaka, and everyone living happily ever in hell. Dave's new commentary I meant, is what I see as an excellent example of this. Dave stated clearly that to him, worldly things aren't the point, but that God is. Yet, some fans every week here and elsewhere come back again and again, and relive what they choose to call the glory days of Dave's funny period, while never discussing God or salvation as Dave did in his commentary.

I agree with you and understand that most fans know that Dave loves God above all else, and recognize that A Moment Of Cerebus and such (And I am glad for Matt Dow, Margret Liss and others for making their contributions here and elsewhere.), are theirs and not Dave's sites exploring their ideas and likes on Cerebus, but I want you to know, that as you're only sharing your opinions of your dislike for Dave and Cerebus, I too am only in my opinion sharing my different ones. Yet, may you please also consider my council, when suggesting that if you really dislike Dave and any of us for liking him, as much as you say, even though I and some others likewise appreciate your opposing opinions, I think I can speak for us all and add, that we think you would be much better be happily off, by channeling your energies elsewhere, or else you're only in your own way going to becoming worse than what you call those of us.


For Anonymous, thanks too for your thoughts. Again, same for you as for Damian. Also, if or if not you know that you can share your name with us, Matt requests that all contributors here supply their name. If you don't want to use your name, could you at least use a pen name or such? But, I encourage you to simply share your name. I'm glad to hear your thoughts either way, but to some not leaving your name's rude. If you want to leave it, can't, don't know how or such (Even I recently twice messed up and left it off.), one of us or I would be glad to help you out in doing it. As to your opinion, others and myself would much rather happily hear your solution to what you call our insanity, in contrast to your complaints, which is what criteria Steven Spielberg and others uses when hiring his staff and such. Thanks.

Tony thanks and thanks for the Easter mention. As to your Death Star question, I honestly think George Lucas was presenting us with what was the finished idea, to what began as an idea he got from the Asian film Hidden Fortress. In an earlier draft, he had Luke and the gang going to a floating space city (I can't remember if he said he later incorporated that into Cloud City in Empire Strikes Back.), and then later escaping that and then also at the end going to the Death Star, but George dropped the city idea for it being too much like the Death Star idea. George has said before in interviews, that the DS was only his idea of a super built moon sized planet destroyer.

But, what I personally meant was, that, yes, that according to Dave's thinking (And, I was trying to reach some of you with Christ by addressing recent things that some of you're talking about here, like Vark Wars.), I agree with you (At least in part.) that spiritually speaking unknown to George and his staff at the time, Satan had his own ideas for what the DS pointed to. This gets into Dave's type of thinking I think. (Continued in Pt 2.)

David Johnson said...

Part 2

I often see Jesus and Satan, in what Dave calls YHWH's grande comedy, fighting out a spiritual battle over our souls. Jesus and Dave have no interest in Star Wars, but with the DS I see Satan in Dave's thinking, in the past trying to sell Jesus on his great idea for a future Star Wars movie, that will surely glorify Jesus, which to Jesus was pure lunacy. To me, Star Wars, the DS, and such are surely Satan trying to imply that he is the symbolic prophetic star of Jacob (Jesus) that will come to rule the universe. His idea falls apart right away, when it becomes the means to destroy it.

But, yes Tony, and thanks for asking, and I just this week told some other Cerebus fan this, I think that the DS was Satan's idea of the New Jerusalem of Revelation. By default, I mean in what I've said before, I think as scriptures say that all people have to be prophetic on some level, because Jesus a prophet created them in God's and his image. So with Star Wars, I see George accidentally pointing to Jesus as the Seed of Adam destroying the seed of the serpent. Jesus was safely kept anonymous inside the bosom of the Father, while the egg of Eve didn't come into contact with God's Seed, until God sent it into Mary years later, when it gave conception to Mary's egg by the Holy Spirit overshadowing it. To me, we accidentally by default see this concept at work in Leia being kept safely anonymous from the Emperor, which to me goes along with Dave's concept of the two Sons of fresh oil analogy, where I see them as being once Jesus and Lucifer, but now Jesus and us taking Lucifer's place in the future bosom of the Father with Jesus.

Luke and Leia were twins. Dave thinks Jesus had a twin. I think the twin was Lucifer. In Star Wars, we had Vader, who I see pointing to Satan, having to have those DS plans. As you kind of said Tony, Revelation shows how Satan as the dragon went and made war, with Eve and her seed and offspring, which is the New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ. But, in SW Leia hides the DS plans (Pointing to the Seed and New Hope of Jesus Christ.) in R2 D2, which escapes with C3PO in the escape pod (The Seed kind of.), and is ignored by the Empire workers as probably only another malfunction, which again I think points by default to Jesus being hidden in God's loins until his time came. Even scriptures hint at this, with Rachel telling her father in law that she could not get off her camel, because it was her monthly time of impurity, but her 'gods' that he was looking for were under her in its furniture. In another place, Saul the king of Israel hides among the camel furniture. Also, a king of Judah was hidden as a baby from the evil Israelite Queen trying to kill him, and for six years he is hidden before becoming king. All of these things point to Jesus as our God being hidden in the Father and coming through Mary, and it is God's way of mocking Satan. To me, that is brilliant and I love Jesus and think it proves more his existence, and the Father's love to send his only son to die for us on the cross.

As to your question to Tony to Damian about feeling, if you are talking about Dave's views that there are no such things as feelings from God given to us by him, I know what you mean, but I do not believe that, and believe Jesus made us to have natural affection. If you meant something else, please let me know and I can comment on it. Thanks again for everyone's thoughts. If anyone wants to continue any of these things or any other about Jesus, please feel free to contact me at my email at bloodrosecomics@gmail.com. If anyone wants to know how to be saved (And, most of what I wrote here was not the needful things of salvation.), call upon the name of the Lord, repent of their sins, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost. To all who will receive it in Christ, Jesus bless.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Quick thoughts that strike me after wading through David J.'s vomitus above:

1) David J. seems surprised people prefer to discuss Cerebus on "A Moment of Cerebus". I think he's looking for "A Moment of Dave Sim's Cobbled-Together Bonehead Religion".

2) David J. is obviously a member of the Cult of Seilerism, a schismatic (well, one year out of 15, anyway) variation of the High and Holy Ecumenical Church of Dave, in believing that that criticism of Dave can be motivated only by hatred and / or jealousy, and in disrespecting anonymous comments while refusing refusing to engage with their content.

3) David J. has convinced me! Lucifer is Jesus's twin brother, just like it says in that well-known Bible verse Journal of the Whills 77:5.

4) David J. says he "was trying to reach some of you with Christ", to which I reply: you are unqualified to do that.

-- Damian

Tony again said...

Oh, so it was a Disney pop culture reference. Never mind.
And Damian, the "feel" vs. "think" thing was an attempt at lighthearted humor, that's all.

Tony one more time said...

By the way, I'm pretty sure David J. is trolling us.

Jeff said...

Damian? Please leave me the FUCK out of any further posts which you feel (curiously) compelled to write. I am not your compadre, your friend, your journalistic jouster; nor, am I your enemy.

I have slightly more than zero interest in you (as evidenced by this reluctant retort), but I am more than tired of your "poking the bear" bullshit. Knock it off and crawl back into your hidey-hole.

Anonymous said...

The Death Star. THE Death Star. The Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Vader, Alderaan-destroying Death Star.

Nice of you to try to give him an out, but no, he was talking about THE Death Star.

This is, as far as I can tell, the only true acolyte Sim has (in the religious/YHWH sense), and, it turns out, he was talking about THE Death Star.

You couldn't make this shit up if you tried.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Jeff S.: Let me turn your own advice on you: if you don't want to read stuff I write, go away and read something else. There are one or two other sites on Web.

-- Damian

Mouse Skull Entertainment said...

Damian,

About Cerebus?

I want names and links!

(The kid in the bunny suit is MY ballywig, and I ain't letting go without a fight...)

Matt

David Johnson said...

Damian, again, thanks for your opinions. Concerning your points:

1. Thanks, no, I know you know that I like discussing God and Jesus Christ, in relation to how Dave and Cerebus within Dave's own separate views of mine and others, on 'these Dave Scriptural Commentaries,' where I understand that all of you have your own opinions, but I don't comment on the non-commentary posts. Therefore, to help you and all others, I was saying that within the context of You, Others, and I commenting 'here on these Dave Scriptural Commentaries,' yes, taking into consideration Dave's, Other Christians here, and my Christian faith of Jesus, I do want people like yourself to know, that Damian, if you come here into our house so to speak as a servant, and continue to be more guilty of contradictory statements than Dave, Others, or I of, which if so, we've apologized or will, when you say we can't discuss our opinions in our own house, remember that's it written in scriptures, that the servant doesn't remain in the house forever.

2. Damian, I'm engaging with you and answering your rebuttals with mine, and not not engaging. You're refusing them.

3. Very good. The Journal Of The Will's, is a good example in my thinking. Originally, George Lucas had it as a quote before the 'Long Time Ago' roll in earlier drafts of Star Wars, where it said I think, that someday the Son of The Sun would come and clear away all greyness, which tied in with Obi-Wan's statements about the dark times that had darkened the earlier age of light. I loved the 'wills' in that way, because to me, when adapting it to my own thinking as a witnessing tool to reach others, that is what the Old and New Testament are ---- an Old and New last will and testament. It's written, without the death of the testator, there's no testament. Therefore, to me, I could say, Darth Vader's sacrifice to save his Son (Sun), relates to restoring the Light of Christ to one's life, by Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. Damian, when one who speaks nicely to you, they arent against you. Don't hurt your own self by rejecting Jesus' and Others love, when they've done you no wrong.

4. No, you're rejecting our love and Christ's. Matt Dow and Others of us have been long suffering with you. I am a Christian. It's your opinion that I have no ability to lead others to him. Seeing you have no part or parcel in these things, Others and myself will continue to rejoice, and you will not make our glorying in God void.

David Johnson said...

Tony, thanks for your comments. I took you for the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, now seeing you share Damian's views, what I said to him in my comments to him (#1-4), I also share with you, and no, I am not trolling, which if it were so, let anyone else here bring witness to that if they have any. It's people like Damian and you that don't belong on AMOC. If Matt Dow will not kick you off. Jesus soon will. Mark my words everyone.

Anonymous, thanks for your words. Yes, you're right. I'm a follower of Jesus.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Dude, of course I'm not engaging with you. I think you're nuts.

-- Damian

Lee Thacker said...

'Tony one more time said...
By the way, I'm pretty sure David J. is trolling us.'
Good call, Tony (and Damian). Of Course he is!
More nonsense/badly worded sentences from David J: 'Matt Dow and Others of us have been long suffering with you.' Who are these 'Others'(capitalised)? His posts strike me as being from a sad, lonely Star Wars fan who happened to stumble upon AMOC and decided to 'interact' with 'Dave' (not realising that 'Dave' never reads these posts. (David J: 'Thanks again Dave for the commentary'). Yeah, thanks, David J.

Tony again said...

Well, Lee, I'm not always the quickest on the uptake, but that can't not be parody...right?

David Johnson said...

Damian, Tony, Lee (Thanks for your opinion.), Matt (Yes, I've caught your clever subtle attacks at me and Jesus here and there lately.), and the rest of you feminists, I am done with you. Lee, I mean the Other Christian readers Dave has, who view this sight, who are also being lukewarm and not backing me up in Christ, and neither are they backing up Dave, because they are too scared to suffer Godly persecution. You know exactly who I am talking about and yes I know that Dave has long stopped replying back to you also for the same reasons. I like how all of you admit you're haters of Jesus and Dave. Matt, who I thank for posting these commentaries and such each week, even so much in one breath, recently asked us all to disown Dave over the Mr. Sciver thing, and one second later goes ahead and starts his weekly phone calls with Dave, like nothing ever happened and did not apologize. I do not know who made up that silly 13 year old girl parody, who spoke of influencers and such, because even Matt said he was silly for not mentioning his name, but I am saying whoever did that video falsely exaggerated old events, that Dave had already resolved years ago, and I mean that and all of these recent flare ups, are only on purpose to hurt Dave, and that is obvious. I am surprised Margret even still posts here. She encourages me to be nice to you, but I am not speaking for Margret or anyone else. It is clear to me that the inner circle who run this site, and I do not speak for those of you who truly love Christ and Dave, are only feminists bashing God and Dave. Please carry on and Jesus will take care of you, but you would be wise to repent, and then you would be rewarded. Please comment back because I will not see it. I am going to check your comments on the newest commentary, and if those are like these, you can have it. No, you have not won, but what more can I say for you? I look forward to the next phone conversation with Matt, where I have asked him to discuss some of these things there.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Well, at least that's over!

Oh, and Jeff S.? Still waiting to hear where you called me out, Braveheart.

-- Damian

David Johnson said...

P.S.- I just looked up more about Hugh Ross, who wrote The Genesis Question that Dave is currently citing scriptures from, from Hugh's list of scriptures that he says proves God created the universe. I am glad I did so because I found out that Hugh also believes rightly that evolution is wrong, but also wrongly believes that the universe is billions of years old and such. He says that some scriptures that are implying such things like a six day creation and such, but do not mean that. If I say one thing I do not mean the other, and neither does God. Hugh's type of thinking has led other Christians to leave Jesus, which grieves my Spirit.

Hugh has often been a guest on the Coast To Coast AM radio show, which is an alien, paranormal, spirits, witchcraft, mystics, herbal and medicine supplements, ghosts, conspiracy and more show known for lying only to sell books and such, that each episode's next interviewee is selling, who bought his interview time so to speak. Joel Wallach is another constant guest, who sells supplements that he claims will even bring buried people years gone, back to life. He skirts the law selling his products on his own radio shows, and preys on retired people and churches, where he gets false pastors to buy into his gimmick, who likewise con their members, into paying up to $300.00 or more monthly regularly for things, that could cost pennies in comparison from one's local drug store. My Mom was taken in by this man and still hurts my Dad each month, by having him use their retirement to buy it for her.

Everyone who appears on Coast To Coast, are mostly all the same. So, I thank Jesus that I now know that Hugh Ross is part of that group, and not even in the realm of other mainstream Christian books authors and such. I am glad Dave has chosen to ignore Hugh's points in certain areas, and only concentrate on God's scripture, and I rejoice that I found the list of scriptures that Dave is currently quoting from, and now I know what future ones he will be talking on.

Thanks to Jesus, I also read some of some others commenting on Hugh and such, who likewise believed in Jesus, but who were also steeped in much science and speaking things they do not understand and should not, and in several cases, where they tried proving Hugh right, by accident they proved Jesus right. In one case, one of them said that, the earth could not be only about 6,000 years old, because the Hebrew word for such and such meant, that God made it from pre-existing things. Well, thank you, because I totally agree and that is just what scriptures say, and like how all the things one goes to a home appliance store to buy and make one' house with, all of them have been there for some amount of time, and therefore so have God's, which scriptures say he in a fashion had planned out in his head well before time began, and so just naturally, that matches up with carbon dating, and so I rejoice that carbon dating has not proved the universe is billions of years old, but only more so proved to me that God had it all thought out at that time. And, like God says, he brought that entire house of Israel to birth in one day, when Jesus died on the cross and became it's cornerstone, which is just kind of like an Amish barn rising is it not? God is good! Praise the Lord! This is the end of David Johnson's words on A Moment Of Cerebus.

Mouse Skull Entertainment said...

David,

I've been working on a response to the private e-mail you sent me, but here, as there, I believe you've made some assumptions that just aren't true.

I've cleverly and subtly attacked you? (My relationship with Jesus is between me and him, thanks.) Where and when?

I NEVER asked anybody to "disown Dave over the Mr. [Van] Sciver thing". If you believe otherwise, you are greatly mistaken. GREATLY.

Matt Dow
(I'm also confused as to who this "inner circle" David's talking about are. The only people who post here are me, Ben Hobbs (who works on Cerebus in Hell? with Dave), Margaret, and (occasionally) Sean Robinson (who works with Dave). Who on this list is bashing Dave? (God and I have are own arrangement...)