419 reputation
318
bio website fivesecondreview.wordpress.co…
location Pasadena, CA
age 39
visits member for 1 year, 7 months
seen 11 hours ago
stats profile views 24

My day-to-day work is with a combination of C, ksh and PL/SQL. I enjoy asking and answering questions that come up at work. I also dabble in Perl, lua and LaTeX. My boss has asked me to learn Python as well.

My favorite living philosopher is Alvin Plantinga and my favorite dead philosopher is Blaise Pascal. I think Paul of Tarsus is too little credited as a force in Western philosophy. If you think I'm a Christian, you're right.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. -- 1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (ESV)

At home, I have a potted herb garden, potted dwarfed citrus, and a hanging hummingbird garden. My wife and I are also trying to grow a son, but he's harder to feed and train properly.


Aug
7
comment Why can't an illegitimate child enter the temple?
See also: The assembly of the LORD on Biblical Hermeneutics.
Jul
16
awarded  Constituent
Jul
13
comment
Monica is one of my favourite participants on Biblical Hermeneutics, where she must deal with people who are frankly rude and abusive at times. She always handles these situations with pose, profesionallism, and grace. I can't think of a person with a better temprament for moderating your site. (On the other hand, I oppose this nomination as it will give Monica less time to answer questions on BH.SE. ;-)
Jul
9
awarded  Caucus
May
21
awarded  Autobiographer
May
7
comment Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
@HodofHod: That's a really helpful comment. Can the principle be extended to men? What about people who merely hope to get married (even if they don't have any immediate prospects)?
May
4
awarded  Commentator
May
4
comment Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
@Isaac: I agree. It's a great source for the text of the NJPS translation, but response to my contribution was distinctly underwhelming. On the BH chat we briefly contemplated some sort of collaboration, but it didn't really go anywhere. (Because we gave up. :-( )
May
4
comment Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
@Monica: Yes, that sounds like what I'm asking. The way Wikipedia puts it (in the article introduction) is that virginity is often "associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth." Do any (or all) of these apply?
May
4
awarded  Editor
May
4
revised Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
Added an example text.
May
3
asked Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
Mar
12
awarded  Talkative
Mar
12
comment What was the main subject of controversy between the Rabbis and Yeshu (Jesus)?
I disagree with @Monica that this is a good overview of church history. The section on Paul is overly speculative. There's bits of truth mixed in with obviously misleading statements. For instance, I don't know of any scholar who doubts that Paul wrote the letters to Rome, Corinth, and Galatia, which cover the core of his teaching. The claims about early Christian synagogue and Sabbath practices ought to be sourced.
Mar
11
comment What was the main subject of controversy between the Rabbis and Yeshu (Jesus)?
If you want to "explore the Jewish roots of Christianity" you might consider asking on the Christianity site. (But the answer you got was enlightening to me.)
Mar
11
comment What was the main subject of controversy between the Rabbis and Yeshu (Jesus)?
From the Christian perspective, the real dispute began with Paul of Tarsus around 50 CE. (Stories about Jesus show that he was in conflict with other Rabbis He was executed because Rome saw him as a revolutionary and there is a strong implication that the crowds turned against him when he claimed divinity. But those stories were edited sometime after Paul.)
Mar
11
comment What was the main subject of controversy between the Rabbis and Yeshu (Jesus)?
From what I know of early Christianity, each of these rules seem like reasonable responses to Paul's teachings. There's an indication that #3 had already begun: "For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." (Romans 9:3-5 ESV)
Feb
26
awarded  Nice Question
Feb
17
awarded  Scholar
Feb
17
accepted Is there a model of reconciliation in the Tanach?