You know back then all the anime features were dubbed in English nowadays it's all in Filipino which is not bad. Back then when listening to FM radio we could have good music, now we get novelties and jokers. Gone are the good progressive radio stations and popping up like mushrooms are the corny ones which clearly states the reality of Philippine music. Back then kids would study because they needed to learn much, now kids study because they want more money. Back then our TV was a national B&W with closing screen doors, now we have big flat screen LCDs. Back then we learn from our mothers at home and by watching Sesame Street, now kids go to computer shops to play and play. Back then we write our reports or we type them, now we copy paste and print them on the computer. Back then we show our parents respect, now kids don't know how to do that.
Back then we dream of our comic book heroes to have live movies, now we get saturated with reboots and remakes of all rehash plot lines using our favorite characters both in the big screen and on the tube. Back then, the military looks respectable and the police are good, now the military is pit of liars and the cops are fat pigs.
Back then I was small now I'm big, then I was young, now I'm old....
I'm freaking ranting....sigh
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Code Geass: Lolouch of the Rebellion
Before TV5 tagalized the series, I was already watching it but only 1 episode at a time. Until about Monday, I just watched season 1. Well no more. Once I got to finished watching season 1 (I think I still need to watch 3 episodes) I watched season 2. Well I got glued and finished it in about 2 days. Let's have the rounddown.
Plotline: The series is set after Japan's conquest by the Holy Britannian Empire on August 10, 2010 a.t.b., with their powerful new robot weapons, the Knightmare Frames, stripping Japan and its citizens of all rights and freedoms and renaming the country Area 11. The titular Lelouch vi Britannia is an intellectual Britannian prince who was sent as hostage, along with his sister Nunnally, by his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, after his mother was murdered, and has vowed to destroy Britannia. He gains an ability through the mysterious power of the Geass, becoming the leader of the resistance movement to fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister Nunnally can live happily.
Code Geass is set in an alternate universe where three superpowers, the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation, and the Euro Universe have divided the world between them (with the exception of an independent Australia) and maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. The balance shifts in the second season as the E.U. has much of its territory conquered by Britannia while Lelouch engineers a revolution in the Chinese Federation and creates a new alliance of countries, the United Federation of Nations, reducing the number of superpowers to two.
Let's say I was hooked on the premise of the tale, Clamp animation really did a good design for the series.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ, Kōdo Giasu: Hangyaku no Rurūshu?), often referred to as simply Code Geass, is a Japanese anime series created by Sunrise, directed by Gorō Taniguchi, and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by Clamp.
Code Geass first ran in Japan on MBS from October 5, 2006,[1] to July 28, 2007.[2] Its sequel series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュR2, Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Rurūshu Āru Tsū?), ran on MBS and TBS from April 6, 2008 to September 28, 2008.[3][4] Both seasons have won several awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair,[5] Animage Anime Grand Prix, and Animation Kobe event.
Plotline: The series is set after Japan's conquest by the Holy Britannian Empire on August 10, 2010 a.t.b., with their powerful new robot weapons, the Knightmare Frames, stripping Japan and its citizens of all rights and freedoms and renaming the country Area 11. The titular Lelouch vi Britannia is an intellectual Britannian prince who was sent as hostage, along with his sister Nunnally, by his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, after his mother was murdered, and has vowed to destroy Britannia. He gains an ability through the mysterious power of the Geass, becoming the leader of the resistance movement to fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister Nunnally can live happily.
Code Geass is set in an alternate universe where three superpowers, the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation, and the Euro Universe have divided the world between them (with the exception of an independent Australia) and maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. The balance shifts in the second season as the E.U. has much of its territory conquered by Britannia while Lelouch engineers a revolution in the Chinese Federation and creates a new alliance of countries, the United Federation of Nations, reducing the number of superpowers to two.
Let's say I was hooked on the premise of the tale, Clamp animation really did a good design for the series.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills Workshop
Posted on October 9, 2010 by jobstweet| Leave a comment
Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills Workshop
Speaking Effectively Workshop for Managers
November 24, 2010 * 9:00am – 5:00pm
Joy 3, 5th Floor Qakwood Premier,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Deliver your message across with ease and confidence!
Communication is an important key to success and progress. Speaking effectively is bringing your message across individuals or groups, moving them to reflect and act upon what you have said. Many desire to communicate to others this way, but even the most educated sometimes fail to communicate well.
Organizations with effective communicators will benefit and most likely experience quicker progress. In this seminar-workshop, participants will learn interpersonal communication skills imperative to having excellent relationships at work (and even at home), how to deliver message across clearly and concisely to individuals or to groups more confidently, how to properly decode the messages sent to them, and how to comfortably ask opinions of others without necessarily compromising your own opinion.
Program Outline:
1. Clearing your mind and emotions
Mastery of self begins here. Thoughts not relevant to the upcoming conversations must be removed otherwise, it will cause distraction or it may lead to a path that is not relevant. Even if you have made up your mind, try to be open-minded about new ideas or approaches. Emotions can be deceiving, try to be at the center, the most tranquil state in order to avoid being deceived by your own emotions.
2. Showing interest while you listen
Showing no interest intentionally or unintentionally is a sign of disrespect and immaturity. This can harm ones reputation as an employee no matter what rank he is. Managers and higher ranks should be the best examples in showing interest in others. Self-centered people are incapable of this. But that can be cured.
3. Listening and observing
Never overestimate your ability to understand people and what they are trying to say. It is not as easy as one might think. But with conscious effort, miscommunication will be minimized. One must listen to the words being spoken but one must also go beyond that and observe the tone and the body language.
4. Clarifying the perceived message
After receiving the message, clarify, clarify and clarify. Misunderstanding has haunted many organizations. What was thought to be a harmless miscommunication has led to bigger problems. The goal is to clarify the message you received before responding.
5. Showing appreciation
Yes this is also a skill, mainly because it must be learned well. People who seldom thanked others for their efforts or time are perceived to be arrogant or manipulative. On the other hand, people who regularly thank other people for their efforts and time are perceived to be respectful, gracious, and sometimes even reasonable. More gratitude in the workplace means a more positive atmosphere, which is beneficial for everyone.
6. Packaging your message
Speak your message clearly and concisely. Back it up with explanation if you must but make sure that it is brief enough so the main message is not cluttered. Use the appropriate tone and show the appropriate emotion. Disagree if you must but begin all messages with a positive note.
7. Other best practices
There are actions and practices that one must avoid in order to be effective in interpersonal communication. It may range from prejudices to insecurities to dominating a conversation, to not valuing the time invested with colleagues, to wasting precious time being too defensive and more. Avoiding these pitfalls will be a lot of help in ones professional relationship.
Who should attend?
* Sales People
* Supervisors and Managers with internal and external customers
* Team leaders
* Those who interface with various people types on a day-to-day basis
Featured Speaker
Eduardo R. Pilapil, Jr. is a speaker, entrepreneur and author. He has been speaking in conferences and seminars for the past 15 years for different non-profit organizations, small companies, and large corporations. Ed is the former CEO of WBP (makers of MET Tathione). He is the chairman of Review Masters League, Inc. and Power Memory Franchising, Inc. The former offers enrichment and review courses. The latter offers memory-based study coaching.
Ed is the author of Strengthen Your Faith and Maximize Your Potential: How to Go Beyond Your Limits.
He holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines and a Masters degree in Christian Leadership from the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries. He is currently completing his Executive Masters degree in Business Administration at the Asian Institute of Management.
His other experiences include direct selling, business management, business coaching, school directorship, life coaching, Christian ministries and organizational leadership.
Rave Reviews on Ed Pilapil Jr. here and abroad!
“Ed Pilapil can influence the audience very well.”
- Maria Consejo C. Acoba, St. Luke’s Medical Center
“He is very good a arbitrator and [good in] persuading…”
- Ysvetlanie Poblete, Mead Johnson Nutrition (Phils.), Inc.
“I really enjoyed your sessions, I really learned a lot while feeling affirmed during your motivation talk. Your sessions really touched my heart.”
- Tan Fui Chen, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
“I enjoyed your sessions very much…very humorous and knowledgeable.”
- Sapiah Osman, HRM & Admin Planning Section
Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd
“I admired the way you delivered your speech during your session. You were so confident and enthusiastic! How I wish I could be like you someday. Who knows one day I could be one of the successful motivator, perhaps. I believe I can do it!”
- Azura binti Zainuddin, AGM’s Office – Procurement Division, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd
“Really love your passion during seeing your presentation. I was so fascinated listening to you…”
- Norhafizah Bt. Mohd Nor, Team Assistant Treasury Division, Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation (Malaysia) Berhad
Training Investment
Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills Workshop
Speaking Effectively Workshop for Managers
November 24, 2010 I 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Joy 3, 5th Floor Oakwood Premier, Ortigas Center Pasig City
Best Buy Rate: 4, 977 + VAT until October 18
Early Bird Rate: 5,577 + VATuntil October 29
Regular Rate: P 6,577 + VAT
Walk-in Rate: P 6,977 + VAT
Includes: AM & PM Snack, Lunch, IDs, Handouts and Certificates (by request).
Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills Workshop
Speaking Effectively Workshop for Managers
November 24, 2010 * 9:00am – 5:00pm
Joy 3, 5th Floor Qakwood Premier,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Deliver your message across with ease and confidence!
Communication is an important key to success and progress. Speaking effectively is bringing your message across individuals or groups, moving them to reflect and act upon what you have said. Many desire to communicate to others this way, but even the most educated sometimes fail to communicate well.
Organizations with effective communicators will benefit and most likely experience quicker progress. In this seminar-workshop, participants will learn interpersonal communication skills imperative to having excellent relationships at work (and even at home), how to deliver message across clearly and concisely to individuals or to groups more confidently, how to properly decode the messages sent to them, and how to comfortably ask opinions of others without necessarily compromising your own opinion.
Program Outline:
1. Clearing your mind and emotions
Mastery of self begins here. Thoughts not relevant to the upcoming conversations must be removed otherwise, it will cause distraction or it may lead to a path that is not relevant. Even if you have made up your mind, try to be open-minded about new ideas or approaches. Emotions can be deceiving, try to be at the center, the most tranquil state in order to avoid being deceived by your own emotions.
2. Showing interest while you listen
Showing no interest intentionally or unintentionally is a sign of disrespect and immaturity. This can harm ones reputation as an employee no matter what rank he is. Managers and higher ranks should be the best examples in showing interest in others. Self-centered people are incapable of this. But that can be cured.
3. Listening and observing
Never overestimate your ability to understand people and what they are trying to say. It is not as easy as one might think. But with conscious effort, miscommunication will be minimized. One must listen to the words being spoken but one must also go beyond that and observe the tone and the body language.
4. Clarifying the perceived message
After receiving the message, clarify, clarify and clarify. Misunderstanding has haunted many organizations. What was thought to be a harmless miscommunication has led to bigger problems. The goal is to clarify the message you received before responding.
5. Showing appreciation
Yes this is also a skill, mainly because it must be learned well. People who seldom thanked others for their efforts or time are perceived to be arrogant or manipulative. On the other hand, people who regularly thank other people for their efforts and time are perceived to be respectful, gracious, and sometimes even reasonable. More gratitude in the workplace means a more positive atmosphere, which is beneficial for everyone.
6. Packaging your message
Speak your message clearly and concisely. Back it up with explanation if you must but make sure that it is brief enough so the main message is not cluttered. Use the appropriate tone and show the appropriate emotion. Disagree if you must but begin all messages with a positive note.
7. Other best practices
There are actions and practices that one must avoid in order to be effective in interpersonal communication. It may range from prejudices to insecurities to dominating a conversation, to not valuing the time invested with colleagues, to wasting precious time being too defensive and more. Avoiding these pitfalls will be a lot of help in ones professional relationship.
Who should attend?
* Sales People
* Supervisors and Managers with internal and external customers
* Team leaders
* Those who interface with various people types on a day-to-day basis
Featured Speaker
Eduardo R. Pilapil, Jr. is a speaker, entrepreneur and author. He has been speaking in conferences and seminars for the past 15 years for different non-profit organizations, small companies, and large corporations. Ed is the former CEO of WBP (makers of MET Tathione). He is the chairman of Review Masters League, Inc. and Power Memory Franchising, Inc. The former offers enrichment and review courses. The latter offers memory-based study coaching.
Ed is the author of Strengthen Your Faith and Maximize Your Potential: How to Go Beyond Your Limits.
He holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines and a Masters degree in Christian Leadership from the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries. He is currently completing his Executive Masters degree in Business Administration at the Asian Institute of Management.
His other experiences include direct selling, business management, business coaching, school directorship, life coaching, Christian ministries and organizational leadership.
Rave Reviews on Ed Pilapil Jr. here and abroad!
“Ed Pilapil can influence the audience very well.”
- Maria Consejo C. Acoba, St. Luke’s Medical Center
“He is very good a arbitrator and [good in] persuading…”
- Ysvetlanie Poblete, Mead Johnson Nutrition (Phils.), Inc.
“I really enjoyed your sessions, I really learned a lot while feeling affirmed during your motivation talk. Your sessions really touched my heart.”
- Tan Fui Chen, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
“I enjoyed your sessions very much…very humorous and knowledgeable.”
- Sapiah Osman, HRM & Admin Planning Section
Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd
“I admired the way you delivered your speech during your session. You were so confident and enthusiastic! How I wish I could be like you someday. Who knows one day I could be one of the successful motivator, perhaps. I believe I can do it!”
- Azura binti Zainuddin, AGM’s Office – Procurement Division, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd
“Really love your passion during seeing your presentation. I was so fascinated listening to you…”
- Norhafizah Bt. Mohd Nor, Team Assistant Treasury Division, Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation (Malaysia) Berhad
Training Investment
Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills Workshop
Speaking Effectively Workshop for Managers
November 24, 2010 I 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Joy 3, 5th Floor Oakwood Premier, Ortigas Center Pasig City
Best Buy Rate: 4, 977 + VAT until October 18
Early Bird Rate: 5,577 + VATuntil October 29
Regular Rate: P 6,577 + VAT
Walk-in Rate: P 6,977 + VAT
Includes: AM & PM Snack, Lunch, IDs, Handouts and Certificates (by request).
Monday, September 27, 2010
Judaizers
In Christianity there is a growing problem known as 'Judaizing', it's a movement that, by definition, consists of furthering Judaic laws and the ordinances of the OT. This process usually involves oppressing unsuspecting Christians with guilt trips, by asking things like "Don't you know yahweh's laws are forever?" or "Didn't you know there were much more than 10 commandments?". Usually, some verbal gymnastics follow, and before long, the unlearned Christian has had their mind twisted into a knot, and agreeing with the lecherous Judaizing missionary.
Then the poor Christian begins to follow suit and starts learning Hebrew, buys a menorrah, learns the the old laws, changes their diet, and starts honoring holy days. Before long, the person is nearly a full-blown Jew, with the exception of believing in Jesus Christ.
To such poor Christians I must ask, do you not realize that the laws of the OT in the torah were given only and specifically to the Jews? Literally, they applied only to the Jews, and Gentiles were not bound by them what-so-ever.
Ok, this being so, then how can you take laws that were LITERALLY not given to you, and LITERALLY did not apply to you, and say that because you're a SPIRITUAL (true) Jew, that these LITERAL laws, now LITERALLY must be followed, when they LITERALLY had nothing to do with you?
I usually get no answer after I pose that thought to the missionaries of this blight on Christianity. Not that I've never gotten answers before, but they've never been good ones.
First things first, people who have adopted the Judaizing theology will always jump on the verses that say "God doesn't change", and I agree, God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. However, that says nothing about His particular rules not changing. If I were playing you in chess, and you were losing at it terribly, so I decided to change the rules a little and allow you to move twice per turn, I have not changed, you're still sitting across from the same man with the same personality, only the way the game is played has changed, I'm the same.
If I tell you one day that I like right handed people, so all right handers get free parking, then later I say I don't like right hands, I like lefties now...then I'VE changed.
So my example may sound a little silly, but I believe in keeping things simple and still getting the point across. If anything, God's ability to change the rules demonstrates His absolute authority and sovereignty--not even kings and monarchs had the power to reneg their orders once they made a decree.
If you're still not convinced at this, and you're still hooting and hollering "God doesn't change! You're example stinks!", then as a last resort I will bring up this. If you're going to declare that God doesn't change, therefore all of the laws given to the Jews in the OT still apply today, then I hope you are prepared for a mind bender.
How do you reconcile the fact that there was a time BEFORE all these laws, with your concept of God not changing?
It should be obvious, anyone who knows the scriptures knows that there was a time before the laws, because there was a time before there was a nation of Israel...yes people, there was a time before the Jews existed.
As shocking as that may be, it's true, Abraham was not a Jew, neither was Noah, Jared, Methuselah, Enos, Enoch, Adam, Eve, Seth, Arphaxad, etc etc etc. No temple, no temple laws, no Hebrews, no Hebrew laws. In written record, *most* of the laws came into being at the time of Moses. So why don't you raise a fuss about that? You should be screaming "How dare you give us these 600 extra laws! You're not supposed to change!". Or better yet "How dare you make a chosen people!"
We can only go by what we know and what has been written down, murder has always been wrong, stealing has always been wrong, fornication etc, but I've challenged people to show me even 300 torah laws that existed prior to Moses, I've even narrowed it down to 100. In fact, when it comes to kosher diets, I can show positively that God's choice of food has changed more than once since the beginning, Genesis 9:3-4 is proof of that to Noah. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
According to this verse, Noah was given permission to eat anything that didn't have the blood still in it. Adam wasn't given this permission, and it's a much broader spectrum than the kosher diet of Moses's law, where many animals were forbidden to eat under any circumstances. Different still, is the diet of the NT which I will show below, where now people can eat any animals without spiritual punishment.
As you can see, with most peoples understanding of God not changing, you have a much bigger problem on your hands than I do, but enough about that, now for the scriptures that prove the rules have changed, and the old laws were done away in Christ...
______________________________________________________
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses......
15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
2Cor 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
3:11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
3:13 And not as Moses,which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
7:17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
1Tim 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at(overlooked); but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
17:31 Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained;(JESUS) whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.
______________________________________________________
That last group of verses is an absolute 100 megaton explosion to the argument about sacred objects, 'godly' graven images of the temple, relics of the OT, and the such implications that these things matter now, or ever really did. God passed it by due to the peoples ignorance, and most likely influences of false religions after leaving Egypt. God never seemed to care about gold, jewels, polished silver, fine brass, or the fabric of holy robes prior to Moses leading Israel out of Egypt, yet from this point on, it seemed to matter a great deal. These verses just explained it all away, and that's why we as Christians are not instructed to carry on with these things.
Now that it should be apparent that most of the OT laws have been done away, what remains then? What's going on? Well, theres only 9 commandments that are reiterated in the NT*, but they are summarized by 1 new one. John 13:34 is where Jesus says a NEW commandment He was giving was to love one another as He loves us, and Romans 13:8 says to love one another is to fulfill all of the law. That is the law now, there it is, all of it, right there, for also in loving one another you will not do any ill will to anyone. Paul even clarifies it, just in case you were wondering what kind of love to have.
There is also Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Can it really get any clearer?
I will now take this one step further and show the Jesus was instituting this new set of rules even within His own life. Yes, Jesus Christ the Messiah was preparing people for a change, things were not going to be the way they were in the OT anymore, and this verse is painfully clear that a change was a comin'....
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
also....
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Kind of interesting isn't it? Jesus was well aware of all of the wars and fighting and bloodshed of the OT times and was putting an end to it once and for all. This was not the way of God, for He is love. The kingdom of heaven would no longer be able to be taken by violence, (from either side actually) because it would no longer be an earthly matter. We know this because of the examples the apostles set in peace and persecution through the first century church. They were not renegade assassins or anything like that.
So here come the verses that every Judaizer tries to hit me over the head with:
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
These verses have cause alot of confusion in the faith, especially in light of the massive amount of verses I have already laid down in this section. Something needs to be made clear here. When Jesus was referring to "the law" in those verses, He was not referring to the law of MOSES. In fact, Jesus and the apostles differentiate between the law of God and the law of Moses in many places, this is a key point. Jesus proves that He is not talking about the law of Moses in some of the very next verses where He lists the commandments now, and even updates a few, making them stricter.....He says "anyone who breaks the least of THESE commandments shall be least in the kingdom." What commandments? He didn't name any yet, BUT HE WAS ABOUT TO. Remember, according to Hebrews 7 that there was a changing of the priesthood, therefore a changing of the law.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
I have debated these verses with Judaizers at length. Sometimes, when the person is more Jewish than Christian, they will rely on the writings of the Talmud to prove that Jesus said nothing that rabbis had not said previously (to greatly paraphrase). That "eye for an eye" is merely equal measures in justice. However, the debate always ends when I press the issue, and establish the following position...
If you slap me, I can react in 3 different ways...
1. I can hit you back (equal justice)
2. I can do nothing and forgive you (righteousness)
3. I can bless you and ask if there's anything I can help you with (crazy unbalanced Jesus thing to do)
Nowhere in any Jewish writing will you find such a looney act that Jesus ordered Christians to do in Matthew 5:39-41, there is without a doubt a complete change of the OT law, in that I am not allowed to return like for like, in fact, if you commit an injustice to me, I have to do something NICE for you in return. If you sue me and take my jacket, I have to give you my shoes too. This almost always ends any debate with Judaizers who claim nothing has changed between the OT and NT, and that Jesus merely quotes rabbis. It is an extremely hard commandment to follow, but I have known a few true Christians who do. To find out why Jesus told us to do this, read Real Free Will.
Further proof that the law of God/Christ is different from the law of Moses is in...
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you NOT that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the TRUE bread from heaven.
Mat 19:7-8 and Mark 10:4-5 Jesus is asked about divorce and His answer is that MOSES gave them that precept because of the hardness of their hearts, and that it was not so from the beginning. Proving again that the law has changed more than once. Jesus then forbade it except in adultery.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ.
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Act 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could NOT be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. (The elders then came together and decided it was wise for Paul to purify himself in the temple and shave his head according to custom, in order to prevent a riot...it didn't work, because the Jews knew Paul was in fact teaching this, and we know too from the many writings of Paul which I have already provided in this section.)
We also know from 1st Samuel 8:1 that God gave the people kings because they whined that they wanted a human king, He would have been their king. We also know that God sent them quails when they were tired of manna, so they ate meat until they got sick of it. Apparently God has always wanted a better way, but the Jews simply would not listen, so finally when Christ came, He came teaching the true way of the Father.
As far as certain OT prophecies like Zechariah 14:16-19, which talks about there being observance of the feast of tabernacles by all people...simply read verse 8 and you will see this is all figurative/spiritual. Verse 8 talks about living waters flowing from Jerusalem. How can water be 'living'? In the NT, living waters are talked about as something spiritual and not physical. Better proof is found back in Zech 12:4 where it says that every horse will be struck with astonishment and blindness, and their riders will go mad. Literally this verse is pointless, horses aren't used for transportation anymore, they're hardly even used for labor. Will cars and tractors go blind instead?
The last thing to address is the oft repeated argument of the promises of God, and verses about His perpetual covenant with Israel, such as in Exodus 31:16 that sabbath day keeping would be a part of this covenant, among other things like diet in Lev 3:17. These things all became nullified when the covenant was broken, and Israel was cast off. Think it didn't happen? See Holy Racism to find out how and when... Israel became heathen, and eventually rejected their own messiah and the true ways of God (Matt 8:11-12, Matt 12:7, Matt 5:21-46, Matt 21:43, John 8:47, John 1:18, Act 2:36, Rom 11:20, Col 1:15, etc etc. see also Sacrifices, and OT violence for more info). As a result of their wickedness, God made good on His word and proved He did not make idle warnings to Israel (1Kings 9:6-7, Josh 24:20, 1Ch 28:9, 2Ch 7:19-20, 2Ch 15:2) which came to a climax with the destruction of the temple and scattering of the nation in 70 ad. These events dissolved the covenant, and THEREFORE nullified many OT prophecies of the coming days for Israel. Get out of the mindset that says God will keep His end of the bargain even if you don't keep yours, see OSAS and Salvation by Works if you need help coming to terms with the conditions of God's words. If you want to know what the end times will be now, you need the New Testament.
Every Christian needs to know the things I have put forth here, and address these issues to evangelize to the Jews, it's that easy to prove the case for Christ, and I am not anti-semitic.
In conclusion, God's law hasn't been done away, it's the law of Moses that is no more. We now have the true way, demonstrated in the New Testament through the life of Christ.
*9 of the commandments were reiterated in the NT, the missing one is the 4th, the KEEPING of the sabbath day
1st commandment in Mat 22:37, 1Cor. 8:5-6
2nd commandment in 1John. 5:21, also Col 3:5 and Eph 5:5
3rd commandment in Col 3:8
5th commandment in Eph 6:1-3
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th commandments in Rom 13:8-10, Mat 19:18, Gal 5:14, 1Cor 6:9-10, and Gal 5:19-21.
Only the sabbath rest is mentioned in the NT, which is Christ, and not the keeping of the sabbath law.
See Dan Corner's site on the 4th commandment and Dan Corner's site on sabbath keepers
Then the poor Christian begins to follow suit and starts learning Hebrew, buys a menorrah, learns the the old laws, changes their diet, and starts honoring holy days. Before long, the person is nearly a full-blown Jew, with the exception of believing in Jesus Christ.
To such poor Christians I must ask, do you not realize that the laws of the OT in the torah were given only and specifically to the Jews? Literally, they applied only to the Jews, and Gentiles were not bound by them what-so-ever.
Ok, this being so, then how can you take laws that were LITERALLY not given to you, and LITERALLY did not apply to you, and say that because you're a SPIRITUAL (true) Jew, that these LITERAL laws, now LITERALLY must be followed, when they LITERALLY had nothing to do with you?
I usually get no answer after I pose that thought to the missionaries of this blight on Christianity. Not that I've never gotten answers before, but they've never been good ones.
First things first, people who have adopted the Judaizing theology will always jump on the verses that say "God doesn't change", and I agree, God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. However, that says nothing about His particular rules not changing. If I were playing you in chess, and you were losing at it terribly, so I decided to change the rules a little and allow you to move twice per turn, I have not changed, you're still sitting across from the same man with the same personality, only the way the game is played has changed, I'm the same.
If I tell you one day that I like right handed people, so all right handers get free parking, then later I say I don't like right hands, I like lefties now...then I'VE changed.
So my example may sound a little silly, but I believe in keeping things simple and still getting the point across. If anything, God's ability to change the rules demonstrates His absolute authority and sovereignty--not even kings and monarchs had the power to reneg their orders once they made a decree.
If you're still not convinced at this, and you're still hooting and hollering "God doesn't change! You're example stinks!", then as a last resort I will bring up this. If you're going to declare that God doesn't change, therefore all of the laws given to the Jews in the OT still apply today, then I hope you are prepared for a mind bender.
How do you reconcile the fact that there was a time BEFORE all these laws, with your concept of God not changing?
It should be obvious, anyone who knows the scriptures knows that there was a time before the laws, because there was a time before there was a nation of Israel...yes people, there was a time before the Jews existed.
As shocking as that may be, it's true, Abraham was not a Jew, neither was Noah, Jared, Methuselah, Enos, Enoch, Adam, Eve, Seth, Arphaxad, etc etc etc. No temple, no temple laws, no Hebrews, no Hebrew laws. In written record, *most* of the laws came into being at the time of Moses. So why don't you raise a fuss about that? You should be screaming "How dare you give us these 600 extra laws! You're not supposed to change!". Or better yet "How dare you make a chosen people!"
We can only go by what we know and what has been written down, murder has always been wrong, stealing has always been wrong, fornication etc, but I've challenged people to show me even 300 torah laws that existed prior to Moses, I've even narrowed it down to 100. In fact, when it comes to kosher diets, I can show positively that God's choice of food has changed more than once since the beginning, Genesis 9:3-4 is proof of that to Noah. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
According to this verse, Noah was given permission to eat anything that didn't have the blood still in it. Adam wasn't given this permission, and it's a much broader spectrum than the kosher diet of Moses's law, where many animals were forbidden to eat under any circumstances. Different still, is the diet of the NT which I will show below, where now people can eat any animals without spiritual punishment.
As you can see, with most peoples understanding of God not changing, you have a much bigger problem on your hands than I do, but enough about that, now for the scriptures that prove the rules have changed, and the old laws were done away in Christ...
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John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses......
15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
2Cor 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
3:11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
3:13 And not as Moses,which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
7:17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
1Tim 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at(overlooked); but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
17:31 Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained;(JESUS) whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.
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That last group of verses is an absolute 100 megaton explosion to the argument about sacred objects, 'godly' graven images of the temple, relics of the OT, and the such implications that these things matter now, or ever really did. God passed it by due to the peoples ignorance, and most likely influences of false religions after leaving Egypt. God never seemed to care about gold, jewels, polished silver, fine brass, or the fabric of holy robes prior to Moses leading Israel out of Egypt, yet from this point on, it seemed to matter a great deal. These verses just explained it all away, and that's why we as Christians are not instructed to carry on with these things.
Now that it should be apparent that most of the OT laws have been done away, what remains then? What's going on? Well, theres only 9 commandments that are reiterated in the NT*, but they are summarized by 1 new one. John 13:34 is where Jesus says a NEW commandment He was giving was to love one another as He loves us, and Romans 13:8 says to love one another is to fulfill all of the law. That is the law now, there it is, all of it, right there, for also in loving one another you will not do any ill will to anyone. Paul even clarifies it, just in case you were wondering what kind of love to have.
There is also Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Can it really get any clearer?
I will now take this one step further and show the Jesus was instituting this new set of rules even within His own life. Yes, Jesus Christ the Messiah was preparing people for a change, things were not going to be the way they were in the OT anymore, and this verse is painfully clear that a change was a comin'....
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
also....
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Kind of interesting isn't it? Jesus was well aware of all of the wars and fighting and bloodshed of the OT times and was putting an end to it once and for all. This was not the way of God, for He is love. The kingdom of heaven would no longer be able to be taken by violence, (from either side actually) because it would no longer be an earthly matter. We know this because of the examples the apostles set in peace and persecution through the first century church. They were not renegade assassins or anything like that.
So here come the verses that every Judaizer tries to hit me over the head with:
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
These verses have cause alot of confusion in the faith, especially in light of the massive amount of verses I have already laid down in this section. Something needs to be made clear here. When Jesus was referring to "the law" in those verses, He was not referring to the law of MOSES. In fact, Jesus and the apostles differentiate between the law of God and the law of Moses in many places, this is a key point. Jesus proves that He is not talking about the law of Moses in some of the very next verses where He lists the commandments now, and even updates a few, making them stricter.....He says "anyone who breaks the least of THESE commandments shall be least in the kingdom." What commandments? He didn't name any yet, BUT HE WAS ABOUT TO. Remember, according to Hebrews 7 that there was a changing of the priesthood, therefore a changing of the law.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
I have debated these verses with Judaizers at length. Sometimes, when the person is more Jewish than Christian, they will rely on the writings of the Talmud to prove that Jesus said nothing that rabbis had not said previously (to greatly paraphrase). That "eye for an eye" is merely equal measures in justice. However, the debate always ends when I press the issue, and establish the following position...
If you slap me, I can react in 3 different ways...
1. I can hit you back (equal justice)
2. I can do nothing and forgive you (righteousness)
3. I can bless you and ask if there's anything I can help you with (crazy unbalanced Jesus thing to do)
Nowhere in any Jewish writing will you find such a looney act that Jesus ordered Christians to do in Matthew 5:39-41, there is without a doubt a complete change of the OT law, in that I am not allowed to return like for like, in fact, if you commit an injustice to me, I have to do something NICE for you in return. If you sue me and take my jacket, I have to give you my shoes too. This almost always ends any debate with Judaizers who claim nothing has changed between the OT and NT, and that Jesus merely quotes rabbis. It is an extremely hard commandment to follow, but I have known a few true Christians who do. To find out why Jesus told us to do this, read Real Free Will.
Further proof that the law of God/Christ is different from the law of Moses is in...
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you NOT that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the TRUE bread from heaven.
Mat 19:7-8 and Mark 10:4-5 Jesus is asked about divorce and His answer is that MOSES gave them that precept because of the hardness of their hearts, and that it was not so from the beginning. Proving again that the law has changed more than once. Jesus then forbade it except in adultery.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ.
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Act 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could NOT be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. (The elders then came together and decided it was wise for Paul to purify himself in the temple and shave his head according to custom, in order to prevent a riot...it didn't work, because the Jews knew Paul was in fact teaching this, and we know too from the many writings of Paul which I have already provided in this section.)
We also know from 1st Samuel 8:1 that God gave the people kings because they whined that they wanted a human king, He would have been their king. We also know that God sent them quails when they were tired of manna, so they ate meat until they got sick of it. Apparently God has always wanted a better way, but the Jews simply would not listen, so finally when Christ came, He came teaching the true way of the Father.
As far as certain OT prophecies like Zechariah 14:16-19, which talks about there being observance of the feast of tabernacles by all people...simply read verse 8 and you will see this is all figurative/spiritual. Verse 8 talks about living waters flowing from Jerusalem. How can water be 'living'? In the NT, living waters are talked about as something spiritual and not physical. Better proof is found back in Zech 12:4 where it says that every horse will be struck with astonishment and blindness, and their riders will go mad. Literally this verse is pointless, horses aren't used for transportation anymore, they're hardly even used for labor. Will cars and tractors go blind instead?
The last thing to address is the oft repeated argument of the promises of God, and verses about His perpetual covenant with Israel, such as in Exodus 31:16 that sabbath day keeping would be a part of this covenant, among other things like diet in Lev 3:17. These things all became nullified when the covenant was broken, and Israel was cast off. Think it didn't happen? See Holy Racism to find out how and when... Israel became heathen, and eventually rejected their own messiah and the true ways of God (Matt 8:11-12, Matt 12:7, Matt 5:21-46, Matt 21:43, John 8:47, John 1:18, Act 2:36, Rom 11:20, Col 1:15, etc etc. see also Sacrifices, and OT violence for more info). As a result of their wickedness, God made good on His word and proved He did not make idle warnings to Israel (1Kings 9:6-7, Josh 24:20, 1Ch 28:9, 2Ch 7:19-20, 2Ch 15:2) which came to a climax with the destruction of the temple and scattering of the nation in 70 ad. These events dissolved the covenant, and THEREFORE nullified many OT prophecies of the coming days for Israel. Get out of the mindset that says God will keep His end of the bargain even if you don't keep yours, see OSAS and Salvation by Works if you need help coming to terms with the conditions of God's words. If you want to know what the end times will be now, you need the New Testament.
Every Christian needs to know the things I have put forth here, and address these issues to evangelize to the Jews, it's that easy to prove the case for Christ, and I am not anti-semitic.
In conclusion, God's law hasn't been done away, it's the law of Moses that is no more. We now have the true way, demonstrated in the New Testament through the life of Christ.
*9 of the commandments were reiterated in the NT, the missing one is the 4th, the KEEPING of the sabbath day
1st commandment in Mat 22:37, 1Cor. 8:5-6
2nd commandment in 1John. 5:21, also Col 3:5 and Eph 5:5
3rd commandment in Col 3:8
5th commandment in Eph 6:1-3
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th commandments in Rom 13:8-10, Mat 19:18, Gal 5:14, 1Cor 6:9-10, and Gal 5:19-21.
Only the sabbath rest is mentioned in the NT, which is Christ, and not the keeping of the sabbath law.
See Dan Corner's site on the 4th commandment and Dan Corner's site on sabbath keepers
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Earth-Two DCU
With Batman Inc coming up and Bruce totally giving the cowl to Dick this time, reminds me of Earth-Two.
You know Earth-Two? The home of Clark Kent, editor in chief of the Metropolis Daily Star. Where Batman married Catwoman and had a daughter, Huntress. Where Hawkman and Hawkgirl were reincarnated Egyptian royalty and the home of the Justice Society of America and Infinity Inc?
Well....it's nostalgic. When I read Grumpy Old Fans, The singularities of Earth-Two over at CBR.
I say all that to note that this was nothing new for Earth-Two. DC introduced a number of second-generation superheroes in the ‘70s and ‘80s, almost all of whom adopted code names and costumes different from their “parents.” Dick didn’t take up Bruce’s mantle. Helena didn’t become Batwoman, Bat-Girl or Catwoman. Superman’s cousin Kara wasn’t Supergirl, but Power Girl. Wonder Woman’s daughter took the code name Fury, Hawkman’s sons were Silver Scarab and Northwind, and Green Lantern fathered Jade and Obsidian.
Now, it would be a bit disingenuous to suggest that we can compare Earth-Two to the current DC-Earth, because Earth-Two, like any number of rogue cops with good intentions, played by its own rules. Chief among them, I imagine, was the dictum that Earth-Two not be simply an “older” version of Earth-One. There were already characters unique to each Earth — for example, Earth-Two’s Doctor Mid-Nite and Doctor Fate, and Earth-One’s Martian Manhunter and Elongated Man. Similarly, although both Supermen had blonde cousins named Kara, DC already had a Supergirl.
This pattern of significant distinction (if not outright uniqueness) continued until the mid-‘80s and the debut of Infinity, Inc. Although the initial Infinitor lineup included one real legacy character, Brainwave Jr., the rest of the group was made up of “significantly distinct” members, including many named above. During Crisis On Infinite Earths, the team gained three new legacies, Doctor Midnight, Hourman II and Wildcat II. (The Crisis also took the Earth-Two Huntress and Robin out of the greater DC picture.)
Over on Earth-One, main-line legacy characters like Robin II (Jason Todd) and Black Canary II (Dinah Laurel Lance) were similarly rare. There had been a couple of varieties of Manhunter, as well as two Mad Hatters, two Killer Frosts, and (I think) two Two-Faces, but good-guy legacies weren’t often developed. Instead, multiversal counterparts took the place of straight-line successors.
With all that in mind, it’s a bit odd to see the ex-Earth-Two characters incorporated into various lineages. Silver Scarab went on to become both a Sandman and a Doctor Fate. Nuklon, godson of the original Atom, is now Atom-Smasher. Jesse Quick, daughter of Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle, briefly adopted her mother’s code name and costume; and Jade has been a Green Lantern, albeit in the Oan mode (once unique to the universe of Earth-One). Still, just as their uniqueness wasn’t unusual in the pre-Crisis days, so their legacy status has become common today.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Mazinger Angels
Mazinger Angels (マジンガーエンジェル, Majinga Enjeru?) is a manga series which began in 2004 and chronicles the adventures of four women who pilot giant robots in the Mazinger vein. The concept is a spoof on the late 70's and early 80's popular TV series Charlie's Angels. It was originally published in Kodansha's Magazine Z, starting in 26 June 2004 (#2004-08) and ending in 25 November 2006 (#2007-01).[1] It was compiled in four tankōbon.
Three of the robots, Aphrodite A, Diana A and Minerva X are from the original Mazinger Z series, while Venus A is from the Great Mazinger series. Their pilots are also traditional characters from Go Nagai's universe, Sayaka Yumi and Jun Hono from Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger respectively, and Hikaru Makiba and Maria Fleed from Grendizer.
The style of the manga highlights the sex appeal of both the characters and the mechas, sometimes similarly to the way Aika's female characters are shown.
There is a sequel, released in 26 December 2007 in Magazine Z as well [2], called Mazinger Angels Z (マジンガーエンジェルZ), which features the original design for Mazinger Z, called Energer Z, as well as Kikunosuke Abashiri from Abashiri Ikka.
Mecha Description and Pilots
Aphrodite, Diana, Venus and Minerva in their Mazinger Angels incarnations.
All four robots have a simplified color scheme compared to the older versions, usually reducing the number of colors to only two, but respecting the overall appearance of the robot. They sport heart shaped designs in different parts of their bodies as well as the Mazinger Angels symbol, a winged heart. They also become substantially more powerful and resistant, adding several weapons (many inspired by the Mazingers' ones) to their classic ones.
The mecha pilots wear their classic outfits plus the Mazinger Angels symbol.
* Aphrodite A: Aphrodite is piloted by Sayaka Yumi, her classic pilot from Mazinger Z. In this version, Aphrodite is now orange and white, in contrast to the anime version, which was orange, magenta and red. Her weapons are:
o Regular Chest Missiles
o Iron Cutter Missile: A weapon that resembles Mazinger Z's Iron Cutters.
o Megaton Hammer: A pair of flails attached to Aphrodite's chest.
o Snow White Aphrodite / Breast Heart Fire: Aphrodite is modified in one occasion and covered with an acid proof paint coat to face the attack of a monster. She is painted white and gold and also sports chest plates that rotate to form a heart that fires a powerful beam.
* Diana A: Diana's pilot is Hikaru Makiba, from Grendizer. She is now depicted in blue and white, and has the following weapons:
o Regular Chest Missiles
o Screw Crasher Missile: Similar to Grendizer's Screw Crasher Punch.
o Liquid Shooter: Acid shooting guns.
o Blizzard Smash: A freezing weapon.
* Venus A: Piloted by Jun Hono, her classic pilot in Great Mazinger. Venus is now painted red and white. Her weapons are:
o Regular Chest Missiles
o Finger Missile: The classic weapon from the anime.
o Drill Pressure Missile: Venus can fire two giant jet drills from her chest.
o Fire Tornado: Similar to the Blizzard Smash, but this weapon melts everything it touches instead of freezing it.
* Minerva X: Controlled by Maria Fleed, also from Grendizer. Maria has psychokinetic powers that allow her to control the robot thanks to a special helmet that channels her brain waves. At first she uses Minerva against the girls because she holds them responsible for the supposed death of her dog Duke, but later realizes thanks to Hikaru that this wasn't their fault. Duke is later saved and given a prosthetic limb. Minerva's purple color scheme is the most noticeable since it's completely different from the usual Mazinger-like one. She seems to be above the other angels in terms of power, and her weapons are:
o Rocket Punch: The same attack Minerva has in the anime, taken from Mazinger Z; Minerva can fire her fists.
o Breast Fire: Another classic attack from the anime, a powerful beam shot from her chest plates.
o Photon Beams: Optic rays.
o Sirene Mode: Minerva can shift from her regular form to a stronger one, able to fly thanks to wings placed on her head. When transformed she resembles Sirène, a character from Devilman.
o Thunder Breaker: (In Sirene Mode) similar to Great Mazinger's Thunder Break.
Aphrodite, Diana and Venus also have swords called Mazinger Blades.
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About Me
- KatarHol5
- I'm a comic and movie buff. I love superhero stuffs and anime. I got 2 lovable kids.