Mark Sanguinetti

Ooh Ooh, I found it. My favorite Neil Young song. Cowgirl In the Sand. This is in honor of Grease Spot Cafe's very own Cowgirl. I hope you all won't mind if my singing is a little off key, especially on the high notes, but here goes.

I only howl when the moon is full Garth. For the other 29 days there is nothing to worry about.

Oh Jonny, I can do better than that. See I can be romantic once in a blue moon or when the wind is blowing just right.

People in other parts of the world call this football. The world cup is every 4 years and is by far the biggest sporting event in the world. With 32 teams having qualified for this tournament the teams are divided into groups of 4 with each team in their group playing one another. The top two teams in each group move onto the next round and the lower two teams are eliminated from the tournament. When it gets to the second round of play and 16 teams are left then the teams square off for single elimination games. The winning teams move on and the losing teams are eliminated. The final game is scheduled for July 9th in Berlin, Germany. The entire tounament this year is in Germany. The US team is a good one, but they are playing in the most competive group of four. In their group is the Czech Republic ranked 2nd in the world. The USA ranked 4th in the world. And Italy ranked 14th in the world. The USA has already lost their first game to the Czech Republic 0-3 so they have an uphill battle now to make it to the second round.

Danny, I laughed so hard after reading your posts here that I almost sprayed my computer screen. Lucky thing that I missed.

Then we are in agreement JR4JC. I was trying to determine if these two Hebrew words were related. I could not tell concretely, but then my knowledge of Hebrew is limited to what I can mine from my reference books. This might simply be a case of two different Hebrew words having a similar meaning. We see this quite a bit in the English language. For example, avenue, street, road, drive all have a similar meaning, yet they are completely unrelated to a root word. Why not in Hebrew also? And yes, neither word appears to have a sexual context.

JR4JC, I have bible study software on my computer hard drive. The name of the software that I use is called the PC Study Bible. It is put out by Biblesoft. You can find their web site at www.biblesoft.com. They have a Hebrew Interlinear Bible which I used. I also used the Strong's Hebrew/Greek Dictionary and the Brown's-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. I recommend the Biblesoft software for all serious bible students. In fact, a friend of mine who attended a seminary for a while, when he saw my software, told me that this is what a biblical seminary student would use.

As I explained in my post the other day. There is a different Hebrew word used for sport in Genesis 26:8 compared to Judges 16:25. See my previous post. The two words could possibly be related, but not necessarily. I certainly would not base any scriptural understanding on two different Hebrew words being considered to be related when they may not be. That was one of the problems with the Way Denomination. Leaders did biblical research and drew conclusions from it assuming they were Hebrew or Greek scholars. I would say that with a few rare exceptions that most were not. In fact, I am wondering if there was ever any Hebrew scholars at all in the Way Denomination and if there was would they put up with the leaders giant egos? How would they feel if their findings were over ruled by someone with inferior knowledge? One more thing about biblical research. And this is very important. Biblical truth is always repeated throughout scripture. Another words you can never draw a definite conclusion based on one scripture solely. All great truths are repeated in multiple places. If one sees what they see as a truth, but can not find the same principle repeated else where, they have likely either misread the scripture or drawn an incorrect conclusion from it. Matt 18:16 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' NIV Deut 17:6 6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. NIV Deut 19:15 15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. NIV 1 Tim 5:19 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. NIV

The word for "that he may make us sport" in the King James Version from Judges 25:16 for the Hebrew English equivalent is "sachaq". The Strong's number is 7832. Below is a Lexical definition. There are 36 usages of this word in the Old Testament. There are no usages of this word in the Genesis or prior to Judges 16:25 which is the first usage in the Old Testament. The word used for sporting in Genesis 26:8 is Strong's number 6711. The Hebrew English equivalent for this word is spelled "tsachaq". I am not an authority for the Hebrew language by any stretch. However, I do have excellent biblical reference materials. In spite of a similar spelling in the English when comparing the two words in the Hebrew, these two words do not look alike at all. The spelling in the Hebrew alphabet looks to be noticably different. Here is perhaps a more precise spelling of these two Hebrew words using English letter equivalents from the Interlinear Bible. The word in Judges 16:25 is "wiysacheq." The word in Genesis 26:8 is "mtsacheeq." These words to me look difficult to pronounce. One could try to pronounce them using the English Hebrew equivalents. However, they are noticably different and may not sound alike either. OT:7832 sachaq -- to laugh, to play, to mock a) (Qal) 1) to laugh (usually in contempt or derision) 2) to sport, to play b) (Piel) 1) to make sport 2) to jest 3) to play (including instrumental music, singing, dancing) c) (Hiphil) to laugh mockingly (from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright ©1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

Whitedove, I am going to let you figure this out for yourself. I feel like I am spoon feeding you and this is not helping you at all. I am going to give you the scriptures and then I want you to figure this out for yourself. Judg 16:16-22 17 So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. 20 Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. 21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. NIV

Why so many questions, Whitedove? You can read the account. Surely you know he was blind and could not travel easily. Or perhaps he stayed around to topple the pillars on his enemies. However, since he toppled the pillars he must have regained his strength. He asked for extra strength from God because toppling the pillars would have been unusual at any time in his life. Such a feat has never been done by anyone. So Whitedove, are you trying to imply that a homosexual act was committed on Samson? And if yes, what do you base this on?

Actually Samson got his strength back by the time of Judges 16:25. As I recall Samson had a covenant relationship with God as long as he kept his hair long he would have his great strength. I believe by this time his hair grew back and so did his strength. Besides if he could believe God to bring down the pillars and destroy all the people in the temple he could believe God to defend himself against perverts. No, I do not think there is any scriptural or otherwise historical justification for the belief that Samson was molested. This sounds like something completely made up and may be an indication of where the people or group that thought this up's heads were at.

Read the scripture and the immediate context again Wordwolf. They specifically assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon. Also to celebrate saying that "Our god (Dagon) has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." It clearly says they were thinking about their religion while they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." The question is, what is involved in the worship of the Dagon religion? Is there anything sexually kinky about it? If not, then there is nothing in these verses to show that Samson was abused sexually. Besides if anyone would have tried to molest him, Samson would have beat the snot out of him or them. Blind or not blind. And I agree with Bliss. Since Samson was noted for his great strength. Perhaps he entertained them with a show of it.

Judg 16:23-25 23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain." 25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. NIV What ever they had Samson do to entertain them would have to relate to the worship of their false God Dagon. I am frankly not sure what that would all involve. I am at work and don't have time now to examine this, but I am posting some information on Dagon for evaluation purposes. DAGON Diminutive (expressing endearment) of dag, "a fish." The male god to which Atargatis corresponds (2 Macc. 12:26), the Syrian goddess with a woman's body and fish's tail, worshipped at Hierapolis and Ascalon. Our fabulous mermaid is derived from this Phoenician idol. She corresponds to the Greek foam-sprung Aphrodite. The divine principle supposed to produce the seeds of all things from moisture. Twice a year, water was brought from distant places and poured into a chasm in the temple, through which the waters of the flood were said to have been drained away (Lucian de Syr. Dea, 883). Derived from tarag, targeto, "an opening," the goddess being also called DERCETO; or else addir, "glorious," and dag-to, "a fish." The tutelary goddess of the first Assyrian dynasty, the name appearing in Tiglath. Dag-on was the national god of the Philistines, his temples were at Gaza and Ashdod (Judg 16:21-30; 1 Sam 5:5-6). The temple of Dagon, which Samson pulled down, probably resembled a Turkish kiosk, a spacious hall with roof resting in front upon four columns, two at the ends and two close together at the center. Under this hall the Philistine chief men celebrated a sacrificial meal, while the people assembled above upon the balustraded roof. The half-man half-fish form (found in bas-relief at Khorsabad) was natural to maritime coast dwellers. They senselessly joined the human form divine to the beast that perishes, to symbolize nature's vivifying power through water; the Hindu Vishnu; Babylonian Odakon. On the doorway of Sennacherib's palace at Koyunjik there is still in bas-relief representations of Dagon, with the body of a fish but under the fish's head a man's head, and to its tail women's feet joined; and in all the four gigantic slabs the upper part has perished, exactly as 1 Sam 5:4's margin describes: now in the British Museum. The cutting off of Dagon's head and hands before Jehovah's ark, and their lying on the threshold (from whence his devotees afterward did not dare to tread upon it), prefigure the ultimate cutting off of all idols in the great day of Jehovah (Isa 2:11-22). Beth-dagon in Judah and another in Asher (Josh 15:41; 19:27) show the wide extension of this worship. In his temple the Philistines fastened up Saul's head (1 Chron 10:10). (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright ©1998 by Biblesoft)

Thanks MStar. I studied very hard for both of my real estate classes (real estate appraisal and finance). I am going for a California real estate brokers license and now have taken all the necessary classes to be elgible to take the licensing examination.

I had tickets to the game, but I could not make it because I had my Real Estate Appraisal class final on the same day. Everything turned out O.K. though. I was going to take my father. I instead gave both tickets to my mother and my mother and father went to the game together. Then after the game I got the used ticket stubs. Additionally, I probably got an A on my final plus I did a long extra credit assignment for the class which consisted of an actual Appraisal Report for a house owned by one of the other students. I saw the game, including his home run, on TV and liked the fact that Bonds got a standing ovation from the A's fans after he hit his 714th home run. To bad the A's lost, but there is always tomorrows game. "Let's Go Oakland"

When and if Barry Bonds breaks the home run record. They should put a noticable asterisk next to his name in the record books with an explanation of his usage of steroids. And this is from someone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

And a big Happy Birthday from me too, Jonny Lingo. And how is the surf in Tahiti today, Bra? Catch any big waves?

Happy Birthday Roy: I hope all is well with you. With great love and a holy spiritual kiss, Mark

WOW, this is quite a story. I just finished listening to part one for the first time. I am getting quite an emotional reaction in listening to this. It reminds me of when I left the Way denomination in the late 1980s. Although they did not pressure me as much as they tried to pressure Belle. Frankly, if they would have tried I would have eaten them alive. But this was in large part because I had 14 years of biblical study behind me and knew how to research the bible as well as or better than my leadership. Besides that the Way denomination leaders were always a bunch of sex fiends and alcoholics anyway or at least idolized those people that were. It just took me 14 years to find out the truth about them. Nevertheless, I admire Belle's courage and ability to express herself in the circumstances with which she faced. A powerful testimony Belle and a great job in moderating it Pawtucket.

Jonny Lingo says, Jonny, what is an extreme right wing leftist? Actually that either sounds balanced (in a fanatical pants are on fire kind of way) or on issues you are either extreme to the left or extreme to the right and are never balanced and centrist. Please explain. Geez, I just had a startling thought. You're not one of those Neocons are you?

GC, in my book not using chemicals on your lawn would be conservative, especially if they are highly toxic and feature a skull and cross bones on the box. What ever happened to the good old fashioned work ethic of hoeing away weeds?

Hi Frued: Thank you for posting here on Grease Spot Cafe. I have only read your initial post here and no other posts after yours. I simply do not have the time to read the rest as I have a full time business while also currently taking two 3 unit college classes in the field of Real Estate. Sorry for not reading the other posts here. I just want to say that the reports about Craig's evil past are well documented by multiple people. However, it is also possible that Craig could now be experiencing a change of heart. When you take someone like Craig out of a situation where he was literally worshiped and had unlimited unchecked religious power and place him with the common people he really has no other choice, but to grow up. The whole system in the Way Denomination was that of a hierarchy of religious rule and it utterly corrupted the people at the top. When you take away that system and specifically remove people like Craig from being pandered to as the head of religious rulership, Craig could have time to heal and get right with God. I never knew Craig and perhaps only talked to him once in my time with the Way denomination. However, I did write him years ago and told him that he should resign from his leadership position if he wanted to get right with God and to rid himself of his bad fruit of pride and ego. Certainly he has needed to grow in meekness and humility and getting stripped of all religious authority and power was the best thing possible for Craig Martindale. Thanks again for posting Frued. God's blessings and peace to you.

What thread was Paw referring to? Apparently, I missed it. I have not had time to read GSC as much as in the past. I am taking two 3 unit each real estate classes and also have a full time business. However, in the past I have sometimes defended posters here. So what thread is being referred to here and did anyone defend the poster's right to express their views during this thread?

I have always been more conservative than George Bush, Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld. But then black is white and white is black with these Neocons. And WingNut if you actually read that article you have too much time on your hands.