What's so weird? There's obedience to God and disobedience to God. He's been disobedient. Sounds pretty open-and-shut to me.

He stopped doing dip a few weeks ago right? There you go. He's probably going through all sorts of withdrawals. He'll be fine.

I'm confused - so God wanted him on the chew? Mysterious ways and all that, I guess.

i'm looking forward to the day it's out of fashion for headlines to read like they we're written by two women in a yogurt commercial.

you would have loved the banner headlines of the civil war era:

Enemy Forces engaged in battle!

Johnston in Full Retreat!

3 Days of Horror!

10,000 Rebels slain!

Richmond Ours!

Maybe sex/porn addiction? That would be a fun twist on the story. It would put him three quarters of the way to the addiction career grand slam. He can do gambling after he retires.

Sounds like he has been ####### Annies on road trips.

Maybe sex/porn addiction?

Weakened legs and blindness can't be good for baseball.

Maybe sex/porn addiction?

Weakened legs and blindness can't be good for baseball.

But the hairy palms will save money on batting gloves...

Is Hamilton married?

Is Hamilton married?

To Jesus.

Finding wedding presents for those guys was even tougher than usual.

Candlesticks are always nice

Nothing really to see here.

Player going well: his issues are seen as just peripheral ones.

Player not going well: his issues are seen as central ones.

Since the dawn of baseball.

Is Hamilton married?

Yes, since 2004.

Player not going well: his issues are seen as central ones.

Hamilton's issues were especially central in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

He's worried that Romney won't pick him to be his running mate.

Sounds like he has been ####### Annies on road trips.

I don't think that's it. Here are Hamilton's quotes from a few days ago:

"There's so much more involved. I don't know," he said. "I'm cool, man. I'm really good. The frustrating part is this [dealing with the media] and not being able to share everything with you guys. When the time is right, I'll be honest with you, you'll be right in the loop."

He said everything is good spiritually.

"I've been shown a lot of things over the past week," he said. "There's disobedience and there's obedience to God. I've been being disobedient. It may be a small thing to you, but it's a big thing to him. There's consequences. It's like a father and a kid. There are disciplines. You guys can chew on that and think about it."

The "it may be a small thing to you" comment wouldn't square with serial marital infidelity unless he has a really low estimation of the media. Nor do I think he would be "cool" or "really good" if that's what was going on.

You guys can chew on that and think about it.

"You guys like apples? How about them apples?"

Hamilton should worship a god that can hit a curveball.

"I've been shown a lot of things over the past week," he said. "There's disobedience and there's obedience to God. I've been being disobedient. It may be a small thing to you, but it's a big thing to him. There's consequences. It's like a father and a kid. There are disciplines. You guys can chew on that and think about it."

This to me seems to say something from his past has come back and he is trying to sort out how to deal with it.

Maybe he finally had to owe up to breaking the vase because he was playing ball in the house.

So if the HR derby was a bad day to be an atheist, is today a good day for atheists?

"When the time is right" makes it sound like something that everyone will know eventually. Maybe he got popped for steroids and is in the middle of appealing.

Shooty, are you trying to tell me that Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?

This to me seems to say something from his past has come back and he is trying to sort out how to deal with it.

Maybe someone came forward with a kid that they said was his? Or a positive amp. test (although for Chrissake, Hamilton shouldn't be doing amps)?

Shooty, are you trying to tell me that Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?

Jesus no hit curveball!

Hamilton seems like he'd be tiresome to hang out with, but he's a joy to watch play baseball when he's going well and since the chances I'll ever meet him are effectively zero, so that's good enough for me. It must be weird to be a ballplayer and suddenly have a receptive audience for any thought that comes into your head.

"There's disobedience and there's obedience to God. I've been being disobedient. It may be a small thing to you, but it's a big thing to him. There's consequences. It's like a father and a kid. There are disciplines. You guys can chew on that and think about it."

Sounds like he has been dabbling with monophysitism.

Sounds like he has been dabbling with monophysitism.

I am afraid to google that, but I will...

BORING!

Sounds like he has been dabbling with monophysitism

Two physts would be too much. And thanks for increasing our vocabulary, Chef!

I am afraid to google that, but I will...

BORING!

Ain't nothing boring about monophysitism. Are you also bored with arianism?

I always thought it was interesting that arianism died out, but the Copts have kept monophysitism alive for over a thousand years.

Hamilton seems like he'd be tiresome to hang out with, but he's a joy to watch play baseball when he's going well and since the chances I'll ever meet him are effectively zero, so that's good enough for me. It must be weird to be a ballplayer and suddenly have a receptive audience for any thought that comes into your head.

Indeed, all points.

And while I do wish him well in his struggles, he's been a self-absorbed PITA about it for quite a while. The no-champagne-cuz-it-will-deliver-Satan-through-my-skin-pores is Exhibit A.

It would be so rad if Josh Hamilton was trying to figure out how to come out of the closet.

Ain't nothing boring about monophysitism. Are you also bored with arianism?

Less gabbing, more stabbing!

Could it be that he's thinking of leaving baseball to enter the clergy? Or figuring out how to do the latter without doing the former?

Could it be that he's thinking of leaving baseball to enter the clergy?

Only A's prospects do that.

Could it be that he's thinking of leaving baseball to enter the clergy? Or figuring out how to do the latter without doing the former?

All kinds of Angels fans are praying that this is the case.

All kinds of Angels fans are praying that this is the case.

That way he's hitting, screw that. Keep playing him Wash!

Somebody cut his hair while he was sleeping.

He's been reading the wrong page of his psalter for six weeks and he just noticed.

Only A's prospects do that.

barf. I'd just bothered to get excited about that guy too. Why couldn't he steal bases for the lord?

Could it be that he's thinking of leaving baseball to enter the clergy?

Only A's prospects do that.

Bob Bonner, who was featured on the 1982 future Oriole stars card along with Cal Ripken and Jeff Schneider, became a Baptist missionary in Zambia after his baseball career. He now lives back in the US.

There's obedience to God and disobedience to God. He's been disobedient.

No doubt he was mixing fabrics. Wait until he starts wearing his 100% wool uniforms in Texas in August. Everyone will know when that happens.

Bob Bonner, who was featured on the 1982 future Oriole stars card along with Cal Ripken and Jeff Schneider, became a Baptist missionary in Zambia after his baseball career. He now lives back in the US.

A lot of athletes do it after their career, but Grant Desme was a hot prospect when he abruptly retired to become a priest.

He's been reading the wrong page of his psalter for six weeks and he just noticed.

Or playing pepper with his psalter?

No doubt he was mixing fabrics. Wait until he starts wearing his 100% wool uniforms in Texas in August. Everyone will know when that happens.

Perhaps he needs to wear a hairshirt.

A hairshirt is like a batting donut for the soul.

I always thought it was interesting that arianism died out, but the Copts have kept monophysitism alive for over a thousand years.

It is interesting, but I think that the causes are historical rather than theological, and thus slightly less interesting:

- Monophysitism was home-grown in Egypt, while Arianism took root in among German tribes for whom it was not a native belief, and thus is more easily cast off.

- The east was in antiquity far more urban cosmopolitan than the west, which allowed for a greater array of beliefs to exist cheek-by-jowl. This was especially true in the 6th and 7th centuries, when Arianism was dying and Monophysitism wasn't.

- The east was the home of Christianity while the west was its "colony", if you will. Colonies are often less diverse than the homeland (e.g., American English has many fewer accents than English English).

- Egypt was conquered by the Caliphate in the 640s. There were lots of political incentives for a Lombard king to drop Arianism for Nicene Christianity (and to force his subjects to come along). The Egyptian Monophysites had a lot of incentives to convert to Islam, but there was no good reason for them to drop Monophysitism if they wanted to remain Christian. Muslim authorities generally weren't especially interested in Christological niceties, and all docile, taxpaying Christians looked the same to them. This factor is significant because the step from Arianism to Nicene Christianity is much, much smaller than the leap from Monophysite Christianity to Islam. For the average 7th century Lombard believer, the former would mainly involve a small alteration in the words of the Mass, not much more. The jump from Christianity to Islam is of course very significant even to the simplest believer.

I'm not saying that if the Caliphate had taken over Lombardy in 642 then we would have Arian Christians around today, but I think it's entirely possible that if Islam had never happened (the largest counterfactual proposal I can think of) then the Copts would just be Orthodox Christians of one type or another.

He's been reading the wrong page of his psalter for six weeks and he just noticed.

Or playing pepper with his psalter?

The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle.

Who knew BTF had Danny Kaye fans

No - the pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that's true!

I don't get why after the nonpoisoned glass is broken, the poisoned one is switched. Did she take the pellet our of the vessel with the pestle?

Only A's prospects do that.



barf. I'd just bothered to get excited about that guy too. Why couldn't he steal bases for the lord?

Exodus 20:15.

I read an article somewhere - sorry, can't remember or I'd link it - that said Hamilton's going through a divorce.

I always thought it was interesting that arianism died out, but the Copts have kept monophysitism alive for over a thousand years

Interestingly, the Copts themselves reject this label. They say that the greek word "miaphysite" accurately represents their belief, but that even they reject the absoluteness of monophysitism.

Both Rome and Moscow have been making overtures to the Copts for about two generations -- trying to bring them back into the fold. At least under the late Pope Shenouda, the Copts really didn't have any interest in reconsidering Chalcedon. But I think they're looking for friends these days, especially after all Christians got run out of Iraq and the Salafis are making a lot of noise in Cairo. They've got a lot of close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russians are generally seen as friends and possible protectors (its like 1913 all over again!). But the Orthodox are more hardline on doctrines like this. Rome, on the other hand, is well-verse in absorbing particular churches and glossing over their heresies with massive documents that no one reads. They did that with some Nestorians not too long ago, and I'm sure they'd happily do so with the Copts. Plus its easier for the Roman church to finagle around something like the Council of Chalcedon.

Of course, as Stalin noted, the Pope does not command any divisions.

I'm not saying that if the Caliphate had taken over Lombardy in 642 then we would have Arian Christians around today, but I think it's entirely possible that if Islam had never happened (the largest counterfactual proposal I can think of) then the Copts would just be Orthodox Christians of one type or another.

There is probably some merit to that, but I don't know that it's quite so simple. Like the Nestorians in Persia, non-Christian empires were much more tolerant of Christian minorities if they were fighting with Constantinople (or later Rome). The Ancient Church of the East (now headquartered in Chicago, of all places -- don't they know that's in the Central Divisions?) didn't really become Nestorian until after the Syrio-Greek Nestorians were given refuge in the Persian Empire. Enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that. Once there, Nestorianism became the main theological influence and was supported by the state (subsequently spreading to the Malankara Church).

I read an article somewhere - sorry, can't remember or I'd link it - that said Hamilton's going through a divorce.

No way.

As Josh's imaginary pal said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

Both Rome and Moscow have been making overtures to the Copts for about two generations -- trying to bring them back into the fold. At least under the late Pope Shenouda, the Copts really didn't have any interest in reconsidering Chalcedon. But I think they're looking for friends these days, especially after all Christians got run out of Iraq and the Salafis are making a lot of noise in Cairo. They've got a lot of close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russians are generally seen as friends and possible protectors (its like 1913 all over again!). But the Orthodox are more hardline on doctrines like this. Rome, on the other hand, is well-verse in absorbing particular churches and glossing over their heresies with massive documents that no one reads. They did that with some Nestorians not too long ago, and I'm sure they'd happily do so with the Copts. Plus its easier for the Roman church to finagle around something like the Council of Chalcedon.

If they can kiss and make up with Lutherans, then you would think Copts would be fairly simple.

I found Ron Washington's comments on this matter more interesting than Hamilton's. Lots of wink-wink type comments AND third-person references.

If they can kiss and make up with Lutherans, then you would think Copts would be fairly simple.

I wasn't clear. Not play nice together, reestablish communion. Most everyone gets along these days. It's pretty remarkable how much relations between Christians have improved over the past hundred years.

I mean, the Greeks and Latins spent nearly a thousand years bickering about things -- relations haven't been this good between Eastern and Western Christianity since before Charlemagne.

I also helps that everyone gets together to laugh at the Episcopalians.

If they can kiss and make up with Lutherans, then you would think Copts would be fairly simple.

Well, the disagreements with the Copts have about a thousand year head start on the disagreements with the Lutherans, and it was a thousand years of deep cultural and geographic divisions.

Homer: Bring back our kids you Cyprus splitting jerks!
Turkish Captain: Just for that, we keep your children!
Homer: Will you raise them christian?
Turkish Captain: Coptic Christian.
Homer: No!

That always makes me laugh a lot, for reasons I've never quite worked out.

I wasn't clear. Not play nice together, reestablish communion. Most everyone gets along these days. It's pretty remarkable how much relations between Christians have improved over the past hundred years.

Lutherans (not Missouri Synod) and Catholics are planning a joint commemoration of Luther's theses and are on track--though it could still be f*ed up--to establish joint communion

Lutherans (not Missouri Synod) and Catholics are planning a joint commemoration of Luther's theses and are on track--though it could still be f*ed up--to establish joint communion

Wouldn't that just mean these Lutherans are becoming Catholic? Rome isn't gonna recognize some Lutheran Ordinate like they did for the Anglicans.

I wasn't clear. Not play nice together, reestablish communion. Most everyone gets along these days. It's pretty remarkable how much relations between Christians have improved over the past hundred years.

Lutherans (not Missouri Synod) and Catholics are planning a joint commemoration of Luther's theses and are on track--though it could still be f*ed up--to establish joint communion

I'm Lutheran, and I'll pass. Catholics have too much communion for my taste. Communion at weddings, communion at funerals, communion at everything.

I kid, of course. I understand the Catholic approach, it's just a different approach. People can have friendly differences.

I wasn't clear. Not play nice together, reestablish communion. Most everyone gets along these days. It's pretty remarkable how much relations between Christians have improved over the past hundred years.

Lutherans (not Missouri Synod) and Catholics are planning a joint commemoration of Luther's theses and are on track--though it could still be f*ed up--to establish joint communion

I'm Lutheran, and I'll pass. Catholics have too much communion for my taste. Communion at weddings, communion at funerals, communion at everything.

I kid, of course. I understand the Catholic approach, it's just a different approach. People can have friendly differences.

I wasn't clear. Not play nice together, reestablish communion. Most everyone gets along these days. It's pretty remarkable how much relations between Christians have improved over the past hundred years.

Lutherans (not Missouri Synod) and Catholics are planning a joint commemoration of Luther's theses and are on track--though it could still be f*ed up--to establish joint communion

I'm Lutheran, and I'll pass. Catholics have too much communion for my taste. Communion at weddings, communion at funerals, communion at everything.

I kid, of course. I understand the Catholic approach, it's just a different approach. People can have friendly differences.

A hairshirt is like a batting donut for the soul.

brilliant

Wouldn't that just mean these Lutherans are becoming Catholic? Rome isn't gonna recognize some Lutheran Ordinate like they did for the Anglicans.

I assume it would mean Catholics extending to Lutherans what they extend to Eastern churches, saying they can take closed communion at Catholic churches as long as their home church approves.

See, this is what happens when you put addicts in positions of power.

You get threads on monophysitism!

The Greeks and Latins spent nearly a thousand years bickering about things

Yeah, and that whole sacking of Constantinople thing in 1204. So petty the Greeks couldn't get over that.

Seems like post #2 (which happened to be written by me) nailed it:

He stopped doing dip a few weeks ago right? There you go. He's probably going through all sorts of withdrawals. He'll be fine.

Heyman:

Rangers superstar Josh Hamilton's personal issue that he referred to in a recent interview has come to light, and word is it regards his recent inability to kick the chewing tobacco habit. Hamilton spoke recently about his disappointment in himself about an undisclosed personal matter, and sources say the tobacco is what he was talking about -- and possibly a little bit about his disappointment in not being as disciplined at the plate in recent weeks, too.

link

If they can kiss and make up with Lutherans, then you would think Copts would be fairly simple.

But when I kissed a Copt down on 34th and Vine,
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine.

wrong thread.

Goyim.