Comments on: Is Neil Diamond a Christian? http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390 We're Here to Make The Pigs Itch Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:09:38 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: DeadHeadEd http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27567 DeadHeadEd Sat, 17 May 2008 09:45:00 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27567 Was about to call it a night Jaynee until I read a news article about Einstein and his characterization of the Bible as "pretty childish" and the idea of God as a product of human weakness. Though I sympathize with Einstein's position, I believe another type of genius will prove Einstein wrong, whereby (a) God's existence will be undeniably affirmed, and (b), ethical relativism will be supplanted by a biblical ethos. What biblical ethos? The same one espoused in "Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show." That song comes to mind when hearing these lyrics from Neil's new album: "Stumbled inside the doorway of your chapel, humbled and awed by everything I found, beauty and love surround me, freed me from what I feared, ask for amazing grace and you appear." Not YOU in some born-again Christian sense but YOU in the sense of the flesh-and-blood Christ alive today. (Do me a favor: remember you heard it here first...wink.) I hope to meet you someday in the New World, Jaynee, or as Neil calls it :"America." Oh, and there's another type of genius Christ is: a puzzle genius. But I guess that isn't too surprising given what the Baptist sings in On the Way to the Sky: "we are two and two of us are one." Another point of interest is that Neil ends a lot of his concerts with the song "I've Been This Way Before." In fact, he even included the song in a Jonathan Seagull medley. Not familiar with the book or Neil soundtrack? Some have likened it to Christian allegory. In that book the main character Jonathan comes back to earth, and when he does, there's another main character involved named "Fletcher." Finally, in respect to "I've Been This Way Before," there's a telling line that states: "I've been this way before and I'm sure to be this way again, once more time again, just one more time." Ah yes, "One More Bite of the Apple" indeed. His asserting that he's sure to be this way one more time has already happened because the Christ--the literal in-the-flesh Christ--has already come. When two geniuses come together, there's nothin' that can compare to the "The Power of Two." :-) Was about to call it a night Jaynee until I read a news article about Einstein and his characterization of the Bible as “pretty childish” and the idea of God as a product of human weakness. Though I sympathize with Einstein’s position, I believe another type of genius will prove Einstein wrong, whereby (a) God’s existence will be undeniably affirmed, and (b), ethical relativism will be supplanted by a biblical ethos. What biblical ethos? The same one espoused in “Brother Love’s Travelin’ Salvation Show.” That song comes to mind when hearing these lyrics from Neil’s new album:
“Stumbled inside the doorway of your chapel, humbled and awed by everything I found, beauty and love surround me, freed me from what I feared, ask for amazing grace and you appear.” Not YOU in some born-again Christian sense but YOU in the sense of the flesh-and-blood Christ alive today. (Do me a favor: remember you heard it here first…wink.)
I hope to meet you someday in the New World, Jaynee, or as Neil calls it :”America.” Oh, and there’s another type of genius Christ is: a puzzle genius. But I guess that isn’t too surprising given what the Baptist sings in On the Way to the Sky: “we are two and two of us are one.” Another point of interest is that Neil ends a lot of his concerts with the song “I’ve Been This Way Before.” In fact, he even included the song in a Jonathan Seagull medley. Not familiar with the book or Neil soundtrack? Some have likened it to Christian allegory. In that book the main character Jonathan comes back to earth, and when he does, there’s another main character involved named “Fletcher.” Finally, in respect to “I’ve Been This Way Before,” there’s a telling line that states: “I’ve been this way before and I’m sure to be this way again, once more time again, just one more time.” Ah yes, “One More Bite of the Apple” indeed. His asserting that he’s sure to be this way one more time has already happened because the Christ–the literal in-the-flesh Christ–has already come. When two geniuses come together, there’s nothin’ that can compare to the “The Power of Two.” :-)

]]> By: Ed http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27566 Ed Sat, 17 May 2008 08:30:16 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27566 Sorry, couldn't resist the "you yourself." :-) Sorry, couldn’t resist the “you yourself.” :-)

]]> By: Ed http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27565 Ed Sat, 17 May 2008 08:24:12 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27565 I agree with your last two sentences (except for the use of the two conjunctions), although interestingly, the same sort of argument could have been posited against the first Baptist as well. Ah, but Jesus validated John did he not, but then, who is to say such validation could not happen again? I for one would not be so brazen as to think it could not. Two recurring motifs in Neil's work are "being lost" and "seeking home," and now we have a new album entitled "Home Before Dark." Makes me think time will tell soon enough about this outlandish theory. I'm afraid I'm much too busy to continue a discussion that I assume will be met with great skepticism anyway, and I cannot say I blame you, esp. since you yourself don't particularly care for Neil's music anyway. God bless. I agree with your last two sentences (except for the use of the two conjunctions), although interestingly, the same sort of argument could have been posited against the first Baptist as well. Ah, but Jesus validated John did he not, but then, who is to say such validation could not happen again? I for one would not be so brazen as to think it could not.

Two recurring motifs in Neil’s work are “being lost” and “seeking home,” and now we have a new album entitled “Home Before Dark.” Makes me think time will tell soon enough about this outlandish theory.

I’m afraid I’m much too busy to continue a discussion that I assume will be met with great skepticism anyway, and I cannot say I blame you, esp. since you yourself don’t particularly care for Neil’s music anyway. God bless.

]]> By: Jaynee http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27540 Jaynee Thu, 15 May 2008 12:44:12 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27540 Ed, there's no need to give TonyT's theory ANY thought. I absolutely do NOT believe (nor do I think Neil believes) that he is the reincarnation of John the Baptist. And not just because I don't believe in reincarnation, but because I think that's ridiculous. If *I* were to write a song or a poem from the perspective of John the Baptist - or even an album of songs from the perspective of John the Baptist - that doesn't make me John the Baptist. And nor does it make Neil Diamond John the Baptist. Ed, there’s no need to give TonyT’s theory ANY thought. I absolutely do NOT believe (nor do I think Neil believes) that he is the reincarnation of John the Baptist. And not just because I don’t believe in reincarnation, but because I think that’s ridiculous. If *I* were to write a song or a poem from the perspective of John the Baptist – or even an album of songs from the perspective of John the Baptist – that doesn’t make me John the Baptist. And nor does it make Neil Diamond John the Baptist.

]]> By: Ed http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27539 Ed Thu, 15 May 2008 06:14:10 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27539 The words to MISSA written by Diamond and on his 1970 album Note: 1970 Kristo, Kristo, Kristo Nitakutana nayeye Nitakutana nayeye Atakutana nami Atakutana nami Kristo, Kristo, Kristo Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa Lazima nisichelewe Mtoto amezaliwa Mtoto amezaliwa Mtoto amezaliwa Kristo, Kristo, Kristo Gloria [English Translation:] Christ, Christ, Christ I shall meet him I shall meet him He will meet me He will meet me Christ, Christ, Christ I must go now, Now I must go now I must not be late A child has been born The child has been born Christ, Christ, Christ Gloria I am an expert on his music and he not only has many Baptist-like compositions but many on the soon-to-be New World. I would not be too quick to judge. The words to MISSA written by Diamond and on his 1970 album
Note: 1970

Kristo, Kristo, Kristo

Nitakutana nayeye
Nitakutana nayeye
Atakutana nami
Atakutana nami

Kristo, Kristo, Kristo

Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa
Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa

Lazima nisichelewe
Mtoto amezaliwa
Mtoto amezaliwa
Mtoto amezaliwa

Kristo, Kristo, Kristo
Gloria

[English Translation:]

Christ, Christ, Christ

I shall meet him
I shall meet him
He will meet me
He will meet me

Christ, Christ, Christ

I must go now,
Now I must go now
I must not be late
A child has been born
The child has been born

Christ, Christ, Christ
Gloria

I am an expert on his music and he not only has many Baptist-like compositions but many on the soon-to-be New World. I would not be too quick to judge.

]]> By: Ed http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390&cpage=1#comment-27538 Ed Thu, 15 May 2008 05:57:39 +0000 http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390#comment-27538 Seems like you gave TonyT's theory a lot of vacuous thought Jaynee...lol Seems like you gave TonyT’s theory a lot of vacuous thought Jaynee…lol

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