Answers To Your Questions About Precious Stones Commands

A question about English articles?

Below is the definition of a ruby that I took from Wikipedia. The thing is, I often get confused about English articles and was wondering, why is the word 'ruby' used with the article 'the' as in the first paragraph where I would normally expect 'a ruby' or 'rubies' (because it doesn't refer to any specific ruby here, right?) and why rubies in the second paragraph and not 'a ruby' or 'the ruby'?

I would greatly appreciate your help with a logical (grammatical if possible) explanation.
Thanks!

-An English learner

The ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. The ruby is considered one of the four precious stones, together with the sapphire, the emerald, and the diamond.[1]
Prices of rubies are primarily determined by color. The brightest and most valuable "red" called pigeon blood-red, commands a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality. After color follows clarity: similar to diamonds, a clear stone will command a premium, but a ruby without any needle-like rutile inclusions may indicate that the stone has been treated. Cut and carat (weight) also determine the price.

Can someone *analyze* this email I received about how Catholicism is a cult or something...?

(It was from VenomFangX when I asked him about the sacraments and stuff)...Personally, I think it's a bit harsh...the Catholic and Orthodox church are the only authentic churches in my eyes. Protestants took the Virgin Mary away from the child Christ and went out of their way in not taking the sacraments. God have mercy on us all!

I go to a baptist church.

Sacrements are NOT in The Bible.

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For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God

Catholics use sacrements, which are a denial of the once and for all sacrifice of Christ Himself.

Catholicism is not the biblical faith that Jesus Christ taught. Catholicism is a works righteous system; it makes you 'do' things to earn your way to Heaven. Martin Luther challenged the Catholic Church with his 95-thesis, out-lining the importance of understanding justification by faith alone, not of religious works from the catholic system.

I am persuaded that the roman catholic church is the evil harlot mentioned in the book of Revelation chapter 17. It talks about an evil harlot from rome who has commit fornication with the world that sits on seven hills and is drunk with the blood of the saints, that is rich beyond measure, and robed in purple and scarlet with a golden. Rome has always been known as the city on seven hills, and the bishops and cardinals from the Vatican system dress in scarlet and purple, are rich beyond measure and arrayed with precious stones, and the pope has a golden cup. I have studied the roman catholic church, and most shocking of it's many departures from the Scriptures is the fact that the recent pope kissed the quran in public! That is pure spiritual fornication. Not to mention the vatican is one of the wealtheist establishments on Earth, and Jesus said

Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Not to mention, no pope was ever mentioned in The Bible (Peter was not a pope or a roman bishop). The papacy is a tradition of men, where the roman bishop is regarded as head of the church, which God condemns. The roman government was NEVER to have ANY authority in the church. The catholic church is satanic deception used to slander the good name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many turn away from Christ because of the atrocities and bloodshed the catholic church is responsible for, such as the inquisition where all non-catholics were tortured to death by the hundreds of thousands.

Jesus told us to put down our swords and not kill anyone, but the catholic church has never had a history of obeying the Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine if I went and killed someone, and told everyone that you told me to do it! What a lie that would be; it is called slander. The catholic church is Satan's attempt the slander the Lord. Many of the things catholics do are strictly forbidden. Jesus said:

Matthew 23:9
Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Clearly a violation of Jesus commands is when catholics call their 'priests' father. Not to mention, The Bible teaches that only Jesus is our High Priest. We have teachers, but they are equally able to talk to God as we are. Also, we are to confess our sins to God, not a man in a box. Whenever you confess to anyone but Jesus Christ, you are confessing your sins to an anti-christ and denying this scripture;

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My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you might not sin. Yet if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus, the Messiah, one who is righteous.

An anti-christ is anyone who dissolves the importance or work and person of Christ. When someone sets themselves up as the forgiver of sins, they are making themselves an anti-christ; we must confess to Jesus, and Jesus alone!

Furthermore, catholics praise dead saints like Mary, and make her the 'mother of God', which is a false and pagan title. She is just a human vessel who was used to birth the flesh of Jesus Christ, she was a sinner who needed forgiveness just like any of us. And no, she did not die a virgin, she had a child with Joseph.

Catholics are guilty of minimizing the importance of the completion of Jesus' work on the cross, which is the ONLY thing that saves us, through false doctrines like penance, indulgences, purgatory, and the eucharist (none of which are found in scripture). No amount of religious works, going to church, traditions, festivals, sacriments, or anything else can save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ saves you, and His work on the cross. Unfortunately, catholics forget that his work on the cross was completed as His resurrection, and insist on portraying Jesus still on the cross with the crucifixes with little Jesus' statues pinned to it, cel
Catholics are guilty of minimizing the importance of the completion of Jesus' work on the cross, which is the ONLY thing that saves us, through false doctrines like penance, indulgences, purgatory, and the eucharist (none of which are found in scripture). No amount of religious works, going to church, traditions, festivals, sacriments, or anything else can save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ saves you, and His work on the cross. Unfortunately, catholics forget that his work on the cross was completed as His resurrection, and insist on portraying Jesus still on the cross with the crucifixes with little Jesus' statues pinned to it, celebrating the victory of sin over the sinless Christ, rather than honoring His resurrected reality by having an empty crucifix, which speaks of a resurrected Christ who conquered the grave and sin. Lucifer's happiest memory is Jesus on the cross.
The most abhorent teaching in the catholic church is the eucharist (or transubstantiation), which teaches that the bread and wine taken at the Lord's supper is actually the blood and body of Christ. By believing this, they are denying the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and re-sacrificing Himself over, and over, as if His once and for all sacrifice was not suffecient. If you ask a catholic what were to happen if you did not partake of this eucharist in the mass, they would say you can not have your sins forgiven. This shows they believe the eucharist is what saves you, but that is a lie. Jesus said we are to eat bread and drink wine to REMEMBER His sacrifice that saved us!
Luke 22.19, Jesus said, This do in remembrance of me.

Jesus said in order to be saved, you must be born again. Catholics have no idea what this means, and usually say they were born again when they had water dropped on their heads as a baby (also a false teaching). In order to be born again, you need to cry out to God that you are a sinner, repent from your sins, and place your faith firmly in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and receive the Holy Spirit of God, as the book of Acts promises in Acts 2.
I attend a baptist church, where I worship the Lord, but I do not for a moment think my church attendance saves me; I am saved by grace, through faith in Christ, and I go to church to worship the Lord who saved me.

Here are some videos about this and more, showing you the evils of the catholic church.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5656543228879822494&hl=en
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx8PdvOELvY

Please see CARM
http://www.carm.org/catholic/gospel.htm

zku...

Do you have "chemistry" with your better half? If not, maybe this will help.?

Element Name: MAN
Symbol: XY
Atomic Weight: (180 +/- 50)
Physical properties: Solid at room temperature, but gets bent out of shape easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky. Difficult to find a pure sample. Due to rust, aging samples are unable to conduct electricity as easily as young samples.
Chemical properties: Attempts to bond with WO any chance it can get. Also tends to form strong bonds with itself. Becomes explosive when mixed with Kd (Element: Child) for prolonged period of time. Neutralize by dousing with alcohol.
Usage: None known. Possibly good methane source. Good samples are able to produce large quantities on command.
Caution: In the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to smell.
________________________________________
Element Name: WOMAN
Symbol: WO
Atomic Weight: (don't even go there!)
Physical properties: Generally round in form. Boils at nothing and may freeze any time. Melts whenever treated properly. Very bitter if not used well.
Chemical properties: Very active. Often unstable. Possesses strong affinity for gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones. Violent when left alone. Able to absorb great amounts of exotic food. Turns slightly green when placed next to a better specimen.
Usage: Highly ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known.
Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands.

What opinion do you have of this part of my story?

After many precious stones were lost in the process of Kaylen’s arrival, he finally walked into the library. As expected, there were guards in silver and black armour situated everywhere. A guard standing by the last shelf of books grabbed the wrist of a plump woman attempting to reach for a book. This woman was questioned about her intentions.

Kaylen diverted his gaze and walked over to the counter where he scanned his eyes and hands before moving onwards. He passed by the woman who was struggling against the keen guard, probably a newbie, before making his way to the restricted section. Outside the metal door, glistening with a glaze of protective magic stood another guard. This one looked down at him with beady eyes.

“Hold up your hands,” he commanded.
Kaylen did as he was told. The guard tapped a place on his helmet close to his temple and a blue visor crossed his eyes. In a lighter blue, small writing and a few symbols flickered by on the shade and the guard nodded. The visor disappeared.

“Kaylen of the North,” the gruff voice said behind the metal mask. “You may enter.”
Kaylen felt a great a wave of relief wash over him. Only people over the age of eighteen were permitted to enter the restricted section. He had turned of legal age during his journey and wasn’t sure if the council had registered his coming of age, but it seemed like they were up to date to things as usual. However he was more surprised that his magic power and background was of an acceptable standard to let him enter as well.

“Go on in,” the guard snapped. Kaylen looked up with a start. The protective barrier was gone and the metal doors were opened enough to let him in. He grinned.
“Thanks, man,” he said and walked in.

The metal door slammed shut. Kaylen, now successfully in the restricted section of the library and was more or less alone, hurried towards the history books. He failed to notice the person there already reading as he scanned over the large books stacked neatly on the shelves.

“Come on, come on,” he hissed as he walked down the aisle, eyes glued to the titles on the spines of the books. None of them held the title he was looking for. He reached the end of the aisle and was going to walk back just to check if he missed it when a voice startled him.

“Do you need help with something?” The tone of voice was smart and mildly amused. Kaylen turned and spotted the girl sitting on a stool with her legs crossed. She closed the book she held and arched and eyebrow.
She appeared rather young, like she was maybe around sixteen. But if she was, she wouldn’t be allowed in the restricted section. Then again, women tended to use magic to look younger but he didn’t sense any magical energy from her.

“Hello?” The girl waved a hand in front of his face. “You look lost,” she laughed at him. Kaylen narrowed his eyes at her but otherwise ignored her and continued looking at the books. “Hey, newcomer,” the girl persisted. Kaylen spun around.

“What?” he said. He was irritated. He had come a long journey for a book and if he couldn’t find it, well then that would have been a total waste of time and precious stones. It was costing, travelling so far.
The girl apparently didn’t like his current attitude and crossed her arms. She put the book down on the stool. “This is your first time, isn’t it?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “You’re supposed to use magic to summon the book you want otherwise even if you find it, you can’t take it out and read it,” she spoke, matter-of-factly.

Kaylen looked at her. It was customary to introduce oneself to a stranger when engaged in a conversation but she made no move to do so.
“Kaylen,” he said instead, offering his hand. “I came from the North, the Frontier Lanes.”
“Sindy,” she replied, shaking his hand. “I live around here at the Border’s Cross.”
They nodded in recognition to each other. Kaylen decided to get a stool of his own and sit down.
“What’re you reading?” he asked. She picked up her book to show him.

“Treacherous acts-”

“I want that book!” Kaylen interrupted, pointing at it. “Treacherous acts and evil deeds from the magic wielders, volume one.”

Sindy nodded. “You want it?” she asked.
“Can I borrow that?” Kaylen asked eagerly.
She shook her head and hugged the book much to his frustration. “Nah-ah, it’s mine.”
It was then when the door to the room slammed open and girl with wild red hair stormed in. She blew strands from her face away and growled to herself. Whilst this was happening, Kaylen and Sindy were watching curiously.

“Stupid guard,” she hissed as she stormed up and down the aisles of books. And a moment later, “Why is it so hard just to find a book?”
From behind the shelves Kaylen could see a burst of yellow light.

-

Critique is welcome. ~
So are general comments. Thanks. 🙂

How funny is this joke 1-10?

Element name: Woman

Symbol: WO

Atomic weight: (don't even go there)

Physical properties: Generally round in form. Boils at nothing and may freeze at any time. Melts when treated properly. Very bitter if mishandled.

Chemical properties: Very active. Highly unstable. Possesses strong affinity with gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones. Volatile when left alone. Able to absorb great amounts of exotic food. Turns slightly green when placed next to a shinier specimen.

Usage: Highly ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known.

Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands.

Element name: man

Symbol: XY

Atomic weight: (180 +/-50)

Physical properties: Solid at room temperature, but gets bent out of shape easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky. Difficult to find a pure sample. Due to rust, aging samples are unable to conduct electricity as easily as young samples.

Chemical properties: Attempts to bond with WO any chance it can get. Also tends to form strong bonds with itself. Becomes explosive when mixed with KD (Element: child) for prolonged period of time. Neutralize by saturating with alcohol.

Usage: None known. Possibly good source of methane. Good specimens are able to produce large quantities on command.

Caution: In the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to smell.