Read a bit of the Bible yesterday...

[ProjectOmicron88]

I work in my university's student library, in the circulation department. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I took a break from loading books onto the cart that needed to be reshelved to have my lunch. Usually, I have a book with me I read while I'm eating, but as I was going to my locker to get it, I noticed there was a Bible on the shelf that I hadn't put onto the cart yet. (I chuckled a little reading the call number, as I always do...the Library of Congress call number for Bibles is under "BS") So I sat down with that instead of "The Dark Side of the Internet".

I read Revelation, and found all the places it ripped off of Johnny Cash. But when I began to read it seriously, I found that it was a decent piece of literature that left a lot of imagery to the reader's imagination. It made for good fiction, and reminded me a lot of the Cthulhu Mythos, in that all the books in the Bible are canonical (to some degree), all involve some form of supernatural influence on mortals, et cetera.

This was a scholarly Bible, too. Footnotes on the bottom gave historical context, how other sects interpret certain passages, and so on. It gave me the frame of mind I needed to notice something particularly amusing. I looked up Leviticus 18:22, the passage that supposedly condemns homosexuality. I couldn't think of another way to read "You shall not lay with a man as with a woman" (aside from possibly condemning threesomes), but then I remembered that this has probably undergone about fifty translations and re-translations to fit what Christians wanted to see. But even if it did condemn homosexuality, it didn't bother me too much, because right on the previous page, it gives rules on what should take place should one decide to sell his daughter into slavery. So honestly, I don't know how seriously I can take the whole "no homosexuality" thing when this supposed source of morality does not condemn selling your child into forced servitude.

Have you ever read the Bible, or at least a part of it? If so, what part about it made you think the most, or what did you find the most interesting?  

[Baron von Turkeypants]

Haha! I was reading something about what it means to be a Christian last night and I figured I'd give the arguments some serious thought. The pamphlet's "why you can be assured that Jesus' salvation is [whatever]" argument was called "God Said So." Of course, they only cited the Bible, which isn't a credible source. I was disappointed.  

[Theophrastus]

My biggest difficulty with Christianity came down to predestination.

Either...

A: God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent as my church had asserted. He made the world and every thing and soul in it, he made the circumstances into which I was born, knowing that I would be influenced to do certain things. As a matter of fact, then, it is God allowing evil to occur, allowing people to go to Hell and allowing me to have doubts. This is, of course, incongruous with the loving father most modern Christians see in god.

or...

B: humans have free will and are either able to do things that God doesn't predict (otherwise why would he become angry at us, strike down Sodom and Gomorrah, wipe out all humans but a few for the flood, etc), robbing him of omniscience or else he is able to predict and intercede to stop us from doing things (robbing us of our free will) but refuses to do so (robbing him of omnibenevolence).

Nobody could refute it, so it took root and grew to become my now much more satisfying Atheistic outlook.  

[God of lunchboxes]

Theophrastus

My biggest difficulty with Christianity came down to predestination.

Either...

A: God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent as my church had asserted. He made the world and every thing and soul in it, he made the circumstances into which I was born, knowing that I would be influenced to do certain things. As a matter of fact, then, it is God allowing evil to occur, allowing people to go to Hell and allowing me to have doubts. This is, of course, incongruous with the loving father most modern Christians see in god.

or...

B: humans have free will and are either able to do things that God doesn't predict (otherwise why would he become angry at us, strike down Sodom and Gomorrah, wipe out all humans but a few for the flood, etc), robbing him of omniscience or else he is able to predict and intercede to stop us from doing things (robbing us of our free will) but refuses to do so (robbing him of omnibenevolence).

Nobody could refute it, so it took root and grew to become my now much more satisfying Atheistic outlook.

*Quote saved on a word document*  

[Theophrastus]

I'm honored.  

[Meirelle]

I love reading Psalms. You can find many a double entendre in that section. twisted  

[Theophrastus]

Melons and camels and vines and sheep. Sexy desert fun!  

[Baron von Turkeypants]

Meirelle

I love reading Psalms. You can find many a double entendre in that section. twisted

You can also find a ton of contradictions in that section.  

[Alexander Blair]

considering as you said, the bible probably has been retranslated a thousand times over, you have to really wonder what was cut, and what was put in by the modern church.

The bible really contradicts itself, and if you sit down and have a debate with a preacher they will themselves say things that, to a educated person, contradict it as well.

Its all about how you absorb the text, and how your mind works. But i personally believe that over the years, much of the original passages have been edited beyond recognition.  

[AboveSkies]

I used to be a very devout Christian until I started using my brain, and pretty much using logic to the bible, and it just DOESN'T work. The bible like you said, has been through many translations, and the true meaning is lost; if there even was one.

Although: my favorite book is the book of Matthew, even though I don't believe that Jesus was what he said he was, I recognize; he was still a great person who taught allot of valuable lessons, and a great philosopher at the least.

The book of revelations is also very good, and while it does have a few plot holes, but for the most part: it is a very interesting stuff, and very well written science fiction.  

[ProjectOmicron88]

Above Skies

I used to be a very devout Christian until I started using my brain, and pretty much using logic to the bible, and it just DOESN'T work. The bible like you said, has been through many translations, and the true meaning is lost; if there even was one.

Although: my favorite book is the book of Matthew, even though I don't believe that Jesus was what he said he was, I recognize; he was still a great person who taught allot of valuable lessons, and a great philosopher at the least.

The book of revelations is also very good, and while it does have a few plot holes, but for the most part: it is a very interesting stuff, and very well written science fiction.

Exactly. The proof about Jesus existing is still fairly sketchy, but it's not unreasonable to assume that there was, at that time, a man who went around spreading peace, maybe even with some form of exotic medicine hitherto unknown to the citizens of Judea, or at least something similar. I agree with a lot of what he preached about brotherhood. I just don't believe he was the son of God.

Also, it seems to me like the kindest people go unworshipped for whatever reason. Everyone has imperfections, but it seems like people like your grandmother are more virtuous at times than people who profess they're children of God.  

[AnonymouZ]

I haven't read it lately. But i always start with genesis. How god refers to "himself" as WE and how that reminds me of some Alien conspiracy theorists that believe the christian god was/is an alien is a funny thing.

It also seems to me that the freaking flying serpent must have been an awesome creature... while at the same time... a smart one. If adam and eve just had gotten around to eat from the tree of life AFTER the one from knowledge... it would have been awesome too. But the story wasn't well crafted... i mean... how much knowledge did that tree have to begin with? Right then they must have realized that, besides being naked, God was a phoney and they SHOULD HAVE eaten from that life tree right away... but instead... noo, they had to hide from someone they knew would not hurt them. (i mean... not in HEAVEN/PARADISE he wouldn't!)

But yeah... now if i want to hear some good non-sense i turn on the radio on the christian channel. It does give me good laughs on the way to work.