Primitives once again discuss things they have no clue about (Bible edition)

[Carl]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025716934

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:17 AM

Star Member Scuba (40,839 posts)

10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About the Bible
http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/10/06/10-things-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-the-bible/34414


1. The Bible doesn’t answer all — or even most — of our questions.
Many of our questions, even some of the more pressing questions we face daily, aren’t answered in the Bible. The Christian Bible isn’t an answer book but a story of how Jesus answers for us the biggest question of all: what God is like.

...

3. The Bible isn’t a sourcebook for fighting culture wars.
The Bible isn’t a club we use to gain political power or a way of forcing secular culture to obey our rules. America is not God’s country and the Bible isn’t its constitution. Stop it.

4. The Bible doesn’t guarantee “success in life.”
Don’t listen to those T.V. preachers. The Bible isn’t a step-by-step guide to success, as if buried there are deep secrets for being happy, healthy, and rich. It is a book that shows what dying to self and surrendering to God are about. The Bible crushes our egos.

...

6. The Bible invites debate.
An extremely important lesson for Christians to learn from Judaism is that the Bible invites debate. In fact, it can’t avoid it, given how open it is to multiple interpretations. Winning Bible feuds with others, getting to the right answer, isn’t the end goal. The back-and forth with the Bible, and with God, is where deeper faith is found.

DUmbasses know as much about the Bible as they do economics.

Response to Scuba (Original post)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:26 AM

Star Member thucythucy (2,086 posts)
1. I would add a number eleven:

the Bible doesn't ever pretend to be "written by God." In fact, some books are obviously meant to be read as narratives or accounts or prayers by definitely mortal and fallible human beings: Psalms, Lamentations, and much else. These don't claim to be "divinely inspired," and shouldn't be taken as such, except in the sense that one might claim Shakespeare or Bach were "divinely inspired."

Response to Scuba (Original post)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:30 AM

phil89 (471 posts)
2. It's several books of mythology.

That's it. A book of cruelty written by cruel, superstitious people.

Response to phil89 (Reply #2)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:58 AM

Star Member RKP5637 (31,782 posts)
5. Exactly! And as a handbook of those today that want to continue ... so sad

in the 21st century. People are easily brainwashed today as back then.

Response to phil89 (Reply #2)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 10:45 PM

Star Member thucythucy (2,086 posts)
17. Much, but not all of it.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't see "blessed are the peacemakers" or "love thy neighbor as thyself" or all the admonitions to help widows, orphans, the poor, and the aliens among us as particularly cruel, or even superstitious. And "Lamentations" is a quite moving evocation of what it's like to be an oppressed people, living under a brutal military occupation. It apples to Palestinians today under Israeli occupation as much as it applied to the Hebrew people under the thumb of the major powers of the time.

The Bible is a collection of many different texts, thrown together by happenstance and political reasons as much as by any determination that they were "holy" books. They're a big part of our history, like it or not, and do contain some fairly lovely poetry.

But yeah, Leviticus and Deuteronomy are long past their expiration date. And Revelations reads like an acid trip gone bad. And Paul--his second batch of letters anyway--reeks of misogyny. Not argument there, not from me, anyway

Response to Scuba (Original post)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:54 AM

Star Member RKP5637 (31,782 posts)
4. The bible is a select handbook of politics and brainwashing to keep the masses of that

time in line to the masters of power and control, the control freaks of the time! It was also a hope of that time that there must be something better than the bullshit masses had to endure in life. Hence, the bible dealt out the rules of punishment and hopefulness with selections to reinforce the authoritarian policies of that period which in some cases benefited the masses, but also in many cases were stupid, persecutory and torturous. And those with a sadistic nature often had a good time of it all in persecutory roles with their inquisitions.

Response to Scuba (Original post)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 10:50 AM

Star Member 99Forever (8,259 posts)
7. Don't care, not my kind of fiction.

Response to Scuba (Original post)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 07:50 PM

Star Member madokie (41,199 posts)
14. I don't believe a word in it

but your mileage may vary. I'm going to the same place you or anyone else is when I die and that is dead. Same as that bug that hit my windshield or that skunk,opossum or armadillo that didn't make it across the road last night.
IMHO

Response to madokie (Reply #14)

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 10:50 PM

Star Member Recursion (34,567 posts)
19. Job makes that same argument

One of the better books.

I mean, I don't "believe" a word of Shakespeare either, but I still find him worthwhile to read too..

Response to Recursion (Reply #19)

Mon Oct 27, 2014, 02:46 AM

Star Member madokie (41,199 posts)
20. Big difference between the writings of Shakespeare

and the so called teachings of the bible. I'll have none of the so called teachings of the bible where I can enjoy reading Shakespeare

I wasn't created I have evolved, discussion over. It has taken billions of years to get to this point too, not 6 days way back there somewhere

No matter how you got here you are still a sub human.

Response to Recursion (Reply #24)

Mon Oct 27, 2014, 04:41 AM

Star Member madokie (41,199 posts)
25. I made myself pretty clear

with what I posted to begin with. Its you who wants to keep this alive, not me. I have nothing to do with the bible and haven't since I was around 14 years old, some 52 years ago.
No complaint from me other than believers thinking they need to save me or trying to control me by their beliefs. Pushing their beliefs off on me as a way to control what I can and cannot do

Eternities BBQ pit awaits your soon arrival!

[USA4ME]

Liberals are immature on so many levels, but this is one where they really shine in their intolerance towards those who they believe are holding them back from their utopia. How many times do you see some Bible believer on a pol site saying "Those non-believers, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"? But you see the non-believers at lib sites doing it all the time towards believers. A sign of their immaturity.

.

[franksolich]

Oh geezuz.

This shows how little, if anything at all, the primitives understand.

The Bible crushes our egos.

The first sin was that of Pride, where man (and woman) thought they were as smart as God.

I saw how that attitude worked, with the older brothers and sisters when I was growing up.

As many here know, it didn't work out so well.

It's necessary to have a realistic perspective on how smart, how good, how "awesome," one is, to have a fulfilling and successful existence.

There are some grossly overinflated egos that need smashed to smithereens, and I'm sure we all can find ample examples on Skins's island.

[BannedFromDU]

     I can see how they would hate the Bible, because it contains lessons about sacrifice and faith and its application to difficult human circumstances and emotions, NOT problems. Notice how most liberal critiques of the Bible have to do with its lack of concrete solutions for every problem, when in fact every DUmmy problem can be solved by selecting one or more bits of advice from this list:

• Don't be an asshole.
• Avoid drugs. Seek help if you cannot.
• Be kind to others before you know their politics.
• Consider the possibility that your unpleasantness is why people don't like you.
• It is possible that those with more, earned it.
• Wipe your behind fully before leaving the bathroom.
• Get a job and stay in it.

I will also add that for people who, most of them, write science fiction and fantasy (poorly), they certainly take a dim view of the Bible.

Also, in closing, the next time I meet with a DUmmy who badmouths the Bible in my physical presence, I will kick their ass from Genesis to Revelations.