Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Smullyan-esque · 08-01-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Bloe

Dave, have you read any religious, philosophical, historical, etc texts other than the Bible? And have you read them in the same way you read the Bible?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Bloe

Try reading the Koran, and treating the hard parts there the same way you do the hard parts of the Bible. I'll bet you can use precisely the same techniques to come up with great explanations for them, too. In fact, I know you can, because Muslims in fact do. And it won't make the hard parts of the Koran any more really actually plausible than it makes the hard parts of the Bible.

Bump!

These are important questions, afdave. Because of this, I expect you to ignore them...

-----------------------------------------
Oh, yeah. I read the whole Bible (NIV version), but it was years ago.

Chuck Rightmire · 08-01-2007, 08:39 PM

We all think we're special. Somehow, when an obscure Judaic sect became Christianity, it took a book of folklore and moral teaching from a tribe of people that had tried to be cohesive for centuries and turned it into the word of God. When I was a junior in high school, I read the whole thing; one reason I'm no longer religious. I have also read a number of parts of the king James version in literature classes. It has some great language in it, particularly Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. It has some great stories, too, Lot and his daughters, Esther, Ruth and Naomi, etc. But, for the latter several, if you've ever read a romance, the characterization is better in the modern versions.

Jayco · 08-01-2007, 08:58 PM

I've read it and I think it's pretty shitty literature.

jeffevnz · 08-01-2007, 09:03 PM

I confess that I have not read the entire Bible. I have tried, repeatedly, but could never get past Genesis or Exodus because I couldn't stomach reading something so stupid. It's like trying to listen to a drunk at a bar, when you're still completely sober. It just sounds so stupid. That's the best word I can think of to summarize the bizarre, rambling train of thought, the lack of consistency, the uncritical acceptance of supernatural events, and the gratuitous fixation on sex and violence. As I read it, I can just picture the drunk, bronze-age, goat-herding morons making it up around a campfire.

I never cease to be amazed at the gargantuan difference between how much respect the Bible gets and how much it actually deserves.

Jayco · 08-01-2007, 09:09 PM

Jeff,

Try reading it drunk -- it helps a lot.

spamandham · 08-01-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afdave

But I am curious about something ... how many of you have actually READ the Bible?

I've read the entire thing, from "In the beginning" all the way to "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. " twice (including the endless droning lists of crap). I've the read the entire NT many more times, and certain books of the OT and NT I've read even more yet.

jeffevnz · 08-01-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayco

Jeff,

Try reading it drunk -- it helps a lot.

Sounds like a good idea. Or maybe reading it high...

jeffevnz · 08-01-2007, 09:25 PM

Are there exams you can take to measure your knowledge of the Bible? Not interpretations or beliefs, just knowledge of the text. I'd be very curious to see how atheists score versus how Xtians do on it.

mit · 08-01-2007, 10:33 PM

Read through most of it once. I have just finished the Bible Unearthed and want to have a read of it again.
I love the way that Joshua bounced around destroying cities that ceased to exist hundreds of years before he got their or didn't exist for another couple of hundred years.

Michael

anevilpetingzoo · 08-01-2007, 11:28 PM

I actually WROTE the bible. (God told me what to say)

So yeah I fucking read it.

08-01-2007, 08:39 PM	#92
Chuck Rightmire Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Billings, Montana Posts: 451	It's only folk lore We all think we're special. Somehow, when an obscure Judaic sect became Christianity, it took a book of folklore and moral teaching from a tribe of people that had tried to be cohesive for centuries and turned it into the word of God. When I was a junior in high school, I read the whole thing; one reason I'm no longer religious. I have also read a number of parts of the king James version in literature classes. It has some great language in it, particularly Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. It has some great stories, too, Lot and his daughters, Esther, Ruth and Naomi, etc. But, for the latter several, if you've ever read a romance, the characterization is better in the modern versions.

08-01-2007, 09:25 PM	#98
jeffevnz Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA, USA Posts: 3,370	here's a thought Are there exams you can take to measure your knowledge of the Bible? Not interpretations or beliefs, just knowledge of the text. I'd be very curious to see how atheists score versus how Xtians do on it.

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08-01-2007, 08:58 PM	#93
Jayco Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Crystal Lake, Illinois Posts: 865	I've read it and I think it's pretty shitty literature.

08-01-2007, 09:03 PM	#94
jeffevnz Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA, USA Posts: 3,370	I confess that I have not read the entire Bible. I have tried, repeatedly, but could never get past Genesis or Exodus because I couldn't stomach reading something so stupid. It's like trying to listen to a drunk at a bar, when you're still completely sober. It just sounds so stupid. That's the best word I can think of to summarize the bizarre, rambling train of thought, the lack of consistency, the uncritical acceptance of supernatural events, and the gratuitous fixation on sex and violence. As I read it, I can just picture the drunk, bronze-age, goat-herding morons making it up around a campfire. I never cease to be amazed at the gargantuan difference between how much respect the Bible gets and how much it actually deserves.

08-01-2007, 09:09 PM	#95
Jayco Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Crystal Lake, Illinois Posts: 865	Jeff, Try reading it drunk -- it helps a lot.

08-01-2007, 10:33 PM	#99
mit Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 46	Read through most of it once. I have just finished the Bible Unearthed and want to have a read of it again. I love the way that Joshua bounced around destroying cities that ceased to exist hundreds of years before he got their or didn't exist for another couple of hundred years. Michael

08-01-2007, 11:28 PM	#100
anevilpetingzoo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 797	I actually WROTE the bible. (God told me what to say) So yeah I fucking read it.

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