To think there’s actually so much wisdom in the bible

[Lardlizard]

I can see why it’s so popular
Almost like an early age self help book in some ways
Also hymns

For those of you who think the Bible is an amazing book...

Wait until you read some actually history, philosophy or science (or even just some good stories by great storytellers) - it’ll blow your minds!

@DollyDoneMore Rather patronising to think that people who think the bible is amazing haven't read anything else, don't you think? In my experience, people who have bothered to read the bible tend to have read very widely indeed.

@Scruffyoak

Not into fiction.

The bit where Adam gets caught and blames it on the woman "she made me eat the apple" certainly rings true to me.

[quote totallyyesno]@DollyDoneMore Rather patronising to think that people who think the bible is amazing haven't read anything else, don't you think? In my experience, people who have bothered to read the bible tend to have read very widely indeed.[/quote]
If they have read widely and think The Bible has anything valid to say about history, science or psychology, they are either an idiot or a psychopath.

@dollydonemore you said people who thought it was "amazing". I take it, you haven't read it then or why would you think it has nothing to say about history or psychology? 🙄

Read the Quran. More moral than the bible and the stories are very uplifting.

[quote totallyyesno]@dollydonemore you said people who thought it was "amazing". I take it, you haven't read it then or why would you think it has nothing to say about history or psychology? 🙄[/quote]
Because the history is often bogus “Dave begat Abraham begat Kevin begat Colin” and the philosophy* is often psychotic (all that shit about how you should beat your slaves and your women).

*I said philosophy, not psychology. I missed the bit where the Bible tackles psychology. Feel free to point it out.

You said "psychology". You're just embarrassing yourself now.

@Baaaahhhhh

If you want your children to become atheists, send them to a catholic school. Children are very good at questioning inconsistencies and unreliable sources. It worked for mine .

I was one of those kids and I agree.

I asked if Hitler was really genuinely sorry would he get into heaven, especially because he didn't kill anyone with his own hands - even though he was the mastermind. After all, even with mortal sins you can be forgiven if you confess and repent - so we were told. Got told off for being insolent and detention. Could have been a really interesting debate and discussion but they weren't big fans of those.

@FinallyHere

The bit where Adam gets caught and blames it on the woman "she made me eat the apple" certainly rings true to me.

Bloody women eh? Burn the witch.

Apologies. I said philosophy in my first post and got auto-corrected to psychology in my second.

Anyway, if I ever want to know how I should be beating my slaves or women, I know just where to go. Not sure if that’s philosophy or psychology but it sounds evil and twisted to me either way.

Dd was talking about her RE homework a few months ago.

She said she had to cite from sources of wisdom. Being clueless l asked what these were. She replied like the bible and stuff.😂

When I’d stopped laughing, l told her to cite from The Brothers Grim or Hans Christian Anderson, as they are fairy tales, in a similar way to the bobke

How about a bit of psalm 137 on this sunny Sunday afternoon?

Or a bit of Ecclesiastes 3?

I generally view it as a clever way to force people to behave in a way that helps society in particular ways (don't kill people, be kind to others, help the needy, don't eat disease-filled pork or shellfish (at the time), don't drink to excess).

Unfortunately standards of morality were a little different back then hence the shite treatment of women's

How about a bit of slave-beating?

If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

I don't think one could argue that the world wouldn't be a better place if we followed the 'Do unto others' philosophy a bit more.

I don't think one could argue that the world wouldn't be a better place if we followed the 'Do unto others' philosophy a bit more.

That's just common sense & decency. I don't need a book written by men hundreds of years ago to tell me not to be a tool.

My favourite story is Levite’s concubine about the father who puts his young daughter out to be repeatedly raped to death and then when he gets her back, he chops up her body and distributes it out.

Loving god, loving dad, no sexism here.

Or Job who is asked to sacrifice his own kid. Or Lot who offers two of his virgin daughters to a mob and then is raped by his two other daughters and impregnates them.

I’m not knocking Christians or Jews, but there is some really disgusting stuff in the bible and I think it should be taken story by story.

The bible - there are so many versions - is a pick and mix to suit.

You have to go by experienced kindness in your relations with others. They must be judged by their actions.

I have never met a self acclaimed 'Christian' who is not a cruel git.

At least not any with a social role - say, head of a religious school. The ones I have had the misfortune to deal with just don't believe in SEN (it's all about belief) and punish autistic children. I live in a rural area where there is no alternative to CofE. This religious monopoly should not be allowed.

I wasn't suggesting you needed a book to tell you not to be a tool
I was suggesting it's not all crap, but this is MN, I knew someone would pick holes.

There's wisdom in Lord of the Rings but no one has gone to war over it.

Komacho
“ I generally view it as a clever way to force people to behave in a way that helps society in particular ways”

It’s worth looking up the society that fostered and eventually forced Christianity upon us all - the dying days of the Roman Empire. The social issues of the time were very similar to those we face now. An increasingly corrupt and out-of-touch elite, class issues heightened by slavery, complete breakdown of communications between them and mutual disgust. It was the populism of its day in a moribund and paralysed system. Very very useful to the rulers of a system that had become too specialised and exclusively hierarchical to maintain any form of social cohesion without ideology. There’s a lot in common with our own times imo. The Darkening Age by Catherine Nixey is an easy but interesting read for this.

I do know plenty of Christians who use it as inspiration to do good btw. A lot of community groups are xtian. It’s a shame we can’t organise in civic terms without it.