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Raskolnikov
The Axe Murderer
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
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Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject: Re: Question for atheists |
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| Moloth wrote: | | SpunkyChicken wrote: | | Would you recommend reading the bible? I want to know if it's worth it, and whether it somehow makes sense or becomes more interesting somewhere in the middle. How can someone who doesn't believe in god interpret it so it becomes a good and moral guide? |
i would recommending reading it.
true or not, it has a marked effect on the world in which we live. to read the hate and insanity in that book is to be better prepared against it. |
QFT 
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"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, underwhich weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God, for if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."
-Thomas Jefferson
"The future is not set in stone. The future is what you make it. So make it a good one!"
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Unbeliever
Forum Master
Joined: 11 Apr 2005
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Local time: 7:04 PM
Location: The exact center of my observable universe
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Question for atheists |
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| transientangent wrote: | | SpunkyChicken wrote: | | Would you recommend reading the bible? I want to know if it's worth it, and whether it somehow makes sense or becomes more interesting somewhere in the middle. How can someone who doesn't believe in god interpret it so it becomes a good and moral guide? |
Read it with a good guide. The Oxford Annotated Bible is the version we used in college and it provides an abundance of interesting background material that clarifies the cultural context of the material. The OAB gives introductions before the books and then provides extensive annotations. It's definitely worth the investment if you're going to have a bible around.
http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-Augmented-Revised-Standard/dp/0195288807/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217121836&sr=8-1 |
Another very good guide to the historical aspects of the Bible is Asimov's Guide to the Bible.
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Only those with weak faith feel threatened by those with no faith.
2000 years of Christianity - haven't we wasted enough time!?
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Siderius
Forum Plebian
Joined: 19 Mar 2007
Posts: 146
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:00 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | How can someone who doesn't believe in god interpret it so it becomes a good and moral guide? |
I dont think the Bible can ever be a good moral guide. Just read it, its full of shit. |
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Basilosaur
Forum Plebian
Joined: 11 May 2008
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| I've been in this forum looking at the quotes other people that have read the bible. After seeing some related to stoning and such, i don't think the bible would be a good reading material. |
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baddogma
antitheist
Joined: 01 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:13 am Post subject: |
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It is a tough read, the most boring book of all time. BUT reading it helps understand Christianity. IMHO it is the most powerful force for atheism there is.
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Basilosaur
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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| Understanding your enemy huh? |
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kmisho
Stochastic
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:38 am Post subject: |
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Not really "the enemy."
And I'm not sure "understanding" is the right word. Maybe "insight." There can be no understanding, no squaring, of the god that says what's in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 and says what's in Matthew 5:3-10.
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Now this religion happens to prevail/Until by that one it is overthrown/Because men dare not live with men alone/But always with another fairy tale.
al-Ma'arri, Syrian Poet, died 1057
You deny the existence of 999 alleged Gods. I merely deny one more - yours.
John MacKinnon Robertson, "Godism" 1896
"Never is a long time." Robert Fripp, 1998
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chookrooter
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Not really "the enemy." |
I think the depends on where one lives. Certainly not here in Oz,but---
I've read a more than once recently that atheists are the most hated group in America-- hated and feared to such an extent that it's no secret that an openly atheist person simply will not be elected president. Imo, THAT is bigotry of the highest order. |
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Shiranu
Disciple of Slaanesh
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
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Location: An Octopusus' Garden with you... (San Antonio)
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:58 am Post subject: |
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| chookrooter wrote: | | Quote: | | Not really "the enemy." |
I think the depends on where one lives. Certainly not here in Oz,but---
I've read a more than once recently that atheists are the most hated group in America-- hated and feared to such an extent that it's no secret that an openly atheist person simply will not be elected president. Imo, THAT is bigotry of the highest order. |
I thnk (Dont quote me on it), that the % of people who would vote an atheist for president was 48%. The Other 52% wouldn't, regardless of his positions. Now, obviously that number will vary, Im sure in the North that is higher, and Deep South/Bible Bel its more like 5% would vote for an atheist, but thats still a general idea. Blacks... 98%, Women, 97%, gays, 70% something... its just pathetic. Why the fuck you would or wouldn't vote some one into office due to religious, sexual, or racial difference is beyond me.
But thats not a big issue for 90%+ of atheists. What IS an issue, for me anyways, is being harassed, threatened, etc. because im an atheist. Luckly I just moved from a hard-core Christian school to a new school, so maybe things are better here. But I was practically shunned, laughed at, treated like a feak, etc. etc. at the last one, because I didn't believe in their sky daddy. Very pathetic.
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"I never really wanted you to see, The screwed up side of me that I keep...Locked inside of me so deep...It always seems to get to me. I never really wanted you to go, So many things you should have known. I guess for me there's just no hope, I never meant to be so cold..."
"Life feels quite like Hell should, but this Hells so cold...Pull another knife out, stick it with rest of them... when my back is full, turn me around to face it." Trivium |
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CET
The Spiritual Atheist
Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Posts: 12865
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Location: SoCal, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:00 am Post subject: |
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| Shiranu wrote: | | chookrooter wrote: | | Quote: | | Not really "the enemy." |
I think the depends on where one lives. Certainly not here in Oz,but---
I've read a more than once recently that atheists are the most hated group in America-- hated and feared to such an extent that it's no secret that an openly atheist person simply will not be elected president. Imo, THAT is bigotry of the highest order. |
I thnk (Dont quote me on it), that the % of people who would vote an atheist for president was 48%. The Other 52% wouldn't, regardless of his positions. Now, obviously that number will vary, Im sure in the North that is higher, and Deep South/Bible Bel its more like 5% would vote for an atheist, but thats still a general idea. Blacks... 98%, Women, 97%, gays, 70% something... its just pathetic. Why the fuck you would or wouldn't vote some one into office due to religious, sexual, or racial difference is beyond me. |
Are you saying that Bush's being a fundy is not a turn off? How about Huckabee?
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CET 
The Spiritual Atheist
"Much of the suffering in the world comes from the delusion that we are separate from one another." - Gautama Buddha
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music." - George Carlin |
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chookrooter
Forum Master
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Are you saying that Bush's being a fundy is not a turn off? |
Yes, in the US where it seems to be an electoral advantage.
Here we have the occasional fundy nutjob who gets into the Senate or Lower House. I can't imagine a vocal one ever being elected leader of a party. We do have a pretty rabid catholic on the other side,who can be a bit of a worry.
Here we don't vote directly our Prime Minister.That person is chosen by his party.The leader of the ruling party is the leader of the country.He can be removed by his party whilst in power.
Our incumbent,a colourless little man known as Tin Tin, is Church of England ( Episcopalian, or Catholic Lite) That is probably the most inoffensive christian denomination in the country. Although they have begun ordaining women as priests, which has upset some of the more conservative members of the middle class.But they don't count, as they vote for the other side |
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Tornado_Creator
Royal Citizen
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 328
Local time: 3:04 AM
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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The Bible as a moral guide I severely oppose.
Now as a work of fiction honestly it's an embarrassment. It's long winded, self repeating, extremely tedious, has loads of filler, an extremely predictable plot, no true structure, lacks continuity at times and the characters are painfully one dimensional... if this was being judged for literary value it would get only 1 out of 5 crucifixes.
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josephpalazzo
Illusion Master
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 8036
Local time: 9:04 PM
Location: D-brane
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| Tornado_Creator wrote: | The Bible as a moral guide I severely oppose.
Now as a work of fiction honestly it's an embarrassment. It's long winded, self repeating, extremely tedious, has loads of filler, an extremely predictable plot, no true structure, lacks continuity at times and the characters are painfully one dimensional... if this was being judged for literary value it would get only 1 out of 5 crucifixes. |
Thank you for that insightful review. Now I know that my choice of never reading it was a serendipitous choice. |
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PriestofPoppycock
Intern
Joined: 30 Jul 2008
Posts: 85
Local time: 9:04 PM
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:17 am Post subject: |
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I recommend that you read it and form your own opinions. Of course, that could take studying, too, but even a casual reading of the Bible should be sufficient to debunk, at least for one's self, the claims of evangelicals and fundamentalists. The Bible is definitely a fallible product of ancient humans.
edit: If nothing else, check out the Skeptics Annotated Bible online, especially if anyone is bothering you with their supernatural claims as to the Bible's origins.
James
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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
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josephpalazzo
Illusion Master
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 8036
Local time: 9:04 PM
Location: D-brane
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:31 am Post subject: |
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Why the bible? and not the Qu`ran, the Torah, or the Vedas??
Sorry, but I`d rather put my time into Quantum Mechanics. I get more satisfaction... |
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