What is the single most stupid, batshit story in the Bible?

[peacewithoutgod]

Baruch, you're avoiding the issue with trivial lectures - you said Lot's exchange of his own daughter to an insane mob for the protection of a stranger was just "hospitality" - I think you need to clarify yourself on that, because that just looks utterly freaky. We both know the story is fiction, but I don't think such treatment of any child, as part of a story taught in every church should be taken with such indifference.

[Termin]

  I think what he's saying is that hospitality is , to the author of the story, the most important aspect of it, it's what makes Lot different than everyone else in Sodom who seemingly just walks around in groups and takes what they want.

In the author's mind, giving up his daughters was not a problem,(due to that societies view of their value, or lack of)  but rather a gesture of goodwill. I don't think he's saying it's was the right thing to do, merely explaining how the author saw it.

[Baruch]

If y'all want me to get judgmental on the actions of fictional characters well ... I think that Easter Bunny is a communist, giving away eggs to little children.

Termin is correct ... and the literary borrowing from the story of Lot to the story of the Benjaminite incident is obvious.  The question should be, what would stories like that mean, to the early people who listened to them.  They weren't read much before Roman Imperial times ... but were declaimed to an audience.

[Munch]

I've watched anime and read horror stories that have done that kind of creepy shit to children before, but those are purposely aimed at the horror market to scared and make you feel unnerved. Its the hypocrisy of christianity to keep claiming the bible stories as a 'source of good' when they show similar horror stories and have no problem having a loud mouthed cunt preacher yelling those stories at children on a sunday service.

[Baruch]

I would not be surprised to see that the impact of anime stories on American children is as great or greater over the last generation.  Not that I dislike anime ... I like it fine ... and in some respects, characters like Naruto teach good lessons.

[Munch]

I would not be surprised to see that the impact of anime stories on American children is as great or greater over the last generation.  Not that I dislike anime ... I like it fine ... and in some respects, characters like Naruto teach good lessons.

Well, I'm not a big anime fan overall, some good series here and there, but from what I understand from watching bennett the sage videoes, aside from a few rare gems, the more kid friendly animes, and studio ghibli movies, most of anime consists of this:
[spoiler][/spoiler]
and this:
[spoiler][/spoiler]

which honestly, just feels like something that could be found elsewhere without certain restraints

[Baruch]

Anime started as cartoon porn for adults ... then it moved down market to the kiddies, as all cultural things do.

"studio ghibli movies" ... とてã,,良ã,,

[Munch]

yes, very good indeed ^^

[Baruch]

One shouldn't be afraid of one's inner child, unless it has a tendency to break down into tantrums in the grocery store aisle ;-)

[Munch]

Unfortunately my inner child had a tendency to run away from home, giving his mother a heart attack.

But.. maybe we've deviated a little from the thread.

hmm, well I saw this one today on the skeptic fence show:

Your have to forward to 9:34 to see what I mean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSKk1bQ9uC8

you heard it folks, apparently heaven is a few thousand light years away.

[Baruch]

This is what happens why you confabulate ancient texts with modern situations ... or try to make ancient texts relevant to modern situations.  The Bible is literature, same as the Odyssey or Aeneid.  But there is probably someone somewhere who thinks that the Greek gods were ancient aliens ;-)  Because if we bring aliens into the story, then it seems modern.  Though I have seen a really good revamped Internet comic version of the Odyssey .. that basically has Odysseus telling the Greek gods that their day is done.

[Termin]

This is what happens why you confabulate ancient texts with modern situations ... or try to make ancient texts relevant to modern situations.  The Bible is literature, same as the Odyssey or Aeneid.  But there is probably someone somewhere who thinks that the Greek gods were ancient aliens ;-)  Because if we bring aliens into the story, then it seems modern.  Though I have seen a really good revamped Internet comic version of the Odyssey .. that basically has Odysseus telling the Greek gods that their day is done.

Odyssey of the Gods - The Alien History of Ancient Greece
http://www.legendarytimesbooks.com/odyssey-of-the-gods-the-alien-history-of-ancient-greece.html

[ApostateLois]

If y'all want me to get judgmental on the actions of fictional characters well ... I think that Easter Bunny is a communist, giving away eggs to little children.

Termin is correct ... and the literary borrowing from the story of Lot to the story of the Benjaminite incident is obvious.  The question should be, what would stories like that mean, to the early people who listened to them.  They weren't read much before Roman Imperial times ... but were declaimed to an audience.

The problem nowadays, though, is that many Christians really believe Lot to have been a righteous man, simply because  he is so described in the story. When it is pointed out that he offered his own daughters to a raging mob of rapists, they make excuses, claim we can't know God's thoughts, and say that times were different then and we can't expect the same sort of moral behavior from them that we would expect now. Why not? God is supposed to be the same today as he has always been. If he approved, back then, of treating girls like possessions to be loaned out and abused, we can logically expect him to approve of the same behavior now. You and I know that it's just a fable, but a lot of Christians don't know it.

[peacewithoutgod]

The problem nowadays, though, is that many Christians really believe Lot to have been a righteous man, simply because  he is so described in the story. When it is pointed out that he offered his own daughters to a raging mob of rapists, they make excuses, claim we can't know God's thoughts, and say that times were different then and we can't expect the same sort of moral behavior from them that we would expect now. Why not? God is supposed to be the same today as he has always been. If he approved, back then, of treating girls like possessions to be loaned out and abused, we can logically expect him to approve of the same behavior now. You and I know that it's just a fable, but a lot of Christians don't know it.

Thank you - this precisely why I found Baruch's reduction of this story to a "hospitality" tale to be so objectionable! I don't think it matters so much how this story is used in Sunday schools and before congregations, what does matter is that they leave in how Lot treated his own child, which is consistent with the prevailing attitude which fundamentalist Christians hold toward women in general. While I don't have to worry that my nieces, raised under a modern Catholic system will meet such a fate as Lot's daughter, I am concerned that their self-esteem may be damaged there.

[Baruch]

Termin ... I didn't realize anyone had plugged for that angle, ancient aliens in Greece ;-)

Peacewithoutgod ... In my experience, there isn't a lot of the Bible that sermons are based on ... and I would hazard that very few are based on Lot or the Benjaminite woman.  This is why the Church didn't want anyone reading this stuff ... just listening to the priest give the local news after Mass.