Another view on Bible violence (applies to any Scripture)

[firedragon]

That is true if one uses 2nd definition of Myth below


But if one uses the definition of Mythology below then it really applies


And when one adds to that the definition of "supernatural" the word Mythology even makes more sense

Bro. Dictionary meanings are not what I was referring to. I was quoting you phrases used by scholars, I was not making guesswork. Hope you understand.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Any poll with options nine and ten sugests a remarkably adolescent ignorance.

 

[stvdv]

Bro. Dictionary meanings are not what I was referring to. I was quoting you phrases used by scholars, I was not making guesswork. Hope you understand.

Bro. You were not quoting my phrases though, you quoted of someone else. I just replied to it, to share the dictionary definitions, as info to the OP

 

[SigurdReginson]

Makes reading a lot quicker, if you can skip all these verses, doesn't it?

I suppose, but that's not really why I read holy books now, when I do. Rather than trying to find answers to questions in my life, I do it more for fun now. Where I would skip those verses before, now I see it as a window into the past. In seeing how people thought then, I can have more of an idea for why we think the way we do now. It's interesting for me.

I usually just skip the verses that seem irrelevant for me. I did read important things in my Scripture I never read before elsewhere

What scripture is that?

Bookish knowledge helped me become aware. Introspection helped me to transform it, or as you say "deprogram my brain from the damage"

Real introspection didn't come until later for me, but bookish knowledge did help me expand my horizons in the beginning. It took years to get over my fear of hell, and other such things. Now, I struggle to remember verses I used to know by heart. Honestly, I didn't realize just how much I would be able to separate myself from my old walk. I always assumed I'd keep some of my old ideals or religious habits since it occupied so much of my life. I've almost completely cut myself free though... It's nice.

My friend has a similar upbringing to me, and she is also an atheist like me now. Sometimes I'll mess with her. When we go hang out and eat together, I'll bow my head and say "Ok, let's pray." She'll close her eyes and bow her head every time before snapping out of it and yelling at me to knock it off. Some of that programming will never go away.

 

[stvdv]

Any poll with options nine and ten sugests a remarkably adolescent ignorance.

This reply suggests ignorance + a desire to find fault in my OP + useless belittling criticism

 

[stvdv]

I suppose, but that's not really why I read holy books now, when I do. Rather than trying to find answers to questions in my life, I do it more for fun now. Where I would skip those verses before, now I see it as a window into the past. In seeing how people thought then, I can have more of an idea for why we think the way we do now. It's interesting for me.

Nowadays I read very little Scriptures. Usually reading 1 sentence is enough to give me a boost for the day.

What scripture is that?

Yoga Vasistha

I've almost completely cut myself free though... It's nice.

Congratulations, not easy to accomplish to deprogram oneself, but I see it as an interesting challenge. Took me longer than it took you

Some of that programming will never go away.

I have the same thoughts sometimes ... old habits indeed die hard

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

This reply suggests ignorance + a desire to find fault in my OP + useless belittling criticism

No - just a bit of sloppiness, an old keyboard, and yesterday's cataract surgery.

 

[stvdv]

No - just a bit of sloppiness, an old keyboard, and yesterday's cataract surgery.

That sounds much friendlier.
Wish you well recovering from the surgery

 

[SigurdReginson]

I understand. But do not agree that "it's hard to justify the good when the bad is right next to it". Good is good, bad will always be next to it on earth.
I solve this knowing that humans who wrote Scriptures could have made mistakes (and maybe I misinterpret)
Anyway, when it feels off to you, trust your conscience, skip it. At least that is what I do
But I do not throw out the baby with the bathwater (saying in Holland)

I would agree with you, but you gotta understand that I come from a fundamentalist background. I can read between the lines no problem now, but any time I think of my old faith, there was a fear. See, I believed my scriptures were flawless, and if I ever discovered one thing was off, it would shatter my ideas of my faith. Those flaws eventually did shatter my faith, prophetically, heh. Took a while, though.

Black and white thinking is unhealthy, and when one never challenges themselves with the truth, they end up believing a lie and tricking themselves.

Good point. My take on that "As long as we are not convinced it is still my imagination"

Aye. I've learned that it's important to have high standards for such things. Ochram's Razor is a nice tool to have!

You were in such deeper states, did you really feel not grounded? That is hard to believe for me. I never felt more grounded in my whole life.

That's the trick. See, my "transcendent" experiences felt totally real. I had felt closer to god than anything before. I wanted to cast aside all worldly things and follow after him, even if it meant neglecting myself in the process.

In retrospect, those experiences were most likely caused by my brain being flushed with dopamine. I was chasing after a high, and leaving my life behind. I felt grounded in my attatchment to god, but in reality I was adrift in the wind with nothing holding me down.

Cold, hard reality isn't as warm and fuzzy as a dream, but it'll still be there when I wake up.

A grounded and centered awareness is fantastic. Reading is useful to get there. Once there, why read more? But I feel no need to dismiss books

Hmmm... For me? Understanding, and to check myself. Every day I can learn that I was wrong or off about something, and that's a great feeling. I know that when I start to be right about everything, I've lost the ability to be intellectually honest with myself, and I don't ever want to be that way again.

 

[firedragon]

Bro. You were not quoting my phrases though, you quoted of someone else. I just replied to it, to share the dictionary definitions, as info to the OP

Alright brother. All good.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

That sounds much friendlier.
Wish you well recovering from the surgery

Thanks. I had the other eye done two weeks ago and can attest to the fact that recovery is rapid and uneventful. The sloppiness and the keyboard are bigger issues.

 

[ChristineM]

Christians aren’t bound by OT law, though.

No, but they're very fond of quoting it as sacrosanct when it suites them

 

[Deidre]

No, but they're very fond of quoting it as sacrosanct when it suites them

Yea, I wish there was unity or at least more unity among Christians. So many human interpretations. The Bible confronts me and sometimes offends me, too but I take it as an entire set of stories that ultimately lead to Jesus.

 

[Milton Platt]

So?


Or may be The null hypothesis is not to accept without evidence


You're joking, aren't you? No. Can you not think of no others?


From your perspective obviously, not from mine No, it is not perspective. It is logic. Justice is punishment perfectly meted out to fit the crime. Mercy is the suspension of justice (forgiveness instead of punishment). You can't do both simultaneously.


Only if you have attachment to "body identification" and it's ultimate goal of importance I have no idea what this means


That is what I said Cool


I did not ask for that If you did not want others to consider your opinions, what was the purpose of the post, then?

Be creative yourself, and show what you have got I have no need or obligation. Show what I have "got" about what?

 

[metis]

Reading it in this way, is how the verses are most useful to me in this moment

Although I can see that believing the magic really happened can also be useful
And definitely I don't rule out that certain miracles and/or magic have occurred

I do remember that when I was reading about those miracles in the Scriptures
those really got me hooked into the Spiritual life, so in that way it was useful

It appears we're kindred spirits-- so you might want to rethink your position!

BTW, I've posted a series of "experiences" that reflect what I call "spiritual connections" with someone else, which can also be called "premonitions", so have you had anything like that happen with you?

 

[ChristineM]

Yea, I wish there was unity or at least more unity among Christians. So many human interpretations. The Bible confronts me and sometimes offends me, too but I take it as an entire set of stories that ultimately lead to Jesus.

I take the various versions of the bible as indications of what to expect from Christianity. Im usually right but sometimes i am pleasantly surprised

 

[stvdv]

Some people claim that God did all those horrible things mentioned in the Bible. My point in the OP was, that this need not be the case
The Bible was not written by God, so at best we can say "according to the writers of the Bible, God did these horrible things"
Some people also believed thunder and lightning was the wrath of God, we now now it's just thunder and lightning

For me it makes no sense to accuse God of these things, and it's more practical to do introspection and point the finger at ourselves

That was in short why I wrote the OP.

No one needs to choose my opinion, hence I gave both options in the poll with the questions. I was just curious how many people actually believe God really did all these horrible things, because I saw it mentioned quite a few times on RF posts over the years.

"show what you have got"... I meant with this, that you share with us, what you think about those verses accusing God

 

[stvdv]

It appears we're kindred spirits-- so you might want to rethink your position!

Rethink my position? I am at a loss now. Which position you have in mind?

BTW, I've posted a series of "experiences" that reflect what I call "spiritual connections" with someone else, which can also be called "premonitions", so have you had anything like that happen with you?

Such "experiences" are intriguing, because they are beyond the mind. To me it seems like there is a "common mind" and when we are in tune we can connect, and information can flow. Maybe "Dropbox" is the scientific version of this. Of course not as sophisticated.

These sort of things give an extra dimension to our human life. And can be very useful. This is like an extra sense we use; and a very powerful one. Knowledge comes to us, without the need to study and free of charge; it's amazing and incredible?

 

[Deidre]

I take the various versions of the bible as indications of what to expect from Christianity. Im usually right but sometimes i am pleasantly surprised

What do you expect from it?

 

[ChristineM]

What do you expect from it?

Considering i have been seriously hurt 4 times by Christians. I expect Christian (some Christians at least) to follow the violence of the bible