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Post by will on Jan 11, 2010 0:40:28 GMT -5
I listened to an audio book of End of Faith on a long drive yesterday. It is very well written, well supported, and a fascinating critique of religion.
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Post by bizarro on Jan 11, 2010 8:43:29 GMT -5
Yep, that's a good one.
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Post by arozanski on Jan 11, 2010 10:30:11 GMT -5
Forgot to list this one - the Bible. Up to Judges so far, I am reading it to see what all the fuss is about. A lot of people got smeared in the Old Testament, that is for sure.
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Post by baldrick on Jan 11, 2010 10:34:18 GMT -5
Forgot to list this one - the Bible. Up to Judges so far, I am reading it to see what all the fuss is about. A lot of people got smeared in the Old Testament, that is for sure. Entire populations got smeared in the OT. Parts of it are a great read for the blood-thirsty among us. ;D
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Post by bizarro on Jan 11, 2010 10:57:43 GMT -5
Had to read most of it in college (religious studies major). It's pretty rollicking in places, but not much good as a conversionary (sp? made-up word?) document, imho. The OT God is an asshole, and the NT God isn't really much better.
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Post by arozanski on Jan 11, 2010 11:04:14 GMT -5
I wouldn't want to 'have to read it'. Its hard to keep track of who is smiting who, and what mountain gets displaced for what voyage, and whatnot ;D
My mother lent this one to me, it was hers when she was growing up. It is a Catholic Bible, has notes about sections on almost each page. When I hear people talk about 'literal translations' and 'unchanged messages for two thousand years', I have to laugh. Some notes deal with name issues, and some deal with geography, and some deal with the fact that certain passages are just assumed to mean what they sound like, because there is no other explanation.
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Post by bizarro on Jan 11, 2010 11:13:00 GMT -5
Having had to do biblical exegesis all I can say is that the fundies and literalists are so full of it it beggars, so to speak, belief.
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Post by will on Jan 11, 2010 13:28:43 GMT -5
The Jerusalem Bible is a decent academic translation, with annotations. It was done by Catholic scholars, but they appear to have been scholars first. The King James translation is a whole lot of fun for smiting, blood, putting men, women, children, and livestock to the edges of swords, pissing against walls, and the like.
Deuteronomy is my favorite way to confuse fundies. According to Deuteronomic thinking, building a church is wicked, if you read it literally enough.
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Post by john on Jan 11, 2010 15:45:40 GMT -5
For those of you into graphic novels:
The Walking Dead series.
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Post by arozanski on Jan 12, 2010 8:54:30 GMT -5
The Jerusalem Bible is a decent academic translation, with annotations. It was done by Catholic scholars, but they appear to have been scholars first. The King James translation is a whole lot of fun for smiting, blood, putting men, women, children, and livestock to the edges of swords, pissing against walls, and the like. Deuteronomy is my favorite way to confuse fundies. According to Deuteronomic thinking, building a church is wicked, if you read it literally enough. Judges has a lot of multiple wives, as well. Siring a child by a harlot seems somewhat common, too ;D
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Post by will on Jan 12, 2010 12:39:49 GMT -5
It is the be fruitful and multiply thing. You get to screw a lot, apparently, but only if you are going to have lots of kids from it. It is a little confusing, since some of the screwing would now be considered sexual harassment at best, and more likely rape.
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Post by bizarro on Jan 12, 2010 13:39:39 GMT -5
I'm fairly certain rape is a sanctioned activity in the Bible and that it's not gender specific.
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Post by arozanski on Jan 12, 2010 14:02:14 GMT -5
It is the be fruitful and multiply thing. You get to screw a lot, apparently, but only if you are going to have lots of kids from it. It is a little confusing, since some of the screwing would now be considered sexual harassment at best, and more likely rape. The 'brother-in-law' provision is interesting. If a woman loses her husband, the husband's brother is expected to pick her up and provide. He can get into big trouble if he does not want the woman.
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Post by bizarro on Jan 13, 2010 11:45:05 GMT -5
World War Z is awesome so far.
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Post by jeromeoneil on Jan 13, 2010 12:28:16 GMT -5
For those of you into graphic novels: The Walking Dead series. Comic books aren't books.
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