A Saner Look at the Bible, revised

[Natasha]

A Saner Look at the Bible, revised

http://www.bilerico.com/2008/12/a_saner_look_at_the_bible_revised.php
December 24, 2008 10:00 AM

One particular visit, I was about to take a bite out of a scrumptious piece of apricot pie, when she said, "You're gay aren't you." I hadn't talked with her about my late-in-life discovery, but, I guess, somehow she knew.

Stunned, I said, "Yes, I am," I went on to describe a problem I was dealing with. It was becoming harder and harder to lead a double life that was having physical ramifications. I was struggling to lead a 30-hour week because I didn't have the stamina.

We didn't talk anymore about it and, after a while, she returned north and I, south. On Valentines Day I got a card from her that included a note. She expressed her appreciation for my support and went on to say that she felt I needed to leave the church. Then she went on to say that she'll always love me -- even with the knowledge I was gay. You know what they say -- love the sinner, but hate the sin. It hurt me to the core. I started crying, then tried to think about what to say in reply.

[sarahb]

Earlier I related how primitive the Hebrews were, but the finest piece of literature came from such a people who were only a few generations removed from chasing sheep. This gave me a way how the Bible is the inspired word of God -- that God must have been moving among the people in a way that they were inspired to create this ancient book.

C'mon, give me a break. Why can't anyone just believe that humans have the capacity to create the bible without needing inspiration from some omnipotent creator that apparently moves among us. In another 2,000 years people will look to us and the so-called advanced technology we have today and say, "There's no way such a primitive human could map the human genome, it must have been god."

Knowledge has to start somewhere. Just because they were a few generations away from chasing sheep, doesn't mean that there's no way for them to advance their knowledge and skills to be able to create something like the bible. It's called evolution.

[tekla]

The only sane way to view the bible is to list it as the greatest work of fiction in the history of the world.  Awesome, beautiful, in parts some of the best writing, ideas, and values to have ever have been put to paper.  Likewise, at other times its the most surreal acid trip ever, the most hateful and bitter stuff ever written, and hey, its got lots of great song lyrics too.