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Ever met someone who says they live their lives in accordance with the rules of the Bible?

My response is "Let's play a game. Who ever goes to jail last for the following rules in the Bible wins." Also I think the some of the Ten Commandments are at odds with capitalism like "do not covet." I bet you can catch these folks eating shrimp and bacon too.

AustinSkepticus 7 Feb 27
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As your post suggests, anyone claiming to live in accordance with the Bible or some rules therein, is actually living in accordance with their personal, subjective interpretation, which exists within one of countless possible hermeneutics (interpretational systems), or possibly two or more superimposed ones. For example when I was an evangelical I used four of the five points of Calvinism, combined with Dispensationalism, Literalism, and a few other dogmas and I resolved the inevitable resulting inconsistencies as I was taught to rather than critically.

I guarantee you that in doing the above they are also ignoring many parts of scripture that don't appeal to them. I used to say "miracles are not for today" to Charismatics, "grace fulfills the law" to strict legalists, and "once saved always saved" to those from the Holiness tradition. And like most Christians, "the New Testament overrides the Old (except when the Old is convenient for my purposes)". Well I left that parenthesized part unsaid, even to myself -- but you get the general idea.

So mostly if someone were chest-thumping about their adherence to scripture I'd ask them exactly what the main teachings they hold to, then I would point out that people of good conscience disagree with them, and then invite them to explain how they can differentiate their particular dogma from personal preferences or their imagination. They won't be able to do it. They'll just sputter and get indignant.

Moderates and fundamentalists both cherry pick to their liking. Which is why I considered both equally as absurd.

@AustinSkepticus I speak to fundamentalism because it's what I'm most familiar with. But yes, liberal Christians are not immune to cherry picking. Indeed, they do just as much of it, they just pick less fascistic parts of the holy book and focus on the kum-by-ah that they favor. But challenge their belief in the deity and some of them can get just as riled up as a fundamentalist.

Now and then one will admit, they can't substantiate their beliefs, it is personal, and binding on no one else but themselves. I get along fine with such people. But they are rare.

The open question that remains: while atheists reject scripture in its entirety for the most part, do they also cherry pick the facts and beliefs they DO hold? Sure, because they're human. But at least it is much more likely for them to have beliefs tethered in some way to experienced reality, beliefs that are, however imperfectly, justified and which accurately explain and predict outcomes in that reality to a degree that theists can only imagine.

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Sarah Palin once said that this is what she believes...not recognizing that this would put her in immediate danger of being stoned to death for wanting to be in a position of power over men.
And I hope she was a virgin on her wedding night. If not, then more stoning would be in order.
Adulterer...stoning...etc

Also her daughter would be stoned to death for premarital sex.

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There's a new TV show about a guy doing this, can't recall details but I agree that its impossible without going to jail, and maybe the electric chair. People can be so stupid.

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