And the real bible thumpers are those who say they take every word literally. Of course with the popularity of the prosperity gospel something had to be done with that pesky saying. More hypocrisy from the self-serving religious fanatics.

The one problem few seem to question is the one of translation. The bible(s) have been translated many times and once you learn a foreign language you experience how muddy the world of translations can be.

A Presbyterian minister once told me it was the name of a small alleyway or city gate in Jerusalem, which would be difficult for a camel to pass through. At least, that was what he was taught in divinity school.

I was told by a fundamentalist Christian that the passage actually refers to a "Needle Gate" that was very difficult for a camel to pass through. The problem with this explanation is that a) the Bible passage doesn't say that, b) it would require that people from outside a very particular locale understand the reference, c) there's no evidence that this "Needle Gate" ever actually existed, and d) the disciples are "astonished" and ask Jesus "who, then, can go to heaven" and Jesus replies that "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" — indicating that it isn't merely some tight passage that people get through all of the time, albeit with some difficulty.

Another attempt to square the circle here is to claim that "camel" is a mistranslation or misspelling and the correct word is "rope," but I fail to see that as better. Rope passing through the eye of a needle would be impossible, too.

It seems, from what I've read, that most Bible scholars accept the translation as intentionally absurd and, therefore, an impossible feat without divine grace. But the "prosperity gospel" folks aren't interested in that interpretation, so they jump through lots of hoops to pretend the Bible doesn't say what it actually says.

Of course that is the great thing about the bible, it is so mixed up you can get it to say almost anything you want. And if it says something you don't want, then you can interpret it, and/or say, it is not literal.

But the great think is. The really WONDERFUL trick that makes it work so well, and be so popular. Is that having interpreted it however you like, you can still claim that it is the inerrant word of god, and that therefore your views have god like authority, and trump everyone else.

Whoever wrote this book of fiction, attributed this quote to the character Jeebus who obviously didn't like rich people and would've despised Donald Trump and all these billionaire televangelists.