That's gonna be a pass from me.

I'm surrounded by more than enough people who are happy to cherry-pick their favorite bible passages for any occasion.

But you go right ahead and do whatever makes you happy.
I have no problem exercising the "block" function on this site.

Enjoy your day.

I couldn't agree more. That's why I still get a daily e-mail of Bible verses.

Psalm 51:15-17 featured recently:

Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

There are parts of the Bible that seem meaningful, interpreted a certain way. I like the story of Job because it illustrates a fundamental truth. Because of his deep insights Job could not help himself. It was impossible for him to curse God and die, as advised by his neighbor. And also the transience of all forms is illustrated.

In general I am not a great fan of the Bible, but a person could view the work as a set of artistic expressions based on myth and parables as well as history. Belief is not required. One does not come out of a museum saying, “Yes, I believe”.

..let's not...

You seem to like the King James version. As a Brit myself, I do have to admit that we have a way of improving the most unpromising material.

No thanks, enjoy it and if you want to be happy about the bible try a Catholic or Christian site.
I’m glad you’re doing well in life, but don’t need the bible references ta.

Everything you wrote is just wrong.

Read Exodus 21: 1-11 and then tell me that you still love the bible.

Wow the cognitive dissonance is strong with this one. Not very common sensible...

I agree these are commom sense ideas, as you say, and no one should need to read a bible or wait on god or other people to have them or understand them.

And the christian bible is not literature. I wish people would stop saying that. It wasn't written as a piece of fiction. It isnt a work of art. Niether is it a self help book.

It's a MODERN religious text, based on an series of older religous texts. Why is it MODERN? Because it is translated into modern english a few years ago by people who would try to rephrase and rewrite the original for maximum effect and to suit their idealogy. It wasn't written for art or to help. It was written to convince and manipulate. It's a form of rhetoric, a deranged one, no different from Mein Kampf or the manifesto of a cult.

And don't look too hard or you'll find out that almost all of the problems of the last 2000 years were caused directly or indirectly by this text.

You're an atheist who loves and quotes the bible? How delightfully contradictory of you. I love the bible too, it's great for throwing darts at.

Closet christian.
Blocked.

Is anyone here a former Christian

Well sure, the Book of Psalms is poetry and is meant to evoke images. It is at times beautiful. It is also part of the entire Bible, but that bible is also chock full of contradictions and some horrible messages, too. It is a wild hodgepodge grab bag of ideas from a largely illiterate culture.
I will say I am fascinated with the Bible as the culture-shaping politicized document that it clearly is. I have a morbid fascination, I guess.

From the same author? Who wrote:

"Exodus 21:20-21 20:
“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
Leviticus 25:44-46 44 “:
‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."?

One could get more sense out of the backside of a mule with diarrhea than from that holey book.

He forgotto tell us to "Note the sarcasm". If he's serious about this then he was made to lay in green pastures and what was done to him with that rod and staff ... ? I'll leave the rest up to you.

More shit happens!!!

When i was theee i woke up during an eye operation. I remember the event.

In the first grade, before organized prayer was banned from public schools, that prayer scared the shit out of me. He maketh me to lie down sounded like anesthesia to me and i couldn't get past it.

Anyway it's about loyalty to and dependence on a fictional character whose volatility belies the seeming benevolence here. It doesn't need to be reinterpreted to be something real and nice. If you like how it is written, cool. (I prefer dickens, myself.) But it's about the i love you but do as i say or else guy, not your wife or the internet or how good a consumee you are.

g

The books are wonderful. Thousands of years of reinterpretation, by hundreds of cultures. Historical poetry of current explanation and desire.

Our current-day enemy are those who become righteously susceptible to distortion of ancient words.
.
How do we reduce the force of such ignorance?

These writers thought they were slaves in babylon. Thought they were taken against their god's wishes. Whatever.

Writing on animals skins was the best new tech. These people wrote, upon animal skins, their collective yearnings. The writers of these stories were the nerdiest dudes of their time.

The recorded stories told in other cultures for thousand of years before. Later books do the same for their time.

The most ancient stories are everywhere. As they should be. The "jews" in babylon did us a great favor. How can that not be obvious.

And, I thankfully admire those who spent their lives transcribing that we may set eyes upon what they wrote. How is it not amazing to live here and now?

"Come out and kick a ball with us."
"Not tonight, I'm learning how to read eqyptian."
"Duh?"
"I know. It's a family thing."
"To not kick a ball?"
"To learn lots of very interesting stuff."
"Maybe tomorrow?"
"Erdu."
"I won't tell anyone."

These people gave us wonderful gifts. This is how people thought at that time, in that place. That is brilliant!

And their main message was:

Life is not a joke.

Life is not a drill.

Life is all we got.

We must have more promotion of the truth as it is learned. Whatever the source. Without the political crap.

(Ex: The current Egyptian government (people?) does NOT own the pyramids. And all the other found shit.)

I am saddened to be too sure the short term requires violent resistance to avoid democracy's destruction during the coming world wars. Resulting in another 500 years of rebuilding.

We must not let here and now fall. We are unique in history.

Only an imbecile would seek to cancel Bach, Beethovan,.... Sistine Chapel destroyed???? FUCK THAT.

Nope. Please dont.

The Lord is a sheep herder that i shall not want. That covers it.

I don't think many here see your humour.

Way too contradictory for me to even begin to utter an opinion. I will move on.

I enjoy religious documentaries, however I would NEVER think of subjecting my friends here with my take on said documentary.