Anyone here actually read the bible? My Book Review.
 

I have it on audio book of the new testament read by James Earle Jones (among a lot of other good reading/listening). I am almost through it completely. Here's my comment after reading/listening to it as well as the dhammapada and some other Buddhist scriptures, the Koran, A Book of Celtic Mythology, a Book of Greek Mythology, the Art of War (not sure that one really fits this discussion, but what the hell), Etc. Etc.

Although very well written, I see no difference from the rest of the religious or philosophical writings.

Just like other Mythology, the bible clearly puts "common sense" lessons into poetic and interesting stories so we read them in order to learn from them.

Out of all it seems the most like it was written from the prospective of a megalomaniac obsessed with power and rule. written in a time when life was hard and the masses were kept in order by brutal force. lot's of "obey" and "punish" , and just as much cruelty as love. Much more than any of the other religious writings.

All in all I highly recommend it, however IMO it's nothing more than a book of mythology if you ask me, it does give a good prospective on the mind set of a Christian and it projects very good values and lessons spelling out the way of the world in this life, which will give the reader a good foundation on which to model yourself. I mean, the values are good ones.

I do think that in some sense it is like cocaine or heroin in that it will make you feel good when you read it and give you hope, but if you are particularly weak, addictive in personality and in need of "something" to believe in besides yourself, you may get hooked in. It is a very "pitchy" unlike some of the other writings which just tell you how it is. I guess that's why it converts so well.

Anyone else?

I tried to start it up several times but always end up pretty soon.
I am still not able to find the reason why to take a part in the biggest lie of mankind history

God hates us all...

I feel your pain 100%. If it wasn't for audio books, I wouldn't have gotten through it. but, the world is so controlled by Christianity, the reason, just as it was for me, is at least to understand what the mindset is. Helps you understand the "Lie" as you put it. It is much to your advantage to understand something that controls so much of your life, your world, even your government...even if you feel it's a lie.


Oh No! They got me too, I'm fucking pitching you to read it!!!!

The Bible = Greatest work of fiction.


If you want a REAL book on what life is all about, I'd recommend something by L. Ron Hubbard.




















no not really

I tried reading it several times. But I always ended up early somewhere in the Books of Moses where there's all this begetting going on. It goes for several pages like He begets him who begets that one, who then begets this other guy ... (five pages later) ... who then begets that one, who then begets ... it just doesn't stop. And in between it always says: "And God saw that it was good." :Oh crap

I always get fed up with the repetitive language. Maybe an audio version would be the way out, because I intend to actually know the entire bible as well as all the other religious teachings even though I emphatically disagree with most of them. I just think they are interesting.

Since I've read the book of Genesis several times by now, I have come up with a little interpretation:

Adam and Eve eat the apple from the tree of knowledge, which is the only tree they are not allowed to eat from (!). Then they know good from evil and also realize that they are naked. God throws them out of Paradise where all the other animals live and they are never to return again and have to live on earth and earn their bread through hard work as a punishment for their Original Sin.

The way I see it is like this:
Man developed knowledge. Not just of the world around him, but knowledge of good and evil, too. The fact that they realize that they are naked is interesting, too. This implies that knowledge corresponds to the ability of self-consciousness. Then man is thrown out of "Paradise" (which is where all the other animals live) for having developed a rational faculty never to return again. This means that humans, because of their nature as a rational animal can't be compared to other animals. They now have to maintain their living by work. This, too, is interesting as this is something apparently other animals don't have to do. The thing here is that man, being devoid of the instinctive living other animals have, punished with consciousness and free will has to find out how to survive as he is not provided with such means automatically.

What I see here is a glorification of instinct and unconsciousness and a damnation of man for being what he is. A view of man's life on earth as painful because of his possession of consciousness and reason, which is considered to be a sin.

So you see, at the very beginning of the Bible, the Cristian view of the nature of man. Doomed to eternal punishment for the very means that enable him to survive, whose possession are considered evil without offering a reason about why they are evil.

This is something you can find in many religious teachings. The damnation of reason and the wish for unconsciousness and an envy of animals for their lack of a need to find out how to live their life. You can find this in Zen-buddhist teachings a lot.

And it's one of the main reasons I am opposed to the moral code promoted by religions. Damning man's means of survival as evil and as a root for unearned guilt on the very first pages doesn't leave a good impression of what is left to come.

As Mark Twain put it so eloquently:

It isn't the parts of the bible that I don't understand that bother me,
it's the parts that I do understand.

A cliché about the message of the old testament might carry at least a veneer of sincerity if that were the part of the bible to which you claimed to have listened.

Surprised they didn't put subliminal messaging on those tapes for you. Or... maybe they did. :winkwink:

people still believe in jebus? :\

Al i know is theres no mention of dinosaurs :( or of noah's wifes name

I've read the bible and that is one reason I am not and never will be a Christian. What alot of christians fail to realise is that you're not suppose to pray to change the outcome of an event. e.g. if you have cancer praying to god for you not to have cancer is void prayer. You suppose to never question God's plan. Also for some reason Christians seem to think that when they die they go to heaven. That is also NOT the case... it says you will only go when the lord returns.

Not too much all the other complete bullshit associated with Christianity. If you do, for some ungodly (<-- irony) reason want to read the bible. I suggest picking up a copy of 'His' and 'Her' bibles. They have good comments for each sex.

I could talk about this flawed religion all day...

I don't think the existence of dinosaurs had been discovered yet. They are a fairly recent revelation as I recall.

Genesis 7:7 which mentions Noah's wife. His wife is not named in the Bible for certain; however, according to Jewish tradition her name is Naamah.

i've read it

What the fuck does that mean? you don't believe I listened to the new testament because I didn't mention that I read the old testament which was obvious from my overall opinion of the bible? I simply stated that the listening of the new testament was what sparked the thread, I read (actually read) the old testament years ago.

unless I am reading you wrong (and if so I apologize ahead of time). Maybe you are not a good communicator, or just an ignorant asshole who wants to write something negative, I don't know which just yet.

I read Paradise Lost by Milton too, what the fuck does that mean?

Maybe it's me...maybe I didn't understand your post.

Suprised noone has linked to this yet.

Best thing for explaining it.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SzHlMs2rSIM

:thumbsup

Yeah I've read the bible but I don't shove my beliefs on anyone.

Boy Alllley! :1orglaugh

You also wrote that was what you were reviewing. But then you commented: "Out of all it seems the most like it was written from the prospective of a megalomaniac obsessed with power and rule...". Etc.

But aren't those comments relevant only to the old testament? Leaving aside questions of faith or disbelief, isn't the point of the new testament that it attempts to show that many of the perspectives recorded in the old testament are in fact, wrong? Aren't the differences so great that if we didn't know they were related, it would be easy to believe that these books represent two separate religions?

not at all, the Old Testament lays the foundation for the teachings and events found in the New Testament. The Bible is a progressive revelation. I don't see how the books condradict each other in anything more than minor detail.

Also, I think the book of revelations alone shows plenty of "megalomaniac obsessed with power and rule". But i was referring to the entire work[s] as i see them.

(Notice I didn't try to trivialize your opinion or discredit your reading them...lesson on manners):winkwink:

MAy be yes. Now we have to observe him. Who knows....

:1orglaugh what a great photochop...

There is a mention of Dinosaurs. ?behemoth' The word Dinosaur wasnt invented till recently.

The Old Testament (The Empire Strikes Back) is way better than the New (Return of the Jesus).

Seriously, I was a fond of reading bible back when I was still young. For me it's simply not just a religious stuff, but also a valuable literary piece.

I doubt it. About the behemoth from same section:
"Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. The lotus conceal him in their shadow"

I don?t think those reeds and lotus plants could cover up such a huge monstrosity. Pretty sure the behemoth was something else, far from being as big as the larger dinosaurs (many Christians who argue in support of ?dinosaurs in the bible? claim that the ?behemoth? was a large sauropod).

ya I've read it... multiple versions....the stories vary depending upon which version you read, but all in all its an interesting tale of a nomadic people and their code of ethics

Not gonna argue about it cause I dont care much atm but.

From Job, the same section:

15 "Look at the behemoth, [a]
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.

16 What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly!

17 His tail [b] sways like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like rods of iron.

19 He ranks first among the works of God,
yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

20 The hills bring him their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.

21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround him.

Something as big as a sauropod is NOT going to be hidden by reeds and lotus shadows :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

a ha ha ha ha ha :thumbsup

lol my point was either god invented dinosaur bones but they didnt actually exist ( i.e. he built a pre-existing false map ) or god didnt invent humans in human form he invented monkeys... ( i.e. adam and eve must have been monkeys or even before monkeys since we know things exist before humans and dinosaurs)

I know but she still isn't even given an honorable mention or anything , didnt she help noah or did she just sit and bitch at him all day and call him crazy ( infact thats prob why she wasnt mentioned )

she was prob like " noah you delusional fuck , theres no flood " he said " shut up you old hag , nobody will remember you but everyone will know who i am "