Occam'sRazor Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 That is a very facile view point. Try to look below the surface of these things, and their meaning becomes obvious. The writers of these things were communicating with peasants, people who lived off the land. They had no idea of technology. Look at your winged horse, Angel Gabrial etc again without your blinkers on. They were also communicating with well educated Jewish leaders and Roman officials. Their meaning isn't obvious to me. If you think that they are metaphor, can you explain what they are a metaphor for? Whatever the case, it's clear that these ancient scribblings aren't literally true, yet that was how I was taught the life of Jesus. My blinkers are off, by the way. Some other posters have definitely got the wrong idea! I'm not saying we ought to stop teaching children about religion. That would be bad, since one must understand religious phenomena in order to understand many of the world's problems. I'm saying we ought to stop teaching anything - religious or not, The Nativity is just an important example - as if it were true, when it isn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occam'sRazor Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 ..and how do you know the OP doesn't hail from the rolling green valleys of Hillsborough? Just because they question 'English tradition', doesn't mean they're foreigners. Lot's of English people do that, it's an English tradition. If you don't like it why dont you go back to where you came from?? Haha! Thank you For me it's Birkenhead, born and bred (pronounced in the scummiest scouse accent you can imagine). Hillsborough now. I wouldn't consider myself to be Birkenhead-ish just because I was born there, though. I moved to Sheffield. The county-ality of my parents wouldn't make a difference either. Perhaps my sense of 'identity' is too free-flowing for some. Moving to Sheffield definitely has its parallels with the immigration debate. With the highest student retention rate, we outsiders often get this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLni3wbndls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Haha! Thank you For me it's Birkenhead, born and bred (pronounced in the scummiest scouse accent you can imagine). Hillsborough now. I wouldn't consider myself to be Birkenhead-ish just because I was born there, though. I moved to Sheffield. The county-ality of my parents wouldn't make a difference either. Perhaps my sense of 'identity' is too free-flowing for some. Moving to Sheffield definitely has its parallels with the immigration debate. With the highest student retention rate, we outsiders often get this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLni3wbndls Ah I see! Clearly some people would like you to believe that being an 'immigrant' in Sheffield you should be dutiful and keep your head down, I'm afraid all that funny liberal thinking stuff you might have got up to in Birkenhead won't wash here! Ps: Very fun clip btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I thought you denounced religion as a mind controlling tool created by the rich to subdue the poor?! Or is that just certain religions? It is, but that does not deny me the right to lay off my bets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 It is, but that does not deny me the right to lay off my bets. LOL, remember God was reading your other contributions too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 LOL, remember God was reading your other contributions too! my God is a forgiving God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 my God is a forgiving God. ..ey, up-I didn't think Allah demonstrated that exclusively 'Christian' quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occam'sRazor Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Nor Yaweh of the Old Testament Deuteronomy 13:6-8: "If thy brother, the son of thy mother. Or thy son, or thy daughter, or thy wife of thy bosom. Or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, let us go and serve other Gods which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; (7) namely, of the Gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth unto the other end of the earth (8 ) thou shalt not consent unto him, nor harken unto him; neither shalt thou conceal him (9) but thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. (10) and thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." [P.S. Don't kill me.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Nor Yaweh of the Old Testament Deuteronomy 13:6-8: "If thy brother, the son of thy mother. Or thy son, or thy daughter, or thy wife of thy bosom. Or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, let us go and serve other Gods which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; (7) namely, of the Gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth unto the other end of the earth (8 ) thou shalt not consent unto him, nor harken unto him; neither shalt thou conceal him (9) but thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. (10) and thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." [P.S. Don't kill me.] I bet conversations went on for a long time in those days. Even trying to decypher what the other was on about must have took ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkey Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 No doubt they will choose the path with the least amount to do, the lazy way, the atheist way, just sit and make excuses why they don't need to make am effort to be better people. Where is your evidence that people with religious beliefs are 'better people'? I think it is precisely such an assumption that show that the opposite of what you are saying is true. That by taking on religious beliefs you give yourself license to make all kind of assumptions whereas you might otherwise have to think about things a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.