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I am religious and believe in free will

71 (27.7%)

I am religious and do not believe in free will

10 (3.9%)

I am not religious and believe in free will

114 (44.5%)

I am not religious and do not believe in free will

61 (23.8%)

Total Members Voted: 251

[Teneb]

How can an AI be a she?

I mean, the same way it works for humans. If someone identifies as a particular gender, then they are that gender since, y'know, gender is not sex and all that.

[itisnotlogical]

I've begun reading the Bible. I don't own my own so I'm reading those provided by the house I'm staying at, which are in contemporary English. I've only read the Bible very briefly previous times, but I honestly miss the more difficult language. Having all the context and references to past passages explained by footnotes, it's not like the story makes any more or less sense to me as a linear story.

So far, what I've gotten from it is that Jacob did wrong and made out like a bandit because God liked him better than Esau for some reason, and the women introduced thus far are generally catty or otherwise make life miserable for the families they're introduced to. I'm up to Genesis 37 so far.

Is there something I'm missing in locations being named after people, or vice-versa? Practically any time anybody is born it mentions that the name sounds like some Hebrew word, is something similar happening with people and place names?

[McTraveller]

Yes, most Hebrew names (people and places) are very literal or things almost like puns.  Also you may want to pick up some extrabiblical resources: the Bible is not a linear story. It also is comprised of many literary genres; at least including history, allegory, poetry, apocalyptic, and narrative.  Sometimes even in the same book (e.g., Genesis is part history, part allegory, part narrative).

The Bible does have a single narrative, it is simply that God created the universe and humanity, humanity decided they would do their own thing which put a rift between God and humanity (and between humanity and itself), and God constantly works to try and resolve that rift despite how humanity keeps doing its own thing, including the ultimate act of redemption (of the relationship between God and man, and also man and man) through Jesus.

Regarding Jacob: yes Jacob was a schemer but God favored him not because of the scheming but because of God's previous promise to Abraham.

[itisnotlogical]

I mean to say that the part I'm reading right now is a linear narrative, explaining how the descendants of Abraham came about and all their adventures. I know that there are some parts that aren't literal, but there are at least as many parts that I think are.

What bugs me about the Jacob story so far is that it seemed like God just picked Jacob over Esau rather arbitrarily, unless God was hitting up Esau with the wives and cattle and slaves off-screen or in a part that gets explained later. Where I left off Esau and Jacob had just met up, and he's doing fine but I get the impression that Esau was a self-made man whereas Jacob gets to walk around with angels and God in the flesh.

Unless you're referring to a different promise between God and Abraham that I somehow missed, as opposed to the main one about having many descendants and coming to own the entire land. I was under the impression that that one applied to all his descendants, not just one at a time.

[Rolan7]

With all due respect, I feel like this is the time that religions should be demonstrating their promised influence over reality.

Whereas reality is completely in line with my world view of hateful Unseelie.

[wierd]

BUHT--- END THYMES BRUH!!!

"Get out of the cities lest ye become partakers, with them, of my wrath."

and all that chocolate sauce!

[McTraveller]

It is well to have specifically holy places, and things, and days, for, without these focal points or reminders, the belief that all is holy and "big with God" will soon dwindle into a mere sentiment.  But if these holy places, things, and days cease to remind us, if they obliterate our awareness that all ground is holy and every bush (could we but perceive it) a Burning Bush, then the hallows begin to do harm.  Hence both the necessity, and the perennial danger, of "religion."

Also by the way, Genesis is not really linear narrative - it's more accurately described as an allegory. Historically based, but not literal history.  I'd highly recommend, again, picking up some supporting material, like How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Fee and Stuart.  If you're trying to read through the Bible, there are pretty good podcasts* even for helping with the greater context - for instance, about the "craziness" of the stories in the old testament.

*

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We are doing "The Bible Recap" by D-Group this year.  I've gone through the whole Bible maybe twice? My wife is doing way better than me, she is on schedule but I'm like 3 books behind.  Supposed to be in Judges but I'm still in Numbers 

[Rolan7]

BUHT--- END THYMES BRUH!!!

"Get out of the cities lest ye become partakers, with them, of my wrath."

and all that chocolate sauce!

What, no, I don't think my daedra unseelie and seelie worship suggests anything like that.
My worship of a pantheon of both good and bad things is consistent with reality.
If not predicative - that part is debateable.

But where is the promised prophecy of the Abrahamic religions??

[thompson]

BUHT--- END THYMES BRUH!!!

"Get out of the cities lest ye become partakers, with them, of my wrath."

and all that chocolate sauce!

What, no, I don't think my daedra unseelie and seelie worship suggests anything like that.
My worship of a pantheon of both good and bad things is consistent with reality.
If not predicative - that part is debateable.

But where is the promised prophecy of the Abrahamic religions??

Fulfilled, long ago. At least if you interpret half of it as allegory. God presumably just moved on to other things. Got a job, started a family, grew older, probably babysitting the grandkids from time to time and now enjoying a peaceful retirement. Hell, he could be dead for all we know. Might explain the lack of miracles in the last few hundred years.

[Rolan7]

But where is the promised prophecy of the Abrahamic religions??

Fulfilled, long ago. At least if you interpret half of it as allegory. God presumably just moved on to other things. Got a job, started a family, grew older, probably babysitting the grandkids from time to time and now enjoying a peaceful retirement. Hell, he could be dead for all we know. Might explain the lack of miracles in the last few hundred years.

I don't know what you believe in, but it's pretty far from Abraham.

[Frumple]

It's occurred to me occasionally, what if re: the whole prophecy thing, someone somewhere just... missed. Rather than coming from the god of the jews and aimed at a human prophet, it came from the god of arthropods and/or was intended for some oracular queen ant or somethin'.

So all the prophecies have come to pass or will occur inerringly, but they were actually talking about some ant bed or whatever and the human prophets that got wire-crossed at just did the best they could with what they got.

Prophecy both real and more or less entirely irrelevant to human concerns, held to concern them due to presumably well meaning confusion.

[Naturegirl1999]

It's occurred to me occasionally, what if re: the whole prophecy thing, someone somewhere just... missed. Rather than coming from the god of the jews and aimed at a human prophet, it came from the god of arthropods and/or was intended for some oracular queen ant or somethin'.

So all the prophecies have come to pass or will occur inerringly, but they were actually talking about some ant bed or whatever and the human prophets that got wire-crossed at just did the best they could with what they got.

Prophecy both real and more or less entirely irrelevant to human concerns, held to concern them due to presumably well meaning confusion.

Interesting, so we should worship arthropods?

[Frumple]

I mean, if you want to? But it's more that they have better reception on their oracles in this case. I'm just going to assume it's 'cause they got spiracles and the words sound similar, like lungs but also high quality prophecy antenna *nods sagely*

[delphonso]

That poor ant messiah was nailed to a cross with 6 arms...

[Rolan7]

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!  I'm truly sorry the pandemic's preventing the usual gatherings.  I have fond memories of Easter.  We would drive up to my dad's family an hour north for a wholesome get-together, a potluck and an actual Easter egg hunt.  Sometimes we even attended Easter service for my grandma, which was alright.

It's a nice holiday about hope and rebirth/resurrection, and those memories are comforting to me.