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[hedgerow]

Biblical works are subtly different; there's a long historical battle over if the Bible is the literal words of God, or is instead divinely inspired.  There's a long history that it's the latter; it is my understanding that the "literal words" view is relatively new in a historical context (and is often foolish, because that view tends to be linked to a specific translation which isn't even the original language.)

While the organized religion side of Christianity has fought over this for generations, because we will generally fight over absolutely anything that can be fought about, the usual doctrine that I hear about the Bible is that they are one and the same in a practical sense. God did not literally float down here to put pen to some pages, but did have a direct hand in it via divinely influencing the folks that wrote it. The word inspiration is intended in the "directly influenced by an outside source" meaning. It is therefore irrelevant as to whether or not he legit wrote it word for word. Word of God either way.

The "correct" way of handling a conflict between oneself and scripture is that if you believe that it is divine in any capacity, and something you believe does not jibe with scripture, then your understanding or interpretation is at fault, not the divinely omniscient book. These days it feels like the majority of American Christendom believes that theology peaked in the 50's and any attempt to think otherwise is an affront, since clearly God created the Bible with the specific intent that it lead up for thousands of years in order to benefit boomers, aka the REAL Christians.

I'd heard about the baptism thing, but haven't looked into the details at all. Baptism is a public affirmation of one's belief, not a thing you can get of the shelf that has to be sold by an ordained priest. That part is merely tradition, albeit strong tradition, the idea being that you'd generally want someone in a position of theological authority to perform it on account of its personal importance. Silly if the church is declaring baptisms "invalid" over something like that.

Honestly though, I agree. Literalism leads to shit getting wack.

I guess it's safe to say religion in the Judeo-Christian sense is just the sociological manifestation of collective groupthink in varying amounts of capacity and application, in elucidation if you need it.  So at that point, it comes to the Church.

Lot of protestants ended up migrating the Atlantic in the Age of Discovery and the Colonial Era to escape persecution in Europe.  It's safe to say the best Christians are the ones that don't need to get their church.

[Rolan7]

Honestly though, I agree. Literalism leads to shit getting wack.

Yeah Biblical literalism is just weird.  For one thing it attracts recently deconverted kids with a lot of resentment who constantly "disprove" the Bible with Facts and Logic.  Then they recoil from nihilism and join hate groups.

Or they become rad humanists, that does happen too (:

...I just want us all to get along.  I hope we're not attacking each other, just disagreeing.  We shouldn't take disagreements personally.
I think a mature reading of the Bible recognizes that it was collated by humans.  Romans, technically.  A lot of Christian texts of the time were thrown out (or lost entirely) and I think the intent of the editors is very clear at times.  I personally do not believe that process was divinely inspired.  Y-hw-h could be the one true God, but I give Him more credit than being responsible for the Bible.

That's why I like to promote personal spirituality.  I don't trust a bunch of dead Romans, and I don't trust a bunch of people to interpret that book for me.  Jesus was worshiped long before there was a Bible or a central church.

Heck I'll hypocritically paraphrase the book:  Any place there are two Christians is a church, and God is there.

[hedgerow]

And if only if that shit worked.

 

[feelotraveller]

snip

Oh the Nihilism of Facts and Logic.    (joke)

But I agree we are much better off discussing god than the shit-tons of various bibles (aka holy books) that have been doing the rounds over millenia.

Still the issue arises - how to interpret the word of god?  (Saying that it is engraved on everyone's heart - and not in Dawkins' way - seems to me a non-answer.)

[martinuzz]

Salman Rushdie describes the Qu'ran as 'the devil's verses'. The same can be said of Literalist interpretation of the Bible.
It was written by man, thus it is tainted.

[Il Palazzo]

Salman Rushdie describes the Qu'ran as 'the devil's verses'.

No, he doesn't. He wrote a book of that title (well, 'satanic', not 'devil's'). But he very much doesn't do such thing in it. The title refers to sort of Muslim apocrypha, in which the Prophet is fooled by the devil.

[TD1]

Because were it otherwise, he'd have been beheaded by now.

[McTraveller]

I think the entirety of the snowmelt plus fresh 1" rain last night is now in my backyard.   

What is normally clear land is a pond the entire width of my property and the waterline is maybe... uh...20 ft from my house.  We're supposed to get more snow today... I hope it drains or I can get it drained before that extra inch of water actually floods the house.

*sigh* not how I wanted to spend the day...

[Il Palazzo]

Because were it otherwise, he'd have been beheaded by now.

I'm not sure he could get a more triggered treatment than what he's getting anyway.

[Loud Whispers]

Because were it otherwise, he'd have been beheaded by now.

Not for lack of assassination attempts, mind

[None]

I lead like fourteen independent ventures over the last three years and I got suspended on Facebook for trying to get a woman tonight.

I never get to get with a woman.  It's weird.  I think I've enjoyed three women for like three weeks in seven years.  And I didn't invite a single one of them over, but for some reason they are usually infected.

But like, that's not my fault!  And I got suspended just trying to do it.

I mean, the years add up.  What's the fiscal figure attributed to that kind of work ethic?  I remember all of last year being a nonstop exercise in convention and design, technique and marketability, usership and ESPN politics.  I recall the entire escapade being an escapable phenomenon.  I remember all of that effort being thrown in the dirt, and it was never actually dealt with.

That same thing that refuses to knock on my door and talk to me is trying to charge me for a prostitute.

This was the twenty-fourth consecutive Valentine's Day I've had to spend alone.  And I don't even abuse them.

Yeah, nah. Everyone is deserving of love and affection, but nobody, strictly absolutely nobody, is obligated to provide it. Not as a function of time invested, not as a function of contacts made, not as a function of persistence, karmic debts, and definitely not as a fiscal analogue of 'time made to get some fuck on.' A sexual partner isn't something you put effort into like some kind of coin credit and expect to get time out of, and while that's a coarse thing to say, given your entire approach here is about "getting with a woman" and not any kind of love, intimacy, interpersonal closeness or wellbeing, I really, really strongly suggest you reconsider how you view interpersonal relationships and people as sex objects.

Go buy yourself a nice sex toy. If you need physical closeness, go adopt a cat. "you don't even abuse them" is not a qualifier of character and that you feel it needs be stated is alarming in itself.

[martinuzz]

Yeah, nah. Everyone is deserving of love and affection, but nobody, strictly absolutely nobody, is obligated to provide it. Not as a function of time invested, not as a function of contacts made, not as a function of persistence, karmic debts, and definitely not as a fiscal analogue of 'time made to get some fuck on.'

Yet, prisoners serving very long time sentencing are entitled by law to periodically recieve sex workers, at least over here.
But yeah, the people providing that service are screened pretty well to check if they chose their profession out of their own free will.

[None]

Given the context of the post, I was leaving sex work out of the discussion.

[EuchreJack]

I lead like fourteen independent ventures over the last three years and I got suspended on Facebook for trying to get a woman tonight.

I never get to get with a woman.  It's weird.  I think I've enjoyed three women for like three weeks in seven years.  And I didn't invite a single one of them over, but for some reason they are usually infected.

But like, that's not my fault!  And I got suspended just trying to do it.

I mean, the years add up.  What's the fiscal figure attributed to that kind of work ethic?  I remember all of last year being a nonstop exercise in convention and design, technique and marketability, usership and ESPN politics.  I recall the entire escapade being an escapable phenomenon.  I remember all of that effort being thrown in the dirt, and it was never actually dealt with.

That same thing that refuses to knock on my door and talk to me is trying to charge me for a prostitute.

This was the twenty-fourth consecutive Valentine's Day I've had to spend alone.  And I don't even abuse them.

"you don't even abuse them" is not a qualifier of character and that you feel it needs be stated is alarming in itself.

I can understand the aggravation.  Abusive fuckers usually do quite well with the ladies, primarily because they DO NOT see them as people.
This is the "Things that made you mildly upset today" thread, not the "How to properly seek out a soulmate" thread.

[hector13]

I think the entirety of the snowmelt plus fresh 1" rain last night is now in my backyard.   

What is normally clear land is a pond the entire width of my property and the waterline is maybe... uh...20 ft from my house.  We're supposed to get more snow today... I hope it drains or I can get it drained before that extra inch of water actually floods the house.

*sigh* not how I wanted to spend the day...

I hope you have a sump pump in your basement

Alternatively, you might even be able to pump that water from your garden elsewhere with some type of battery-operated pump (possibly a transfer pump) and some hoses. The only issue you may have is where to actually pump the water to.

If you call a local hardware store’s plumbing department they might be able to figure out what you need, assuming you don’t already have the knowledge yourself.