I am not religious, but I have devoted a good chunk of time to reading the bible. If I can do it, someone who essentially stands to gain nothing by reading it can do it, so can and should all these greasy-ass politicians who use it as a political prop. The only thing more irksome than inflexibly, overly literal religious people, are phony religious people who don’t even know what they’re talking about. And then the next level of annoying beyond that is yhe voting public who allows the charade. They should be the ones pressing these politicians. “Two Corinthians” Donald? What the fuck are you talking about?
No, see, you can do it because you have nothing to lose. If they actually read and understand the Bible, then they have to start living according to it, and that would suck. “For I say to you it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?” No thank you sir, that would ruin my prosperity gospel!
From the theologians I’ve read on the topic, it’s not so much a translation error as a context issue. Apparently “the eye of the needle” was the name for one of the gates going into Jerusalem. It was very narrow, and a fully laden camel would never get through there. The only way to make it through was to first unburden the camel of its load. The theory goes that Jesus is presenting a metaphor; the rich man must unburden himself of his wealth, in the same way that the camel must be unburdened of its cargo.
Not vouching for that as the absolute truth of the matter, it’s just the version I’ve been given to understand.
Like the devil convincing God to torture the faithful? Throughout the parable, I can hear Satan trying to suppress his laughter as he listens to Him godsplain Job’s devotion.
If more people followed the lessons of the good Samaritan and the sheep and the goats, we might be better off
Also people who do a lot of backflips to justify readings where the text says “help the poor” and turn it into “don’t help the poor” are probably scumbags.
If you like that then you might enjoy the funny possible euphemism of the whole “washing of feet” thing. It could be read as the actual act of washing feet but there’s some places where it’s definitely being used as a euphemism for getting your dick wet.
That slight ambiguity could mean that the last supper included an orgy with a lot of same sex pairings - which to be fair is pretty in keeping with the MO of a lot of other cult leadership throughout history. Most of the prudish sex negative stuff comes more from Paul’s additions than directly through Jesus. But hoo boy do Christians get real mad when you imply this as a possibility.
If you got a foot fetish sure. But in bible foot or feet is used so many times for dick it is decently unlikely. “Foot water” is my favorite biblical euphemism for piss.
It’s not that they haven’t heard the words “him” and “her,” it’s that they haven’t heard the word “pronoun.” They don’t know what it means, and think that it’s something the trans community made up.
I mean perhaps we shouldn’t steelman these people but that is obviously not what they’re talking about when they complain about pronouns. But at the same time it’s quite possible that many of them are seeing the word “pronoun” for the first time in their lives and have no concept of what it actually means.
There’s good along with the bad. A lot has to do with what translation you’re looking at, and from what context. It’s definitely ideally more like food for thought than explicit infallible instructions, though.
It is particularly galling that basically the me main reoccurring themes, are also the most studiously ignored lesson, which in my opinion are “mind your own business, be as kind as you can, and you are not qualified to judge people.” Republicans essentially behave in the complete opposite manor.
A guy called Wangerin “rewrote” the Bible as an historical epic novel. It’s quite a good read in that genre by all accounts - loads of action, loads of characters. (Obviously I’d file the book under fiction but other book seller policies may vary.)
(here’s what was said if you don’t want to watch it, but watching it is much funnier than reading it:
Magat Lady: I think it is time where God is separatin’ the sheeps from the goats.
Donie: Which are you?
Magat Lady: I am a, uh … I’m a goat! ‘Cause I ain’t a sheep! I’m not doin’ what they tell me to do!
Donie: Hm.
I so so much wanted Donie (the interviewer) to go “Bzzzzzzzzzt!” I’m sorry, the answer was ‘sheep’. ‘Sheep’ is what God was looking for there. I’m afraid you’ve been disqualified."
It’s so sad that no one has read the fucking Bible.
Would an appropriate response to these people be RTFM?
As a progressive Christian, that’s something I want to say almost everytime I read somethung written by an Evangelical.
I am not religious, but I have devoted a good chunk of time to reading the bible. If I can do it, someone who essentially stands to gain nothing by reading it can do it, so can and should all these greasy-ass politicians who use it as a political prop. The only thing more irksome than inflexibly, overly literal religious people, are phony religious people who don’t even know what they’re talking about. And then the next level of annoying beyond that is yhe voting public who allows the charade. They should be the ones pressing these politicians. “Two Corinthians” Donald? What the fuck are you talking about?
The pundits don’t care what the Bible says, they like that their followers instead believe what they say the religion is about
You need the common folk to read and understand it if you want the religious leaders to lose their hold
No, see, you can do it because you have nothing to lose. If they actually read and understand the Bible, then they have to start living according to it, and that would suck. “For I say to you it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?” No thank you sir, that would ruin my prosperity gospel!
There was a translation error, IIRC. It’s not a camel but a rope.
From the theologians I’ve read on the topic, it’s not so much a translation error as a context issue. Apparently “the eye of the needle” was the name for one of the gates going into Jerusalem. It was very narrow, and a fully laden camel would never get through there. The only way to make it through was to first unburden the camel of its load. The theory goes that Jesus is presenting a metaphor; the rich man must unburden himself of his wealth, in the same way that the camel must be unburdened of its cargo.
Not vouching for that as the absolute truth of the matter, it’s just the version I’ve been given to understand.
To be fair to the camel, God hadn’t heard of the Byford Dolphin incident yet.
Well that was a horrible read.
The bible’s a neat old book of parables and early concepts of morals. Like most things, the fanbase is probably the worst part.
Morals?
Like the devil convincing God to torture the faithful? Throughout the parable, I can hear Satan trying to suppress his laughter as he listens to Him godsplain Job’s devotion.
If more people followed the lessons of the good Samaritan and the sheep and the goats, we might be better off
Also people who do a lot of backflips to justify readings where the text says “help the poor” and turn it into “don’t help the poor” are probably scumbags.
If you like that then you might enjoy the funny possible euphemism of the whole “washing of feet” thing. It could be read as the actual act of washing feet but there’s some places where it’s definitely being used as a euphemism for getting your dick wet.
That slight ambiguity could mean that the last supper included an orgy with a lot of same sex pairings - which to be fair is pretty in keeping with the MO of a lot of other cult leadership throughout history. Most of the prudish sex negative stuff comes more from Paul’s additions than directly through Jesus. But hoo boy do Christians get real mad when you imply this as a possibility.
I prefer to think “washing of feet” means exactly that, but it’s a sex thing
If you got a foot fetish sure. But in bible foot or feet is used so many times for dick it is decently unlikely. “Foot water” is my favorite biblical euphemism for piss.
We may be more numerous than you think 😉.
(However still a minority indeed; but I prefer to be right alone than wrong with the crowd)
It’s easier to thump a bible when it’s closed.
I’ve never heard this before and I love it thanks for sharing that.
That’s perfect, I’m gonna use that!
Not even the Bible. Have these people seriously not heard the words him and her prior to three years ago? Do they really think they are new words?
It’s not that they haven’t heard the words “him” and “her,” it’s that they haven’t heard the word “pronoun.” They don’t know what it means, and think that it’s something the trans community made up.
I mean perhaps we shouldn’t steelman these people but that is obviously not what they’re talking about when they complain about pronouns. But at the same time it’s quite possible that many of them are seeing the word “pronoun” for the first time in their lives and have no concept of what it actually means.
Because it’s a terrible fiction story book
There’s good along with the bad. A lot has to do with what translation you’re looking at, and from what context. It’s definitely ideally more like food for thought than explicit infallible instructions, though.
It is particularly galling that basically the me main reoccurring themes, are also the most studiously ignored lesson, which in my opinion are “mind your own business, be as kind as you can, and you are not qualified to judge people.” Republicans essentially behave in the complete opposite manor.
A guy called Wangerin “rewrote” the Bible as an historical epic novel. It’s quite a good read in that genre by all accounts - loads of action, loads of characters. (Obviously I’d file the book under fiction but other book seller policies may vary.)
Many self proclaimed Christians have not read the Bible , and are appallingly ignorant of the bulk of it.
And when they do know the stories like the good Samaritan, they don’t live it.
Wealthy Christians should not exist.
Yeah, no kidding. A good example: Watch this clip from 3:52 to 4:05: https://youtu.be/Vr3ZNvv0aco?t=232
(here’s what was said if you don’t want to watch it, but watching it is much funnier than reading it:
Magat Lady: I think it is time where God is separatin’ the sheeps from the goats.
Donie: Which are you?
Magat Lady: I am a, uh … I’m a goat! ‘Cause I ain’t a sheep! I’m not doin’ what they tell me to do!
Donie: Hm.
I so so much wanted Donie (the interviewer) to go “Bzzzzzzzzzt!” I’m sorry, the answer was ‘sheep’. ‘Sheep’ is what God was looking for there. I’m afraid you’ve been disqualified."
“It’s too long, too big, and too many of em’.”
I’ve never read it and I’m doing fine
There’s so many translation errors anyway, iirc the oldest known version says essentially “I am the living god”.