Orientation: An Introduction to Belief, Faith, Dogma, Superstition & Ridiculously Verbose Titles

[dereq]

Welcome, and congratulations on your recent adoption of the Christian faith. Let me first assure you that you've made the right decision-of all the faiths you could have chosen, ours is damn near the finest, not to mention the most prevalent here in the states. Thus, no more flyin' solo, you just made about two hundred million new friends

Comments

[devonda]

[dereq]

They should all be institutionalized.

[colorme420]

"Incredibly cynical yet addictive to read, 'Orientation' is sure to make waves in America's predominantly Christian ocean of theologians."
-- Christopher Brantley
Surfs-Up! Magazine

Crank out another, but focus on a less assuming target. I like this.

[explodingkid]

Derek, you have a keen wit and a sharp mind, but it's sad to see you use these blessings to mock the One who gave them to you.
I don't judge you, because I was the same way once.
I used to hate God, and anything to do with Him.

If something about Him or His word doesn't make sense to you, why not seek knowledge and understanding about it, rather than mock and jest?

You said there were "contradictions" in the Bible, could you list some please?

You also said the Bible contained "barbaric moral precepts," The advocating of slavery being one.

God does not advocate slavery anywhere in the Old or New Testament.
Slavery, like all other evils in the world, is from man's sin.
God allows evil to exist, but He does not advocate, or approve of it

[dereq]

I'm afraid it isn't simply a matter of context:

You may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. ‘Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession. ‘You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. -Leviticus 25:44-46

Even worse:

If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. -Exodus 21:7

Now, surely you would agree that God isn't swayed by culture, so why in the world did he not simply advocate the dismissal of slavery under any conditions, rather than condone it further?

Slavery aside, how's this for barbarism?:

If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (

[explodingkid]

I want you to read the following definitions very slowly and carefully, out loud, and read them through more than once.

slavery:
a state of subjection like that of a slave; bondage.

bondage:
the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control.

Now, read the following question, slowly and carefully, out loud, and reply with your answer when you believe you have it.

"What is wrong, or evil, about slavery?"

[dereq]

If you'll permit me, I'm going to judge slavery based upon the bible's definition rather than yours (which, by the way, omits one or two rather alarming constituents.) What separates a slave from a mere worker is ownership versus employment, respectively. A worker may quit and leave whenever he wishes, a slave may not. The bible clearly states that they are your possession, and you may even pass them on to your children. That said, I hardly consider slavery a virtuous or honorable practice, and find it a bit frightening that you would attempt to defend such a thing.

Also, are you intending to respond to the latter portion of my message, or are you only concerned with my attack on slavery?

[colorme420]

Ugh...

The Bible isn't worthy of attack. Sumer documented a story almost identical to "The Great Flood" in 3000 B.C.. Hammurabi etched laws in stone, moral codes for the public to follow similar to the Ten Commandments, in 3000 B.C. Debating the utility, accuracy, or bias of the Bible's content is unnecessary (unless this is a sociological study); it's a copy-cat work. All religious works are.

We both know moral codes are a product of nature and nurture, not divinity. We also both know that proving or disproving a deity's existence is impossible, especially when the crux of our research lies in 2000 year old books. So why, if not for literary reasons (or sociological ones), are we pouring over a text such as the Bible?

I don't know. I fucking love the way you write. I just wish it would be about something different, and that I'd get a chance to read it.

PS: I'll be in town Friday. Let's get some drinks

...and talk shit about Christians.

[anonymous]

http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/podcasts/what-happened-to-me-introduction.mp3