(November 10, 2015 at 5:16 am)Anomalocaris Wrote: Sure, one could learn about Christianity by looking at its sociological aspects just as one could learn about the plague by studying the habits of the population in which the plague spreads.
However, just as one could learn more about the plague by sequencing the genome of the virus that caused it, one could also learn more about Christianity by sequencing the bible.
I do like what robvalue said, I interpreted it as: the benefit of knowing what the bible says is to be able to enter into intelligent conversation with theists when needed. However, when one was raised memorizing bible verses daily and hammered with "here's what that passage is REALLY saying" (instead of what it seems to be saying), it can get a little tedious. And to encounter that here, where an atheist hopes to find an escape from such things, well . . . I have been known to put a few theists on "ignore". Maybe I'll feel like engaging with them later. Maybe not.
Anomalocaris: sequencing! Have you seen the bibviz website? It's amazing. Every bible contradiction and lots more, cross-referenced. http://bibviz.com/
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
