I must read The Bible for school!

[Angrboda]

The bible covers over a millennium (supposedly) of one group of Semites in the ancient Near East. You can't look at the literature, history, culture and myths of any people covering that long a span of time without finding something interesting. Though often the interesting bits are hidden by your or their expectations.

I've joined a heathen bible study group and we'll be discussing books 1-30 of Genesis this month. I don't know if that's fast or slow, but I have a hunch I'd be happier with a traditional bible study, just for a more intense exposure. But I don't really feel inclined to commit the time right now. I belong to a group that calls itself "Secular Bible Study," which is co-sponsored by a UU church, and which isn't really bible study, but rather for two nights a month we discuss topics of relevance to the bible. One month it was the story of Job, the other it was Stoicism and Christianity, and another it was Pauline attitudes towards homosexuality, from the viewpoint of a pair of (totally sweet) radical scholars. It's interesting because you get all sides: the humanist, the atheist, the fundamentalist, the liberal Christian, the Baha'i and my own eclectic contributions. It results in a lot of interesting perspectives as people turn the questions over from each person's specific perspective.

I suppose if worse comes to worse, and you can't spin this as a positive cultural, literary, mythological or other experience, read what you need to read each session, then reread the same section in the online copy of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible; perhaps with occasional supplements from infidels.org.

[Polaris]

If you don't want to read the Bible...a word of advice...don't take a history class on Ancient Israel taught by a respected professor. You will find them using the Bible quite often to back up their lessons.

*Though if you want to have actual points to attack the Jewish faith and by extension the Christian faith (though be careful with this approach), then it would be a good fit. I had a Christian friend leave the class because she did not know it would be academic and not portray the Bible as she expected.

[Justtristo]

I just went to high school,now i have been here for 3 days and today my teacher said that we must read the bible for our home reading.

I told here that im not reading that,and I actually came with her into discussion about religion. Although i gave here all arguments about the disprove of existence of god,she acted like an religion fanatic. So enough about this.


My question is,what should i do,should i read it and rewrite those illogical thinking or should i just copy that test from another student

Does your teacher want you to read the whole bible or just sections of it?

I am curious if your teacher is masochist, if she wants you to read the whole bible. Since books like Leviticus or the New Testament epistles are really painful to read, although it has some interesting bits though (in the case of Leviticus. Although I would recommend everybody to read the bible cover to cover at least once. Although I would advise you just read a few chapters a day, which will allow you to read the whole bible in three months.

Krishna help you if you have to do a report on Revelation, that whole book is one long acid trip and about as coherent as one. You might want to eat Ergot laced Rye bread before hand, that is probably the author of Revelation did before penning it down .

[Cinjin]

I wouldn't read it if I were you -- site the fact that the Bible is a potentially dangerous book. GC's argument is bunk. You see, unlike a christian studying evolution -- simply studying evolution isn't going to convince you to kill someone who doesn't agree with it. Learning about evolution is also not going to justify beating children, raping women, enslaving and murdering people in the name of Evolution. The same cannot be said about god's little book of horrors.

[Drich]

It's just an assignement. do the work and stop trying look for reason to object or not do what you are told. If you learn to set a slackers pace now, you may never over come it later. The world needs doers, and will pay them well. Not more amature philosphers. So take this time and learn to "Do" especially the things you do not like to do. There are millions to be made doing things amature philosophers do not like to do.

[Polaris]

I wouldn't read it if I were you -- site the fact that the Bible is a potentially dangerous book. GC's argument is bunk. You see, unlike a christian studying evolution -- simply studying evolution isn't going to convince you to kill someone who doesn't agree with it. Learning about evolution is also not going to justify beating children, raping women, enslaving and murdering people in the name of Evolution. The same cannot be said about god's little book of horrors.

Ahem...Social Darwinism.

[Jackalope]

I suppose it depends on why you're being asked to read it, and whether it's cover-to-cover or selected books / chapters.

I've read it twice cover-to-cover (mostly skipping over the so-and-so begat whats-his-name parts), and periodically use it as a reference to support arguments, etc. Some of it isn't bad as literature (e.g. Song of Solomon), some is interesting when read as ancient mythology (e.g. Genesis), and other parts are interesting vignettes into ancient culture (if not what they thought and what their values were, for what they thought worth writing and reading). Some of it is appalling when you consider that some hold it to be the basis for an absolute moral standard.

If it's for the purpose of indoctrination, I have two thoughts on that. Firstly, that's bullshit for a secular school, and second, that in your case, I doubt very seriously it will have the intended effect (more likely, the opposite).

Reading it with the Skeptic's Annotated Bible handy is good for some laughs. I'll warn you in advance that if you use the comments from SAB in arguments against the Bible, choose your battles carefully, and be prepared for the rebuttal, because many apologists are fully aware of the SAB and have prepared answers handy. (It's a resource, not a magic bullet.)

Are you expected to write a report or are you being tested on what you read? The latter could be problematic in that there's a hell of a lot of room for interpretation (unless you're just going to be tested on trivia to make sure you actually read the damn thing). The former could be entertaining, depending on how far you're willing to push your luck with the teacher in question (I'm envisioning a report contrasting the NT message of "Love your neighbor" vs. the OT tales of YHWH-inspired genocide. I might call my report "The Trinity: Sound Theology, or Dissociative Identity Disorder with Psychotic Features?").

[frankiej]

I wouldn't read it if I were you -- site the fact that the Bible is a potentially dangerous book. GC's argument is bunk. You see, unlike a christian studying evolution -- simply studying evolution isn't going to convince you to kill someone who doesn't agree with it. Learning about evolution is also not going to justify beating children, raping women, enslaving and murdering people in the name of Evolution. The same cannot be said about god's little book of horrors.

Ahem...Social Darwinism.

[Polaris]

So I guess you have not studied the propaganda used by Nazi Germany.

[Godscreated]

One of my youth took quantum mechanics to fill so time, he obtained his PHD 2 years quicker than required, is now an outstanding nuclear engineer for the Y12 plant in Oakridge and travels the world helping others in this field. I asked him to study well, didn't want him blowing up the world you know. Four of my youth were valedictorians.

And, do they still deny the truth of evolution? If so, they are seriously flawed scientists... whatever field they are in.

They and I do not believe evolution, and a far as a the youth you referred to he is top notch and makes more money in 10 years than you will in your life.