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Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 9, 2013 at 10:29 pm
Watch it I like to play with people's assumptions and (mis)perceptions!
Well, I study the Bible... er, actually the 2,000-3,000 year old biblical texts, who wrote them, why, to whom, and under what historical circumstances. It is a subjective (reader oriented) interpretive grid imposed upon these texts by a later generation of readers who had their own agendas and beliefs.
I'm interested how (religious) ideas get formed and how interpretive or authoritative traditions get created which eventually become "truth" bears for a particular culture. The Bible is something different.
Is there a place for a biblical scholar in atheist-theist debates? What does a biblical scholar whose interests are purely object (i.e., focused on the texts themselves--again not the Bible) have to offer to such a debate? Curious to hear your initial remarks before I really divulge what the objective study of the Bible is all about and what conclusions it leads us irrefutably to (remember I like to tease out you assumptions and faulty premises).
Currently I study the Contradictions in the Bible, 1 biblical contradiction a Day, explained with modern historical and source-critical methods. Find out more [Link removed]
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 9, 2013 at 10:35 pm
Personally I enjoy using modern bibles because when you shove them up believer's assholes the corners hurt.
Welcome to the fray.
A word of caution. Beware the Context Nazis. These are the ones who will tell you that you are taking everything out of "context."
Even though most of the morons don't know what context means.
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm
(This post was last modified: February 9, 2013 at 10:40 pm by srd44.)
Context is what it's all about. So I look forward to these clowns. Proper context, as you know, is the historical and literary contexts within which these 70+ 3,000-2,000 year old texts were written. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 9, 2013 at 10:45 pm
I wish you luck. Most of them think "context" means " what I want it to mean." 
For myself, you sound like a potential ally.
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 9, 2013 at 11:29 pm
You must be pretty special if you need two introductions!
For Religion & Health see:[/b][/size] Williams & Sternthal. (2007). Spirituality, religion and health: Evidence and research directions. Med. J. Aust., 186(10), S47-S50. -LINK
The WIN/Gallup End of Year Survey 2013 found the US was perceived to be the greatest threat to world peace by a huge margin, with 24% of respondents fearful of the US followed by: 8% for Pakistan, and 6% for China. This was followed by 5% each for: Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea. -LINK
"That's disgusting. There were clean athletes out there that have had their whole careers ruined by people like Lance Armstrong who just bended thoughts to fit their circumstances. He didn't look up cheating because he wanted to stop, he wanted to justify what he was doing and to keep that continuing on." - Nicole Cooke
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 10, 2013 at 12:20 am
(February 9, 2013 at 11:29 pm)Aractus Wrote: You must be pretty special if you need two introductions!
I am  but in fact, I completely forgot that I had joined this forum before. My apologies.
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 10, 2013 at 1:31 am
I take it you are a devotee of the documentary hypothesis?
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 10, 2013 at 1:54 am
(February 9, 2013 at 10:45 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I wish you luck. Most of them think "context" means " what I want it to mean."
For myself, you sound like a potential ally.
Most of them think "context" means "makes god look good".
If you think "And I heard God say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill. Spare no one; have mercy on no one. Kill the old men, young men, young women, mothers, and children." means that God is commanding people to commit evil atrocities, you will get one of two responses by our resident theists:
1: You are reading it out of context.
2: Genocide is not evil if God commands it.
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 10, 2013 at 4:09 am
(This post was last modified: February 10, 2013 at 4:10 am by Mystical.)
Quote:Is there a place for a biblical scholar in atheist-theist debates?
Yep. Oh yeah.
Case in point: What is hell? Just ask that question and see what answers ya get.
If I were to create self aware beings knowing fully what they would do in their lifetimes, I sure wouldn't create a HELL for the majority of them to live in infinitely! That's not Love, that's sadistic. Therefore a truly loving god does not exist!
Quote:The sin is against an infinite being (God) unforgiven infinitely, therefore the punishment is infinite.
Dead wrong. The actions of a finite being measured against an infinite one are infinitesimal and therefore merit infinitesimal punishment.
Quote:Some people deserve hell.
I say again: No exceptions. Punishment should be equal to the crime, not in excess of it. As soon as the punishment is greater than the crime, the punisher is in the wrong.
![[Image: tumblr_n1j4lmACk61qchtw3o1_500.gif]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5fb74c6d16622fb3dbb358509c9aec03/tumblr_n1j4lmACk61qchtw3o1_500.gif)
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RE: Biblical Scholar on board: good thing or bad thing?
February 10, 2013 at 5:57 am
Hello. I'm interested in how religious ideas get formed as well. Am also intrigued by what you've put for your religious views.
 Where are the snake and mushroom smilies?
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