Rewriting the bible
November 5, 2014 at 6:01 am
(This post was last modified: November 5, 2014 at 6:04 am by robvalue.)
I think it is pretty clear that all but the most fundamental christians are constantly trying to distance themselves from the old testament, or at least most of it. This is understandable, as it's just a long list of atrocities caused by a so-called all loving god. And also they seem to consider the horrible stuff in the new testament as "stuff it doesn't actually mean".
I would think that again all but the most fundamental christians would agree that the bible is not, in fact, directly word for word exactly what god said. I have been reliably informed that most christian bible scholars accept such things as:
1) The bible contains forgeries
2) The bible has had many errors in translation
3) The bible has been censored, edited and compiled (by men)
And the claim that everything in the bible "is true" is patently absurd to anyone who wants to actually compare it to reality in any honest and scientific way.
So... why don't they, for starters, get rid of the old testament? Instead of spending the whole time trying to say why it "doesn't apply any more", just dump it? If it was "relevant at any earlier time" but not now, why have it hanging around, just to confuse people? Or at least label it as history, or stories, instead of something meant to be taken at all literally.
I would have no problem with the pope or boss or whoever makes such decisions just saying the "new bible" will only have the new testament in it. And while they are at it, just cut out all the really horrible stuff that christians also spend their whole lives tap-dancing around to try and make out that it doesn't say what it says. Cut out the stuff about slavery, misogyny, racism... all the things christians like to believe the bible doesn't stand for.
Or even go one better and change the name to something else (christianites, and the book of jesus? Most people seem to think its all about jesus rather than god) and admit that the book is meant to be more of a guide than a literal account of history, while editing it as above to make it more of an actual moral guide. Because at the moment, if you actually follow even half of the stuff it says is OK in the bible, you'd be dead or in prison very quickly.
How would people feel about this? Would the atheists here think this is a good move, or would you criticize it as hypocritical? Would the christians like to see the book changed so that it actually represents what they want it to represent?
Because as long as there are actual words on the pages saying that you should stone someone to death for collecting sticks on a Sunday, there is always the chance that at some point people will start taking it literally again and start doing it. Especially because it is so generally hyped as the "word of god" and even christians have a hard time explaining why they don't do what it says to do.
It would be an admission that the "faith" has changed, the bible is not perfect but has been hugely corrupted over time, and it's time to straighten it out. The new/liberal christianity could start afresh with a book that they consider accurate enough, but with less harmful stuff in it as ticking time bombs. And I mean, in other countries people are still doing the stuff it says in there like killing witches. If you remove all that stuff from the official bible, and at least a good consensus could be reached on this, then just maybe this kind of thing would stop in the not too distant future. And make it clear that hell is just seperation from god, and not eternal torture. This will hopefully reduce some of the trauma felt by children who are forced to believe this stuff.
In short, the book has been being edited for 2000 years. Why stop now? Take out all the stuff which is also clearly wrong (creationism) and make it allign with science to some degree. I feel that religion is going to have to do something pretty soon, or else the rift between reality and the book will just keep growing bigger and polarization is inevitable.
I would think that again all but the most fundamental christians would agree that the bible is not, in fact, directly word for word exactly what god said. I have been reliably informed that most christian bible scholars accept such things as:
1) The bible contains forgeries
2) The bible has had many errors in translation
3) The bible has been censored, edited and compiled (by men)
And the claim that everything in the bible "is true" is patently absurd to anyone who wants to actually compare it to reality in any honest and scientific way.
So... why don't they, for starters, get rid of the old testament? Instead of spending the whole time trying to say why it "doesn't apply any more", just dump it? If it was "relevant at any earlier time" but not now, why have it hanging around, just to confuse people? Or at least label it as history, or stories, instead of something meant to be taken at all literally.
I would have no problem with the pope or boss or whoever makes such decisions just saying the "new bible" will only have the new testament in it. And while they are at it, just cut out all the really horrible stuff that christians also spend their whole lives tap-dancing around to try and make out that it doesn't say what it says. Cut out the stuff about slavery, misogyny, racism... all the things christians like to believe the bible doesn't stand for.
Or even go one better and change the name to something else (christianites, and the book of jesus? Most people seem to think its all about jesus rather than god) and admit that the book is meant to be more of a guide than a literal account of history, while editing it as above to make it more of an actual moral guide. Because at the moment, if you actually follow even half of the stuff it says is OK in the bible, you'd be dead or in prison very quickly.
How would people feel about this? Would the atheists here think this is a good move, or would you criticize it as hypocritical? Would the christians like to see the book changed so that it actually represents what they want it to represent?
Because as long as there are actual words on the pages saying that you should stone someone to death for collecting sticks on a Sunday, there is always the chance that at some point people will start taking it literally again and start doing it. Especially because it is so generally hyped as the "word of god" and even christians have a hard time explaining why they don't do what it says to do.
It would be an admission that the "faith" has changed, the bible is not perfect but has been hugely corrupted over time, and it's time to straighten it out. The new/liberal christianity could start afresh with a book that they consider accurate enough, but with less harmful stuff in it as ticking time bombs. And I mean, in other countries people are still doing the stuff it says in there like killing witches. If you remove all that stuff from the official bible, and at least a good consensus could be reached on this, then just maybe this kind of thing would stop in the not too distant future. And make it clear that hell is just seperation from god, and not eternal torture. This will hopefully reduce some of the trauma felt by children who are forced to believe this stuff.
In short, the book has been being edited for 2000 years. Why stop now? Take out all the stuff which is also clearly wrong (creationism) and make it allign with science to some degree. I feel that religion is going to have to do something pretty soon, or else the rift between reality and the book will just keep growing bigger and polarization is inevitable.
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Quickstart guide to the forum
