How do atheists see Jesus' parables?

[downbeatplumb]

I think of them as Woody Allen routines and read them in his voice.

[Chad32]

When you think of the people getting murdered less as people inviting others to a wedding party, and more evangelists telling people to repent or burn in hell, it becomes less surprising that some were beaten or killed.

[drfuzzy]

Thank you to all the atheists who responded.  It's heartening to hear that . . . yes, I have thrown away the rose-colored glasses, and my perception is much like yours.  I can't decide whether the story is tribal, stupid, or evil.  I think I'll just choose all three.  I'll hide further musings to spare some of you and make the thread shorter.   

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My impression:  Well, first, it's clearly an old story about the wrath of a god who has not been obeyed.  There is a distinct parallel between this and the Isaiah vinyard story in chapter 5 (read only a week or so ago)- God builds a vinyard, plows it, fertilizes it, builds a wall and a watchtower and a wine press and plants the "choicest vines".  Then - wild grapes grow!
(That's where I stopped and did a mental face-palm - "choice vines" can only produce one kind of fruit when properly planted and cared for - what idiots don't know this?)  So god throws a tantrum, tears down the walls, commands the clouds not to rain and lets wild animals in.  This was the way the ancient hebrews explained why they had been beaten in battle or captured -- god didn't fight for them, so obviously they must have disobeyed and made god mad.
    The wedding banquet parable throws in a few twists to remind people that they had not listened to the prophets of old - the servants.  The servants were dissed and killed and the king was pissed.  So he burnt down their town.  Then he just pulled in the riffraff.  As Vor said, a lot of Sunday School teachers stop there, and tell kids that God's invitation is open to everyone.  Oh but it isn't.  Some guy isn't dressed properly!  They hog-tie him and throw him out.   "For many are invited but not all are chosen"

Hogwash.  This is so obviously not a representation of a god who wants to gather everyone in.  This is more tribalism.  This only rewards abject, unthinking obedience and punishes the slightest objection - just like any tribal warlord would do.

The priest went off on tangent after tangent, saying how everyone in that time would have known what an honor and joy it was to be invited to a King's Son's wedding feast.  No sane person would refuse.  But the evil ones would not come, and when reminded by the servants (prophets) they killed the servants.  So the King decrees that the Jews be destroyed (destruction of the temple) and the Gentiles be invited to the banquet.  But the wedding garment symbolizes following the words of Jesus combined with true repentance.  The priest knew that many in the pews did not read the Bible or pray regularly, and did not go to confession weekly.  He sternly told the congregation that they should set aside time for these practices and go to Mass every day.  Because if they arrive in heaven without their wedding garment, they will be thrown out.  And those who have sacrificed and worked to attain their wedding garments will wish they had done more.  (My first reaction - heaven will be a sparsely populated, depressing, dull and boring place.)

Well.  Way to combine a punitive story with a threat designed to get more butts in the pews and more money in the collection plates.  Think it worked?  (ha)  And oh how sad to base everything you do in this life on a desperate attempt to avoid getting sent to an imaginary hell.  Throw away the one life you have by getting told every day how sinful you are and going to confession, just so you won't burn forever after you don't exist anymore.  (sigh)

I gotta get a different job, but it's amazing how listening to Bible stories can really reinforce a person's atheism.

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[Wyrd of Gawd]

Here's the one on the Catholic docket for this weekend:

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Matthew 22:1-14
1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,
2 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.
3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.
4 Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding."
5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,
6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.
7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.
8 Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,
9 go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."
10 So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,
12 and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
14 For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

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I'm not going to try to explain it, or tell you what spin the priest put on it, or tell you how I feel about it.  I'll spare you.      This question is for people who were NEVER Christian.  So if you feel like reading 14 short verses and telling me what you think about the story, I'm just really curious.  I'll share my thoughts later if you want.

Maybe Sirach 31:12-32:13 (CEB) will shed some light on it.  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...ersion=CEB

[drfuzzy]

Here's the one on the Catholic docket for this weekend:

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Matthew 22:1-14
1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,
2 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.
3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.
4 Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding."
5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,
6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.
7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.
8 Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,
9 go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."
10 So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,
12 and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
14 For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

---

I'm not going to try to explain it, or tell you what spin the priest put on it, or tell you how I feel about it.  I'll spare you.      This question is for people who were NEVER Christian.  So if you feel like reading 14 short verses and telling me what you think about the story, I'm just really curious.  I'll share my thoughts later if you want.

Maybe Sirach 31:12-32:13 (CEB) will shed some light on it.  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...ersion=CEB

I have heard dozens upon dozens of priests and preachers pontificate upon and jump through hoops trying to explain this story, trying to make this story more than what it clearly is:  a tale about an evil tribal chieftain designed to get the sheeple in line.  I don't need any more verses from the wholly babble book of evil bronze-age fantasies to help me understand that it's just an evil old fairy tale.  Go use Sirach for toilet paper, and rip up your Bible and line the cat's litter pan with it.

[Godscreated]

Like any stories, you can sometimes learn morals from them. Though some lessons will be outdated or backwards. Like the story of the man who builds his house on sand, and another o rock. You're meant to come away thinking faith is the rock, but the need for revivals shows that faith is not a rock.

That particular story is rather odd. Who kills or abuses people just for being invited to a wedding? And why would you tie someone up before throwing him out the door, instead of just asking him to leave and come back with better clothes? Actually, who prepares a wedding before invitations are even sent?

I assume the wedding represents heaven, but I don't really know what moral we're supposed to take from it.

 You do not understand the story of the house built on the Rock, why should you understand the parable about the wedding feast and it's obvious you are not going to by the way you responded to it. Do you remember what Jesus said about the parables to His disciples, seems you are living proof of what Jesus said, and all you needed to do was look it up on a christian site to get the answer.

GC

Edit: Didn't see Huggy's first post before I posted this, it explains what Jesus told the disciples, you should read it.

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The second was an open  invitation to anyone regardless of social standing,  it was customary for the groom's family to provide the wedding garments when guests entered so that everyone was perceived as equal.

By not having a wedding garment, it meant you snuck in rather than going through the front .


Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. - John 10:1

If all were freely invited he wouldn't have had to sneak in. So, either he wasn't invited and all were not welcome, or he was invited and was then kicked out. Which is it?

I think this is a wonderful example of christian charity.

 You see he was invited but he didn't want those outside of the banquet to know he entered so he snuck in, as Huggy stated, he wanted the good things without properly attaining them. You might say he was a pretend Christian, the church is full of them unfortunately. 

GC

[Nay_Sayer]

I usually wait until the 3rd date before asking to see anyone's parables.

[Little lunch]

I get parabolistic on the first date.

[Cyberman]

Everything Jesus supposedly said was parabolics.

[brewer]

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If all were freely invited he wouldn't have had to sneak in. So, either he wasn't invited and all were not welcome, or he was invited and was then kicked out. Which is it?

I think this is a wonderful example of christian charity.

 You see he was invited but he didn't want those outside of the banquet to know he entered so he snuck in, as Huggy stated, he wanted the good things without properly attaining them. You might say he was a pretend Christian, the church is full of them unfortunately. 

GC

bold mine

I didn't read that anywhere in the in the OP. Can you supply chapter and verse from the bible?