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Religion

gcomeau

(5,764 posts)

19. Author appears confused...

Reply to rug (Original post)

Fri Jun 28, 2013, 01:43 PM

Jun 2013

His argument that the bible isn't the quickest route to atheism seems to rest on the general impression that if you DON'T take it literally and DON'T think of it as some actual factual claim that God exists then it can be kinda pretty in some places and not so outrageously immoral or intelligence insulting since it's all just fiction so no big deal.

Yeah...?

But for anyone wanting to address the fundamental question of whether God actually really exists or not (as in, whether to be atheist or theist) that's not how you're going to be reading the book. If you are reading it that way you're kind of past the whole atheism vs. theism question at that point.

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The Quickest Route to Atheism? It's Not the Bible [View all] rug Jun 2013 OP

Interesting read and point of view. cbayer Jun 2013 #1

It's not difficult to miss completely the purpose of the Bible, as this student does. dimbear Jun 2013 #2

I never heard of propaganda that took 1,500 years to write. rug Jun 2013 #4

I recommend to your attention the Zend Avesta and the Upanishads. dimbear Jun 2013 #7

The Zend are the commentaries on the Avesta. rug Jun 2013 #9

As an afterthought, I should have wondered whether the 1500 years you have in mind dimbear Jun 2013 #11

Yes, I meant the entire time the Bible was written. rug Jun 2013 #13

Of course, it was Malachi that was written to propagandize Christianity, or so some say. dimbear Jun 2013 #14

That would be a neat trick since it was written 400 years earlier. rug Jun 2013 #18

The reason Malachi bookends the Christian version of the Hebrew scriptures, but does not dimbear Jun 2013 #20

I would say exactly the opposite. cbayer Jun 2013 #5

From a little emotional distance, they all look alike. dimbear Jun 2013 #8

Let's start a bible reading campaign! xfundy Jun 2013 #3

Horse malarkey. cbayer Jun 2013 #6

Obviously, Route 491... onager Jun 2013 #10

The film "Route 666" didn't do it justice. n/t dimbear Jun 2013 #12

"... a man trying to tell his distant ancestors the truth ..." Jim__ Jun 2013 #15

I think you're right. rug Jun 2013 #17

Poetry only WovenGems Jun 2013 #16

Author appears confused... gcomeau Jun 2013 #19

besides it is really kind of shitty compared to the stuff the greeks came up with. Warren Stupidity Jun 2013 #21

Agree WovenGems Jul 2013 #22