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Question 13

What passages from the Bible or any other 'holy' book do you consider resonable or worthwhile?

• This isn't from a holy book as such, but I like the Wiccan Rede: "An if harm none, do what you will." (Nicolas P. Demers #155)

• Honestly -- none. I am most familiar with Bible, and while many of its passages are not too bad, I find none of them actually interesting or worthwhile, except as debate fodder. (MindFlayer #696)

• Just about every religion includes some sort of behavior-limiting codes in it. I find them worthwhile, but they are not exclusive of, or derived from, religion. These codes are required by any society that expects to be stable. The first set of codified laws in the Western World was developed by Hamurrabi(sp?), a political rather than religious leader. Our current laws (in the US), depending on where you live, are based upon English Common Law or Napoleonic Codes. Neither are based on religion nor do they require a religion to justify them, as they are based on common sense, not threat of eternal damnation. Religion just adds an unneeded layer of superstition and confusion to something that should be quite clear. (Drachen #742)

• Oh, there are quite a few.

  I mean, take the bible (Oh Please). It is so incredibly huge, I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one coherent line in the thing.

  For example, here's one I just ran across: "thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil". I like that. And, if you look for it, there's a bit of so-so porn as well.

  And then there's the Kama Sutra.... (Toby Chow #55)

• "Do unto others", but that predates the bible by millennia. (Dennis Rainer )

• I find the Song of Solomon (sometimes known as the Canticle of Canticles) is one of the best pieces of erotic poetry I have ever read anywhere. The translation in the King James version is sublime. Eroticism without a trace of pornography, deep respect Solly.

  I find many books of the Bible extremely interesting but only if you read around the subject as well. Genesis has various philosophical and mythological readings especially if you know something of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Troy, the Hittites as well as some of the archaeology. Try this.

  The snake is Eve's familiar (A glimpse of Hawwa, Hepta in Hittite Mythology). Snakes represented, eternal life in the eastern meditaranean and had oracular powers. Eg: A snake stole the secret of eternal life from Gilgamesh. The oracle at Delphi was called the Pythoness. They are always associated with important goddesses (eg: Athene/Anat). Apples were awarded by the mother goddess to the fairest young man denoting both his reign as king and his ultimate doom as a sacrifice (the three graces myth was originally the Tripple Goddess offering the apple to the sacred king, Paris, not the other way round). In the Genesis myth the Goddess Eve offers the Apple to Adam (DM = the God Dummuzi?) prophecying knowledge of death (ie death itself) but redeemed by kingship and eternal life through her if he let her choose him as consort. The Hebrew editors edited and re-contextualised the story (already old and bastardised by their time) to come up with the new idea of original sin and in doing so deny the Great Goddess (as Eve) her old title "Queen of Heaven" and her authority over the male god. Any thoughts, ideas anyone? Ezekiel's vision is similarly revealing but I'll leave that for another day. (Paul Roberts #49)

• I wouldn't mind seeing the following added to holy books. That is pretty much the only worthy or reasonable thing a holy book could say.

  "This work is entirely fictional. Any events and characters portrayed within are purely fantasy. Any similarities to events or people both living and dead are purely coincidental.

  Comments and criticisms are welcomed and encouraged." (AndrewC)