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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)
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