Letters to the Editor
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the new testament refers to debt slavery
The New Testament refers to debt slavery. A slave enters service to pay off an outstanding debt. Once the debt is repaid they are free. Moreover, if a slave was unnecessarily beaten or abused by their master they were supposed to be granted freedom. Bigoted confederates took the passages about slavery out of context to support their un-Christian stance on humanity as chattel.
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Oh Geez
Why am I even surprised that this section has turned into a theist/atheist debate? Naturally people pick up on one question and answer in the interview and run with it...it would be funny if it wasn't so predictable
that being said, here's my two cents worth: I find it supremely ironic that the Dawkins Brigade always comes out in full force and ALWAYS paints their argument in a right v wrong, black v white manner.
Why why why do you insist on buying into this false fcking dichotomy? Can't you see that by framing the debate exactly like the Right Wing does you give legitimacy to this patently absurd notion of "with us or against us"?
Pope Benedict has it wrong, it's not moral relativism that's destroying our ethical selves, but rather it's Absolutism - the idea that I'm right and you're an idiot.
besides, ask any person who has thought about theology for more than five minutes and they'll probably tell you that Intelligent Design in bunk - besides, there's no reason at all why you can't marry Creation and Evolution (Aquinas' Prime Mover and all that jazz)...Dawkins seems to be arguing with a straw man (fundies aside of course)
You wonder why you're attacked with vitriol when you dole it out in spades?
and don't give me the whole "we're persecuted so we lash out" excuse...I don't know where you live, but where I'm from if you're under 30 and at all religious you're treated as a bit of a freak - something akin to a campus republican ;)
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Thank you for the original insight, Mr. or Ms. The Truth
It has never been stated before.
Fuck: the banality of these responses. Still, though, raise your hands if you didn't see the "God-isn't-rational, explain-yourself-scientifically" brigade coming from a mile off.
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Yeah, because the Christian Right is always so happy to discuss the possible alternatives to their beliefs.
here's my two cents worth: I find it supremely ironic that the Dawkins Brigade always comes out in full force and ALWAYS paints their argument in a right v wrong, black v white manner.
--neil
Sheesh. Do you even read your stuff before hitting 'send'?!?!
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For those who may be interested in yet another view of Judas
The URANTIA BOOK was published in 1955 in Chicago, IL. It is a compilation of papers on the origin, history and destiny of our universe. ('Urantia' is the word used for our planet Earth )
It contains over 2000 pages and 196 separate papers authored by superbeings compiling information from sources included 2000 human beings. The book is divided into FOUR parts.
The part which contains information about JUDAS is PART IV, THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS.
Jesus is also referred to as Christ Michael. The story of Jesus' life is told in Papers 120-196.
http://www.urantia.org/papers/toc.html#PARTIV
A link to specific references to the Apostle Judas is below.
http://www.urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/webglimpse/usr/local/www/data/papers?query=Judas&submit=Submit
Below is a brief excerpt summarizing Judas' character. P 2016.
Judas met defeat in his battles of the earth struggle because of the following factors of personal tendencies and character weakness:
1. He was an isolated type of human being. He was highly individualistic and chose to grow into a confirmed "shut-in" and unsociable sort of person.
2. As a child, life had been made too easy for him. He bitterly resented thwarting. He always expected to win; he was a very poor loser.
3. He never acquired a philosophic technique for meeting disappointment. Instead of accepting disappointments as a regular and commonplace feature of human existence, he unfailingly resorted to the practice of blaming someone in particular, or his associates as a group, for all his personal difficulties and disappointments.
4. He was given to holding grudges; he was always entertaining the idea of revenge.
5. He did not like to face facts frankly; he was dishonest in his attitude toward life situations.
6. He disliked to discuss his personal problems with his immediate associates; he refused to talk over his difficulties with his real friends and those who truly loved him. In all the years of their association he never once went to the Master with a purely personal problem.
7. He never learned that the real rewards for noble living are, after all, spiritual prizes, which are not always distributed during this one short life in the flesh.
As a result of his persistent isolation of personality, his griefs multiplied, his sorrows increased, his anxieties augmented, and his despair deepened almost beyond endurance."
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Without Prompting
I like how Elaine Pagels avoids the word "symbol," and sticks with the more literal term: "metaphor." It keeps scriptural studies closer to literary studies--and keeps the work of people like Campbell and the psychoanalysts out of the discussion.
It's a sort of peace offering without being seen as such. But it also doesn't change the fact that as more research is done into the history of christianity and religion in general it becomes apparent how the needs and understanding of the collective at any one time in history is what determines the "story" that evolves.
How biblical literalism itself continues to thrive is a testament to the power of religion, given that it is so easily repudiated. And yet, it is to the credit of scholars such as Ms. Pagels that they do not debunk it--and make enemies where none are needed. The expanding consciouness of man, (not unlike the universe itself as we now understand it) seems to do that naturally, (if awkwardly) without prompting.
The literalists of the current generation don't agree, but give their better educated and more individuated children time. It is a slow process, but inexorable. In the end, as more see the threat literalism poses, it is the source of hope for the future.
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Monotheism = excuses for evil behavior
How is it that so many religious people are evil? Consider the Crusades, both historical and ongoing (Iraq, yes?). Monotheism is a means by which central governments can exercise maximum control over the greatest number of people.
There's something going on, but it certainly is not Christianity. Nor any other brand name.