The Bible

[Antimony]

How do you interpret it? I imagine this thread will shoot off into other realms within this topic- feel free.

 

[Ginkgo]

Symbols are more significant than the things themselves.

 

[gromit]

I missed something... but why does everyone have the same avatar?

 

[Nicodemus]

mostly parables/metaphors with historical fact
x
complete nonsense

 

[Antimony]

I missed something... but why does everyone have the same avatar?

It happened last night. [MENTION=13402]Saturned[/MENTION] and I sort of had an Ne fit that sucked everyone in.

 

[Lark]

How do you interpret it? I imagine this thread will shoot off into other realms within this topic- feel free.

I clicked other, I think it does contain many metaphors and teaching tales, parables, however it isnt mythology (not that I consider mythology to be entirely false) entirely, it is also history and prophecy. Besides all that it is a seriously great work of literature too.

I dont like literalism at all, a lot of the reverence for scriptures and bible which dates from the reformation seems idolatrous and erronious to me, tradition is important or more important than scriptures to which it has given rise. There are other literary works which I feel are as important, such as Milton and Dante to mention just two, and lately I like the Hasidic idea that the Torah isnt just the scriptures but the jewish people themselves, that is the sort of idea which I wish would transfer to Christianity and all world religions.

 

[Ginkgo]

I missed something... but why does everyone have the same avatar?

Check Ezekial 23: 19-21

 

[Anew Leaf]

It happened last night. [MENTION=13402]Saturned[/MENTION] and I sort of had an Ne fit that sucked everyone in.

[MENTION=9486]gromit[/MENTION],

here is an artist's rendition of what happened:

 

[Antimony]

[MENTION=9486]gromit[/MENTION],

here is an artist's rendition of what happened:

HAHAHAH that will be on my list of avatars to have.

 

[KDude]

There are too many books and literature types in the Bible to read it any one way. 39 in the Jewish canon, 66 in the Protestant, 73 Catholic, 77 Orthodox. I think. Some of it is drab military and royal chronologies. Some of it are reconfigured Mesopotamian myths. Some are just recipes for bread. Some are just love poetry. Some wisdom books consist of one liner proverbs, while others are almost secular-like diatribes on the meaningless of life (Ecclessiastes). Some purported to be written by prophets, while others ritualistic in nature, instructional manuals for priests. Some are correspondance letters. I don't see why not to read these literally, particularly. Some, like the gospels, are narratives.. while other gospels are narratives mixed with a lot of third person commentary (John).

 

[Domino]

That is precisely what happens with Ne.

I voted for the third option.

 

[Lark]

There are too many books and literature types in the Bible to read it any one way. 39 in the Jewish canon, 66 in the Protestant, 73 Catholic, 77 Orthodox. I think. Some of it is drab military and royal chronologies. Some of it are reconfigured Mesopotamian myths. Some are just recipes for bread. Some are just love poetry. Some wisdom books consist of one liner proverbs, while others are almost secular-like diatribes on the meaningless of life (Ecclessiastes). Some purported to be written by prophets, while others ritualistic in nature, instructional manuals for priests. Some are correspondance letters. I don't see why not to read these literally, particularly. Some, like the gospels, are narratives.. while other gospels are narratives mixed with a lot of third person commentary (John).

I like the prophetic books of the bible, old and new testaments, they contain advice which I think can be taken literally, also I believe there is advice in James and Matthew about the acquisition of wealth and reciprocity and gift relationships which could bare literal interpretations too. Amos and Sirach (spelling) I think both have advice which is pretty perrenial too, Sirach is one of my favourite quotable quote writers infact.

Good points and great post though, the differences in perserved and included texts is a good one too I think. Although I dont think that there are that many which I would consider reconstructed mesopotamian myths, I'm inclined to consider, like Levi-Strauss, that there can be remarkable congruence between different myths or cultures while they are still perfectly distinct from one another because of underlying structures.

 

[Rasofy]

Complete nonsense, but vague enough to make people derive tangible meanings from it. It is like Victor talking, but since it's sacred people don't stop to question.

 

[Orangey]

I voted nonsense. Sorry, but I've only ever been able to find comedic value in the Bible and not much else. And it seems so unimportant to me in the scheme of things that scholarly inquiry into it can be nothing but a useless, arcane bore. It can only incidentally have value to other areas of study, and seems not to be worth much else on its own.

 

[KDude]

Complete nonsense, but vague enough to make people derive tangible meanings from it. It is like Victor talking, but since it's sacred people don't stop to question.

How much have you read? Not all of it, I think, was intended to be sacred. Some of it is no different than other ancient nationalistic stories in the region. Stories of leaders especially. We don't completely write those off either, despite them being wrapped up in myth. We wouldn't know anything about Egypt if we had that kind of reaction to the way they presented themselves. But there's always some way to glean some truths, to at least tell that some event could have happened.. or at the very least, tell what the geography and political climate might have been like.

 

[Sniffles]

Somehow I feel responsible for this thread.

 

[Antimony]

Actually, Jack427 is responsible, [MENTION=4212]Peguy[/MENTION], my friend. I greatly appreciate our conversation.

 

[Sniffles]

Oh I'm not responsible? Whew....that's a relief.

 

[Lark]

Complete nonsense, but vague enough to make people derive tangible meanings from it. It is like Victor talking, but since it's sacred people don't stop to question.

Really? I mean really and truly? You believe that there's things sacred in contemporary society? Things which arent questioned?

 

[Antimony]

Okay, Jack is only partly responsible- you contributed. Though I wouldn't have created the thread if not for Jack. The tools you gave me, [MENTION=4212]Peguy[/MENTION], allowed me to articulate what I was thinking