The faithful say that the Bible is the word of God. Some believe it was inspired by God, others (the more seriously damaged) believe it to be actually written by God Himself ... in long hand. Some believe God wrote it in English; those people usually reside in the deep South.
Unlike 99.99% of Christians, I’ve actually read a couple of books on the origins of religious scripture, among them “Who Wrote the Bible”, by R.E. Freidman. It explains in great detail how various social imperatives and controls, and political infighting shaped the stories, lore, and laws of the Old Testament scripture. Scholars can even determine from which of the two divided kingdoms of Israel and Judea the authors came, and whether or not they were of the priestly class, all based on competing social and political emphasis and contradictions. It’s fascinating.
That the Old Testament is full of cruel, homophobic, anti-feminist, pro-slavery, pro-rape, and pro-genocidal stories and laws that suborn them is old news. Stuff you read and shake your head over. But every now and then there is a passage that makes you just wonder. One that does it for me is this one:
Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee.
Leviticus 19:19
That’s GOD talking, and he is damn serious!!! The God who theists believe created the universe and everything in it; who has existed forever; who is all knowing, all powerful. And here he is giving his chosen people fashion tips, and admonishing them not to create hybrid cattle or plants.
While inexplicably idiotic to you and I, Christian apologists are, by their infirmity, condemned to defend it. Their explanations in short are as follows: a pure breed of plant or animal is better than a mixed breed, and God knows this. On the fabric issue here’s the quote: “God established these laws to ensure that low quality fabrics are not produced.” I kid you not, here’s a link. There are others that provide the same explanation. http://www.thercg.org/questions/p185.a.html
That’s right dear reader; God knowingly gives the Jews bad advice on cattle husbandry and agriculture. Maybe he didn’t know that cross breeding could increase milk and meat production, improve plant resistance to draught and pests, as well as increase the heartiness / adaptability of the species by incorporating the best qualities of other breeds. And what erroneous info led God to believe that fabric blends just don’t stand up to his rigid standards of performance?
Look, these weren’t off handed suggestions… He meant business! Breaking ANY of God’s laws were punishable by some pretty stiff penalties, up to and including being stoned to death [“Hey Aaron, that had better NOT be wool fringe I see on your cotton robe!] .
So, one might wonder if these instructions were so important to God why is it that Christians wear wool blend clothes, and their farmers cross breed cattle, create hybrid plants? Answer- the usual feeble reply: “Oh…we don’t have to follow the old laws since Jebus died for us.” And yet, they can’t begin to explain:
1. Why did God give bad animal husbandry / agricultural dictates to begin with?
2. Why would Jesus’ death make the cross breeding of cattle and plants suddenly ok and in the best interest of his creations; and why would it render blending wool and plant fibers in a garment acceptable? A dead Jew suddenly made those fabrics last longer???
3. Finally, how come God has a bug up his ass for THESE idiotic laws, but neglected laws about pedophilia, slavery, and demanding women be treated equal with men?
Christians should wonder about those things but they won’t. They won’t because it could lead to thinking which makes their heads hurt and could weaken their faith. Meanwhile, the rest of us will wonder how Christians can be so utterly simple minded, and their God such a numbskull.
[Note: By the way, the rabbinic / Jewish explanations are much more conventional and, as you’d expect, logical, inferring they are a man made construct. It speaks to these laws as having been devised to honor God by not altering his original creations, and to protect the privileged / unique attire of the Priestly class … who wore wool and linen during religious rites. But, shush!!! …don’t tell the Christians. Their explanations are so much funnier.]
Unlike 99.99% of Christians, I’ve actually read a couple of books on the origins of religious scripture, among them “Who Wrote the Bible”, by R.E. Freidman. It explains in great detail how various social imperatives and controls, and political infighting shaped the stories, lore, and laws of the Old Testament scripture. Scholars can even determine from which of the two divided kingdoms of Israel and Judea the authors came, and whether or not they were of the priestly class, all based on competing social and political emphasis and contradictions. It’s fascinating.
That the Old Testament is full of cruel, homophobic, anti-feminist, pro-slavery, pro-rape, and pro-genocidal stories and laws that suborn them is old news. Stuff you read and shake your head over. But every now and then there is a passage that makes you just wonder. One that does it for me is this one:
Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee.
Leviticus 19:19
That’s GOD talking, and he is damn serious!!! The God who theists believe created the universe and everything in it; who has existed forever; who is all knowing, all powerful. And here he is giving his chosen people fashion tips, and admonishing them not to create hybrid cattle or plants.
While inexplicably idiotic to you and I, Christian apologists are, by their infirmity, condemned to defend it. Their explanations in short are as follows: a pure breed of plant or animal is better than a mixed breed, and God knows this. On the fabric issue here’s the quote: “God established these laws to ensure that low quality fabrics are not produced.” I kid you not, here’s a link. There are others that provide the same explanation. http://www.thercg.org/questions/p185.a.html
That’s right dear reader; God knowingly gives the Jews bad advice on cattle husbandry and agriculture. Maybe he didn’t know that cross breeding could increase milk and meat production, improve plant resistance to draught and pests, as well as increase the heartiness / adaptability of the species by incorporating the best qualities of other breeds. And what erroneous info led God to believe that fabric blends just don’t stand up to his rigid standards of performance?
Look, these weren’t off handed suggestions… He meant business! Breaking ANY of God’s laws were punishable by some pretty stiff penalties, up to and including being stoned to death [“Hey Aaron, that had better NOT be wool fringe I see on your cotton robe!] .
So, one might wonder if these instructions were so important to God why is it that Christians wear wool blend clothes, and their farmers cross breed cattle, create hybrid plants? Answer- the usual feeble reply: “Oh…we don’t have to follow the old laws since Jebus died for us.” And yet, they can’t begin to explain:
1. Why did God give bad animal husbandry / agricultural dictates to begin with?
2. Why would Jesus’ death make the cross breeding of cattle and plants suddenly ok and in the best interest of his creations; and why would it render blending wool and plant fibers in a garment acceptable? A dead Jew suddenly made those fabrics last longer???
3. Finally, how come God has a bug up his ass for THESE idiotic laws, but neglected laws about pedophilia, slavery, and demanding women be treated equal with men?
Christians should wonder about those things but they won’t. They won’t because it could lead to thinking which makes their heads hurt and could weaken their faith. Meanwhile, the rest of us will wonder how Christians can be so utterly simple minded, and their God such a numbskull.
[Note: By the way, the rabbinic / Jewish explanations are much more conventional and, as you’d expect, logical, inferring they are a man made construct. It speaks to these laws as having been devised to honor God by not altering his original creations, and to protect the privileged / unique attire of the Priestly class … who wore wool and linen during religious rites. But, shush!!! …don’t tell the Christians. Their explanations are so much funnier.]
4 comments:
It's more proof that we are superior to god. God apparently never imagined that it would be possible to genetically modify plants and cross-breed animals to make more productive or resilient species. But we figured it out.
When you consider the intellectual level of those that are god's followers and messengers, it's little surprise that god is ignorant of the potential of scientific enhancements.
afterall, they created god in their image.
I am intrigued with your rants against the intellectual capacity of God & those who follow God. Yet, you show your own vast ignorance by taking a small section and deceptively displaying it and making a point that other non-intellectual-types will just believe. Then, you advertise a button that claims, "I've studied the Bible, that's why I'm an atheist." This fascinates me even more.
Clearly, you don't have a clue what the Bible says in total. I can pull anything out of context and display it, makes false claims against it, and come off sounding like I know what I'm saying. Congratulation -- you've proved my point. Let's all give a collective grunt, shall we?
Myths have no intellectual capacity.
The intellectual capacity of the religious as compared to the non-religious is well documented in multiple (30+)studies over decades. It speaks poorly for the aggregate IQ of the religious. Do a google search for "Intelligence level religious vs non-believer". Or read my first book,it's all summarized and footnoted there.
It is well documented that atheists have much greater familiarity with the bible than do theists. Yes, we understand it. and yes, it has been responsible for many people coming to reason. Those who see the grotesque and delusion it contains..it's intent to control and manipulate. One just needs to read it honestly and intellectually. Two qualities in short supply among the religiously afflicted.
Ah!! Context!!! Religionists love to cry "context!!" whenever the bible embarrasss them. I devoted a chapter to this in my first book. It always amuses me. I'm still waiting for someone to explain in what "context" god's demand that a woman have her hand lopped off if she touches the genitals of her husband's attacker while trying to save him. Haven't heard the context that makes that reasoned, or just. Good luck working on that.
The bible isn't all that difficult to understand if one posesses an modicum of intellect. Trying to mask it's horrors, contradictions, misogyny, homophobia, non-scientific misinformation, justifcation for genocide and rape, it's endorsement of slavery and intolerance, the perverion of the Tanahk to justify virgin birth myth and the meaning of "messiah" in the NT .. on, and on, and on...it's all there to disgust the thinking and to stupify the gullible or those in denial, such as yourself.
Now, you seem a little angry,Anon... and given your failure to sign your comment, you seem a tad cowardly. But never mind . To borrow from a favorite Xtian platitude of mine : "If an atheist hurt you at some time, I'm sorry."
Forgive my typos, as I forgive those who typo against me. It's just that I don't have enough respect for you to actually run spell check.
Dog bless.
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