Vengeance is mine saith the LORD, and I shall pay back in full...

[Owlswing]

Dicky,

Perhaps Trollboy got the 20 watt illumination but Sassy got the 40 watt version.

Or maybe vice versa.

Maybe neither got the illumination because they could not decide how many Christian posters it takes to change the light bulb

[jeremyp]

Dearie Me,

Abraham and Issac, it's a bloody Myth, a story with a truth in it,

What is the truth in question?

you don't sacrifice children, maybe a small god would ask you to sacrifice a child,

In this myth, your god did ask Abraham to sacrifice a child. Is the truth in the myth that your god id a small god?

but God would not, why would a God who can look into your very heart need to test you, bloody stupid, get over it Christians there are a lot of Myths in your Bible.

I think we would agree on that but I would probably disagree on what percentage of the Bible is a myth.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

What is the truth in question?

A very simple truth, child/human sacrifice is wrong.

Gonnagle.

[BeRational]

Dear Jeremyp,

A very simple truth, child/human sacrifice is wrong.

Gonnagle.

But sacrificing Jesus was correct?

[trippymonkey]

But Jesus WASN'T sacrificed, was He as He rose again. WE never rise again ?!!?!?

Gonn
A very simple truth, child/human sacrifice is wrong.

Yes and that's why groups like IS are sooooo wrong !!! Mind you, what exactly is going to war anyway if not for possible suicide/killing

Nick

[Gonnagle]

Dear Berational,

But sacrificing Jesus was correct?

Don't know if the word correct is right, but it had to be.

Gonnagle.

[Udayana]

Dear Jeremyp,

A very simple truth, child/human sacrifice is wrong.

Gonnagle.

If that is the message, it's a very convoluted way of going about delivering it - especially to those who already know it. The insanity of the demand points to something deeper? - Even more, the insanity of Abraham's resolution to comply.

[BeRational]

Dear Berational,

Don't know if the word correct is right, but it had to be.

Gonnagle.

Why?

I thought your god could do anything?

Again, you have to spin stuff in the bible, when it offends you. Then, it becomes myth or a story with a truth, but it's not literally true. This kind of reinterpretation of the word of god has been happening a long time. Thank goodness!

[Gonnagle]

Dear Udayana, ( forgive me for being nosey, but the source and meaning of your name, just curious )

As I have been trying to explain to Berational, the who, why, where, when, what and how.

Kipling's Six Honest Serving Men.

Where you start, who told the story, the Shaman, the Priest, the Bard, the keepers of history, you need to remember who you are dealing with, these Myths for a long time were not written down, someone had to remember these stories, pass them on to the next generation.

I caught a twenty pound Salmon yesterday ( no I don't fish ) but tomorrow that fish will have grown, why, because I am human, it's what we do.

You would be out of the Shaman business if your stories were boring.

At the time this story was doing the rounds, so I am reliably told by Karen Armstrong, various religions practiced child sacrifice, this was the story tellers way of saying, our religion does not practice child sacrifice.

Gonnagle.

[Enki]

Strange that, Gonners, because I get a totally different message from the same story, and not a very pleasant one at that. So, however it originated, the version we have in Genesis 22 suggests that the writer made a total pig's ear of the story if the original idea was simply to show that your religion did not practise child sacrifice.

[Gonnagle]

Dear enki,

True, but you are reading the story through 21st century eye's, imagine yourself back to a time with no written word, no telly, no internet, sitting in a tent, the smell of burning cow dung, your only source of entertainment, the mad Shaman with his wild stories, he may be mad but he is the Holy man, the keeper of your tribes history.

Which story do you prefer, look pal we don't sacrifice children, fair enough, calm down mad Holy man, or, remember Abraham, the great Father of our tribe, God tested him, now yer talking Mad Holy man, this is why today ( today being thousands of years ago ) we don't sacrifice children.

Gonnagle.

[BeRational]

Dear enki,

True, but you are reading the story through 21st century eye's, imagine yourself back to a time with no written word, no telly, no internet, sitting in a tent, the smell of burning cow dung, your only source of entertainment, the mad Shaman with his wild stories, he may be mad but he is the Holy man, the keeper of your tribes history.

Which story do you prefer, look pal we don't sacrifice children, fair enough, calm down mad Holy man, or, remember Abraham, the great Father of our tribe, God tested him, now yer talking Mad Holy man, this is why today ( today being thousands of years ago ) we don't sacrifice children.

Gonnagle.

The reason I do not kill children has nothing to do with your reinterpreted story.

If you need it I am glad you have read it, but my morality is far superior to your bible.

I do not keep slaves for example, even though your holy book says it is permissible.

[Stranger]

True, but you are reading the story through 21st century eye's, imagine yourself back to a time with no written word, no telly, no internet, sitting in a tent, the smell of burning cow dung, your only source of entertainment, the mad Shaman with his wild stories, he may be mad but he is the Holy man, the keeper of your tribes history.

Which story do you prefer, look pal we don't sacrifice children, fair enough, calm down mad Holy man, or, remember Abraham, the great Father of our tribe, God tested him, now yer talking Mad Holy man, this is why today ( today being thousands of years ago ) we don't sacrifice children.

But if this "god" thingy of yours is real, why bother with all the mad holy men and mythology? If it's got something to say, why not just come out with it in a clear and unambiguous way?

[BeRational]

But if this "god" thingy of yours is real, why bother with all the mad holy men and mythology? If it's got something to say, why not just come out with it in a clear and unambiguous way?

Exactly.

Did god not foresee the problems the myths would cause in later years?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Berational,

The reason I do not kill children has nothing to do with your reinterpreted story.

If you need it I am glad you have read it, but my morality is far superior to your bible.

I do not keep slaves for example, even though your holy book says it is permissible.

Says the 21st century, highly enlightened, able to look back and scoff human.

Gonnagle.

[BeRational]

Dear Berational,

Says the 21st century, highly enlightened, able to look back and scoff human.

Gonnagle.

Well yes.

Did you God not foresee this?

Why is my morality superior to the bible, yours too I would add.

Why is it that stuff is found in the bible AFTER we have discovered it?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Berational,

Why is my morality superior to the bible, yours too I would add.

Once more for those in the cheap seats, the Bible is there to make you think not what you think.

Gonnagle.

[BeRational]

Dear Berational,

Once more for those in the cheap seats, the Bible is there to make you think not what you think.

Gonnagle.

Does every Christian say that, or is that just you?

Do you accept that other Christians see literal truths where you see stories to 'make you think '.

I am able to think so do you agree that don't need the bible?

[Stranger]

Once more for those in the cheap seats, the Bible is there to make you think not what you think.

So, does this god have an important message for us, or not?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Berational,

Does every Christian say that, or is that just you?

Do you accept that other Christians see literal truths where you see stories to 'make you think '.

I am able to think so do you agree that don't need the bible?

Hell yes!! That is one of my struggles, to pull Christians out of there apathy, to try and engage there brain, to not be afraid to question there faith, to look beyond the Bible, you can be a Christian and question the Bible, the whole Bible, it is there to make you think.

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Stranger,

So, does this god have an important message for us, or not?

Frack me!! yes it is written into every religion in the world, a Universal law, Love thy Neighbour, but for a Christian that is only the start, when you master that you go on to build on the rest of Our Lords teachings.

Gonnagle.

[BeRational]

Dear Stranger,

Frack me!! yes it is written into every religion in the world, a Universal law, Love thy Neighbour, but for a Christian that is only the start, when you master that you go on to build on the rest of Our Lords teachings.

Gonnagle.

The golden rule predates the bible, so why do we need the bible?

It's also explainable by evolution

[Stranger]

Frack me!! yes it is written into every religion in the world, a Universal law, Love thy Neighbour, but for a Christian that is only the start, when you master that you go on to build on the rest of Our Lords teachings.

Well first, it quite obviously isn't written into every religion in the world (past and present) - take ISIS, for a present day example.

Next, back to my previous point, why doesn't god make it all clear and unambiguous? Why all this mucking about with mythology and religions that contradict each other and that cannot be distinguished from other superstitions?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Some,

Next, back to my previous point, why doesn't god make it all clear and unambiguous? Why all this mucking about with mythology and religions that contradict each other and that cannot be distinguished from other superstitions?

It's worse than that isn't it? Why do it with contradictory myths and legends that present in exactly the way you'd expect them to if there was no god at all, but just a pattern-seeking species that evolved to record its attempts at explanations for the natural phenomena it observed and to ask deeper questions about the nature of existence?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Berational,

The golden rule predates the bible, so why do we need the bible?

Really, well I never! you learn a new thing everyday.

It's also explainable by evolution

Dear Stranger,

take ISIS, for a present day example.

Yes a very good example.

Gonnagle.