Just aside from anything else, there is the little matter of the ORDER in which the (usually accepted) Ten Commandments are written. "You shall worship one god and one god only" is number one. "You shall not commit murder" is only number six. So if precedence is any guide, being, for instance, a Hindu, even if you were born and raised one, makes you considerably worse than a murderer. Somehow I don't think we're on firm ethical ground there.
Regardless of order, if three out of the Ten Commandments are wasted on enjoining strict monotheism, observance of the Sabbath day, and forbidding graven images, you're entitled to feel skeptical about the universality and divine wisdom of the other seven.
"God also has some very normal rules for traveling abroad.
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of nations nearby. (Deuteronomy 20:10-18)"
This is origin story of the shithead-in-chief's planxxxxconcept-of-a-plan for Gaza.
Other than the 23rd Psalm (funerals, duh), about all I remember is Proverbs 16:18, which seems to apply everywhere. More of a Golden Rule sort myself. Funny thing, that's part of most every religion. Funnier still, is that after thousands of years, no one has managed to perfect religion.
Jeez. I believed in God until I read this column. Now I'm not so sure. ;)
US has such bad education that no one teaches philosophy, logic, or ethics in the public schools. Only exception is if follows the Swiss based Baccalaureate program. I could get on board with an ethics lesson every day...
If most of this stuff is in the Old Testament, why is it that the New Testament followers are even shittier (your mileage may vary)? Seems like AAAALLLLL of the Abrahamic religions from dear old Judea are full of angry, festering, fulminating, ulcerous old men.
Paul of Tarsus had more to do with founding what we call Christianity today than Jesus of Nazareth ever did. And Paul of Tarsus, for my money, was a thoroughly fucked-up individual. "Angry, festering, fulminating and ulcerous" describes him pretty well. Very possibly a hallucinating epileptic into the bargain.
They couldn't comprehend how extremely pleasant it is to not be a bigot. It frees up so much time, attention, and energy for other things that are always so much more fun.
Equating morality with any religion is a problem. Christians, especially Republicans, desperately want their Bible humping to conclusively prove their integrity and moral character. If anything, it seems highly likely to simply give those people an excuse to be awful.
Ta, Robyn. I have read The Bible. It is so obvious that it doesn't have a single author, that using it authoritatively is madness. I also found out from a rabbi that the yeshiva boys don't start their Torah study at the beginning, which is Genesis, but with Leviticus, so they can learn all the patriarchal rules first.
"Children will be allowed to leave the classroom if they have a note from their parents excusing them from it"
This is /literally/ my childhood about which I still have nightmares, pre-Abingdon (I was actually in the Abingdon school district during that case). Because my parents requested it, we were "allowed" to leave the classroom (i.e. forced to stand in the hall) during mandatory (jfc) reading of the Lord's Prayer, with the teacher stating, helpfully, snidely, "Sandy has to leave because her parents don't believe in God." This was accompanied by threats, bullying, my brother was forced to stand on a desk and to jog around the classroom, not being allowed into friends house, where those kids were allowed to talk to me at all, my mother was fired as a Brownie leader, and I endured fucking YEARS of bullying and abuse from fucking ADULTS let along children.
My first grade teacher in 1970 used to pull the blinds and read the Bible to us. She’d also make us say grace before we went to the cafeteria. The closing of the blinds signaled to me that Christianity was shameful, and I’ve thought so ever since.
My high school biology teacher, Mrs. King, donated 100% of her salary to her church, because they were able to live on her husband's salary (It was the 70's). Her summers were spent, with her husband, doing missionary work in South America. She started every Monday classes with a moment of silence.
She came in one day and said, "I'm required by law to teach you the Theory of Evolution. Please read Pages X through X in your books, and, if you have any questions, come see me after class. It won't be on the test."
Just aside from anything else, there is the little matter of the ORDER in which the (usually accepted) Ten Commandments are written. "You shall worship one god and one god only" is number one. "You shall not commit murder" is only number six. So if precedence is any guide, being, for instance, a Hindu, even if you were born and raised one, makes you considerably worse than a murderer. Somehow I don't think we're on firm ethical ground there.
Regardless of order, if three out of the Ten Commandments are wasted on enjoining strict monotheism, observance of the Sabbath day, and forbidding graven images, you're entitled to feel skeptical about the universality and divine wisdom of the other seven.
Ezekial 23, the Biblical version of OnlyFans
"God also has some very normal rules for traveling abroad.
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of nations nearby. (Deuteronomy 20:10-18)"
This is origin story of the shithead-in-chief's planxxxxconcept-of-a-plan for Gaza.
Other than the 23rd Psalm (funerals, duh), about all I remember is Proverbs 16:18, which seems to apply everywhere. More of a Golden Rule sort myself. Funny thing, that's part of most every religion. Funnier still, is that after thousands of years, no one has managed to perfect religion.
"Without comment"?
In my classroom, I comment on freaking ALGEBRA problems (why are those trains running against each other anyway?).
But I teach in the Oregon Free State.
Does the law come with a schedule of passages that must be read, or can the teacher make that decision on their own?
If the latter, a teacher could come in each day, open the Bible, read, "Jesus wept," and then get on with their day.
Without comment.
I'm a-goin' for the "spendings of donkeys," myself.
Idaho......the Florida of the Northwest......
They lack an ocean, that's how come.
Wait..."Florida"....
Some people have mean Imaginary Friends.
Me, too. They better not fuck with Mr Fluffy.
Jeez. I believed in God until I read this column. Now I'm not so sure. ;)
US has such bad education that no one teaches philosophy, logic, or ethics in the public schools. Only exception is if follows the Swiss based Baccalaureate program. I could get on board with an ethics lesson every day...
Teachers have latitude. I teach those things.
My grandparents didn’t flee the pogroms of Europe for this shit. 🤬
If most of this stuff is in the Old Testament, why is it that the New Testament followers are even shittier (your mileage may vary)? Seems like AAAALLLLL of the Abrahamic religions from dear old Judea are full of angry, festering, fulminating, ulcerous old men.
Paul of Tarsus had more to do with founding what we call Christianity today than Jesus of Nazareth ever did. And Paul of Tarsus, for my money, was a thoroughly fucked-up individual. "Angry, festering, fulminating and ulcerous" describes him pretty well. Very possibly a hallucinating epileptic into the bargain.
I like to tell them “If you’re an example of what Jesus does for people, you can keep him.”
They couldn't comprehend how extremely pleasant it is to not be a bigot. It frees up so much time, attention, and energy for other things that are always so much more fun.
Equating morality with any religion is a problem. Christians, especially Republicans, desperately want their Bible humping to conclusively prove their integrity and moral character. If anything, it seems highly likely to simply give those people an excuse to be awful.
100% — they use it as a "get out of jail free" card for every horrible and hateful thing they do.
Ta, Robyn. I have read The Bible. It is so obvious that it doesn't have a single author, that using it authoritatively is madness. I also found out from a rabbi that the yeshiva boys don't start their Torah study at the beginning, which is Genesis, but with Leviticus, so they can learn all the patriarchal rules first.
Old Testament dietary rules will surely be popular in Idaho. Do they have Red Lobster? Not anymore they don’t.
Does anyone have Red Lobster any more?
"Children will be allowed to leave the classroom if they have a note from their parents excusing them from it"
This is /literally/ my childhood about which I still have nightmares, pre-Abingdon (I was actually in the Abingdon school district during that case). Because my parents requested it, we were "allowed" to leave the classroom (i.e. forced to stand in the hall) during mandatory (jfc) reading of the Lord's Prayer, with the teacher stating, helpfully, snidely, "Sandy has to leave because her parents don't believe in God." This was accompanied by threats, bullying, my brother was forced to stand on a desk and to jog around the classroom, not being allowed into friends house, where those kids were allowed to talk to me at all, my mother was fired as a Brownie leader, and I endured fucking YEARS of bullying and abuse from fucking ADULTS let along children.
I am fucking ready to blow something up.
My first grade teacher in 1970 used to pull the blinds and read the Bible to us. She’d also make us say grace before we went to the cafeteria. The closing of the blinds signaled to me that Christianity was shameful, and I’ve thought so ever since.
My high school biology teacher, Mrs. King, donated 100% of her salary to her church, because they were able to live on her husband's salary (It was the 70's). Her summers were spent, with her husband, doing missionary work in South America. She started every Monday classes with a moment of silence.
She came in one day and said, "I'm required by law to teach you the Theory of Evolution. Please read Pages X through X in your books, and, if you have any questions, come see me after class. It won't be on the test."
[Posts like this are why we need an anger emoji -- liking seems wrong]