[Opinion] What is the BIBLE to you?

[Durward]

I've often thought of expressing myself like this. Now I don't even have to consider it anymore. This says everything I've thought of, "Much Better" than I could. Wow, Well said!

Thank you.
That was actually a disorganized rant.
Being raised by horribly abusive cult members, and having to read that book of hate, cover to cover, over and over, between beatings and starvation, and being forced to study it and other religious texts for years, I can usually dive much deeper and verbally scratch eyes out along the way. Sometimes with humor, but mostly with as much vitriol and venom that I can spare... since it is so satisfying.

 

[Asteriskos]

Thank you.
That was actually a disorganized rant.
Being raised by horribly abusive cult members, and having to read that book of hate, cover to cover, over and over, between beatings and starvation, and being forced to study it and other religious texts for years, I can usually dive much deeper and verbally scratch eyes out along the way. Sometimes with humor, but mostly with as much vitriol and venom that I can spare... since it is so satisfying.

After seeing through the "Bull$shit and Misery" that was perpetrated for the better part of two thousand years both my wife and I banished it with Prejudice. You covered some fine points in your "rant". I wish I had said as much myself. All "organized" religion is Bull$hit. Spirituality does not, never did, and never will "require" religion!

 

[Ohana]

Okay I might criticize Christianity another time. Its monotheistic. There's only supposed to be one god. What does that make Jesus? Is he just the bastard child of some false god? Part-human part divine. Or is it full divine no human and just incarnated as one.

Because if he's full divine then how does Christianity stay monotheistic? Then Jesus would also be a godly. I think Jesus should have been less vague and more exact. Should have been like I'm not actually the monothesistic gods son I'm just a messagener and that everyone is his son or daughter or something. I don't like how vague it is.

Then it doesn't even account the prophecy. Prophecies in older times I read only lasted like one lifetime. Not 2000 years. Thats so long. Then also in the prophecy theres an anti of him? That sounds like a superhero comic where you fight a clone of yourself. Then apparently this single one person is doomed??? What did Jesus die for then if not everyone has the possibility to not end up in a bad place.

Thats not even going into how if that is his son it kind of sounds like Yahweh was not treating him nicely. Like a life where you are destined to die one of the most brutal deaths at the time. To save others? Unless the son chose to go but then that runs into the question of what kind of environment is there if Yahweh is everything and he made it so that Jesus would have to die brutally.

In fact the last words of Jesus are chilling. "Why have you forsaken me" absolutely haunting. So unless either Yahweh didn't do that on purpose and it just had to be that way or something? But thats still kind of effed up. Especially since it really does set up a good example for parents to follow since oh yeah the bible is about learning morals.

What moral can be learned from this? Self sacrifice for a really long time. That becomes just abuse to yourself or others after a certain point. Its not a happy story by any means. Its dark.

What even is this point of this? Also its oddly convinent that the Jesus would only have one divine parent. Was he made in a divine equalivant of a lab? Programmed to never sin then die at the age 33. Maybe modern living has made it so that doesn't seem old to me but it really doesn't seem old to me. Thats my criticism of it.

And what even is sinning?

This kind sounds like the story Frankenstien I'm not going to lie.

Bible to me is something I don't not understand on any level.

 

[beardedeldridge]

Useful. Interesting.

 

[Ohana]

Maybe Jesus was just an egregore. That might make more sense. Or part of it was just Roman propaganda.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 1:49 AM

I kind thought he was just a historical figure but the history makes no sense. Unless was a wizard? Hmm the world may never know

 

[Asteriskos]

I kind thought he was just a historical figure but the history makes no sense. Unless was a wizard? Hmm the world may never know

There are posts scattered around the forum that offer the opportunity to consider Jesus in terms of being a "magician or wizard".
Additionally, references in the PGM offer more "food for thought" as well. The "search" function might help with this on the forum.
The net has material to consider too, as well as books, and at least one PhD dissertation I'm quite familiar with. Lot's there for the taking!

 

[futureshop]

Bible = Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.

or it’s just a pile of crap. There’s Masonic references if you read based on the numbers. It’s written in code I believe and has a deeper meaning. Not ment to be taken literally. I’ve read it a few times and am intrigued but I’ve never been apart of a cult and was Raised atheist.

there could be something there but I’m only a couple years into my journey and am still trying to answer some of the most basic questions. But what do I know.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 5:54 AM

Let me rephrase that : it could be a way to escape samsara.

 

[Vitorino]

A book of truths but not my truth. Useful for folk magick.
From the christians i like the saints, wine and sins.

 

[Nagaram]

I'll start with the OT and the 'Jewish Bible' ( which Christians adopted ) ;

It is a collection of myth fables and some oral history and folk stories with some 'other histories' and their famous people 'adopted' and given other names ( like Solomon being based on Egyptian, Assyrian or Phoenician Kings ) collated contemporary with Josiah ( who made the Temple 'Jewish ' and Monotheist (it was not previously ) in an attempt (successful until recently* ) to create an idea of a previous unified kingdom between Israel and Judah , so Josiah could move north and take Israel due to the post Neo-Assyrian 'withdrawal / power vacuum in that area .

* due to modern research about the adoption , development and evolution of Jahweh into Judah and the work of modern archaeologists like the prominent Israeli Dr Israel Finklestein ( to name one ) .

In that regard , to me, I have to consider it one of the most successful con jobs in history ! ( and the modern world still has ideas about God from this source ! )

The NT is a collection of ancient, 1st-century Greco-Roman literature authored by humans , influenced by both Second Temple Judaism ( see above ) and Greco-Roman literature, with anonymous authors (not the apostles ), creating Jesus as the main character to hold the story plot together and to present the authors ethical and philosophical arguments about justice, mercy and subversion ( due to Roman rule ).

Generally ( NT + OT ) Its a great story and probably became so popular due to it being 'on the story line ' that is most popular ( Cinderaella has the same story line structure )

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I would only pushback on "con job"

I'm not really a fan of just outright rejecting Christianity as a deliberate manipulation on her modern followers.

The implication is that there's some sort of grander plot of 2 millenia of control for seemingly no reason.

It is just a collection of mostly related, but fallable text that Christians have all just decided to allow as their core text.

But it is abused as an authority on matters it has no reason to be invoked by people who are not doing so in good faith to cause harm.

 

[Frater R.P.G.]

It is many things, as it is really many distinct books in one. A collection of old myths (usually badly translated into Hebrew). A grimoire (especially Leviticus, Psalms). A somewhat historical account. Partly an inspired work, yet heavily edited by many later writers at the same time. There is a lot of useful knowledge there as well as a lot of nonsense. In any case, it is the starting point of many great spiritual traditions and as such has been mandatory reading at least for me.

Post automatically merged: Today at 11:57 AM

I'll only add that I actually read the whole Bible (OT+NT), and many of its books multiple times. Should've started with that, as I'm sure many people make statements about its contents based on what somebody told them about it, rather than reading it themselves and making their own mind.

 

[AlfrunGrima]

I'll only add that I actually read the whole Bible (OT+NT), and many of its books multiple times. Should've started with that, as I'm sure many people make statements about its contents based on what somebody told them about it, rather than reading it themselves and making their own mind.

Yes, agree to that. Once an adult I finally read the complete bible. It is still not my piece of cake, but found interesting things and in OT I recognized even things that have in my own praxis on certain moments. Like been asked by a spirit if you would bring an offer to gain connection and knowledge, but on the last moment the offer was not needed. (Genesis 22, Aqedah, Abraham/Izaak) Or disconnect from mundaine and quieting the mind to be receptive (Mozes, Exodus 33: 07-11)