The bible...

As a hospice nurse, I walk into many homes where the patient's want to pray, or read the bible. I respect that one has to get comfort from wherever they find it, I get that. But...my brain is absolutely boggled at how, a book thousands of years old, written by a bunch of men, full of a bunch of stores----how does this bring one peace and understanding. Ever tried to read that thing??? When I was younger and exploring religion, I attempted, many times, to read the bible. No go! I can honestly say, it never did a damn thing for me. I never understood why so many people quote the bible---that's one thing that will forever be lost on me. It's a bunch of stories: period. There are libraries full of books full of stories...what the hell is the draw to the bible??? Number one, it's a bunch of **** that's unproven. Number two, the stories are so far fetched that I can't fathom why people quote them: i.e. Adam and Eve. The only two people on Earth, and they had babies, who slept together to make more babies, and on and on.... Can you say INCEST! Then, the religious powers that be, quote this book, as their razor tongues slash same gender relationships as an abomination!!! Boy those folks ain't real bright, are they?? Any thoughts independent thinkers?? Jessica

I actually have read the Bible, cover to cover, more than once. There is a strong need in people to believe there is more to life than this. The Bible was just one of the first and more enduring of the words of God(s). There is a rationalle for Adam & Eve, their kids, and so on. If you buy that there is a greater power, that his name is Jehovah (or LORD), and that the Bible is his inspired word, you are pretty much forced to make the Bible make sense. Some people make it make sense by calling the stories "parables". To me, the Bible is so obviously about controlling the masses. "Yeah, you're poor, hungry, mistreated, but 1) thats Gods plan, 2) You will be rewarded in heaven." The plot and conflict between God and the Devil are so patently MEN trying to rationalize the crazyness of life that it plays like a huge, unbelievable soap opera. It is also amazing how such a bloodthirsty god in the OT became the "God of Love" in the NT. Sorry, but that God killed a lot of kids for their parents being on the losing side of battle. Yeah, love. Parts of the Bible are also presented as orginal thought given to Moses, when in fact they were drawn from older sources. EVEN IF the God of the Bible is real, and in charge, I still have to say "Thank you, but NO." Lets face it, He is just too high maintenance. Tek

I have tried reading the Bible for the same reason I have been known to listen to Christian radio. I like to know what "they" are up to and try to figure out why. I must admit that I find Christian radio and the Bible to be both ridiculous and terrifying. I am as confounded as you my friend! There are various passages that can be taken out of context and interpreted as "comforting" or "inspirational" or something but mostly the stories are SCARY. Even if you try to consider the thing one giant parable with virtually nothing to be taken literally, huge parts of it don't even make sense. Genesis, for example, is just stupid. The all-knowing god didn't know his prototypes were flawed and were going to malfunction? He knows everything but he didn't know that was going to happen? He "creates" this entire world and decides to condemn it because his own creations do something he should have known they were going to do. The whole idea why brutally torturing and murdering a man (as planned by his own father!) was supposed to "save" the world is completely lost on me. Two particular things about the Bible that have always bugged me: 1. God makes two of every animal. Except MAN. He just makes Adam with apparently no plans for how man will procreate because he doesn't get around to making Eve until he sees that Adam is "alone" and needs a "helpmate." 2. God created everything in a hierarchy which means woman should be considered his greatest creation since he created her LAST but instead the story gets twisted around to make it sound like Eve was made from leftover parts. Only some man would have written the story this way to serve patriarchal interests.

When I was a Christian, Christian radio scared me Your point about God creating pairs of every animal except MAN had never occurred to me. It will now be in my list of 'what abouts' The 'Prophets' and Bible writers were all men. Women in the Bible are obviously viewed as second class property, which is something modern Judeo/Christianity (and Islam) is having a difficult time coping with. Its funny that men are set as the spiritual head, as it is generally accepted that women seem more spiritually adept. Look in any church, mostly women. It is generally the woman 'dragging' the family to church. Yep, the Bible was written to keep men above women, and the men in charge the men in charge. Its gods plan. Tek

Christian radio amuses and scares me because of the utterly ridiculous things these people are willing to believe (pray to Jesus to solve your tax problems, Princess Diana is in hell because she consulted her horoscope) but they will also mobilize to write letters, send faxes, carry signs, boycott corporations, and harass politicians to force their religious agenda on the rest of us. The oddities of the Book of Genesis---In chapter 1, verses 26-30, god makes "man" on the SIXTH day, "Male and female he created them" and does the whole giving them "dominion" over the earth stuff. Tells them to "be fruitful and multiply." But then in chapter 2, god's week is OVER, the seventh day is passed and he hasn't made it rain because "there was not a man to till the ground." NOW god gets the idea, hey I should make a man! But he doesn't get the idea to make two people AND after Adam is made, god is just concerned that he seems lonely and needs a "helpmate." Hence the very clear message that woman's purpose is just to keep man entertained thank you very much. Interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve is intriguing to me however. If Adam's the guy in charge, why does Satan choose Eve to make his pitch? Because he didn't think Adam would be able to convince Eve to eat the apple? Yes, it takes no less than Satan himself to pursuade Eve and she takes a lot of persuasion! But Adam? Hey, he does whatever Eve tells him to. So what is the message here? That women are the instruments of Satan for the purpose of misguiding men? What little of the Bible I have read, I noticed a frequent message that seems to say that women will deceive men if given the chance so guys, keep 'em down or you'll be their helpless victim. In the Old Testament especially, women are all about guile and deception. Nice.