Contrary Thought (aka Independant Thinking) has never been a mainstream pursuit. 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.

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

Appartently, Mr. Robertson was misquoted and wanted to clear the air... http://datelinehollywood.com/archives/2005/09/18/pat-roberston-corrects-dateline-hollywood-article/#more-526 (Note: Also NOT real, Parody). Tek

OMG- I can't believe he said that and the worst thing is there are people who ACTUALLY listen to him and believe him!!!! How sad is that? Especially for a group of people who are supposed to be accepting of all god's creatures (their words not mine!). I'm upset at the way this country is going and to let idiots like Pat Robertson have a public forum doesn't say much for the intelligence of the American people.