While I do not consider baser instincts as gods, I do think Bible stories brilliantly address all the various aspects of human nature. Too much focus on a literal twenty-four hour day, distracts from what teachers of the next generation were conveying about humans to their children.
Thatâs just the thing though, these âgodsâ arenât entities. Theyâre not some person sitting on a rock somewhere that you can walk up to and yell at. Theyâre us and the things we cannot change about ourselves. Some prefer to call them our shortcomings.
You influenced this thread, so I would hate to see you leave it. I would like to give atheists something different on which to focus. Odd, but instead of them focusing on God (whom many not only donât believe but see Him cast as a something horrible) I was hoping to redirect focus onto how well our ancestors understood human nature.
Each Bible story addresses some aspect of human nature, and it might be interesting to focus mostly on that part of the stories we discuss. That way we are not simply arguing about or dismissing God.
Exactly. That is the humanity Bible stories address, and much of the time address brilliantly. I find Bible stories to be less about God and more about us humans. God is the ideal for which we aim, but so often fall short.
As far as Aesop Fables, who says I donât? So the question becomes, why arenât those who are so critical of the Bible not equally as critical of Aesopâs Fables?
The ancients understood that Existence is alive, and that there is no âusâ and âitâ. I say that as a blanket statement based on what Iâve read, and Iâm sure that in their day, most of the world were just mindlessly selfish people who also never thought outside of their comfort zone.
Your original question said nothing about honoring or worshiping Aesop. You wondered whether we should hold Aesopâs Fables and Animal Farm (books) as high as we hold the Bible (books). When there are good lessons, why not?
Did you mean, âShould Aesop and Orwell be worshiped as Jesus is?â The answer to that question would, of course, be different, because the question is much different.
Jesus wasnât the author of the bible. Plus, Iâd think any book that makes a claim of being inspired by God, and of written works of the history of God, should be held higher than Animal Farm.
Ok. But clearly you treat the Bible differently than Aesopâs Fables. You look to the Bible for lessons on how to achieve salvation. You look to the Bible to better understands mans relationship with God.
I have yet to see the Catholic Churchâs base any of their lessons on Aesopâs Fables. Equal, I think not in the eyes of your church.
It is true, the Catholic Church teaches from the Bible, because the Catholic Church is all about the life of Jesus, and Aesop does not cover that. However, our Catholic school library did have Aesopâs Fables.
As far as achieving salvation: We do not have to achieve it; it is a gift if we care to open it. The Bible also gives a better understanding of Godâs relationship with man than Aesop does. Still, I do enjoy Aesopâone of the first books I added to my Kindle whereas the Bible hasnât made it yet.
What came firstâthe Bible or Religion? Proposing the Bible came first and then religion was built around it seems a bit backwards. The Bible is about religion and religious beliefs people have followed since ancient times.
Aesopâs Fables was not organized around peopleâs religious beliefs. Even so, the Story of the Tortoise and the Hare is probably as well knownâor if not better knownâthan some Bible stories.
Keep in mind, Borgia, your first question was not phrased, âWhich book does the Catholic Church hold in highest esteem?â
But to return to the original thread topic: Is there a Bible Passage you see as often being improperly presented?
I was speaking about your religion, Catholicism. I didnât say the Bible came first, but Vstholicism is definitely centered in the stories and teachings of the Bible, no? Certainly not that book that happens to be in the church library but not itâs main hall.
I am uncertain of your point. Remember, the first Christians were Jews and practiced Judaism. They became a sect of Judaism and then about a generation later broke off entirely, mainly because of the influx of Gentiles who had little or no knowledge of Judaism.
Well ultimately, the three questions posed at the end of your post all come down to a matter of interpretation. And I think that the there will always be different interpretations.
I donât know if it is possible to say that either the Catholic or Protestant interpretation of any individual passage or of the Bible as a whole is wrong. I think it is a matter that reasonable people can agree to disagree on.