As I was reading through the latest updates on "Athiest Central" I noticed something that struck me as extremely funny. Whenever someone makes a comment about a negative passage in the biblical scripture (I'm looking at you TripMasterMonkey), the response is to evaluate it "in context." BUT, it is perfectly OK to quote mine a scientific figure or philosopher, in order to prove your own point...
*headdesk*
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There are some passages in the bible that defy context.
ReplyDeleteLike Joshua 6:20 after the fall of Jericho
"They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys."
Under what context does that become acceptable?
Bwah ha ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail right on the head, MJ...whenever called out about the monstrous things done "in God's name" in the OT, their response is to enter into an orgy of rationalization, claiming I'm taking the passage "out of context".
Funny, how "context" can make slavery, rape, and murder OK. Sometimes I wish I had the powers of self-delusion necessary to be a theist...things would be much easier.
Contrast this with Ray's recent selective quoting of Antony Flew. The really irritating part was when I cited his other quotes, to...you know...put things in context, and the response from the Raytards was a vacuous "so what?".
<facepalm>
Odd, I was just thinking something along these lines yesterday. It takes context to make all the shitty things their god did ok, but when they want to pull out a single verse to say that the end times are here or that we are all going to hell it's perfectly acceptable.
ReplyDeleteUnder what context does that become acceptable?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I always say when I get the "out of context" bullshit when I use a scary Bible verse.
I can at least respect what intelligent Christians say about such accounts, that there were inexcusable atrocities (perhaps mythical), and that ancient rulers did make false claims about divine commandments to justify wars and (by today's standard) unjust laws. Of course, they then should consider that the 'good stuff' can just as easily be made up and attributed to God. It seems there aren't many who would be forthright in admitting that they rely on faith alone by believing the moral messages they happen to agree with.
ReplyDeleteStew,
ReplyDeleteLet's take this quote in context. Joshua was really mad and didn't have his coffee that morning. Slaughtering women and children is just collateral damage, part of war.
For surgery, God doesn't use a scalpel, he uses a Mack Truck.
I basicaly said the exact same thing "in what context would this be acceptable" in my recent blog post listing a few of my "favorite" bible quotes.
ReplyDeleteI don't care how you try to spin it, rape, genocide, dashing babies against rocks, none of that is ever acceptable.