I have never read the good book so.....

[Funk500]

Now here's a thing that has got me thinking..

I was having a chat with bismarck the other day ( a noted believer) who was surprised to learn I've never read the bible, my reasons mostly because there was never one in my house as a kid, my parents were never religious (although my mother comes from Methodist stock, and the only rule she really followed was no alcohol) and so on. Bismarck it seems was taken aback that such a thing could occur in Western societies where Christianity is big.

Now what got me thinking is.. I'd say my value system is pretty similar to that of Christianity.. but is that due to Christianity having such a huge influence on our society that it shaped our thinking beyond religion to such an extent that a person can follow the basic tenets and not be a Christian/Muslim or whatever? Or is it that religions are based on common sense?

I'm confused now. What could it be?

[the chief]

Close, but most Christians have never impregnated a manatee...

[Funk500]

Close, but most Christians have never impregnated a manatee...

That is just a slur on my good name. I only visited the aquatic animal enclosure.

[irishstu]

Close, but most Christians have never impregnated a manatee...

That is just a slur on my good name. I only visited the aquatic animal enclosure.

Is that "visited" in the biblical sense?

But on a more serious note (not that impregnating a manatee isn't serious), I think there may well be a connection between Christian teaching and Western morals (to use a HUGE generalisation).

[Mother Theresa]

. . . religions are based on common sense?

Ha ha.

No one in my family's ever been a christian and I've always had more than my fair share of sceptism, but I recently became the owner of a Children's book of the Bible, by DK press, which if you're not aware is an outstanding publishing company that makes many very fine books. I definitely don't want my girl to grow up to believe in hocus pocus religions and other superstitions, but seeing as it's the most widely read book on earth I figured it would be good for her, and I, to become more familiar with it and many of the legendary tales contained in it, since their a part of the culture in so many parts of the world. So I've been reading the book with her (after proper admonition that it's just a book written by a bunch of men).

Here are a few stories we read about so far:

Noah: God gets sick and tired of humanity so he kills virtually everyone in a flood.

Sodom and Gomorroh: Same as above, except he rains fire on the cities, killing all except one family he lets escape.

Abraham: God tells him to kill his son to show how much he loves God, so Abraham tells his son to carry wood up the hill for the sacrificial pyre, the boy does it, Abraham piles up the wood, ties his boys arms, puts the boy on the woodpile and is just getting read to stab his son to death when God intervenes (in the form of an angel) and say, just kidding, I was only testing you and you passed the test. I can see you're a good man.

WTF? I mean WTF? What kind of a God is that? Is that really the kind of imaginary being YOU would want to worship and adore and have looking over you? Sounds a bit crazy to me. But, that's just my opinion. To each his own.

[Funk500]

Yeah I know what you are saying MT. But I'm talking basic tenets. Do the 10 commandments make sense because of societal influence or because they are just common sense?

Muslims and Jews don't eat pork or shellfish for religious reasons, but one could quite easily say that back in the old days, it would have been very difficult to keep shellfish from going off in the Middle East heat.

[Namahottie]

Now what got me thinking is.. I'd say my value system is pretty similar to that of Christianity.. but is that due to Christianity having such a huge influence on our society that it shaped our thinking beyond religion to such an extent that a person can follow the basic tenets and not be a Christian/Muslim or whatever? Or is it that religions are based on common sense?

I'm confused now. What could it be?

If you've never read the Bible or attended a religious service religiously how can you compare your value system to it? If you're thinking "I practice the Golden Rule" and a few commandments put you in the same box then you're "wrong". I can't shellfish due to allergies and don't eat pork when I can, does that make me a Muslim/Jew?

What's common sense, since it's not so common anymore. More and more people are killing each other theses days, wars are breaking out left and right, world leaders do not lead with integrity or based on biblical principals.

If you're interested in accepting Christ as your savior, then go and see if it's for you. Personally, I don't think you'll regret it

[super_lucky]

Now what got me thinking is.. I'd say my value system is pretty similar to that of Christianity.. but is that due to Christianity having such a huge influence on our society that it shaped our thinking beyond religion to such an extent that a person can follow the basic tenets and not be a Christian/Muslim or whatever? Or is it that religions are based on common sense?

I'm confused now. What could it be?

Very few religions are based on common sense. If they were, they wouldn't be religion(s). In just about every case I can think of, each one requires a "leap of faith" or a "suspension of disbelief"...

In the case of the Bible, the Ten Commandments came down from the mountain long before Christianity co-opted them into dogma. Therefore, these societal norms existed and evolved before organized religion got their hands on 'em.

If you take for instance the Crusades, religion was a tool of control, a system of subjugation. Whether the ideals and morals which have developed since the Hebrew Bible began its transformation are predicated on religion, it is difficult to say one way or the other.

Just my

[cfimages]

I'm another who's never read the Bible. We didn't have one in our house growing up, neither did my mother when she was growing. Everything I know about Christianity comes from Life of Brian.

[Taffy]

He's funny, but he makes some good points.