~Update: We finished God Hates You, Hate Him Back and picked our next book: The GOD Part of the Brain

~

We are finishing up with God Hates You, Hate Him Back: Making Sense of The Bible by CJ Werleman, from Acts to Revelations, pages 230 to the end.

Feel free to bring your bible for cross references. We’ll follow the same format where we go through the chapters and talk about what we found interesting, using the book as a jumping off point for discussion.

Bring in book suggestions. It might be nice to read something different for a summer change. (Neece wants to read something science-y, but of course, bring in your ideas!)

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• Book Club Meeting: Aug 15: The GOD Part of the Brain (0)
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• Book Club Meeting March 20: God Virus Part 2 and Spring Equinox (8)

~Update: We talked about the 4 gospels and ended up with some questions, such as:

When did the Pharisees move into Jerusalem where Jesus was hanging out? I remember reading somewhere that the Pharisees weren’t in Jesus’ area until around 50 or 70 CE, long after Jesus’ death, so it brings into question all the interactions they have with him.

~

We are reading God Hates You, Hate Him Back: Making Sense of The Bible by CJ Werleman.

We will be going over the Gospels, pages 182-229:

• Intro to the New Testament section
• The Gospels (lumped together for a more cohesive narrative)
• Summary of the Gospels

Since it’s all lumped together, and this is the most important 4 books of the Christian bible, please consider bringing other sources like your bible. We’ll mainly use CJ’s book as a jumping off point for deeper discussion into the gospels.

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~We had a great meeting where we got through the rest of the old testament. Swami, a Freethinker from Orlando,  came up when we were almost done and we enjoyed talking to him. He came to dinner with us as well. A lot of interesting discussion took place over dinner. I think we solved all of America’s problems, and probably most of the world’s as well.

~

We are reading God Hates You, Hate Him Back: Making Sense of The Bible by CJ Werleman.

~EDIT: Since we’re not getting anyone to volunteer for chapters, let’s do it a different way. We are covering Chapters 18-39 (pages 133-181).

Bring in whatever notes you feel you’d like to share and we’ll just go through the chapters and talk about whatever we find interesting.

~

This is an irreverant review of the bible. Since christianity is the religion we deal with the most as atheists, we will spend some time using this book as a reference. Bring your bible as well, if you want, for more detailed discussions.

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Update: We met for a lively and interesting discussion about the first 17 books of the bible. We also talked about some of the exciting things we have coming up in the next few months. Then we went to dinner for more casual conversation.

~

The book we’ll be talking about is God Hates You, Hate Him Back: Making Sense of The Bible by CJ Werleman.

This is an irreverant review of the bible. Since christianity is the religion we deal with the most as atheists, we will spend some time using this book as a reference. Bring your bible as well, if you want, for more detailed discussions.

For our first meeting, let’s focus on The Books of the Pentateuch (1-5) and the History Books (6-17). Pick your chapters that you’ll cover. I’d say pick 2 or 3 chapters if you like, especially if some are short.

The Books of the Pentateuch:
1. Genesis: Gerald
2. Exodus: Gerald
3. Leviticus:   Neece
4. Numbers: Daniel
5. Deuteronomy: Daniel
The History Books:
6. Joshua: Brent
7. Judges: Brent
8. Ruth:   Neece
9. Samuel 1: Gerald but if anyone wants this just leave a comment.
10. Samuel 2: Gerald but if anyone wants this just leave a comment.
11. Kings 1: Gerald but if anyone wants this just leave a comment.
12. Kings 2: Gerald but if anyone wants this just leave a comment.
13 and 14. Chronicles 1 and 2:
15 and 16. Ezra and Nehemiah:
17. Esther:   Neece

From Amazon:

‘God Hates You, Hate Him Back’ makes the ultimate case for the claim that the God of the Bible is the most wicked character in the pages of history. With a wit as dry as a martini, and the cross examination techniques of a seasoned lawyer, CJ Werleman lays out all sixty-six chapters of the Bible to present an irrefutable argument that indeed God hates us all. If you have never read or never fully understood The Bible then you will do no better than this unique, comedic, 21st century summary of the greatest story ever sold, or in Werleman’s own words ‘never read’.

‘God Hates You, Hate Him Back’ provides you with an arsenal of Biblical facts, stories, mythology and assertions to ensure you victory in your next religious debate.

Arguably the most unique, certainly most entertaining, rendition of the Bible ever told!

Related posts

• Book Club Meeting May 16: God Hates You – Old Testament 2 (2)
• What Other Deities Were Born On Jesus’ Birthday? (1)
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• February Book Club Meeting (8)
• Book Club Meeting March 20: God Virus Part 2 and Spring Equinox (8)

December 25 is close to the Winter Solstice which has been an important event for ages. It’s the longest night of the year. December 25 was the Roman Winter Solstice upon establishment of the Julian calendar. We now have the Gregorian calendar which put the Winter Solstice to December 21st – 22nd. Many cultures recognized this Longest Night with holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals about rebirth and other celebrations.

~

EDIT: I shared the following article and a few readers noted at HDC that there are no references or resources for any of this information. I fell into the trap of the Appeal to Authority. I had found it on what I considered to be a reputable site and didn’t think much about who wrote the article or what his sources were. I apologize.

Over the next day or so, I am going to edit this article to include some resources and references.

~

Horus c. 3000 BCE

–born of the virgin Isis-Merion December 25 in a cave/manger with his birth being announced by a star in the East and attended by three wise men.
–his earthly father was named “Seb” (“Joseph”).
–was of royal descent.
–at 12, he was a child teacher in the Temple, and at 30, he was baptized having disappeared for 18 years.
–baptized in the river Eridanus or Iarutana (Jordan) by “Anup the Baptizer” (“John the Baptist”), who was decapitated.
–had 12 disciples, two of who were his “witnesses” and were named “Anup” and “Aan” (the two “Johns”).
–performed miracles, exorcised demons and raised El-Azarus (“El-Osiris”), from the dead.
–walked on water.
–his personal epithet was “Iusa,” the “ever-becoming son” of “Ptah,” the “Father.” He was thus called “Holy Child.”
–delivered a “Sermon on the Mount” and his followers recounted the “Sayings of Iusa.”
–was transfigured on the Mount.
–crucified between two thieves, buried for three days in a tomb, and resurrected.
–he was also the “Way, the Truth, the Light,” “Messiah,” “God’s Anointed Son,” “the “Son of Man,” the “Good Shepherd,” the “Lamb of God,” the “Word made flesh,” the “Word of Truth,” etc.
–he was “the Fisher” and was associated with the Fish (“Ichthys”), Lamb and Lion.
–came to fulfill the Law.
–called “the KRST,” or “Anointed One.”
–was supposed to reign one thousand years.

Inscribed about 3,500 years ago on the walls of the Temple at Luxor were images of the Annunciation, Immaculate Conception, Birth and Adoration of Horus, with Thoth announcing to the Virgin Isis that she will conceive Horus; with Kneph the “Holy Ghost,” impregnating the virgin; and with the infant being attended by three kings, or magi, bearing gifts. In addition, in the catacombs at Rome are pictures of the baby Horus being held by the virgin mother Isis—the original “Madonna and Child.”

~EDIT: more information on Horus:

Religious Tolerance has a handy chart and some background information regarding Horus, comparing the Egyptian god to Jesus.

Here is a bit of information that they have before the chart. I’ve added Wikipedia links to the three authors mentioned:

“There is a near consensus that Yeshua was born circa 4 to 7 BCE. By that time, stories from the life of Horus had been circulating for centuries before. If any copying occurred by the writers of the Egyptian or Christian religions, it was the myths and legends of Horus that were incorporated into Jesus’ biography, not vice-versa.

Tom Harpur, an author, journalist, Anglican priest, and theologian, studied the works of three authors specialized in ancient Egyptian religion: Godfrey Higgins (1771-1834), Gerald Massey (1828-1907) and Alvin Boyd Kuhn (1880-1963). Harpur incorporated some of their findings into his book “Pagan Christ.” He argued that all of the essential ideas of both Judaism and Christianity came primarily from Egyptian religion.

Harpur writes, in his book:

“[Author Gerald] Massey discovered nearly two hundred instances of immediate correspondence between the mythical Egyptian material and the allegedly historical Christian writings about Jesus. Horus indeed was the archetypal Pagan Christ.” ₂

One problem with comparing events in the life of Horus and Yeshua relates to time. Horus was a leading figure in Egyptian mythology for millennia. Folklore about him naturally proliferated during this interval. So, for example, there is more than one story about the method by which he died. Thus, if the writers of the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) did copy events from Horus’ life, they would have had multiple options from which to choose. Further, one cannot compare crucifixion in 1st century CE Judah, with a similar procedure in ancient Egypt. Roman crucifixion followed a specific procedure by which the victim was made to carry the crosspiece through the city, clothing was stripped from him, his limbs were tied — or in rare instances, nailed — to the cross, etc. Nothing precisely like this existed in ancient Egypt. So, one cannot strictly call Horus’ execution a crucifixion, even if he was tied to a tree and died of exposure.”

They have a second chart here: Similarities between Jesus and Horus: More life events, characteristics and teachings.

The main reference is Tom Harpur’s The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light. Also, The Egyptian Book of the Dead

~

Osiris c. 3000 BCE

–Father of Horus, considered to be part of a triune godhead — Osiris, Horus and Isis.
–Osiris was identified with nearly every other Egyptian god and was on the way to absorbing them all. He had well over 200 divine names.
–He was called the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, God of Gods.
–He was the Resurrection and the Life, the Good Shepherd, Eternity and Everlastingness, the god who “made men and women to be born again.” –From first to last, Osiris was to the Egyptians the god-man who suffered, an died, and rose again, and reigned eternally in heaven. They believed that they would inherit eternal life, just as he had done .
–Osiris’s coming was announced by Three Wise Men: the three stars Mintaka, Anilam, and Alnitak in the belt of Orion, which point directly to Osiris’s star in the east, Sirius (Sothis), significator of his birth . . .
–Osiris was a prototypical Messiah, as well as a devoured Host. His flesh was eaten in the form of communion cakes of wheat, the “plant of Truth.” . . .
–The cult of Osiris contributed a number of ideas and phrases to the Bible. The 23rd Psalm copied an Egyptian text appealing to Osiris the Good Shepherd to lead the deceased to the “green pastures” and “still waters” of the nefer-nefer land, to restore the soul to the body, and to give protection in the valley of the shadow of death (the Tuat).
–The Lord’s Prayer was prefigured by an Egyptian hymn to Osiris-Amen beginning, “O Amen, O Amen, who are in heaven.” Amen was also invoked at the end of every prayer.

~Edit: More information on Osiris at Wikipedia and TourEgypt.net

Wheat and Clay Rituals (from Wikipedia):

Contrasting with the public “theatrical” ceremonies sourced from the I-Kher-Nefert stele, more esoteric ceremonies were performed inside the temples by priests witnessed only by chosen initiates. Plutarch mentions that two days after the beginning of the festival “the priests bring forth sacred chest containing a small golden coffer, into which they pour some potable water…and a great shout arises from the company for joy that Osiris is found (or resurrected). Then they knead some fertile soil with the water…and fashion therefrom a crescent-shaped figure, which they cloth and adorn, this indicating that they regard these gods as the substance of Earth and Water.” (Isis and Osiris, 39). Yet even his accounts were still obscure for he also wrote, “I pass over the cutting of the wood” opting not to describe it since he considered it as a most sacred ritual (Ibid. 21). In the Osirian temple at Denderah, an inscription (translated by Budge, Chapter XV, Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection) describes in detail the making of wheat paste models of each dismembered piece of Osiris to be sent out to the town where each piece was discovered by Isis. At the temple of Mendes, figures of Osiris are made from wheat and paste placed in a trough on the day of the murder, then water was added for several days, until finally the mixture was kneaded into a mold of Osiris and taken to the temple to be buried (the sacred grain for these cakes were grown only in the temple fields). Molds were made from the wood of a red tree in the forms of the sixteen dismembered parts of Osiris, the cakes of ‘divine’ bread were made from each mold, placed in a silver chest and set near the head of the god with the inward parts of Osiris as described in the Book of the Dead (XVII). On the first day of the Festival of Ploughing, where the goddess Isis appears in her shrine where she is stripped naked, paste made from the grain were placed in her bed and moistened with water, representing the fecund earth. All of these sacred rituals were climaxed by the eating of sacramental god, the eucharist by which the celebrants were transformed, in their persuasion, into replicas of their god-man (Larson 20).

Here is something interesting: A paper written by Martin Luther King, Jr in 1950: The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity.

Here is his bibliography from the bottom of the paper:

1. Angus, S., Mystery Religions and Christianity, (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York: 1925),
2. Cumont, Franz, The Mysteries of Mithra, (The Open Court Publishing Co., Chicago: 1910).
3. Cumont, Franz, The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism, (The Open House Publishing Co., Chicago: 1911).
4. Dill, Samuel, Roman society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius, (Macmillan and Co., New York: 1905), pp. 585-626.
5. Enslin Morton S., Christian Beginnings, (Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York: 1938), pp. 186-200.
6. Frazer, J. E., Adonis, Attis, Osiris, (London, 1922), Vol. I.
7. Fairbanks, Arthur, Greek Religion, (American Book Co, New York: 1910).
8. Halliday, W. R., Pagan Background of Early Christianity, (The University Press of Liverpool, London: N.D.), pp. 281-311.
9. Hyde, Walter, W, Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire, (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia: 1946).
10. Moore, George F., History of Religions, (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York: 1913), Vol. I, pp. 375-405.
11. Nilsson, Martin P., Greek Popular Religion, (Columbia University Press, New York: 1940), pp. 42-64.
12. Weigall Arthur, The Paganism in Our Christianity, (Hutchinson and Co. London: N.D.).
13. Willoughby, Harold R., Pagan Regeneration, (University of Chicago Press, Chicago: 1929).

~

Attis of Phrygia c.1400 BCE

– born on December 25 of the Virgin Nana (or sometimes Cybelem).
– considered the savior who was slain for the salvation of mankind.
– his body as bread was eaten by his worshippers
– his priests were “eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven.”
– he was both the Divine Son and the Father.
– he was crucified on a tree on “Black Friday,” from which his holy blood ran down to redeem the earth.
– descended into the underworld for three days.
– was resurrected on March 25 (as tradition held of Jesus) as the Most High God. — reborn as the evergreen pine.

~EDIT: Links to Attis on Wikipedia and Theoi. I am not sure where the above information came from. The priests castrated themselves, yes. But the rest is unsourced, so question its validity.

~

Krishna c. 1400 BCE (possibly as early as 5771 BCE)

– born of the Virgin Devaki (“Divine One”) on December 25.
–his earthly father was a carpenter, off in the city paying tax when K. was born.
–birth was signaled by a star in the east and attended by angels and shepherds, at which time he was presented with spices.
–heavenly hosts danced and sang at his birth.
–persecuted by a tyrant who ordered the slaughter of thousands of infants.
–anointed on the head with oil by a woman whom he healed.
–depicted as having his foot on the head of a serpent.
–worked miracles and wonders, raising the dead and healing lepers, the deaf and the blind.
–used parables to teach the people about charity and love, and he “lived poor and he loved the poor.”
–castigated the clergy, charging them with “ambition and hypocrisy . . . Tradition says he fell victim to their vengeance.”
–his “beloved disciple” was Arjuina or Ar-jouan (Jouhn).
–transfigured in front of his disciples.
–gave his twelve disciples the ability to work miracles.
–his path was “strewn with branches.”
–died on a tree or was crucified between two thieves.
–killed around the age of 30, and the sun darkened at his death.
–rose from the dead and ascended to heaven “in the sight of all men.”
–depicted on a cross with nail-holes in his feet, as well as having a heart emblem on his clothing.
–the “lion of the tribe of Saki.”
–called the “Shepherd of God” and considered the “Redeemer,” “Firstborn,” “Sin-Bearer,” “Liberator,” “Universal Word.”
–deemed the “Son of God” and “our Lord and Savior,” who came to earth to die for man’s salvation.
–the second person of the Trinity.
–his disciples purportedly bestowed upon him the title “Jezeus,” or “Jeseus,” meaning “pure essence.”

Zoroaster/Zarathustra c. 1000 BCE or earlier

–born of a 15-year-old virgin, Dughdhava and “immaculate conception by a ray of divine reason.”
–he was baptized in a river.
–in his youth he astounded wise men with his wisdom.
–was tempted in the wilderness by the devil.
–began his ministry at age 30 wandered around with twelve followers.
–baptized with water, fire and “holy wind.”
–cast out demons and restored the sight to a blind man.
–taught about heaven and hell, and revealed mysteries, including resurrection, judgment, salvation and the apocalypse.
–had a sacred cup or grail.
–was slain.
–his religion had a eucharist.
–he was the “Word made flesh.”
–followers expected a “second coming” in the virgin-born Saoshynt or Savior, who is to come in 2341 CE and begin his ministry at age 30, ushering in a golden age.

Mithra of Persia c. 600 BCE

–born of a virgin on December 25 in a cave, and his birth was attended by shepherds bearing gifts.
–considered a great traveling teacher and master.
–had 12 companions or disciples.
–his followers were promised immortality.
–performed miracles.
–the “great bull of the Sun,” Mithra sacrificed himself for world peace.
– buried in a tomb and after three days rose again.
–resurrection was celebrated every year.
–called “the Good Shepherd” and identified with both the Lamb and the Lion.
–considered the “Way, the Truth and the Light,” and the “Logos,” [Word] “Redeemer,” “Savior” and “Messiah.”
–sacred day was Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” hundreds of years before the appearance of Christ.
–had his principal festival on what was later to become Easter.
–his religion had a eucharist or “Lord’s Supper,” at which Mithra said, “He who shall not eat of my body nor drink of my blood so that he may be one with me and I with him, shall not be saved.”
–his annual sacrifice is the Passover of the Magi, a symbolical atonement of pledge of moral and physical regeneration.

ALSO, the Vatican is built upon the papacy of Mithra, and the Christian hierarchy is nearly identical to the Mithraic version it replaced . . . Virtually all of the elements of the Catholic ritual, from miter to wafer to altar to doxology, are directly taken from earlier Pagan mystery religions.

Buddha (Siddartha Gautama) c. 563 BCE

–born on December 25
–born of the Virgin Maya (“the Queen of Heaven”)
– announced by a star and attended by wise men presenting costly gifts.
–at his birth Brahma angels sang hymns.
–tempted by Mara, the Evil One, while fasting, but overcame the temptation, putting the Evil One to flight.
–taught in temple at age 12 and was able to match the wise religious scholars in their understanding.
– He healed the sick; fed 500 from a small basket of cakes.
–walked on water.
–Buddha’s disciple wanted to hear his lord preach so he started to cross a stream – he doubted and started to sink but he built up his faith and continued to walk across the water.
–came to fulfill the law and preached the establishment of a kingdom of righteousness.
–He obliged followers to live in poverty and to renounce the world.
–In his final years, Buddha was said to have ‘crushed a serpent’s head’ and to have been transfigured on a mount …’
–It was Buddha, not Christ, who first said: ‘If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also’

Heracles c. 800 BCE

–born on December 25 to a virgin who refrained from sex with her until her God-begotten child was born.
–sacrificed at the spring equinox.

Dionysus c. 186 BCE

–born of a virgin on December 25 and, as the Holy Child, was placed in a manger.
–a traveling teacher who performed miracles.
–rode in a triumphal procession on an ass.
– a sacred king killed and eaten in an eucharistic ritual for fecundity and purification.
–rose from the dead on March 25.
–the God of the Vine, and turned water into wine.
–called “King of Kings” and “God of Gods.”
–considered the “Only Begotten Son,” Savior,” “Redeemer,” “Sin Bearer,” Anointed One,” and the “Alpha and Omega.”
–identified with the Ram or Lamb.
–His sacrificial title of “Dendrites” or “Young Man of the Tree” indicates he was hung on a tree or crucified.

Tammuz c. 400 BCE

–born to a virgin, named Mylitta, on December 25

Adonis c. 200 BCE

–born on December 25 was son of the virgin Myrha. (Almost certainly based on Tammuz).

Hermes

–born on December 25 was the son of the virgin Maia,
–member of a holy trinity Hermes Tris-Megistus.

Bacchus

–born on December 25, was crucified in 200 BCE.

Prometheus

–born on December 25, descended from heaven as a god incarnate as man, to save mankind, and was crucified, suffered, and was redeemed from death.

Thank you, Edwin Kagin at American Atheists

Cross-posted from Heaving Dead Cats

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• Book Club Meeting May 16: God Hates You – Old Testament 2 (2)

1. From a creationist website:

1. “All crime is a result of sin, and of course there was crime before Charles Darwin promoted evolution, but as the theory increased so did the crime rate. Today Creation is not taught, even as a theory, in our schools, therefore children have nothing to base their morality upon. As God has been removed from the classroom, so all kinds of evil has multiplied on our streets. Remove the Bible and you take away the conscience of the nation. Evolution has absolutely nothing to offer with regards to morality, no wonder then that our leaders have no answer to societies problems.”

In fact crime rates have been going down in recent years. Other western nations teach evolution, and they have lower crime rates than the US. Historically the south is the most anti-evolution of geographic regions. The south also has the highest crime rate of any region in the US.

• Crime statistics by country
• Crime reporting in the US (pdf: see pages 9 and 10, especially)

2. This example comes from a “paper” that supposedly showed that global warming wasn’t occurring.

“What better measures of human health and welfare are there? In fact, there is no better way to obtain a good picture of how human health and welfare may trend in the future under increases in greenhouse gas emissions than to assess how we have fared in the past during a period of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Just because there were more greenhouse gases in the 20th century than during past centuries, and human welfare increased during the 20th century, it doesn’t mean the two are somehow connected.

3. This final example comes from a conversation with someone on the Internet. (csiop.org)

“More precisely, causation causes correlation. The “vaccine” as a cause of autism and other sicknesses is not in serious dispute, outside the Big Government agencies whose mission is to force folks to cooperate and the “medical” industry whose sole concern is the enormous profits they make by ensuring and prolonging sickness.”

Even if autism rates have risen since vaccinations were first issued, it doesn’t mean that the two are connected. Remember, correlation doesn’t imply causation. There are many reasons as to why the reported cases of autism are increasing. First of all, it is being recognized as a real condition. In earlier times people who would now be considered autistic were diagnosed with something else or not diagnosed at all. Secondly, the criteria for autism has expanded to included those mildly autistic to those who are severely retarded. That would be like lowering the criteria for tall from 6′ to 5′ 9″ and suddenly worrying about where all the tall people suddenly came from. Thirdly, vaccinations are usually given at around the age that autism is normally diagnosed. All these must be taken into consideration.

If autism and vaccines are connected then a connection should be found. In 1992 Denmark and Sweden removed thimerosal from vaccines. If they were causing autism, then the rates of cases should drop. Instead they continued to rise. In 2002 the US removed thimerosal, and autism rates have continued to climb. Japan even stopped giving out the MMR vaccine, which contains thimerosal, at about the same time and their autism rates continued to rise. A Japanese study also found that there are no significant rates of autism between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

~

Presented by Gerald: This is a series on Logic, Logical Thinking and Dealing with Logical Fallacies in an Argument based on the theme of our Sept. 13 meeting.

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Examples:

When christians speak of the bible, they invariably cherry-pick the parts that support whatever they are trying to get across. Homosexuality is a prime example (leviticus mentions it twice). Of course they don’t mind eating shellfish or wearing a poly-cotton blend shirt, which is expressly forbidden in subsequent chapters. We’ve all dealt with the hypocrisy of the old testament, especially the homosexuality issue. Instead I’m going to share a bit of the new testament, which most people use to show how kind and loving jesus was. I’ll stick to the gospels for this exercise, to make my point:

Here are a few examples of nice things that are in the bible.

• Matthew 7:3-5: jesus says to avoid hypocrisy. Consider your own faults rather than criticizing others. Don’t tell your brother he’s got a mote in his eye when you have a beam in your own eye. (not an original idea, really, but it’s a good lesson)
• Matthew 19:18-19: jesus talks about the commandments (notice he mentions 6 instead of 10, and the last one is not in the old testament. Also these are all secular commandments, not religious) Don’t murder, don’t cheat on your spouse, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your parents, love your neighbor as yourself. (these are basically good rules, also not original)
• Luke 6:31: The Golden Rule. As you would have others treat you, treat them likewise. (not an original idea, either, but a good way to live)

Of course, most christians ignore the more hateful things and skip over them, or apologetically dismiss them using other logical fallacies. Here are just a few:

• Matthew 10:34-36: jesus came to set family against each other, for daughters to hate mothers, etc. If you love your family more than jesus, you’re not worthy of him. (that’s rather hateful, especially since we’ve never even met the guy. Why would the loving son of god need us to hate our families so much?)
• Matthew 18:8-9: Mutilate yourself to try to avoid everlasting hellfire. Cut off your hand or foot if it offends you. Same with your eye. (why would a loving god’s son talk this way? This is horrible)
• Matthew 25:41: If jesus doesn’t like you, you’ll burn in everlasting fire. (why would a loving god punish someone for eternity? How can a person do something so horrible that they need to burn in fire forever and ever? That’s not justice. That’s evil)
• Mark 4:11-12: jesus explains that he talks in parables to confuse people so that they will not be converted and not have their sins forgiven, so they’ll burn in hell. (nice guy, jesus! NOT!)
• Luke 12:5: jesus warns us to fear god because he can roast us in hell for eternity.  (not really the loving god a lot of christians want us to believe in)
• Luke 14:26: jesus says you can’t follow him unless you hate your whole family and yourself. (how loving, how godly! NOT)
• John 5:14: jesus tells a man he has healed to sin no more, or a worse thing will happen to him. (jesus believed that sin caused disease and illness. Wouldn’t the son of god know that disease was caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria? If he did, then he lied to the man he healed. If he didn’t was he really the son of god?)

How To Refute Cherry-Picking:

I have yet to come across anyone skilled in verbal logic who teaches how to refute fallacies, which I find completely frustrating. My tactic is to first bring attention to the fallacy that has been used. In this case, I tell the person they are cherry-picking. Then I usually explain the term to them. Of course, in my experience, they don’t care and vehemently deny that they would ever do such a thing.

My next step is to simply counter each of their cherry-picked statements with one that they have overlooked, either intentionally or in ignorance. It really helps to be as well informed as possible. Know who you’re dealing with, what they might be cherry-picking, and know what they are skipping over so that you can easily find or quote the information they are avoiding.

I am always looking for new ways to refute fallacies. If you have any suggestions or resources, please share with everyone!

For this lesson I’m using these sources:

• Wikipedia
• SkepticWiki
• Iron Chariots
• Info Pollution
• Skeptic’s Annotated Bible

Presented by Neece. This is a series on Logic, Logical Thinking and Dealing with Logical Fallacies in an Argument based on the theme of our Sept. 13 meeting.

Cross-posted from Heaving Dead Cats

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Codex Sinaiticus, a manuscript of the Christian Bible written in the middle of the fourth century, contains the earliest complete copy of the Christian New Testament. The hand-written text is in Greek. The New Testament appears in the original vernacular language (koine) and the Old Testament in the version, known as the Septuagint, that was adopted by early Greek-speaking Christians. In the Codex, the text of both the Septuagint and the New Testament has been heavily annotated by a series of early correctors.

The significance of Codex Sinaiticus for the reconstruction of the Christian Bible’s original text, the history of the Bible and the history of Western book-making is immense.

First, the many corrections are quite telling, spanning the centuries. Letters, words and whole sentences are added or removed. The books are in a different order, and there are some books in there that have since been removed. The codex is dated to the middle of the 4th century. This is one of the earliest manuscripts. The only other is at the vatican, so therefore out of the reach of the public.

What is contained in the codex as described by the Codex Sinaiticus website:

As it survives today, Codex Sinaiticus comprises just over 400 large leaves of prepared animal skin, each of which measures 380mm high by 345mm wide. On these parchment leaves is written around half of the Old Testament and Apocrypha (the Septuagint), the whole of the New Testament, and two early Christian texts not found in modern Bibles. Most of the first part of the manuscript (containing most of the so-called historical books, from Genesis to 1 Chronicles) is now missing and presumed to be lost.

The Septuagint includes books which many Protestant Christian denominations place in the Apocrypha. Those present in the surviving part of the Septuagint in Codex Sinaiticus are 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 1 & 4 Maccabees, Wisdom and Sirach.

The number of the books in the New Testament in Codex Sinaiticus is the same as that in modern Bibles in the West, but the order is different. The Letter to the Hebrews is placed after Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians, and the Acts of the Apostles between the Pastoral and Catholic Epistles.

The two other early Christian texts are an Epistle by an unknown writer claiming to be the Apostle Barnabas, and ‘The Shepherd’, written by the early second-century Roman writer, Hermas.

I think this will prove extremely useful to the debate of the legitimacy of christianity. With this online resource, you can see the original manuscript and the transcription in one of several languages. For the first time, we are all able to access this historical work for ourselves. It’s amazing and awesome.

If you spend some time with the codex and find anything interesting, please feel free to share it with us.

(cross-posted from Heaving Dead Cats)

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