I was raised as a Presbyterian, but I fear my Bible reading was one of the things that made me the atheist I am today. The story of Lot and almost anything written by Paul helped send me over the edge. If I had kids, though, I'd probably find a church with solid Sunday school program for a few years, just because I think an understanding of the Bible is so important to understanding Western culture.
Buffy: Synchronized slaying. Faith: New Olympic category?
'Conversations with Dead People'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Ginger - Apr 09, 2009 8:44:17 am PDT #8809 of 28414
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
Kathy A - Apr 09, 2009 8:49:04 am PDT #8810 of 28414
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil
Since I was raised Catholic, I got most of my direct exposure to the Bible in my theology classes at Marquette. We had the Children's Illustrated Bible Stories book as kids, which did a good job of turning stuff like Daniel and the furnace, the Exodus, and David and Goliath into exciting stuff written at a 5th grade level. Otherwise, the only Bible reading was absorbed through the three excerpts we heard in Mass on Sundays.
Typo Boy - Apr 09, 2009 8:50:47 am PDT #8811 of 28414
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
Also you don't have to read the WHOLE bible. But sort of browse at random. And the TV series chose one of the best soap operas in the bible to base their story on, so do read Kings. Betrayal, lust, love, blood and and battle, madness and courage. Also Exodus. And though maddening, Lot and Job. Sort of browse proverbs, a little at a time. And the Song of Songs is hot. And yeah the King James is filled with wonderful poetry. Don't force yourself to read large amounts at once. It was never met for that. And whatever you choose to read, do skip and skim. You are not likely to get through all of it in a summer, so concentrate on the whatever turns out to be the good parts for you.
Connie Neil - Apr 09, 2009 8:53:34 am PDT #8812 of 28414
brillig
Job has some of the best "behold the power of nature" poetry going. It mentions Leviathan and all that.
And Song of Solomon is porn.
Toddson - Apr 09, 2009 8:58:22 am PDT #8813 of 28414
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"
connie, I think with the poetry it qualifies as erotica.
Connie Neil - Apr 09, 2009 9:17:28 am PDT #8814 of 28414
brillig
connie, I think with the poetry it qualifies as erotica.
point.
Atropa - Apr 09, 2009 9:47:26 am PDT #8815 of 28414
The artist formerly associated with cupcakes.
We read a book called The Bible as Literature that was fairly handy for nutshell education of those of us raised in unchurched homes.
I really, really need to get that, because my interaction with the Bible has been pretty minimal. Being raised by an aggressively lapsed Catholic will do that.
le nubian - Apr 09, 2009 9:53:50 am PDT #8816 of 28414
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
Barb - Apr 09, 2009 10:14:54 am PDT #8817 of 28414
“Not dead yet!”
Sue - Apr 09, 2009 10:41:39 am PDT #8818 of 28414
hip deep in pie
Gloria Vanderbilt is alive?