Favourite Bible Quotes

finlma

I see the Christians have a favourite Bible quotations so thought we should have one of our own.

Mine has to be Genesis 19:4-8

4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

shoutman

finlma wrote:

I see the Christians have a favourite Bible quotations so thought we should have one of our own.

Mine has to be Genesis 19:4-8

Ha ha thats just sick. Crazy christians....

PDN

From this board's charter:

2. Respect those who do not share your beliefs (or lack thereof). Though many here will share certain atheist or agnostic views - it is not acceptable to ridicule the faith or beliefs of others. Something that would be seen as a direct insult in, say, the Christianity or Islam forums will be similarly treated here.

finlma

PDN wrote:

From this board's charter:

I'm quoting from the Bible - the Christian's holy book. I just find the text fascinating and open to discussion. I think there are many quotes from the Bible that are unusual like this and I'm interested to hear my fellow atheists favourites.

If its inflammatory then feel free to delete mod.

PDN, I'd be interested in your take on this quotation.

Schuhart

PDN wrote:

From this board's charter:

I’d read that as saying we can’t hang out here saying ‘All Christians are scum’. However, there has to be some space where people can say ‘look, these scriptural quotes are utterly ludicrous’ and wonder openly how anyone can give them credence. It does seem appropriate for the atheism forum to tolerate good, bad and indifferent arguments for saying the Bible is not divinely inspired.

Having started a thread here investigating if atheists should be put to death for the good of the many, you’ll understand I feel I have enough residual moral high ground to let my hair down and draw attention to the Bible passage that I see as most comically over the top.

I sort of get a kick out of Deuteronomy 25-11/12. I know other lines have a higher body count, but I love the immediacy of the situation.

If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity.

It simply must have happened. I have a picture of a vengeful scribe, his nuts still throbbing from the twisting they’ve just received, hastily penning the passage before announcing ‘It is written that this woman’s hand is forfeit. How do like that, Missus.’.

I also love the way that an alternative translation for ‘genitals’ is ‘secrets’. I wonder if we’ll ever see a vernacular version that says ‘seizes him by the short and curlies’.

Possibly my biggest biblical disappointment was discovering that the quotation in ‘Pulp Fiction’ isn’t real. Ezekiel 25-17 just says

I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the LORD when I lay My vengeance on them

The stuff about

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.

doesn’t appear there. If it did, it would genuinely be my favourite Bible quote.

PDN

finlma wrote:

PDN, I'd be interested in your take on this quotation.

My take is that Lot, like Plato when he wanted to suppress atheism, was being an ass. He was obviously a crap dad as well. One of the things I like about the Bible is that it shows people as they really are. Even the holiest & most revered figures are shown to be capable of stupidity, dishonesty and cruelty.

PDN

My quoting of your charter is in reference to the post that calls Christians crazy because of what Lot did. If Lot was a Christian then there might be some justification, but since he died centuries before Christ it just comes over as a gratuitous insult.

Dave!

PDN wrote:

From this board's charter:

Science H Logic... We're not allowed to ridicule or question Christianity in the forum for discussing Christianity -- but now you don't want us to do it in another forum?! Madness

edit:

PDN wrote:

My quoting of your charter is in reference to the post that calls Christians crazy because of what Lot did. If Lot was a Christian then there might be some justification, but since he died centuries before Christ it just comes over as a gratuitous insult.

That's fair enough then

Dades

I see where PDN is coming from, but if we can keep this thread mature then then I guess there's no issue with highlighting bible quotes.

Just keep any criticism to the quotes itself, without resorting to badmouthing bible followers. We are lucky that we have a few that drop by here to offer a different perspective.

Asiaprod

The Atheist wrote:

Just keep any criticism to the quotes itself, without resorting to badmouthing bible followers. We are lucky that we have a few that drop by here to offer a different perspective.

Agree totally, and will be watching this thread carefully

PDN wrote:

Even the holiest & most revered figures are shown to be capable of stupidity, dishonesty and cruelty.

I like that PDN, it is so true.

Zillah

The Atheist wrote:

I see where PDN is coming from, but if we can keep this thread mature then then I guess there's no issue with highlighting bible quotes.

Just keep any criticism to the quotes itself, without resorting to badmouthing bible followers. We are lucky that we have a few that drop by here to offer a different perspective.

Normally I'd argue with you but I know that its not some namby pamby tip toe around the crazies attitude; it is in fact an entirely selfish desire to lure them in here for our entertainment

2Scoops

Well, these are my faves:

• Proverbs 4.13
• Proverbs 18.15
• Job 33.3
• Job 34.4

They're all about the same thing: not closing your mind entirely to alternative ideas, seeking knowledge with a humble heart and, above all, being honest enough to consider evidence that goes against your beliefs.

I confess to using them in a slightly duplicitous manner - trying to use the scripture to help closed-minded individuals to look beyond the scripture. Never worked though:)

Asiaprod

Zillah wrote:

Normally I'd argue with you but I know that its not some namby pamby tip toe around the crazies attitude; it is in fact an entirely selfish desire to lure them in here for our entertainment

10 Brownie point to Zillah:)

Zombrex

Genesis 3

Pretty much all of my issues with the Judeo/Christian moral system can be summed up in that chapter

philologos

Woah, you guys are more obsessed with us than I originally thought. Just one question. Why don't you bother to analyse and discuss the texts of any other faith?

Sangre

they live in a country that has a 90% christian majority? they were only thought the bible in school? they don't know any other texts? christianity is the biggest religion in the world? christianity is the most powerful religion in the world? christianity is the most ridiculous?

Fallen Seraph

Jakkass wrote:

Woah, you guys are more obsessed with us than I originally thought. Just one question. Why don't you bother to analyse and discuss the texts of any other faith?

Because atheism is no more a faith than theism is. When one says they are an atheist they mean that they don't believe in god; not that they're a secular humanist or a scientist or anti-religion or anything like that. We're looking for answers too; and just because one doesn't believe in an entire book doesn't mean that there isn't good advice and wisdom in it.

Also, just because one doesn't agree with a religion is no reason not to hear what they have to say.

stipey

Jesus wept.

Dave!

Jakkass wrote:

Woah, you guys are more obsessed with us than I originally thought. Just one question. Why don't you bother to analyse and discuss the texts of any other faith?

Coulda sworn we've been through this a thousand times before.......

Sangre sums it up well!

philologos

Sangre wrote:

they don't know any other texts?

Sangre wrote:

christianity is the most ridiculous?

Hmm, you do realise that these 2 quotes contradict eachother? How can you claim that Christianity is the most rediculous of all the world's faith if you haven't read any other religious book. Maybe you have but I found that statement a bit wierd in that sense.

2Scoops wrote:

Well, these are my faves:

* Proverbs 4.13
* Proverbs 18.15
* Job 33.3
* Job 34.4

Proverbs 4:13 wrote:

Always remember what you have learnt. Your education is your life guard it well.

Proverbs 18:15 wrote:

Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn

Job 33:3 wrote:

All my words are sincere, and I am speaking the truth.

Job 34:4 wrote:

It is up to us to decide the case.

There are the quotes incase anyone doesn't have a Bible handy. I look forward to some Bible debate here.

Crucifix

Jakkass wrote:

There are the quotes incase anyone doesn't have a Bible handy. I look forward to some Bible debate here.

I looked them up online myself and got tons of different phrasings. Is there a particular translation that is accepted?

BrianCalgary

Crucifix wrote:

I looked them up online myself and got tons of different phrasings. Is there a particular translation that is accepted?

I prefer the NIV for reading, but compare other translations and go back to Greek and Hebrew when doing study.

philologos

I prefer the Good News Translation. It shows differences between ancient translations and the original Hebrew and Greek using asterisks and footnotes.

Crucifix

BrianCalgary wrote:

I prefer the NIV for reading, but compare other translations and go back to Greek and Hebrew when doing study.

The NIV was one of the ones I stumbled across, it definitely had a nice flow/prose to it.

One of my favourite books is John Steinbeck's East of Eden, so the Cain and Abel story (Genesis 4) is probably my favourite bit in the bible.

finlma

How about these from the New Testament and not only that but from Jesus himself apparently. Maybe some of the Christians can give their interpretations but personnaly I can only see one meaning:

Matthew 10:34 (New International Version)

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Luke 14:26 (New International Version)

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple."

There's so much rape, homophobia, murder, racism and general hatred in the Old Testament that I could be here all year putting in quotes.

PDN

Sangre wrote:

they live in a country that has a 90% christian majority? they were only thought the bible in school? they don't know any other texts? christianity is the biggest religion in the world? christianity is the most powerful religion in the world? christianity is the most ridiculous?

Wow! I thought most of the posters lived in Ireland (except for Bonkey). So where is this country with a 90% Christian majority? The Land Before Time, perhaps?

Crucifix

PDN wrote:

Wow! I thought most of the posters lived in Ireland (except for Bonkey). So where is this country with a 90% Christian majority? The Land Before Time, perhaps?

And our survey says...a little over 90%.
According to the census anyway.

Scofflaw

PDN wrote:

Wow! I thought most of the posters lived in Ireland (except for Bonkey). So where is this country with a 90% Christian majority? The Land Before Time, perhaps?

Hmm, the CSO thinks Ireland was 92% Christian in 2006. You're at liberty to claim their figures misrepresent the true position, but at risk of special pleading if you do...although of course the narrower and more sectarian the definition of Christian one uses, the smaller the numbers.

cordially,
Scofflaw

finlma

Crucifix wrote:

And our survey says...a little over 90%.
According to the census anyway.

That 90% includes children under the age of 18 whose parents get to decide what religion they are. Cause those youngsters really understand. I'm a national school teacher and a kid in junior infants told me the other day that Jesus had 8 eyes and a cape. I was going to tell him to ask his parents to read the Bible to him but I didn't want to frighten him.

Scofflaw

finlma wrote:

That 90% includes children under the age of 18 whose parents get to decide what religion they are. Cause those youngsters really understand. I'm a national school teacher and a kid in junior infants told me the other day that Jesus had 8 eyes and a cape. I was going to tell him to ask his parents to read the Bible to him but I didn't want to frighten him.

Hmm. Indeed. Perhaps that is an even better explanation of the atheist fascination with Christianity - it is taught to the children in our schools. Islam is not, Judaism is not. Whether it is taught well or badly is not really relevant.

Still, rather than quibble over exact percentages, are any of the Christian posters claiming that this is a non-nominally-Christian country? Smart remarks about how materialist Irish society is earn extra noodle points - the question is not of how Christian people are, but whether the majority of religious observance in this country is Christian in form.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Sangre

Jakkass wrote:

Hmm, you do realise that these 2 quotes contradict eachother? How can you claim that Christianity is the most rediculous of all the world's faith if you haven't read any other religious book. Maybe you have but I found that statement a bit wierd in that sense.

You do realise I never claimed these positions as my own but was rather putting forward some of the most common reasons. I never said someone would contain hold all these views.

Wow! I thought most of the posters lived in Ireland (except for Bonkey). So where is this country with a 90% Christian majority? The Land Before Time, perhaps?

Yeah, way back in 2006.