Not a Book Review
Em gave me The Year of Living Bibically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs for Christmas.
I liked it pretty well, as in, i actually finished it. It's a pretty affectionate look at some of the silly laws in the Bible.
But i am not here to give you a book review.
Here is a quote from the book;
It's why i don't know what to do with Jasper. If i give him some religion, then he might become obsessed and go Guru Gil on me. Then again, if i give him no religion, he could descend into moral anarchy. They're both so risky. I feel like i can't win.
Jasper is the author's 2 year-old son. Guru Gil is a religious fanatic.
So, the the obvious end result of no religion is moral anarchy. Nice dude, really nice. I can't wait to tell my child that she's a moral anarchist.
The really annoying part of the quote is that it's pretty casually tossed out, like everyone KNOWS that those of us without religion are amoral, serial-killing, dog-raping, baby-hating, 401k-embezzling, wife-swapping, 7/11-robbing, public-spitting scofflaws.
I am really sick of this attitude. If i am an atheist, i must have no morals. It's just a fact. I guess i need to accept it.
Gotta go. I'm off to steal the neighbor's newspaper and kick the cat.
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Under the heading, Jumping on the Bandwagon of Causing Trouble,
Check this out; Amazon Rank
Apparently Amazon has decided to de-rank any books, etc. with gay adult content. Read a more coherent explanation here.
19 comments:
ahh yes, religion how i despise it.
the amazon thing... fun.
At least you aren't living in the bible belt. There are few things as spiritually uplifting as being cut off in traffic by a woman driving an suv with a cell phone in one ear and a plastic fish on her rear bumper.
The Creatures I am forced to share my children with are dilettante religious folk. There was an agreement to have no religion in the children's lives. I hear from them that they went to Palm Sunday services. Then I hear that dad broke the rules and took them out of school for passover. Neither of the Creatures-in-Charge go to church/temple on any regular basis but simply do the Big Holidays. They are an example of one more of the reasons I scorn religion. They lie, cheat, and break rules, then drive off to see god.
I forgive you, my child.
But I still want you to know that you are wrong and sinful while I'm always right and perfect, just because I'm a Christian!
Hahahaha, just kidding :)
(Sorry, I get to wind up religious people often, but I hardly get to wind up an atheist like you. :))
There is a huge line between being religious and spiritual... A line I choose not to cross.
I gave my children the choice of religion or not. They all seemed to have chosen the spiritual path. Amoral little cult I have eh?
btw I posted the recipe for you! lol
Please resume stealing the paper... see if you can snag me the crossword would ya sista?
furious, i try to keep an open mind, but i don't always get the same courtesy back.
my sil, hah, you're killing me! That's quite the image.
daisy, adultery is okay, as long as you are religious. Oh how this must drive you crazy.
mother hen, thank you Father Mother Hen. You'll have to work harder to wind me up though!
cheesy, there is a huge line. Guess i'll join your cult. :)
I had a friend who was brought up as a Seventh-Day Adventist and who felt horribly wronged by that faith. Yet he was considering bringing his children up in it because he just couldn't see a way to raise moral children outside of religion!
I told him to do as my parents had done - teach by example. Behave morally and your kids will watch you and learn. My folks would never steal, not even a little bit, like when someone gave them too much change. If they figured it out after they were out in the car, they would get out, walk back in and wait to tell the cashier. That kind of thing is more important than all the words in all the churches.
I am TOTALLY an amoral, serial-killing, dog-raping, baby-hating, 401k-embezzling, wife-swapping, 7/11-robbing, public-spitting scofflaw.
And I ate meat on Good Friday and LIKED IT!!
Here's another godless heathen to add to your list...
Religion scares the crap out of me.
What happens if you descend into moral anarchy AFTER being given religion? Not that I would know anyone like that....
I guess he forgot to thank Atheists and other non-conformists for giving him a choice about how to raise his kid in the first place.
suebob, well said friend. Other than mojor sarcasm, i try to do the right thing.
gina, WHOO HOO! *Does secret handshake with gina*
mrs. chili, religion scares me too. Some people are just so damned sure they are right and you are wrong.
qt, could that even happpen? Yeah, right! I know a few of those too.
peevish, freedom of and from religion is a fine thing.
So did the guy who wrote the book stone his 2 year whenever he is disobedient? Because that is, I believe, in Deuteronomy.
Sadly, that's the same feeling I get just about every time I go to church.
heh, I thought his quote was written with dry humor in mind. So he was being serious??? Context is everything, I guess.
btw, i SO hear what you and your "band of heathens" are saying, and i know that there are enough fire-and-brimstone crazies out there as examples of what you are all pointing out ... but i really want to interject something. I am labeled as a Christian, but I find myself less "churchy" and more "spiritual". I'm quite liberal, open-minded, tolerant, and morally on the good side. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't lump ALL Christians / religious people in with the crazies! Some of us just live and let live, regardless of others' beliefs, and do not "witness" to the world because it's a personal, private thing to us. But if it becomes known that we are Christians, we are lumped in with those that Daisy spoke of: "They are an example of one more of the reasons I scorn religion. They lie, cheat, and break rules, then drive off to see god."
Yikes!
clowncar, despite the bible's teachings, he did not choose to strike his child. He did pebble an adulterer though (with permission of said adulterer.)
emily, my daughter also thinks he was joking. But both my husband and i (independent of one another) noticed that passage. I do not lump all religious people together, but you must admit, there are some scary ones out there. Although, you could say that about pretty much any group.
"those of us without religion are amoral, serial-killing, dog-raping, baby-hating, 401k-embezzling, wife-swapping, 7/11-robbing, public-spitting scofflaws."
look lady, I'm an atheist and I just want to make it clear that I absolutely never EVER spit in public.
Too many people equate religion with ethics. They are not the same, although at best there is some overlap.
The book sounded interesting but I think I'll skip it out of concern for my blood pressure.. it's fine now ~ why go looking for trouble?
I am not an atheist. I really believe in God. I simply can't deny it. Is it based on feeling? Sure. But so is love. So are a lot of things. The key is to not judge you for not believing as you do. You have your reasons, just as I have mine. And boy is the world lucky to have you, whether you're a product of biology alone or in God's plan. Does it really matter in the end? Fanaticals would say that yes, it does. I suppose I am a bad Christian, then, because I'll take you as you are. xoxoxo
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