Is the bible hate speech?
- Thread starter 86Rick
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What a great question. The answer, however, is just like the bible - it depends on how you interpret it.
I'm not saying it's hate speech, but it sure has created a lot of hate speech.
I'm not saying it's hate speech, but it sure has created a lot of hate speech.
A work of man attributed to a deity. Like many sacred texts, It contains wisdom that could bring out the best in mankind; but, unfortunately, it takes a bum rap due to the fools that use it for great evil. I wish the former was true rather than the latter.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”― Mahatma Ghandi.
“You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
― Anne Lamottt
"Religion began when the first charlatan met the first fool."--Voltaire
Evangelical 'Charlatan' To Pray With Trump At Inauguration http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/paula-white-donald-trump-inauguration_us_58652b51e4b0de3a08f76147
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”― Mahatma Ghandi.
“You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
― Anne Lamottt
"Religion began when the first charlatan met the first fool."--Voltaire
Evangelical 'Charlatan' To Pray With Trump At Inauguration http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/paula-white-donald-trump-inauguration_us_58652b51e4b0de3a08f76147
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No, I would say most certainly not! The Bible is a collection of diverse books opening windows on to God's dealings with mankind from a period of some four thousand to two thousand years ago. Most of what we call the Old Testament is the Jewish canon of Scripture and the 27 books of the New Testament are about His revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ. There is a great deal of truth in the Bible but it is not all the same kind of truth. There is some literal historical truth to be found there, particularly in the Kings & Chronicles and the four Gospels. There is poetry in the Psalms (which don't hang back on expressing every variety of human emotion), a beautiful erotic love song in the Song of Solomon, wise and witty sayings in the book of Proverbs, Paul's struggles to guide the early church in his epistles (written before the gospels were) and much else. Some passages in the Bible have a timeless relevance but we have to understand that there are a great many other passages which also have a particular historical and/or cultural context and need to be read within that context. It's only when people fail to realise this that the Bible becomes problematic.
The bible is treated by a lot of Christians like that long user agreement when you register with a website. You don't really read it all; you just scroll down to the bottom and click agree.
Maybe things would be different if they read it as a whole, as I did, and not pick and choose verses out of context to shore up a reason to discriminate against someone.
Maybe things would be different if they read it as a whole, as I did, and not pick and choose verses out of context to shore up a reason to discriminate against someone.
halcyondays
Worshipped Member
The new testament is also full of hate speech. Have no thought for the morrow? Endorsement of the old law including slavery and death penalty? No one comes to the father except through his son and those who don't will burn in fire for eternity?
It's violent, manipulative hate speech of an in-group over an out-group. I withdrew from that game decades ago.
It's not like a deity exists in the first place.
It's violent, manipulative hate speech of an in-group over an out-group. I withdrew from that game decades ago.
It's not like a deity exists in the first place.
Do you believe society would be better served if it was officially recognized as hate speech and banned?
Religion is different from spirituality.
Spirituality seeks to help people to look up, and out, and inside, and beyond... and to appreciate nature and our place within it ... and to appreciate each other ... to truly step back and understand the world's story ...
Religion seeks to exploit and control. To make people feel guilty and useless for being incarnated in a human body, with the attendant frailties and limitations.
And so, yes. Much of religion is about promoting hatred and division, over collaboration, camaraderie, unity ...
Spirituality seeks to help people to look up, and out, and inside, and beyond... and to appreciate nature and our place within it ... and to appreciate each other ... to truly step back and understand the world's story ...
Religion seeks to exploit and control. To make people feel guilty and useless for being incarnated in a human body, with the attendant frailties and limitations.
And so, yes. Much of religion is about promoting hatred and division, over collaboration, camaraderie, unity ...
malakos
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Banning any work deemed as divinely inspired is the quickest way to ignite a revolt. Even the most pacifistic religion would be up in arms if their holy book was outlawed.
halcyondays
Worshipped Member
No. Religious texts are ultimately free press and their preachments free speech.
There should be a law prohibiting the indoctrination of children in any religious faith. Any violation should be criminal child abuse by law. Children would be banned from participation in religion until age 18.
Would it be ok to teach one's child that there is no creator, aka "God"?
EagleCowboy
Cherished Member
halcyondays
Worshipped Member
It would be okay to teach children there's no evidence that any of the thousands of gods/goddesses/angels/demons/spirits of world religions exist. They are faiths not facts. I have no problem with secular education of children on the subject of world religions.
Faith is opinion, not fact.
A Portland, Oreg., Methodist church displayed a controversial message on its community billboard that reads, “God prefers kind atheists over hateful Christians.”
Children can be raised to be kind, generous, and respectful without benefit of religious affiliation. It seems that fear-based indoctrination is the way most come to religion.
Well, "evidence" could be subjective, could it not? For instance, let's say a person has a near-death experience and then tells their child that they met Jesus and that God is real. Should such a person be prosecuted?