Sunday, October 25, 2009

Your Sunday Morning Spiritual Missive







  • Religious people scare me sometimes. To qualify: religious people who are so ignorant they don't understand their own religion and or the consequences of adhering to an intellectually or morally corrupt religion really scare me and here's what I mean. People in Nigeria are killing their own children because nutty leaders are accusing them of being witches. They refer back to a passage in Exodus that was mistranslated in the KJV "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live." Exodus 20:18. The word witch there should have been translated as poisoner and scholars at the time even knew it- it's one of the kings biases that plagues KJV, he hated witchcraft and was fearful of witches. Why would it say poisoner? It was a common problem among certain Jewish groups at the time it was written.



  • Another is snake handlers. I don't know where to start with these folks but, the simple answer is the passages they misuse in Mark say depending on translation to the effect, "They will handle deadly snakes and drink poison and no harm will befall them." not, They will get bit by an eastern diamond back rattler, require (if they live at all) a lengthy hospital stay, endure skin grafts, treatment for massive organ failure, life long side effects... Another couple interesting things about these mountain folks practices- they really do drink poison, specifically strychnine which is often used in place of real LSD in the drug world and when dosed properly gives the same exact effect. Hmmmm. They oddly forget the passage though in Acts that seems to speak directly to believers themselves: "We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes.” 1 Cor. 10:9 and latch onto the one in Mark about snake handling that is an obvious reference to the Apostles then living and not future generations of people.



  • I don't know which is more ridiculous these things as practiced by people living in the world today- it's 2009 AD not 9 BC for crying out loud!



  • Or arguing about religion on the Internet.

6 comments:

MarmiteToasty said...

Saw a telly programme earlier this year about them doodle snake handler nutters.......it scared the poop out of me...... not the snakes but the people lol

so much in the name of god...... or their interpretation of gods words....

Hark, I can hear bango music... :)

x

Miss_proper said...

I talk about religion a little on my blogs from time to time, but only in such a way as it pertains to me and how I view life.

I think that religion is its own worst enemy

Ada said...

Talk about taking things out of context. Wow! It's frightening.

Watched the video. Give me a break. That doesn't look like any church I've ever been to. Thank goodness. :)

Was from my home state. Does that make me guilty by association??

Gia's Spot said...

Imagine being God and having to see these kinds of acts in your name? I can imagine the laughter! Or maybe the embarrassment?

Edith Bunker said...

I know a young couple, both bible scholars, multi-degreed in linguistics and anthropology. They have been charged with going into darkest Africa where there is an active Christian community but not a written version of the bible in the indigenous language.
They have to learn the local language, then translate from the original Hebrew and Aramaic into a bible in the local language. Better them than me; thy jack up one line and people start killing babies or rolling around with stakes.

Unknown said...

Mrs. Bunker, you show a great understanding of the problem. We are human and anything that is passed on will reflect our own understanding and can change others perspective accordingly. The truth is what is left over.