I was raised Lutheran with KJV of Bible. I found it hard to read, so I daydreamed a lot in Sunday School. At night in my room as a child I waited and waited for Jesus to appear atop the radiator, because I believed it was possible, per Bible stories. He never showed. I don't remember being disappointed; perhaps only rather unworthy. When did my insanity begin? My parents had me baptised as an infant. Was it the cold water on my bald head? I have been tempted lately to pick up a Bible at a thrift store...but what version? Do I want a collection? Where would I start reading, in order to "know" the Bible well enough to debate a Jehovas Witness, or any other believer. A couple young Mormon men came to my house a couple years ago. The window was open in my study. I saw them coming. I spoke to them through the screen. I was highly medicated with the cannibas candy. I don't remember the conversation, but they never came back...even though I encouraged them to, when I had time, so we could sit and talk some more.

This is a good one....

After givign up on religion, I really didn't bother to focus much on what I left behind, so ican't really think of any offhand, an dhave no desire to read up to find een.

The Old Testament stuff. Some of it freaks me out: if an engaged women is raped in the country she the rapist gets put to death. If it happens in the city, someone should have heard her scream. so she and the rapist is put to death. Of course, If she is a virgin, the rapist pays her father money and she has to marry her rapist.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24

“If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”

Deuteronomy 22:25-27

“But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.”

Deuteronomy 22:28-29

“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”

Dunno.

I've never read it.

And it's unlikely I ever will.

The entire book is stuffed with sex and violence. It's based on the Sumerian texts, so no wonder..the Sumerians were a blood-thirsty, promiscous bunch, for sure.

It would seem that forgiveness and responsibility are unworthy of a god.
If I held a gun to your head and told you it will be your fault if I chose to shoot you.
That sounds very godly to me, from what I have heard.

Ezekiel 23 is indeed one of the more bizarre chapters in the Bible. It's a fantasy of mine to hear it read in church ... but then I suppose I'd have to attend. And don't forget the 21st verse:

"So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled."

Numbers 5:15-22, instructions for the priests to perform a test for a woman accused of adultery.

Deuteronomy 21: 10-14, statutes for the kidnapping and rape of young female POWs.

Deuteronomy 13:6-11, apostates must be killed.

Exodus 21:20-21, slaves can be beaten without consequence, as long as they get up for work the next day.

Leviticus 25:45, it's acceptable to purchase children as slaves.

I can not compete with that list! That's an excellent list.