I say NEVER again to Bible studies. During my last visit to the Philippines, a close friend tricked me to joining him along with his gay friends (it was a Sunday, I should have known) to a Christian gathering replete with Bible quotes from Adam, ear-piercing contemporary gospel music and harsh condemnation against the LGBTQI+ community. It's beyond me how they still keep on attending these events where homosexuality is preached as a grave unforgivable sin. I swear to Zeus, I wasted 1 1/2 hours of my life half-listening to the pastor joke about cruelty to cats and urging everyone to drink grape-flavoured Kool-Aid (well it tasted like Kool-Aid... apparently it symbolises the blood of Jesus) for an everlasting life in heaven.
And, of course, any Christian gathering would not be complete without the compulsory passing round of the donation box. Organised religion is a money-making businesses. Fortunately, I brought my smart phone with me as I've never been happier in my entire life playing Candy Crush and checking recent likes on Facebook (I made it a point showing pastor that I'm unhappily bored). I could have just stormed out early on (you might wonder) but someone advertently locked the bloody Bible-themed doors, seriously!
And yes, they all raise and sway their right arms in approval.
They irony is, they don't even study the bible. They have a few verses that they like, but they (and I mean even the pastors) know very little about the bible, what it says, the politics involved, who wrote it and why... Or if they do know, they refuse to discuss it.
Gawd. That plus Duterte. Stay strong, lady.
Your gay friends dragged you there? What kinde of self loathing friends do you have? I can't deal with gay friends who are also (actively) Christian or belong to some other anti-gay religion. Their minds just aren't rational.
BTW, this site has its own app. I fyou ever find yourself in that position again, you can balance it out by using the agnostics.com app whiel there.
What passes for “study” of the bible among most believers is pathetic, which is too bad. There is actually a lot of interesting stuff buried in there if one tackles it with a critical and informed perspective. Of course, doing this is not likely to leave you a “believer.” Most bible study is like bad science, because you start your inquiry with your mind already made up!
Point out the locked doors to your local fire department. They'll get shut down.
Was there ever a time in your life when you were a boy? I suspect not. Hence if there were a God an all perfect God he/she/they made you perfect. The truth is still that there are no God's and magic didn't make you. You are perfect and who you are as a person makes the world appear more magical. How much emptier this world would seem without the diversity of humans that inhabit it.
You have a heart of gold Paul. Thank you for the kind words. They warm my heart indeed.