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Appropriating from scripture.

What is a verse or quote from a religous scripture(bible, talmud, quaran) that you feel is valuable as a philosophical merit based lesson and means something to you.

Example:

“Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)

Davidthinks 7 Apr 29
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43 comments

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1

I have no favorite scriptures any longer. That's because I am no longer a believer. But, let's just take from a scripture a moment. Jesus says:
"There shall be wars and rumors of wars."
DUH! Is this supposed to be profound or something?

9

Every moral, value, and philosophical idea was well established long before religions claimed and repackaged them as their own.

Betty Level 8 Apr 29, 2018

Tru dat.

8

When religious people question why I lack belief I have sometimes used Corinthians on them:- "when I became a man, I put away childish things".

7

This is a quote from John 8:32 "The truth shall set you free". That was very true, it did, from religion.

This is one of my favorites also.

7

It's really quite simple, people in all different places across all different times understood the same basic principle, be good to each other.

"Be excellent to each other." Wyld Stallyns

@BufftonBeotch needed a love button there ?

@BufftonBeotch Beat me too it!

6

Judge not lest you be judged.. "in it's original meaning" ... ... i.e. do not judge others as that is how you will treat yourself .. not in it's misconstrued by religion meaning ..

6

I believe it's Matthew 16:26

For what profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul.

Except we don't have a soul. We have soles, But only on our shoes.

@GoldenDoll well yes but take it in the sense of that's the point of gaining object or wealth or anything if you have to compromise your values or your principles.

@Bierbasstard I replace the soul with principles.

@josh23452 Well that's just the point of the buybull - it only makes sense if you "replace" words or "take it in the sense of". Much better to think for ourselves!

@GoldenDoll granted we might not have a soul but religious folk of all faiths tend to equate the soul with being one's self or they talk about the soul as what makes you,you...So even leaving in the word "soul" one can still take away from that passage not to sacrifice yourself for possession or power..

However if you would prefer a.passage that comes with religiousy words like soul or faith..

John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than to lay his life down for his friends"

Granted depending on the translation that last part might say "for another". But either way the meaning is pretty evident and has some merit in my opinion.

@Bierbasstard way I figure it if you were to take ideals and thoughts and not use an because of the source where you heard them from or because they happen to be attached to something you don't like or in some cases hate, you'd quickly run out of anything to really believe in...

Shit even Hitler was a vegetarian.

@Bierbasstard shit I was raised a Jehovas witness I know rather well the bible can get used..Doesnt mean there's reason for pointless negativity in my opinion

6

How about this from the Bible published in 1631 by Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, the royal printers in London, meant to be a reprint of the King James Bible?

My guess...many live by that commandment. LOL

4

We should all start talking in Bible-speak. When you go to a grocery store tell the clerk, "Render to me thy bounteous grapes of joyful merriment," instead of saying "Gimme a bottle of wine."

Verily verily I sayeth unto thee. Partake ye not the merriment of the fermented grape until thou hast rendered the merchant his due. (couldn't resist)

4

Proverbs 21:19 (New Living Translation)
It is better to live alone in the desert than with a crabby, complaining wife.

?

4

2 Timothy 1:7 King James Version (KJV)

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

skado Level 9 Apr 29, 2018

Except if you don't obey him, you'll burn in hell. Nice guy. Nice insane guy.

@GoldenDoll Hell is just the burning sensation of cognitive dissonance we feel when we fail to see reality as it is. If we de-personify a personification it doesn't make the harshness of reality go away. Reality is still a nice insane guy.

@skado - Yep, that old chestnut - let's change the words in the buybull to something that agrees with our own thoughts - are you sure you're on the right site?

@GoldenDoll Yes, quite sure. I was actually designing a site remarkably like this one when I discovered this site and was relieved of the task.

@GoldenDoll The buybull (and all other allegory) is unintelligible without interpretation. The reader will interpret as pleases her/him or displeases her/him, whichever she/he, erm, pleases.

@skado - Groan. So it's just an instrument of manipulation. Also useful as toilet paper.

@GoldenDoll As I said, the choice is yours. If that's all you can see in it then that's all you can get from it.

@skado - And if you want to create your own fantasies, go ahead. Just don't bore me with them.

I'm not creating fantasies, @GoldenDoll . Neither am I aiming any of it at you. I'm posting to the site about the science of Psychology. There is no requirement for you to read, respond, or expose yourself to uncomfortable or unfamiliar points of view. Blessings.

@skado Uncomfortable and unfamiliar? You're 'aving a larf. Can't believe agnostic.com thinks we're 90% compatible. Do my blessings come from god?

@GoldenDoll "Can't believe agnostic.com thinks we're 90% compatible."
Does it? Cool, I'll have to check out your profile. I mean, algorithms can't be wrong can they?

"Do my blessings come from god?"
Ha! Are you going superstitious on me? Of course not. The best evidence I'm aware of suggests all of our blessings come, either directly or indirectly, from the combined forces of evolution. And figures of speech come from, well, the history of linguistic practice I suppose. And good will comes from personal discipline. Kindest regards.

3

Here's a good one. Says a lot. The very first commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"

With all the atrocities and ugly behaviors humans are capable of, the Lord says this is the very first that should be obeyed. What's that say about the Lord?

@Davidthinks I toyed with that question my whole life. It has to do with human evolution and what Susan Blackmore calls meme-driven genes. If you believe you have a better chance of reproducing. The truth makes no difference; it's what works. In my neighborhood in the tough section of Queens we had an expression: You can't reason with a stiff dick.

3

Of course, most religions favor killing all kinds of people, and then claim it is "justified." Great thing about religious works, you can interpret them to mean and justify ANYTHING! Probably because they are written by MEN, not some mythical "god." But not just any men, but MEN with an agenda.

3

I am partial to all the begetting in Genesis. They begetted each others brains out.

@Clare And they didn't have cable. ?

The only way to handle the Bible is with humor!!!! Thank you for making me ?

@JudyABQ You are right and you are welcome. ?

3

Oooooh! There's so many to choose from!

But I like "He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord."(Deuteronomy 23:1) - damn right keep them out! Don't want no incomplete people up there with the lord!

And this is also a favourite "And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son...." (II Kings 6:28-29 - who doesn't like a bit of cannibalism when there's nothing on TV?

They mean a lot to me. They mean I'm not a fucking christian.

Let's not forget good ole Psalm 137: Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

@jeanhartely Ooooo! Good one!

3

There is plenty of wisdom in religious works (as well as some pretty awful stuff). There is also plenty of wisdom in secular works. If we discount the ubiquitousness of religious works, why should we pay more attention to them than to secular wisdom?

Exactement.

@GoldenDoll Thank you!

3

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged.

We all judge people and situations all the time. Silly.

@GoldenDoll Doesn't make it right. I try my best not to.

Hahahahaha! I work in the courts.....a more puffed up, pompous bunch? I don’t think that is possible!....well, maybe Congress?

@LordOtto - You have to. You'd be dead otherwise.

3

I think there’s lots of gems in proverbs, but I have “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Proverbs 21:2. I can’t do much with the Lord weighs the heart bit, but the idea that everyone thinks they are right is what started me questioning religion.

3

" Jesus wept"

When I think of what Jesus “suffered” in his 33 years? Well, “I’ll raise you” 30 years! Hahahahaha

3

Love one another as I have loved you.

By creating hell.

3

The book of psalms seems like timeless wisdom, though I can't remember a specific verse

Very wise of you.

3

I also like 2nd Timothy I believe it's chapter 4 verse 7-8

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith

Yes, let's admire faith - believing in stuff for which there is no evidence. Admirable.

@GoldenDoll or maybe we could admire the bit about perseverance and determination.

@josh23452 Or maybe we could admire thinking for ourselves and not wasting time quoting the buybull.

@GoldenDoll what's wrong with quoting the bible? Most of it might be crap but there are.also some parts that could be poetical and maybe some of it has a decent point or two I mean really let's break down this passage

I fought a good fight(I tried), I stayed the course(I kept trying), I have kept the faith(Even as atheist,despite coming to conclusions as scientifically and logically as we might there's still a leap ofnfsith when it comes down to it. Not to mention faith doesn't have to simply.meam blindly following a diety...You can have faith in ideals,science,philosophy,faith in people or.a person..Keepknf the faith can also be used to say you stuck to your ideals..

Really what's wrong with quoting a part of religious text if you happen to find a nugget of wisdom in it? It doesn't validate the entirety of the bible just because you find one or two parts you agree with.

@josh23452 - Because you can find more profound statements in secular texts. And the "good bits" of the buybull were just stolen from other texts anyway. What's the point of it? It's like saying "yes, he murdered a lot of people, but he did some really good charity work for dogs". He's still a murderer, and the buybull is still nonsense. Or are you of the opinion that if the murderer says sorry it's all ok?

@GoldenDoll nope I'm just of the opinion that there's wisdom in reading or listening to the opposing view..You might be shocked to find things you agree with. And sure even if it's not original ideas well shit even in the secular world you're not gona find 100% original shit that hasn't been copied and pasted since the dawn of man.

@josh23452 - I don't waste my time on it because it's done so much damage. Conversation over, boredom setting in......

@GoldenDoll woulda saved yourself a bit of boredom by keeping your negativity to yourself. Might not waste your time on the bible but ya sure do in trying to rain on the parade of others.

@josh23452 You're absolutely right. But it's not negativity; it's called realism. And i'm sorry I changed the weather patterns in the US - I hope that improves soon. Sometimes my superpowers get the better of me! You might get on with JudyABQ - she likes "pleasant weather" and has limited powers of conversation. XXX

@GoldenDoll so much for the conversation being done I suppose. And despite your powers of weather augmentation you'd be surprised..Its really quite lovely tonight..The moon is and here in the middle of the desert you see all the stars.

@josh23452 - Are you trying to chat me up?

@GoldenDoll not my intent..Though I do prefer older women.

@josh23452 - OK I'll let you off. I was within a whisper of blocking you from boredom, but I thought I'd just enjoy alliteration instead.

@GoldenDoll well to quote the old song "Que sera sera"

3

Go forth and procreate, Plenty. The last word is my add on !

2

This one is very important to me and I would think the entire nation. Christ said, Mark 12:17, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”

In other words, "Stay the fuck out of politics." I discuss this in "Saving Gaia" and it still gets my mad just thinking about it. What are the chances of 535 congresspersons, all being (except for one or two) believers in the creationist nonsense. If we asked 535 random people on the street I conjecture about half would admit such crazy beliefs. This shows that there's some sort of bias favoring Christians in the electoral process. It's not a level playing field.

Mmm; don't know re bias as a selection force here, but likely adhering to fakery and the general consent of the public to such nonsense are at play.

It's amazing how people can interpret any buybull passage to fit their own thoughts.

2

Don't do to others what you you wouldn't want done to yourself..

I've worded that terribly, but you know what I mean :/

2

“...as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts.”

Ungod Level 6 Apr 29, 2018

I never knew the Buddha was such a shortass 😉

@Gareth - That is probably the MOST INSIGIFICANT sentence in that entire paragraph....

“The Buddha” is short or tall. He is not a god in the sky, or a special person that came to earth.

“The Buddha” is a real person and can be anyone - male female, black, brown, whatever.

That is why it says THE BUDDHA DWELLS WITHIN OUR HEARTS.

His shoe size is unimportant...

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