OK the word 'stories' is just there for the atheists to kick about for a while...
But more seriously atheists and theists alike; those who are able to enjoy the Biblical accounts, from whatever perspective, what are your favourites and why if you don't mind sharing?
The travels of Jonah is my favourite, but Elijah on Mt Carmel, Elisha fed by ravens and Ruth's gleening are close seconds.
Originally posted by divegeester OK the word 'stories' is just there for the atheists to kick about for a while...
But more seriously atheists and theists alike; those who are able to enjoy the Biblical accounts, from whatever perspective, what are your favourites and why if you don't mind sharing?
The travels of Jonah is my favourite, but Elijah on Mt Carmel, Elisha fed by ravens and Ruth's gleening are close seconds.
Lazarus and the rich man. Demonstrates the evils of being rich.
Originally posted by divegeester OK the word 'stories' is just there for the atheists to kick about for a while...
But more seriously atheists and theists alike; those who are able to enjoy the Biblical accounts, from whatever perspective, what are your favourites and why if you don't mind sharing?
The travels of Jonah is my favourite, but Elijah on Mt Carmel, Elisha fed by ravens and Ruth's gleening are close seconds.
I like those stories that make 'modern' Christianity look stupid. Like church leaders telling everyone that ..
"God is love',
'God is merciful and forgiving',
'Jesus Loves you'
'Just believe and you are saved' ..
.. when after reading the Bible you see people being killed for making mistakes, or for apparently minor sins.
Check one of many such stories ..
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (Acts 5:1-10)
God is love and is merciful needs to be understood in the light of these events and thats among the many failings of Christianity.
Originally posted by Rajk999 Good one .. I was going to quote that one but the anti-works Christians would have started on my case .. 🙂
The OP was designed to extract what the Biblical accounts meant to you personally, inwardly. Not how they supported your particular angle on the works vs grace anthem. Do you have something a little more personal?
Originally posted by divegeester The OP was designed to extract what the Biblical accounts meant to you personally, inwardly. Not how they supported your particular angle on the works vs grace anthem. Do you have something a little more personal?
Good works as described by Christ means a lot to me personally and inwardly. Is that ok with you?
Originally posted by RBHILL Songs of solomon, the book on Daniel, and when Jesus comes back.
i dont know why but i always remember the story of zacchaeus from when i was in primary school, im not sure it was a great story or made any sense but it pops into my head every so often.
Originally posted by divegeester OK the word 'stories' is just there for the atheists to kick about for a while...
But more seriously atheists and theists alike; those who are able to enjoy the Biblical accounts, from whatever perspective, what are your favourites and why if you don't mind sharing?
The travels of Jonah is my favourite, but Elijah on Mt Carmel, Elisha fed by ravens and Ruth's gleening are close seconds.
Without a doubt, my favorite is The Fall (although it's not called this in the Bible) as it addresses the period of the prehistoric hunter-gathers' transition to agriculturalists and the development of the moral sense that came with that transition. I can just imagine the early story tellers around the tribal fire after a day's work, telling a story that both entertained the children with a talking snake, and reflected deeper psychological and sociological connotations. Adding to that, it provided rudimentary explanations for the human condition, right down to a rationale for the difficulty of giving birth to the big-brained babies we have evolved to be, and have. It's really a remarkable story.
Of course I expect that my interpretation is wrong in too many ways to count, but I like it anyway.
Originally posted by divegeester Are you suggesting being poor is good; do you have a Biblical parallel?
It depends on your point of view, I suppose. Liberation Theology articulates the 'preferential option for the poor', which says that the needs of the poor should be put first, but being poor itself is not necessarily good.
My view is that neither being poor nor being rich is good. The extremes should be compressed toward the middle until there are neither rich nor poor.
Originally posted by rwingett Lazarus and the rich man. Demonstrates the evils of being rich.
I rather enjoyed the story of Abraham. He was given wealth beyond all others, and when Lot parted ways he chose the greenist most lush land he could find and sent Abraham in the othe direction. Lot then wound up on Sodom as Abraham continued to be blessed.
Just goes to show ya that materialism is not all its cracked up to be.
Favourite bible 'stories'
02 Aug '12 20:51
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