Yet more problematic stuff

[Forty Two]

Forty Two, your insistence on using your own definition of biblical literalist, when L'Emmerdeur pointed out the commonly accepted one, smacks of intellectual dishonesty.

That's almost exactly the kind of mindset I was mocking. They call themselves biblical literalists, which means we take things literally when the literature suggests that it's literal, but when things read figuratively, we don't take them literally. So we're literalists and the bible is literally true.

Moreover, since you can't provide evidence to support your sweeping generalizations about a large group of Americans, you're asking us to simply take your word that your description is accurate.

I haven't generalized - I've simply mocked the thought process behind defining that which is not "literal" as still being properly called "literal."

What's amazing is how Forty-Two-Derangement-Syndrome has apparently made it possible for the Ratz friendly rabid atheists to come to the defense of biblical literalists from my, I guess unusual or extreme and hard to accept, argument that when they say they believe the Bible is literally true, front to back, that they really don't actually believe that - or they pretend to - they're either stupid/uneducated or dishonest about it.

Time was that was a fairly mainstream atheist view. I guess not. Now I'm mischaracterizing them, or advancing a position without evidence. I guess that means the Biblical literalists make perfect sense, because, heck ,they define "taking the Bible literally" as "taking the literal parts literally, but not taking the non-literal parts literally." Ya got me!

[Brian Peacock]

Get a grip man. Disputing the hypostatisation of a common term out of thin air is not 'coming to the defense of biblical literalists'.

[Svartalf]

biblical literalists are morons... a lot of the bible is so obviously figurative I just can't understand how you could regard it literally... and the stuff that lays claim to being literally true is often so error or bias ridden you just can't take it any too seriously.

[Brian Peacock]

Oh, I don't know. Seem like the logical consequence of saying that the Bible is the word of God. I mean, God wouldn't lie to me would she?

[Svartalf]

Fuck it, even a basic bible reading shows that god is a moron not able to find Just folk by his own means, and liable to name sacrileges as kings of the Hebrews... far as I can tell, the Snake in Eden was an emanation of Dog, and it did lie to Eve, or at least tempt her into disobedience with half truths.

[Scot Dutchy]

Even the pope does not take it literally. Who does and how do they survive a day in this evil world?

[Svartalf]

no idea, but it seems you can live in an imaginary world and still survive in the US, probably by gunning down any godless heathens and heretics you come by.

[Rum]

Even the pope does not take it literally. Who does and how do they survive a day in this evil world?

I think the world is probably better than its ever been - the good bits anyway. One or two big issues overshadow everything else I grant you. Too many people on the planet being issue #1.

[Forty Two]

Oh, I don't know. Seem like the logical consequence of saying that the Bible is the wor of God. I mean, God wouldn't lie to me would she?

Non-literal =/= untrue.

[Forty Two]

Even the pope does not take it literally. Who does and how do they survive a day in this evil world?

Catholics have never been literalists. It's no big deal in Catholicism to view the Creation story as a myth or allegory.

[Scot Dutchy]

Even the pope does not take it literally. Who does and how do they survive a day in this evil world?

I think the world is probably better than its ever been - the good bits anyway. One or two big issues overshadow everything else I grant you. Too many people on the planet being issue #1.

Probably but...

[Forty Two]

no idea, but it seems you can live in an imaginary world and still survive in the US, probably by gunning down any godless heathens and heretics you come by.

In my "lived experience" I have only once ever had a "believer" act badly toward me if they found out I was an atheist.

I had a girlfriend back in the day who was a good family friend to a higher level priest (like monsignor), and I got to know him. He found out I was an atheist, and we had long discussions at functions about religion, atheism, etc. He was fine.

Most friends and aquaintences have been quite respectful. I've always been careful to be polite, of course, and to suggest that I was agreeable to disagreeing, and I wasn't attacking anyone's beliefs, etc.

The only one disagreeable experience I had was with this chick I was dating about 20 years ago, and the topic had not come up in the month or so we were rolling around together. However, one day we were standing somewhere with a friend of hers - I think we were in Chicago - and someone else brought up the topic. I didn't say anything until asked, and then the question was posed directly to me, what kind of religion did I follow. I said, none, I'm actually an atheist. Man that sent her over the deep end. And, she was a solid Democrat, too. Totally didn't like Republicans, which I wasn't. But, when I said I was an atheist, she just couldn't fathom it. She went berserk.

[Forty Two]

[Brian Peacock]

Fuck it, even a basic bible reading shows that god is a moron not able to find Just folk by his own means, and liable to name sacrileges as kings of the Hebrews... far as I can tell, the Snake in Eden was an emanation of Dog, and it did lie to Eve, or at least tempt her into disobedience with half truths.

Oh, yea of little faith.

[Svartalf]

I once had faith, whose fault is it that I lost it?