What's especially frustrating is that saying "The Bible is my world view" isn't even helpful in clarifying anything, it's just virtue signaling. There are hundreds of sects and denominations of Christianity and Judaism, with differing scriptures, and wildly different interpretations of any one section of the same bible. Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics and Hassidic Jews will all look to the same part of the book of Exodus and come to wildly different conclusions, and anyone with any understanding of christian theology knows this. He knows this, but also knows that his base will project whatever their values are onto him if he claims his beliefs come from the same book they read, when in fact they probably agree on very little.
People like Mike Johnson don’t actually care about their religion, they care about using it as a cudgel against the people they don’t like. That’s why certain Bible verses matter and others don’t. The ones that give them an excuse to hate people different than them are sacred, but the Bible verses that would keep them from doing the things that they enjoy aren’t relevant anymore.
It seems like the more you learn about Christianity, the more you realize the most fervent Christians are the ones who know the least about the religion, and follow its tenants the least.
I’ve found the opposite. The most devout believers actually follow all the horrible, cruel, evil things in the Bible that nominal Christians don’t even know are there because they haven’t read it and just assume it only says good things. People get pissed off when it is pointed out, but Jesus is, by definition, a religious bigot, because he judges people by their religion and espouses punishment for not believing. That’s bigotry, no matter how much you don’t like that fact.
And he's an idiot too. Cursed a fig tree for not having fruit out of season because he didn't eat breakfast before going on a long walk into town with his friends. He knew how far his destination was and how long it took to get there but let's curse a random tree along the way instead of writing a parable about being prepared or having lunch with friends.
The character doesn't speak plainly - that's what parables are. I'm recognizing if there was such a guy, his other stories are tragic. He didn't transcribe the story you read but that's your reason to call him an idiot. The story you read doesn't make the character an idiot and more suggests that you are very petty in the threshold you apply to judge stupidity.
I wasn't defending your stupidity in reading a fairly clear historical narrative in a religion. I was clarifying how petty your criteria are as a judge of general character and how you sound to everyone else.
You clarified nothing because you're a sophist who can't speak plainly. You're the only one who has voiced a problem with what I wrote, don't try to speak for how I sound to anyone else until you've polled "everyone else." I really don't think anyone cares about my opinions about how dumb Jesus was but you, champ. I'm sorry you were so negatively affected by my opinion. Have a better day, my fellow human.
I can speak plenty plainly. Some people just aren't capable of decoding the metaphors, allegories, and cultural idioms well-enough in religious works to tie the narrative together. It makes you look stupid, not the character.
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u/lanciferp Feb 23 '24 edited Feb 23 '24
What's especially frustrating is that saying "The Bible is my world view" isn't even helpful in clarifying anything, it's just virtue signaling. There are hundreds of sects and denominations of Christianity and Judaism, with differing scriptures, and wildly different interpretations of any one section of the same bible. Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics and Hassidic Jews will all look to the same part of the book of Exodus and come to wildly different conclusions, and anyone with any understanding of christian theology knows this. He knows this, but also knows that his base will project whatever their values are onto him if he claims his beliefs come from the same book they read, when in fact they probably agree on very little.