Deuteronomy 7
When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Discuss.
Some wrathful, violent Sky Daddy action at its best! WooWee!
I was so excited when I saw Deuteronomy at the top, and boy, I was not disappointed!
It’s easy to see this from a sociologic or primate-research perspective: a tripe of violent apes migrates into a new area (props for innovation and initiative!), an area with a meta-stable set of other tribes already in place. Not really so much different from what is seen with baboons or chimpanzees.
Being human, however, they have a lot of extra cortical capacity, and each tribe has a cosmology/mythology to help explain the natural world. Being patriarchal, the god of this tribe, whose account has survived, resembles an angry patriarch, and, moreover, provides a “moral” justification for the war of acquisition and genocide.
And this is what some among us want to base a system of morality and ethics upon?
They want to define our culture by the accumulated (and self-servingly edited) surviving writing of of a bunch of ancient desert nomads?
The multi-thousand year old self-justifying rants of a bronze age tribe?
Insanity.
Jewish Exceptionalism, not so different from the American version.
Why all this fuss about the history of Israel? Is this insight into the views of sn ancient leader surprising?
Look how much your scientists have learned by asking Me about gravity or genetics? Would any of you invest in a company that refused to use modern technology .. rather than 3,000 old speculations? Why not ask Me about good vs. bad.
For what it is worth, I know Ashera personally and a lot of You would benefit from her worship!
I am here, I can be seen anywhere … learn!
I am that I am.
@4
Hey God, happy Sunday.
I find your surprise at discussion of the bible, whether Christian or Jewish versions, a bit disingenuous. Surely you must know how many of your human creations hew to its significance, particularly as a defining document of cultural identity and/or as a basis for a “moral” code? Or simply as your “Word” in unvarnished and always correct authority, regardless of internal contradiction and anachronism. Do you not see this? Do you not see the value in critically appraising the contents of this particular tribe’s cultural artifacts?
I think this is quite necessary and valuable, don’t you? To understand how this particular group of humans wrote their history, including a deal with you about being “chosen” and having land promised to them? Or how much of the population of the planet looks on this document as your instructions as to how to live and organize a society? Do you not see how curious and damaging such approaches might be to organizing a rational and modern society?
@ #4
Is she hot? I don’t worship fat ugly gods. What would the neighbors think?
@6
Hmmm…interesting thought.
What if ‘god’ was sexy, and fun and really loving and smart and creative and forgiving and nurturing? Rather than an angry old coot who was always yelling, “You damn kids, get off my lawn!” Or being a REALLY bad parent and playing one kid off of each other, or playing favorites, or generally being a violent sociopath? Violence and abuse usually does begin at home…
So, how soon before one of the trolls (who seem to be coming up with all sorts of new names lately – must be entering their rapid cycling phase of the thought/mood disorder), before one of them says that liberals do worship a god of hedonism and license, and that’s what is wrong with our society?
God’s pets. Works for me.
@ #7
God loves sex. Its her greatest creation. So anyone that opposes sex opposes god.
Religious fundamentalists react violently to sex or sexual concepts simply because they do not have the intelligence or the intellectual wherewithal to deal with the emotions it generates. They would rather smash and destroy than create.
It is the purpose of the faith, to sow the seeds of a societies self-destruction, as we are seeing now in the new religious fascism movements. It has happened in every society that has allowed dogmatic belief systems to replace tangible response to adverse situations.
That is what “zero tolerance” means. Thats what the Soviets and the Nazis and the other fascist movements in Europe during the post WW1 period was all about. It certainly bears its own fruit in the modern, Americanized evilangelicalism.
And this Ashera person. Does she have a webcam?
Republicans believe they’re chosen by God to be rich and to dominate others, therefore the dishonest ways they get their money and the meanness with which they treat other people are blessed, may not be questioned, and will not be punished.
Boy, are they in for a surprise when they arrive at the Pearly Gates to check in for their afterlife!
So speaketh the Rabbit.
HA is better than church: God actually shows up!
And best of all, you don’t have to hangout with a bunch of raving delusional lunatics!
God, aka Sj, as can be seen in comments #33 and #35 on this post: http://horsesass.org/?p=29539#comments
I hate sockpuppets, even when I sometimes agree with ’em.
@13
Yeah, it’s pretty obvious sj is ‘channeling’ the jewish/xtian/islamic god. Kinda cute sometimes. The ‘god’ character does speak of other gods in a sort-of condescending way, or at least lesser-ranked fashion, however, and that’s a bit revealing.
And rude – hasn’t responded to my friendly greeting @5, nor answered my questions. Haruph.
Okay, I get it now. The bible is a bronze age blog.
@10 Ashera isn’t a person, she’s a God. I don’t know about a webcam, but her wikipedia article has a picture of her with her early-on version of a push-up bra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asherah. She’s not really fat, but does look a little lumpy.
@ #12
When I was a kid, I had a couple really good friends that lived in some pretty seriously fundamentalist households. One, his pop was a minister that ran a mission for the homeless (mostly street bums), the other, a girl, her parents were so deep into the cultish aspects of their faith that they would not allow her to do anything outside the purview of the church. But they did have a really great halloween party.
I went to church with them on several occasions, out of respect for them as friends, and the interests of their parents when concerning themselves with their children’s associations.
To this day, I have the greatest memories of those friendships.
The boy, grew up to be a really messed-up wreck. Fell into the UFO/Chemtrails/Illuminati conspiracy theories, Art Bell and Alex Jones being his primary sources of information through his 20’s and 30’s. He never had a real job in his life, never moved out of his parents house. By the early 90’s, he had taken to calling me up at 2 or 3 in the morning, knowing full well that I got up at 0430 or so to go to work, ranting about the latest “X-files” episode or something and it became impossible to relate to him as he fell deeper and deeper into that faith psychosis.
Because, blind faith is psychotic behavior. It requires one to actively reject the input from ones own eyes and ears. It requires people to accept the worst events in their lives as being part of some “plan” so they should never question the actual reasons for such events. It requires people to borrow trouble for themselves, and become emotionally dependent on such trouble.
The Girl? I never saw her after 8th grade. She moved away, and nobody I’m still in contact with from that period even really remembers her. I hope she didn’t turn out to be another crazy person. I really do.
@16, If she is an all powerful god, Ashera can do anything, so she can look like anyone. I think she would look like Halle Berry if she manifested for me.
@18
In the Catwoman suit? Puuuurrrrr….
@17, Frogg: I definitely get what you’re saying.
I grew up in a very, very fundamentalist culture. Just about everyone I knew from then is seriously struggling now, financially and otherwise.
But you really nailed it with this:
In these troubled times, I worry for our democracy.
@20
Indeed, indeed. In times of insecurity and fear – that’s when the charlatans are most dangerous.
Well, I’m off to work, and likely won’t be able to post much :(
I guess I won’t get much troll smacking in today, but I’ll try to stop by later.
Silly Rabbit.
Didn’t your mother tell you? America is a Christian country, and God is a Republican.
Duderonomy 8:
And get the Americans to sell you weapons, much more better.
Don’t you folks ever come up with something original?
Yes, Deathfrogg, we all know you hate religion. Every person who does believe is now a psychotic, apparently. You get more amusing every day with your paranoi and generally black view of the world.
Lib Sci, same thing different angle. All Christians are unintelligent hicks. This despite what I assume to be similar experiences to mine. That is, I know smart decent and honorable atheists. I know smart Christians who believe in part because of their intelligence.
Zotz is generally not bringing anything to the table, and apparently makes no exceptions today.
Well, taking the family to dinner. Have a pleasant evening.
Re 18
I will say Blue John surprises me. Halle Berry?
Blue John, Finally going straight?
Lost in Narcissism whines: “Don’t you folks ever come up with something original?”
Come on, man. That’s just bullshit. And not very original. Whadda’ putz.
Jayzuz fucking christ.
Lost in Narcissism: “Well, taking the family to dinner. Have a pleasant evening.”
Does that include the in-laws? Don’t forget to leave a tip….just this once.
Puddfuck above: “Blue John, Finally going straight?”
This question reveals you to be the bigoted fuck we all knew you to be. Way to go.
Jayzus told his disciples to go forth and spread the word. You go out and alienate the unbelievers. You’re going to hell, dude (god told me so). How’s that feel?
Proud of being an ass,
A fortunate star blessed me with in laws that live on another continent.
Hey, I always tip a quarter, sometimes a half dollar if the service is really good.
And if you don’t see a note of same-ness to these weekly bull sessions on how awful Christianity is (no quotes from the Quran or the Vedas, interestingly) I don’t know how you don’t.
How was dinner, Losty? “And if you don’t see a note of same-ness to these weekly bull sessions on how awful Christianity is (no quotes from the Quran or the Vedas, interestingly) I don’t know how you don’t.”
The fact that you imply that we should expect something different here is simply mind numbing. I mean, fuck all, I don’t do posts at LGF or WND whining about the “same-ness” of their shit. Your responses each and everyh Sunday are pretty much “same-ness” personified. Please grow up.
As for the stupidities of other religions, so what? The plain fact is this: We do not have mooslims, vedasers, or extreme shintoists in this country whining like little children about their inability to ram their religious views down everybody else’s throats, or their absolute right to have sole possession of the public square. I mean, really, I’m really sorry, but that’s the way it is.
But I’ll pray for you anyway. It’s only fair I guess.
50 cents! You found a joint that serves your family AND the in-laws for two bucks? Awesome.
If I’m not mistaken, most of the quotes to date have been taken from the Old Testament.
Goldy was raised how?
@34
Goldy was raised how?
Apparently without any class or work ethic.
Why do we think we can dictate what God is or is not? If God does exist, then God has powers that created us. And if God created us, isn’t God the one that gets to create the rules? And if God says don’t, it has to be that way.
And if god doesn’t exist, what then wow?