At the hotel Eric and I stayed at during the weekend, we found the Gideon's Bible. So I checked it out. It wasn't my first time, but it was my first time as an apostate.
People, their little guides do nothing to bring souls to God. Fer realz. I especially love the highlighted scriptures that these people and so many others use to tell people they are trash and god is awesome. Just admit that and you're in!
Under "Practical Precepts" and "Consequences of Forgetting God" we find this bullshit:
(Hosea 4:1-11 for those righteous enough to follow along. Here are my favorite parts. Emphasis mine):
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children...11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Yeah. Sounds awesome. Leave my kids out of this.
And while we're at it--knowledge?
Really?
I'm hoping I'm missing context here, but I've seen this stuff elsewhere.
Also, throw the "fact" that Mary Magdalene was the first to see Christ after his resurrection all you want but that doesn't erase the fact that every time something bad is mentioned in teh scriptures it's described as a whore, harlot, whatever. Misogyny at its very best.
Rock on, god.
that's the problem with identifying god as a "he." if this verse were seen in a matriarchal context, it might sound different.
ReplyDeletei hate reading king james. there's also tons and tons of thick context in the prophetic books. they're the most mystical parts of the bible to me, like crystal-balls-and-outer-space mystical. i can only read them with at least three translations and some access to commentary on how the text was translated.
I thought of that as I wrote. Not so much the effect that would come from changing the patriarchal POV to matriarchal, but the question of whether or not god should be referred to as a "he." Which "he" is. Everywhere. It's hard to get past considering how much that is ingrained in the Christian culture and doctrine.
ReplyDeleteKing James is awful, but according to LDS it is the "most inspired/correct translation" so it's what I have most available and what i'm most familiar with.
I am interested in context, if only to satiate my nerdiness for history and current obsessive need to know everything. Without the context available and the time to seek it out, I can't help but feel like nothing--and I can't worship that. I can't respect a church or religion that wouldn't seek context out to better help me understand and feel like I'm something of worth if only because I am a "daughter" because I would never speak to my own daughter this way. I view much through those religious lens these days. I just won't expose my kids to what I can't help but view as largely abusive.
I beat myself up more than enough as it is. It's hard to get it from someone who has supposedly created me, too.
Context and different translations, commentary, etc. would be SO helpful and interesting.
I have no use for a fear-based religion.
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