Posted on 10/12/2019 2:25:16 PM PDT by Ennis85
IT’S a first holy communion year for us. In preparation, I’ve rooted out the ‘Children’s Bible’ I was given around this age. It’s a heavy hardback with colourful and vivid illustrations. I know some people work themselves up about religious indoctrination, but the ‘Bible’ is in the air we breathe and the ground on which we walk. To know nothing of Eden and Exodus is ignorance.
For example, there’s an online translator many people use called Babelfish. The name comes from the science fiction book ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams. In the book, the babel fish is placed in someone’s ear so they can understand any language, which is useful when you meet aliens.
Of course, Adams lifted this from the Tower of Babel in Genesis. Humans started to build a tower to reach heaven; a display of arrogance that outraged God. So he cursed them by making them all speak differently and the work collapsed in confusion. Perhaps the first recorded case of a mega-project failure. Babel is probably Babylonia, but because of the biblical association, it became synonymous with a confusion of loud noises – a babble.
People who use Babelfish should know this. That’s why we should read the Bible.
On a more fundamental level, the two key messages of Jesus – that all people are created equal and the powerful have an obligation to the weak – are the foundation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Although the values have been decoupled from the faith, it’s vital to know how they came into existence.
And so, my son and I have begun our journey. We were straight into Eve being punished with labour pains, and Cain murdering Abel. The Flood is bad enough, but the realistic pictures showed women and small children drowning in terror.
By the time we got to Sodom and Gomorrah, and his observation that God was in violation of his promise not to kill any more people after the Flood, he finally asked: “Mammy, are these all made up?”
I gave him the answer the master in our hedge school gave us when I was a child. “Yes.” The stories were invented by old men in the desert who knew nothing of science or nature and were struggling to explain the world. Where did the Earth come from? Why is childbirth so dangerous for women? Why do we speak different languages?
This frank acknowledgement that the Old Testament is to be understood figuratively is why evolution can be taught cheerfully alongside Genesis. There is no clash between science and scripture because Catholics are not required to believe in creationism.
This is in stark contrast to the Evangelical tradition of Protestant America, which understands the ‘Bible’ literally.
To us it seems bonkers that Christians insist that God created the world in seven days. When other Christians like Jehovah’s Witnesses ban blood transfusions, Catholics are completely astonished that anyone would believe in the actual words of Leviticus. The gap between Catholics and Evangelicals is most acute when it comes not to the beginning of the world, but the end.
In the Evangelical tradition, there is a fervent belief in the Rapture. Millions of educated people, including US Vice-President Mike Pence, believe that the world will end in conformity with the Book of Revelations.
There will be a tribulation for seven years when Christ will lift his people into the air (the actual air) before inaugurating 1,000 years of peace. When this will happen is closely linked to the future of Israel and the Jewish people, who must fully reclaim the Holy Land before the Gentiles can be saved.
The End Times are preceded by the arrival of the anti-Christ who, at first, appears to make peace amongst all the nations. For this reason, Evangelicals hate the United Nations. They think it’s led by the anti-Christ. That’s why Trump slags off the UN. It plays well with millions of voters who think it’s the work of the actual Devil.
Of course, since America was founded by the Puritan sect in Massachusetts, who were the extreme wing of the extreme wing of English puritans, and gold-diggers, you could say a propensity for delusion is embedded in America’s DNA.
Unfortunately we can’t feel too superior about the Rapture madness because the doctrine was largely invented by and propagated by an Irishman – John Nelson Darby. Educated at Trinity, he was an Anglican priest in Delgany, Co Wicklow. He abandoned that to found the Plymouth Brethren, who were remarkably successful at spreading their beliefs throughout 19th-century rural America.
He was a great fellow for prophesysing and predicted that Ireland and Scotland would win independence from England, who in turn would be subsumed by a European federation of countries. In fairness, the jury is still out on that one.
Of course, we all have limits to our beliefs and others will rightfully argue that resurrection and transubstantiation are equally nutty. Obviously the Roman Catholic Church’s past abominable approach to sex and sexuality is a thing of shame and terrible sadness.
But when it comes to the scripture, we can take comfort from our sensible approach.
Irish politicians have their failings and come in for harsh and unfair criticism.
Voters often punish the just and reward the bad. But no one votes for a politician in this country because they think he’s fighting the anti-Christ.
A religious education that creates this outcome can’t be all bad.
This is real Antichrist bs. But it is worth learning about Islam and their Koran. The jihadis sugarcoat the life of Mohamed and minimize the calls for violence in their book.
Where did this clown come up with her wacky idea of “key teaching” of Jesus?
“..the two key messages of Jesus – that all people are created equal and the powerful have an obligation to the weak – are the foundation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Although the values have been decoupled from the faith, it’s vital to know how they came into existence.”
Umm, no. Thanks for playing, try again.
If only the Jihadis sugarcoated the life of Muhammad. The fact that the Jihadis don’t, and then hold the life of this thieving, perverted barbarian as the example for all me to follow is the main reason why Islamic fundamentalism is so horrific in what it does.
Couldn't even remember Genesis 9 when she got all the way to Genesis 19. The promise was to not kill everyone and everything with a flood. Knocking off a couple of cities with fire and brimstone didn't violate either part of the covenant.
I didn't come to my Christianity or Catholicism via Sunday School or a catechism book. My parents never had me Christened/Baptized, and despite a partial Jewish heritage I never had any training in the Torah. I made a decision, as a young adult (18y.o.) to pursue Catholicism. The reasons I made this decision are many, and they are mine - though I'd be happy to share, but not in a short response online.
That said, there is nothing about Christ or what we know of his teachings that directs us toward Socialism, or Communism, or any other worldly, secular pursuit.
Why there is inequality in the world is complex, and includes the consequences of choices we make, our upbringing and background, genetics (sadly including genetic diseases and syndromes), and sometimes (maybe mostly) just because of what we call serendipity.
The type of equality that is spoken of in the Declaration of Independence is the equality of our worth to God. God doesn't care that Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, or that she went to Wellesley. God doesn't care if you have a degree from MIT, Harvard, Princeton, or from the online school of nail care.
Ironically, the crowd (liberal pseudo intellectuals) who most frequently put forth the same rhetoric you have DO care about all of those things. They call whole sections of the US ‘flyover country. They deride the educational backgrounds of people they don't like or don't agree with. They call people ‘deplorables’. They say that ‘white men should shut up and not talk’. They support making people do things that are contrary to their religious beliefs (e.g. abortion in Catholic hospitals, and making bakeries participate in gay weddings when they don't want to).
I could go on and on, but my point is just that you are not speaking from a position of virtue - which it seems you believe you are. You are speaking from a position of ideology, an ideology that cannot and will not accept the thoughts of others. In so doing, those who espouse that ideology are saying that those ‘others’, with whom they don't agree, are not equal. You should think about this.
“The End Times are preceded by the arrival of the anti-Christ who, at first, appears to make peace amongst all the nations. For this reason, Evangelicals hate the United Nations. They think it’s led by the anti-Christ. That’s why Trump slags off the UN. It plays well with millions of voters who think it’s the work of the actual Devil.”
Nah Evangelicals hate the UN for a whole lot of other reasons. Like continuously targeting the only free and democratic nation in the Middle East.
Anybody who talks about the “book of Revelations” doesn’t know anything about the Bible. This piece is trash.
John addresses his book to the seven cities in Asia--Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyateira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodiceia. She could just tell her son that because they don't live in any of those cities, the book isn't meant for them.
/s
The jihadis do sugarcoat Mohammed at ecumenical meetings and via the media. Lots of useful idiots help them. In this country they mostly do soft jihad meaning convincing the public through deception. Once they get the upper hand or make the determination that force is necessary the violence emerges.
Sarah,
That “hedge school” you attended helped you to be mixed up. What is a “hedge” school ?
Since she’s a fan of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy maybe she should look into the number 42:
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/PSA.42.niv
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