Topic: "Slaves Obey Your Masters" billboard torn down

[Shibboleth]

Like all Christians.

Like all people. Atheists that combat Christians also like to pick and choose what verses to present. This billboard was a good example of that fact.

It is important to remember that when the New Testament was being written the Christians were hiding in caves, being hunted down, and being fed to lions. These were not verses being written from the perspective of the master. That is why so many of them said, "Masters be good to your slaves, because I am your master and if you are not...."

[seaotter]

I've started the bible again, and I've yet to find anything redeeming so far.

[Johnny Slick]

The bit with Lot and his daughters is redeemingly creepy.

[NekoNinja]

I find the "Atheists are just picking all the bad verses" argument to be poor. It doesn't matter that there may be good verses and morals in the book when it is also promoting slavery, rape and genocide. You don't give someone a pass because he gave to charity right after killing 30 people. And I'm sure someone following Hitler or Stalin could have found plenty of quotes and things they did to try and portray them as a good and moral people. It doesn't justify their actions any.

[IrishJazz]

I find the "Atheists are just picking all the bad verses" argument to be poor. It doesn't matter that there may be good verses and morals in the book when it is also promoting slavery, rape and genocide. You don't give someone a pass because he gave to charity right after killing 30 people. And I'm sure someone following Hitler or Stalin could have found plenty of quotes and things they did to try and portray them as a good and moral people. It doesn't justify their actions any.

It is a bit of a stretch to say the Bible is "promoting" slavery, rape and genocide.  The Jewish law has restrictions on slavery.  The definition of rape is a moving target and the genocide- if you can call killing the occupants of a single city that- takes place in a legendary past.   Beyond anything else the book is anachronistic, not evil.

For example- "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" today is basically a prescription for revenge.  In the past it was a moral argument for measured response in a tribal conflict, where escalating retribution could far exceed the original offense.

Of course Atheists are picking the offensive lines.  What sense would it make to have a billboard that says"

"Whatever you do to the least of these, my brethren, you do unto me."

or

"Consider the lilies of the field, they neither spin nor sow"

or

"Suffer the little children to come unto me"

Well, throw in a leering priest and maybe that last one would work.

[Shibboleth]

I never said that athiests should give Christians a pass. I was just pointing out that selecting verses that suit one's argument and POV isn't unique to Christians.

[seaotter]

It's not our fucking book!

[Shibboleth]

That changes nothing.

[seaotter]

That changes nothing.

If my point is there are fucked up things in the bible it's not cherry picking to point out those fucked up things.

[Chew]

The Jewish law has restrictions on slavery.  The definition of rape is a moving target and the genocide- if you can call killing the occupants of a single city that- takes place in a legendary past.   

Some inhabitants of Amalek survived and some Jews believe modern day Palestinians are their descendants and must be exterminated. In that bizarre sense it's not entirely accurate to refer to the massacre of Amalek as the legendary past.

[Shibboleth]

Nor is it wrong for someone to point out that the Bible teaches good things... but if you are going to say as a whole that something teaches a thing you cannot cherry pick.

Christians are guilty of this when they try to prove that the Koran teaches violence.

[seaotter]

Like all Christians.

Like all people. Atheists that combat Christians also like to pick and choose what verses to present. This billboard was a good example of that fact.

It is important to remember that when the New Testament was being written the Christians were hiding in caves, being hunted down, and being fed to lions. These were not verses being written from the perspective of the master. That is why so many of them said, "Masters be good to your slaves, because I am your master and if you are not...."

But that wasn't your assertion. You said the billboard was an example of cherry picking, and no, no it's not. It's case in point there are fucked up things in that overall fucked up book.

[superdave]

Metallica - Master Of Puppets With lyrics

I've fought for weeks to not post this.

[seaotter]

Nor is it wrong for someone to point out that the Bible teaches good things... but if you are going to say as a whole that something teaches a thing you cannot cherry pick.

This not the cherry picking I refered to. All Christians cherry pick the bible in that nobody follows everything in that horrible horrible book. Christians pick and choose from the smagosboard of stuff from love thy neighbor to stone adulterers as justification for their moral stance.

[IrishJazz]

The Jewish law has restrictions on slavery.  The definition of rape is a moving target and the genocide- if you can call killing the occupants of a single city that- takes place in a legendary past.   

Some inhabitants of Amalek survived and some Jews believe modern day Palestinians are their descendants and must be exterminated. In that bizarre sense it's not entirely accurate to refer to the massacre of Amalek as the legendary past.

It is in the legendary past in the sense that the original slaughter never happened.  There is no archeological evidence for the conquest of Canaan.  So even if there are real zealots now, they are appealing to a myth.