How could mentally ill person(s) have written the Bible?

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SomeBODIEShero's picture
@sapparo

@sapparo

So what? If I went up to my friend tomorrow and killed him for a hulcrux, does that automatically take Harry Potter of the best sellers list?

arakish's picture
@ Nobody's Hero

@ Nobody's Hero

"So what? If I went up to my friend tomorrow and killed him for a hulcrux, does that automatically take Harry Potter of the best sellers list?"

No. But you'd be assured of being the top news story on television.

rmfr

Sapporo's picture
SomeBODIEShero: @sapparo

SomeBODIEShero: @sapparo

So what? If I went up to my friend tomorrow and killed him for a hulcrux, does that automatically take Harry Potter of the best sellers list?

What relevance does the Bestsellers list have to do with the distribution of texts that condone violence? What relevance does such a list have to do with the merit of a book?

Tin-Man's picture
@SomeBODIEShero Re: "I have

@SomeBODIEShero Re: "I have a B.S. and I think the Bible is a fantastic piece of literature."

...*scratching head in confusion*.... Wait... There must be some sort of typo here... You HAVE a B.S., or you are FULL OF B.S.???... *reading post again*... Yeah, definitely must be some sort of typo...

Sapporo's picture
SomeBODIEShero: And

SomeBODIEShero: And considering it has sold more copies than any other book on the planet, kinda suggests its valuable in some way.

The bible is the world's most stolen book. What are we to infer from that?

SomeBODIEShero: The contents of the bible have had an inestimable impact on world culture (especially Western)

It has certainly been responsible for many deaths.

SomeBODIEShero: and so much so some of our time's "Greatest writers" have taken influence from the bible for their famous worksThis list includes authors such as the anonymous writer of Beowulf, the Arthurian romances of Chrétien de Troyes, John Milton, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Charlotte Bronte, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Lord Byron, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison, and William Faulkner. Even Shakespeare "uses a staggering 1,300 biblical allusions throughout his plays, according to a study by Naseeb Shaheen."

You make it sound like it is surprising that the bible is a often-cited book, even though for much of history, most people could not read, and the only literature they would have heard would have been from the bible if anything, and most likely not even in their own language. If they could read, they were still actively discouraged from reading the bible for most of the history of Christianity, and yet if they did read any book, that book would have been the bible.

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@s

@s

You and I know this is a cheap escape

arakish's picture
Nobody's Hero: "You and I

Nobody's Hero: "You and I know this is a cheap escape"

Actually, only a Religious Absolutist would think this.

rmfr

Sapporo's picture
SomeBODIEShero: @s

SomeBODIEShero: @s

You and I know this is a cheap escape

You seem to have replaced a well-reasoned argument with an erroneous observation.

Sheldon's picture
"Anyway, if we can't even

"Anyway, if we can't even agree that the Bible is a great piece of literature, I'm afraid our conversation can stop here. No way anyone will convince you it's full of truth on top of that."

Well there are objective standards for truth claims, and the claim it is great literature can be examined objectively as well. I think if you had said it contains some great literature I might have baulked at even that, but to claim it is great literature without any qualifying remarks is manifestly absurd. Seriously there are some passages that only copious amounts of coffee and cocaine could get you through. There are also a great many passages that condone and even endorse things like ethnic cleansing and sex trafficking female prisoners if they are virgins, buying and owning slaves etc etc etc.

Now I know you're going to say the repugnant passages don't negate it being written well, but it not written well in many places, and it is impossible to ignore that it has been offered as a moral tome from a perfectly moral deity. So I can only judge it in that context, it is neither great literature or a moral guide.

The truth of it's claims, many of which are now been shown to be objectively and absurdly false, can only be established through sufficient objective evidence.

Can you demonstrate any objective evidence that a deity exists? As if you cannot that is far more of a barrier to discussing such unevidenced beliefs than the quality of literature in the bible.

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@Sheldon

@Sheldon

My claim had nothing to do with whether a deity exists or not. It was merely on the basis of the Bible being great literature.

Since you declared it was “neither great literature nor a moral guide”, please explain why you claim that to be true.

Sheldon's picture
"Since you declared it was

"Since you declared it was “neither great literature nor a moral guide”, please explain why you claim that to be true."

I already did in the post you just responded to?

http://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/debate-room/how-could-mentally-ill...

David Killens's picture
@SomeBODIEShero

@SomeBODIEShero

"I have a B.S. and I think the Bible is a fantastic piece of literature."

Read any great literature, such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville, or even "Through the Looking-Glass" by Lewis Carroll. Then read the bible as a work of literature, from front to back, beginning to end.

You may feel like you are wiping your mouth with shit, it is that bad.

As a reference book for someone already committed as a theist,t it may seem wonderful. But as a work of literature, it is as bad as it can get.

Sheldon's picture
"I have read the Bible and I

"I have read the Bible and I do find it to be good literature"

Ambiguous, contradictory, vague wishy-washy appeals to woo woo superstition, and when it is emphatic about a topic it is to endorse slavery, rapine, and the sex trafficking of women and girls after using ethnic cleansing to wipe out their tribe, murder, infanticide, genocide, human sacrifice being a good benchmark of a faithful believer, and on and on.

If you want great literature try Orwell, Dickens, Dumas, Tolkien, Hugo, Huxley or Twain or many many more. The bible is often chloroform in print, and a pretty disgusting read when it does manage to be definitive on most topics.

Here is a book so dull, that birds would fall unconscious from the sky, were it to be read aloud in the open air.

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@sheldon

@sheldon

This is exactly the response I would expect from someone with a bias against religion.

I do believe you are smarter than that tho. I imagine you agree with me, and are just to cowardly to admit in public that you believe the Bible to be great literature. (Or maybe just too embarrassed to admit to yourself...?)

Sapporo's picture
SomeBODIEShero: This is

SomeBODIEShero: This is exactly the response I would expect from someone with a bias against religion.

Are you saying that if a person is opposed to genocide, slavery, rape, torture etc. they have a bias against religion?

arakish's picture
Nobody's Hero: "I imagine you

Nobody's Hero: "I imagine you agree with me, and are just to cowardly to admit in public that you believe the Bible to be great literature. (Or maybe just too embarrassed to admit to yourself...?)"

Nope. I do not agree with you. Nope. I ain't no coward. After what I have been through in my life, I fear nothing. NOTHING. Whether in public or in private (which I done both) I shall always say the Bible is the worst piece of shit ever written in all of history.

7734, the attached picture is much better piece of literature than that chunk of Holy Toilet Paper.

rmfr

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Sheldon's picture
Your expectations have no

@EverybodiesBODIEsZero

Your expectations have no relevance, and your unevidenced and fallacious accusation of bias is risible.

"I imagine you agree with me, and are just to cowardly to admit in public that you believe the Bible to be great literature."

What a particularly stupid claim, and this is pretty weak trolling even by theistic standards. Nor do I think a keyboard warrior like you should really be bandying words like coward around. Why are theists incapable of being disagreed with without sulking, and throwing tantrums? It's as if theists think atheists are not entitled to an opinion, what an arrogant myopic worldview you have.

Tin-Man's picture
@Sheldon Re: "Here is a book

@Sheldon Re: "Here is a book so dull, that birds would fall unconscious from the sky, were it to be read aloud in the open air."

...*choke-gag-cough-cough-gag*... Awww, fuck!... LMAO... *trying to clear throat*... *hack-hack-hack*... Dammit, Sheldon! How many times do we have to tell you? Give some WARNING before you say something humorous! Thankfully, I wasn't eating or drinking. Still, I about choked on my own saliva because I wasn't expecting that.

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@OP

@OP

"I've been pretty firm on my belief that belief in God is infantile narcissism, first posited by Freud. This would mean that everyone who believes in God is mentally ill. "

I don't understand how one could make the leap to judge "everyone who believes in God" as "mentally ill". And you do realize that you would be condemning 85% of the world's population with this statement? Maybe it is atheists that are the mentally ill ones.

Cognostic's picture
@SomeBODIEShero "I don't

@SomeBODIEShero "I don't understand how one could make the leap to judge "everyone who believes in God" as "mentally ill".

"A delusion is firm and fixed belief based on inadequate grounds not amenable to rational argument or evidence to contrary, not in sync with regional, cultural and educational background. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, or some other misleading effects of perception."

They have been found to occur in the context of many pathological states (both general physical and mental) and are of particular diagnostic importance in psychotic disorders including schizophrenia, paraphrenia, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusion

"Delusion, in psychology, a rigid system of beliefs with which a person is preoccupied and to which the person firmly holds, despite the logical absurdity of the beliefs and a lack of supporting evidence. Delusions are symptomatic of such mental disorders as paranoia, schizophrenia, and major depression and of such physiological conditions as senile psychosis and delirium. They vary in intensity, extent, and coherence and may represent pathological exaggeration of normal tendencies to rationalization, wishful thinking, and the like. Among the most common are delusions of persecution and grandeur; others include delusions of bodily functioning, guilt, love, and control"

You are the one that talks to magical sky beings and believes he can interfere in your life. You are best friends with the all powerful creator of the universe who knows your every thought and even counts the number of hairs on your head.

How can you not figure out the answer to the question?

arakish's picture
Nobody's Hero: "I don't

Nobody's Hero: "I don't understand how one could make the leap to judge "everyone who believes in God" as "mentally ill". And you do realize that you would be condemning 85% of the world's population with this statement? Maybe it is atheists that are the mentally ill ones."

The mental illness is called RSTD (Religious Stigmata Traumatized Disorder).

I already wrote a treatise about it here. Go look for it.

ALL Religion is Humankind's worst enemy. It is nothing more than a mental disorder, mental disease, mental illness, and brain virus all rolled into one.

rmfr

SomeBODIEShero's picture
Jesus dude, you are so angry.

@arakish

Jesus dude, you are so angry. I would beg to differ that your attitude towards those who disagree with you is far more toxic and harmful to society than The average believer. Get a grip dude. And maybe some psychiatric help.

Old man shouts at clouds's picture
@ SomeBODIEShero

@ SomeBODIEShero

Unless you want us to think the jesus dude, is angry please specify who you are replying to in future.

The forums are confusing unless you follow the conventions...i.e use @ and respondents name and then maybe the quote from the post you want to reply to.

Makes life so much easier. Even for insulting pricks like you.

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@ old man.

@ old man.

Thanks, didn’t notice I left that out

arakish's picture
@ Nobody's Hero

@ Nobody's Hero

OK Folks! Listen up. We have found another Religious Absolutist who makes a neutron star look as fluffy as a marshmellow.

Angry? Never. Just adamantly opposed to religion. Oh, and the gullible ones who believe its lies.

There is no such thing as an average believer. You are either a theist or an atheist. In the case of being a theist, those are most harmful and toxic persons to ever exist. Much like yourself. Hate to tell you this, but religion is on its way out. Eventually, the human species will ascend to where it was meant to be now if it had not been for religion's absolutely abhorrent and frightful suppression of the human species for 800 years. Keep supporting the most harmful and toxic bullshit and horse hoowhee created by megalomaniacal psychotic sociapaths.

And what is it that said about the truth? "It cuts deeply." Thus, it must hurt as is proof of you being butt-hurt.

Here is a list of how one can spot a Religious Absolutist and they only need match just ONE:

  1. They LIE without ever thinking about the veracity of their statement.
  2. They LIE without ever providing any evidence of their statement.
  3. They LIE by believing inexorably everything they state, regardless of how inaccurate.
  4. They LIE by being absolute in their statements (either I believe you or I am worthless scum).
  5. They LIE by using beguiling dialectical semantics.
  6. They LIE by using distorted and perverted data.
  7. They LIE by creating irrational excuses.
  8. They LIE by utilizing whiney-ass pleas.
  9. They LIE by not realizing why they need to defend their beliefs.
  10. They LIE by utilizing presupposed conclusions with no evidence.
  11. They LIE by making accusations they never apologize for even when they are proven wrong.
  12. They LIE by changing the subject.
  13. They LIE by taking text out of context and twisting and perverting said text to fit their presupposed confirmation bias.
  14. They LIE by shifting the burden of proof.

So far, you have hit on seven. Figure out which.

rmfr

SomeBODIEShero's picture
@arakish

@arakish

You sound like a fanatical muslim...hmmm

Maybe you have some religiosity is you yet...?

Sapporo's picture
SomeBODIEShero: @arakish

SomeBODIEShero: @arakish

You sound like a fanatical muslim...hmmm

You sound like a theist with a bias against one particular religion

arakish's picture
@ Nobody's Hero

@ Nobody's Hero

Nope. Just Militant Anti-Religionist. Neutron star, dude.

rmfr

Tin-Man's picture
Re: "You (Arakish) sound like

Re: "You (Arakish) sound like a fanatical muslim...hmmm"

Huh?... Wait... Arakish is a Muslim???... Well, I'll be... Hey, Arakish, you wearing any underwear under your man-dress?

Sheldon's picture
@ burningirls

@ burningirls

What benchmark are you measuring the bible with to determine it's "great"

Why must religious people be "mentally ill"? A delusion doesn't necessarily indicate a pathology.

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