<p>I don’t read the Bible to have fun, and I definitely don’t always enjoy it. But it’s a cornerstone of my faith, and it’s important for me to understand it. THAT is why I read the Bible.</p>
<p>As for the “hate-filled” Bible passages-let me tell you that I am currently taking Bible as Literature at a PUBLIC (so don’t try and pull the your-school-is-a-skewed-sample argument, because it’s a public school) school, and let me tell you that they’re not hateful. They were just stated in a different time.</p>
<p>1of42: just because you disagree with my arguments, they’re irrational? That’s a fallacy, my dear (I’m also taking Philosophy).</p>
<p>Cartera45: Don’t even get me started. It’s okay to do it just because “everyone else did it and they turned out okay”?</p>
<p>If someone jumped off a bridge without a parachute and they were okay, would you do that too?</p>
<p>I’m sorry, do you think pencils have caused one thousandth of the harm that the Bible has? I don’t see the connection, really. And the Bible has largely shaped these bigots, and made them what they are. If you don’t think that makes the Bible harmful, I don’t know where to start with you. Pencils don’t really have the power to shape people the way the Bible does. And I didn’t dispute that some Biblical texts are misinterpreted, so I don’t understand your last point about interracial dating. Some Biblical passages are, however, far more clear cut than that one.</p>
<p>"
As for the “hate-filled” Bible passages-let me tell you that I am currently taking Bible as Literature at a PUBLIC (so don’t try and pull the your-school-is-a-skewed-sample argument, because it’s a public school) school, and let me tell you that they’re not hateful. They were just stated in a different time."</p>
<p>Parts of it may have been very progressive for their time - but they’re obsolete now. You can’t use it to justify opinions or laws in the current age, and then, when people dispute their authority, claim that they were “written in a different time”. You’re right, the Bible was written in a different time - which is precisely why I don’t see it as relevant to today’s world.</p>
<p>Anyways, marijuana is a cornerstone of other people’s faiths - should it not also be accepted on that ground?</p>
<p>And if someone jumped off a bridge without a parachute and was okay, I probably wouldn’t try it. If everyone else jumped off a bridge without a parachute, I’m not sure, I might just have to have a go at it.</p>
<p>I don’t know what experience you’ve had with Christians, but let me just say that the people you’re referring to are NOT Christians. Perhaps the most clear cut verse in the Bible is “love each other as yourself.” If this person doesn’t strive to do that, they are not a Christian.</p>
<p>As for this thread in general-I’m done. I’m tired of people trying to make me out to be a ***** just because I’m <em>GASP</em> against doing something that’s illegal. There are always going to be one or two people who want to make something legal that’s illegal. But I’d like to see what you would all do if they legalized everything that a few people wanted to be legal.</p>
<p>unregistered, I’d be happy to carry on the religious debate with you in another thread. But I’m done with you all turning my words against me and telling me what an idiot I am. And I don’t need the extra crap in my life-I have enough of that already. Thanks for being civil-not.</p>
<p>The Bible is a prop rather than a “shaper” in the hands of the dangerous and politically motivated. Democrats try and use it to justify socialism, Republicans try and use it to justify authoritarianism. People who are actually shaped by it approach it with an open mind, and close it having gleaned valuable wisdom from the teachings of Jesus such as “love your neighbor as yourself”, “do unto others as you would have them do unto”, etc which are the antithesis of harmful. I’d venture a guess that if more people followed those teachings, the world would be a lot happier and safer.</p>
<p>Ugh, what awful logic. That’s akin to me saying a pencil is dangerous because I could gouge your eye out with it. If the Bible werent such a cultural icon and revered text, the bigots with a social agenda would find another way to spread their way of thinking.</p>
<p>So you are in disagreement with traditional church teaching that uses the Bible to justify discrimination?</p>
<p>“As for this thread in general-I’m done. I’m tired of people trying to make me out to be a ***** just because I’m <em>GASP</em> against doing something that’s illegal.”</p>
<p>But you aren’t against doing something illegal (or at least not the idea of it, because you said that you would still read the Bible if it were illegal to do so. I just think you’re a bit inconsistent on the matter. I mean, would you be alright with someone smoking marijuana in Amsterdam, where it is, for all practical purposes, legal to do so?</p>
<p>I don’t think I called you an idiot - if I did, I’m sorry, I’ve had a really bad day. I think that some of your arguments are a bit misguided, but I don’t think you’re an idiot.</p>
<p>“The Bible is a prop rather than a “shaper” in the hands of the dangerous and politically motivated. Democrats try and use it to justify socialism, Republicans try and use it to justify authoritarianism. People who are actually shaped by it approach it with an open mind, and close it having gleaned valuable wisdom from the teachings of Jesus such as “love your neighbor as yourself”, “do unto others as you would have them do unto”, etc which are the antithesis of harmful. I’d venture a guess that if more people followed those teachings, the world would be a lot happier and safer.”</p>
<p>I think it’s certainly used to “prop” people’s beliefs as well - but it’s had an enormous and undeniable effect on shaping them, too, as much as any other document in the world. People aren’t born believing in God in the first place, and their political opinions are deeply connected to their fundamental and deeply felt religious beliefs. How many times have you heard someone say “homosexuality (etc) is wrong because the Bible says so”? I’ve heard it too many times to count.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that there aren’t some merits to Christianity, there absolutely are. But people shouldn’t pick and choose the loving, kind passages in the Bible and disregard the fact that it’s filled with a lot of hate, too - and then, when confronted with it, say it’s “just a document from another era”.</p>
<p>HGFM: No, they’re irrational because they’re not substantive at all. You have yet to show a reason why pot should be illegal, so unless you’re arguing that illegal things are automatically bad (which is a useless argument insofar as it raises a number of contradictions), you haven’t made an argument.</p>
<p>Anyone who doesn’t believe that pot is addictive needs to call a drug treatment center. Speak to the people on the front line - ask them what they SEE. Ask the people who deal with thousands of kids every year who are addicted to pot whether or not it is addictive.</p>
<p>Do you really want to know the truth? Get off of your computers, stop spending your time reading studies which support your prejudice (you can find some which support just about anything), and go to a drug treatment center. Go see for yourself.</p>
<p>And by the way, I DO advocate the use of medical marijuana. Doctors should be allowed to prescribe it for whatever it has been proven to help. They can then be responsible for monitoring its use.</p>
<p>One more thing…People with really healthy minds do not have to escape reality. Ever. Recreational drug use is never good. If you need to escape from reality in order to have a good time, you have a problem and need to fix it. If you like the taste of an alcoholic drink with your meals, then fine. If you need to get buzzed to have fun, that is a problem. There is no need to legalize marijuana except for medical use.</p>
<p>spideygirl: Are you being purposefully obtuse? It is widely agreed that marijuana is extremely mildly physically addictive, and the only addiction that people regularly experience is psychological (and remember, you can get psychologically addicted to anything).</p>
<p>Even with that, only 5%-10% of users will be daily users (the standard for addiction) in their lives - which is rather low, don’t you think, for a drug that’s so devilishly terrible as you describe it?</p>
<p>As for your “you have a problem” - that’s according to you. Who the hell gave you the right or privilege to judge anyone else on how they like to have fun? What if I said that listening to music is disgusting and if you like it you need help? Would you agree with me? I don’t think so. Would I have the right to make that pronunciation? No. And neither do you, regarding drugs. It’s your opinion, and you’re welcome to it, but it’s baseless and indicative of nothing but either fear of the unknown or condescending arrogance. Take your pick.</p>
<p>But hey, I guess by your standards many of the world’s great minds and the majority of current students and adults don’t have healthy minds. Isn’t it great being wantonly judgmental?</p>
<p>I don’t think marijuana is any more addictive than video games or overeating. I think obesity causes more health problems than marijuana and I wouldn’t be surprised if cell phones, Ipods and radios cause more accidents than marijuana. Not sure what I’m even saying here, but there could be treatment centers for all kinds of bad habits and that doesn’t mean they should be illegal. If you base what is illegal on what is habit forming, then there is no good argument for alcohol, cigarettes, or any form of gambling to be legal.</p>
<p>Video games, overeating, cell phones, Ipods, and radios will not take your life away, rapidly, and cause you to withdraw from everything you previously valued.</p>