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When did I say that it’s impossible to understand western politics without reading the Bible? How is my claim ridiculous?
Your argument makes you sound like a Bible literalist. If you read such a text and conclude that one of the most important bits is “humans used to be 10ft tall” then you might struggle with reading comprehension.
I’d be happy to share journal articles relating to the importance of the Bible and politics if that’s what you’re interested in. However I think a great starting point on the Bible’s influence would be through literature. Chapter 2, 7, 14, 18 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor is a great starting point.
An example of biblical literature being relevant to modern day politics would be the story of Moses. Moses was born to two different worlds 1) the common/poor or overlooked and 2) the wealthy ruling class. Because of this he is able to not only appeal to the masses but also wield the power to control them (this story is repeated is numerous ancient texts as well). The modern Republican Party uses a similar tactic. Someone like Donald Trump appeals to voters by creating a story where he is relatable and “one of them.” However he also has the financial and cultural backing to be a popular candidate.
Wow, biblical stories have allegorical meanings? This is brand new information to me!
No shit there's some basic stories about human nature. Yes, christian fundamentalism has been a shaping force of the west. That still doesn't make the Bible itself worth reading especially when, as previously established, most christians themselves haven't done so.
It's like saying someone should read Dianetics to understand why Scientology is fucked up.
I’m not quite sure why you’re trying to debate if the Bible has allegories. Tbh you’re being weirdly aggressive about a point I never even brought up.
It’s hard to describe how ignorant it sounds to say that the Bible isn’t worth reading. Is the Quran worth reading? Are the Vedas worth reading? Most people haven’t read The Communist Manifesto so we should probably just forget about it since we get the gist of it. I’m a firm believer in evolution but I never read On the Origin of Species so I’m sure it isn’t a very valuable text. I’m all for remembering the slave trade and giving a voice to the generational trauma of African Americans, but I don’t think there’s any reason to read Beloved . How can you not realize how insane you sound? What makes a book valuable enough for you to read it?
And yes, reading Dianetics would give a great understanding of why Scientology is fucked up compared to some bs like “Tom cruise is a weirdo and gave all his money to Scientology so it must be the worst.”
I was raised Muslim, I've read the Quran twice, no it's not worth reading.
You sound so close minded and poorly educated it makes me sad. It’s as if you have the reading comprehension and argumentative skills of a 4th grader.
Instead of trying to reply to my comment in a constructive way you just dug a deeper hole for yourself. You read one (one) sentence and decided that not only was that my argument, but also the only sentence worth mentioning.
And if you think there is no value in reading the Quran for literature, cultural, political, etc reasons then you’re dull.
Like holy shit man go to community college or something and try to learn
I'm assuming you have no religious trauma. I do, have read 100% of bible across 3 months when I discovered the problem of evil on my own (not hard, very basic contradiction) after a very well loved kid in my school (who I didn't personally know) died tragically and painfully and my youth minister's answers didn't cut it. The only think of value I gained is knowing the church is full of shit and I could safely move on with my life ignoring all I'd ever been taught. If I want to learn of a culture, I'd rather read their literature than curated mythologies used to exalt patriarchies.