A recent letter to the editor about mainstream religion, paganism, atheism and the troubles between them sparked a rather spirited discussion on our blogs. Since the discussions tend to wind down after the original post gets rotated off the front page, and I thought I’d make a home for the same topic on the blogs.

Given the history of discussing religion on the internet, this was probably a very bad idea. People take their belief systems VERY, VERY seriously, and it’s generally not a topic that veers into name calling at the drop of a dismissive adjective.

Since I’ve already stated my case on the blogs, I’m going to try to stay out of this one as anything other than as a moderator. If someone is getting too hostile or veering into libel or otherwise violating the forum rules, please use the report button to let us know.

That said, be civil and have fun discussing the ever-controversial topics of religion, myth, belief, superstition, faith and dogma.

some lady Uses the scene in the movie Borat, in which the title character mistakes the elevator for his hotel room as a metaphor to illuminate personal religious experience and how basic misunderstandings can lead to loss of faith and even fanaticism.

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-avoid-Borats-Elevator-8730361

I can’t wait for “Borat’s Elevator” to reach the same status as “Plato’s Cave.”

I think I’ve said this before, but I get creeped out by the superpowered spaceman parts of religion. To me, they take away from the rather nice message of “treat each other like human beings”. The naked superpowered Jesus tends to take away from that message. Therefor, I choose to ignore all of it.

Christianity is like Superman comics with more jews.

Therefor, I choose to ignore all of it.

i hope that was intentionally ironic.

I like to think of the irony as a happy accident.

so, you eschew all ‘spirituality’ because some fanatics are idiots?

that would be like swearing off the Forum just because that jason bugg go is so MEAN!

baby and bath water come to mind.

I left out “for some people” in the third sentence. I can’t wrap my brain around the superpowered dude who writes everything you do down in a book.

Chasin’ Bludd - 22 October 2009 10:50 PM

I left out “for some people” in the third sentence. I can’t wrap my brain around the superpowered dude who writes everything you do down in a book.

You leave Santa out of this!

Chasin’ Bludd - 22 October 2009 10:50 PM

I left out “for some people” in the third sentence. I can’t wrap my brain around the superpowered dude who writes everything you do down in a book.

yes, but those people are idiots, and God hates them and has a special place in hell especially reserved for them.

I don’t know if this belongs in religion or literature, but I’m putting it here.

Not safe for Church!

Biblical sex row over explicit illustrated Book of Genesis

A sexually explicit illustrated Book of Genesis by controversial artist Robert Crumb, which features Bible characters having intercourse, has been condemned by religious groups.

The book, which is released this month, carries the warning “adult supervision recommended for minors”, and is described as “scandalous satire” by its publishers.

It includes graphic illustrations of Bible characters having sexual intercourse, and other scenes depicting naked men and women as well as “gratuitous” depictions of violence.

Crumb, the book’s author, is most famous for his creation Fritz the Cat, a sexually graphic “underground” comic strip. It was turned into a film that became the first animation to receive an X rating.

He has said he does not believe that the Bible is the word of God. “I take it all for myth from start to finish, with probably some faint relation to historical reality.” he said.

“They’re great stories. But for people to take texts as something sacred, handed down from God… that’s pretty backward, I think.”

The Book of Genesis illustrated by R. Crumb has been criticised by leading religious groups such as the Christian Institute.

“It is turning the Bible into titillation,” said Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, a religious think-tank. “It seems wholly inappropriate for what is essentially God’s rescue plan for mankind.

“If you are going to publish your own version of the Bible it must be done with a great deal of sensitivity. The Bible is a very important text to many many people and should be treated with the respect it deserves.

“Representing it in your own way is all very well and good but it must be remembered that it is a matter of people’s faith, their religion.

“Faith is such an important part of people’s lives that one must remember to tread very carefully.”

Other leading religious figures have been more supportive of the work. “I didn’t think it was satire,” said the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Nick Baines.

“He set out to say; ‘this is important, fundamental myth’ and it seems to me he’s done a good job.”

A spokeswoman for the Bible Society said she hadn’t seen the book but that reviews had suggested that Crumb had “really engaged” with the Book of Genesis.

“It may surprise people but the bible does contain nudity, sex and violence. That’s because it contains real stories about real people.

“If by reading the book people are encouraged to re-engage with the Bible then that can only be a good thing.”

A spokesman for the Church of England said: “I haven’t seen the book but I think trying to sell something by emphasising the sexual nature of some of the scenes doesn’t seem to be a good way to pass on the message of the bible.”

“It is turning the Bible into titillation,” said Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, a religious think-tank. “It seems wholly inappropriate for what is essentially God’s rescue plan for mankind.

The fact that his name is Mike Judge is ironic on more than one level.

if you don’t believe in my god, i will kill you.

Religion=control, and for me personally, spirituality is bunk.

My ideas on religion have totally changed since I was ordained. I have seen the light, so to speak. Religion is good, specifically my religion.

“Should you deny someone a job if they refuse to swear in God’s name?”

City council members in Marietta, Ga., will consider changing the oath of office that the city’s police officers take so that recruits can swear to uphold the law without saying the phrase “so help me God.

“I just see no justification, I don’t care if the person is an atheist,” he said. “We’re a Christian nation.”

“I don’t want to say the oath should be reworked, but if you have a person who objects to it, it appears there should be some alternative available to those individuals,”

“In the eight years I’ve been mayor, there’s never been a problem,” he said of the oath. “I don’t think there will be any changes at all. If someone does not want to make that statement, I’m not so sure I want them on our police force.”

I agree with the mayor. People who don’t believe in magical, unseen, all-powerful beings are just not trustworthy and should not be in positions of authority.