Anti Catholicism prevalent in Ireland,but...

[LCohen]

Don't get me wrong. The Bible is a great book and a great insight into some fascinating lives and ideas.

But it shouldn't all be taken as absolute truth.

Agree with all that but think the post should have a few words added to the end being

.......... or as a moral guide.

[muppet]

Don't get me wrong. The Bible is a great book and a great insight into some fascinating lives and ideas.

But it shouldn't all be taken as absolute truth.

Agree with all that but think the post should have a few words added to the end being

.......... or as a moral guide.

I personally have no problem with term terms like 'moral guide'. I would be more troubled by words such as 'fundamental diktat'.

[T Fearon]

The key parts of the Bible are the Ten Commandments and the life of Christ and his teachings in the gospels.All other parts are irrelevant

[easytiger95]

Really? I thought that you were more an Old Testament, old skool bible thumper T. But given you thought that Barrabas repented and entered the Kingdom of God with Jesus, I'd suggest you read those Gospels you profess to love so much. I don't think he used the words eternal damnation all that much. Damn hippie!

[Maguire01]

The key parts of the Bible are the Ten Commandments and the life of Christ and his teachings in the gospels.All other parts are irrelevant

How very a la carte.

[T Fearon]

Well you can't get better than the words and life example of the Son of God

[Maguire01]

Well you can't get better than the words and life example of the Son of God

Or a version of them written several decades after his death.

[ONeill]

Surely the bible makes it very clear."The Angel of The Lord declared on Mary and she conceived by the Holy Ghost"

This suggests you have been attending Immaculate Conception 'celebrations' but hadn't a clue really what it was.

[ONeill]

What are you trying to say about Santa here?

[Aerlik]

Nah, I was dragged to the Novena from I was no age. I thought it was X Factor for aul dolls.

that made me laugh.  And them doing their utmost to out-pray the others in the chapel. 

I come from a very traditional Catholic family background with the usual plethora of priests and nuns ordained down the years on both my parents' sides.  One thing that we never did though was read the Bible except when required for school.  I refused to do RE O-level as I didn't see the point, much to the disgust of The Bob Devine.  My lifestyle since leaving Ireland has changed enormously  and if I were to judged by the dogma stuffed down our throats from the pulpit, I would be wasting my time even thinking about reconciliation as I am already on my way to Hell (being a Freo fan for 14 years has played no part in that, I can assure you.)

Well you can't get better than the words and life example of the Son of God

Or a version of them written several decades after his death.

I have to totally agree with Maguire01 here.  Tony, you MUST take into consideration that the Bible was written by "scholars" who just happened to be the children of wealthy aristocrats who could afford to send little Jimmy and little Bartholomew off to get educated, provided they came back and germinated the "right" message to the uneducated and enslaved masses.  In effect, it could be argued that the Bible, and for that reason the Talmud, are two of the earliest examples of mass-media propaganda.

[T Fearon]

Just because it was written a long time after the main character 's death doesn't mean it is untrue or substantially inaccurate.I believe it is the inspired Word of God

[seafoid]

The immaculate conception is what marketing people call a unique selling point.

It subsequently drove a big problem with Christianity- the focus on sex rather than wider morality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axEGY1zWe8g

An example of the dysfunction would be the abuse of kids in industrial schools in Ireland.

Historically Chinese culture focused on wellness and social stability via the concept of yin and yang and it covered all aspects
of life including sexuality. Sexuality was not the be all and end all as it was under Christianity.
And  you had more enlightened attitudes to gay people as a result.

And this idea that the Bible is the word of God- is the Koran too? And the Bhagavad gita ?And what about aborigine belief systems? Are they also valid ?   

[johnneycool]

Just because it was written a long time after the main character 's death doesn't mean it is untrue or substantially inaccurate.I believe it is the inspired Word of God

The numbers of well educated, catholic, church goers who don't know that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn't write the gospels is unreal or the fact that other gospels were written by the followers of St Paul and St Peter yet ignored by the catholic church.

[seafoid]

Don't get me wrong. The Bible is a great book and a great insight into some fascinating lives and ideas.

But it shouldn't all be taken as absolute truth.

I think all religious books have good stuff in them but that they were written by humans and so are limited.

[Mike Sheehy]

The immaculate conception is what marketing people call a unique selling point.

You never stop talking shit do you ?