[lbo-talk] Fwd: Rick Warren should be in prison

[John Thornton]

Carl Remick wrote:
> On 9/21/07, John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>   
>> ... And yes reading the gospels is a complete waste of time for someone
>> searching for texts relevant to today. I wish I had the time back that I
>> spend reading them. I would have learned more things of relevance today
>> watching TeeVee.
>>     
>
> Overall I agree with you and find the Bible generally a mismash of
> sacralized tribal lore more likely to mislead than enlighten.  Still,
> I find some scriptural passages beautiful and insightful, e.g.:
>
> "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
> thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
> thereof." (Matthew 6:34)
>
> "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not
> charity [i.e., love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
> cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
> mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I
> could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And
> though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
> body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
> Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
> vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself
> unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no
> evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth
> all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
> things.  Charity never faileth....  And now abideth faith, hope,
> charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1
> Corinthians 13)
>
> You'd have to watch a lot of TV to encounter language as musical or
> profound as that.
>
> Carl

Yes but my claim isn't that some passages don't contain beauty but 
rather that reading the gospels to find guidance for today is pointless.
And there really is so much beautiful literature trying to sift through 
the manure to find the gems is not the best use of ones time either.
None of us has time to read everything they would like so we must 
prioritize the choices of reading material.
If one is desirous of reading about ancient myths then certainly the 
gospels are worthy their attention and may even be considered mandatory 
to approach anything like a full appreciation but for much else they are 
of so little merit one would be better off spending their time in more 
fruitful reading.
If I watched TeeVee I would be far more pop cultural literate than I am. 
I am shockingly uninformed on so much pop culture but it irritates me so 
much I will not spend the time to become more knowledgeable in this 
area. With respect to relevancy in this culture I would have been better 
off watching TeeVee than reading the gospels. With respect to my desire 
to understand the creation and influence of ancient myths I would be 
better off reading the gospels than watching TeeVee. That is actually, 
in a manner of speaking, the choice I made.

John Thornton