Journal Entry (Friday November 18, 2022)
It is unusual for me to wander into the topic of religion, I do it here with no small amount of hesitancy. In the end, I’m getting older and less afraid to speak my mind. Does that make me wiser? Does that mean you should believe what I say? Probably not (either one). It is up to each of us to determine for ourselves what we will and will not believe, and what evidence or rationale we will use to believe the things we choose to believe.
the Bible is a collection of stories written by men. Yes you say, men inspired by god. I question that. Knowing what I do about men, I suspect they may have had motives that were not always pure. Make a point here, justify a position there. What does “inspired” mean if the words we have been given in the Bible are used to justify slavery, or white supremacy, or war, or any other form of abominable behavior that man is capable of pepertrating. I know how the argument goes for believing in the Bible. “You must have faith.” Faith that the editors of the Bible had not a single ulterior motive. Faith that they were all divinely guided and never strayed from god’s truth. I suspect that is what it would take, it also makes them puppets, it removes that cherished religious notion of free will. I don’t believe that line of reasoning for a second.
Let’s look briefly at the history of slavery. The Bible has been used to both justify and condemn Slavery. Can you really have your cake and eat it too? Who is right and who is wrong? Why do we have a Bible that could even allow the semblance of an interpretation that would be used to justify one of history’s greatest atrocities? I suspect someone might respond, “but I don’t want to live in a world without god.” You can keep your god if you like, if that helps you determine right from wrong. But don’t try and tell me that slavery, or white supremacy, or war, or any other number of anti-social behaviors is justified by your god and the Bible he has given you. I’m not buying.