Comments on: Weekend Update

By: RW

RW — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:54:00 +0000

smijer,
Here is Richard Jeni’s quick lesson on the bible for Catholics, if it’s any help. When in doubt, go to comedy.

By: smijer

smijer — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:26:14 +0000

The Bible doesn’t have theories, so much as every person who has ever cracked one open has some kind of theories - formal or informal - about it.

By: Buck

Buck — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:39:20 +0000

I didn’t even know the Bible had theories. But the discussions sound like a lot of fun.

And I find it interesting that the Unitarian Church empties during sci-fi week.

I once pushed a self propelled lawn mower without ever puttin’ it in drive. It was kinda like cutting a tree down with a chain saw and neglecting to crank the chain saw.

It ain’t easy but it can be done.

By: smijer

smijer — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:13:44 +0000

Well, this first session was an overview of “theories” of the Bible, and the inescapability of using them to approach the book, its history, and its meaning. Two weeks from now, we are going to do a 45-minute run-through of a topic that one could spend months on - apocalyptic writing in the canonical sciptures - from the Old Testament to the words of Jesus in the Gospels to the famous Apocalypse of John aka Revelations. How it can be so tightly condensed and still be informative, interesting, and challenging… I’m not sure yet. I suppose it will be another “overview” type session, and that we will do more detailed studies in the future, but not immediately. The following week will be the controversy you saw me take up on this blog once with a few local conservatives - that of the authorship of the first five books of the Bible - the Torah, or the Pentateuch. I chose this one because - speaking to Unitarians - I don’t think that they will have encountered defenses of the traditional view of Mosaic authorship as rigorous or eloquent even as the commenters who argued against me, so they may be challenged by some of the conservative counter-claims in favor of Mosaic authorship (though I can’t expect them to be any more convinced of it than I am).

After that, I think we are going to change gears and start having one session per month, and I haven’t pre-selected those topics yet, but I plan to do more detailed discussion of the individual books themselves.

Sorry you asked?

I guess I’ll be mowing again tonight with just push power. I don’t have the emotional strength to struggle with that belt again yet.

By: Buck

Buck — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:24:23 +0000

What are ya’ll studying in your church class?

And don’t feel bad about the lawn mower situation. You should have been a fly on the wall when I changed the blades on my riding mower. I hate doing stuff like that. I don’t mind bleeding and cussing but when it comes to anything mechanical I always flounder.