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Originally Posted by Infinite_Loser
Oh, please do elaborate.
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I've found that some people are predisposition to religion and some are predisposition to atheism. It's not an ultimate deciding factor as to their perception, but it can play a strong role. My step brother was studying to be a monk when we first met but was interested in learning about my outlook. He asked a ton of questions of me and decided after a lot of thinking that he was essentially atheist (he reads a lot of Meister Eckhart). I didn't convert him, he converted himself because his though processes found atheism to be a better fit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveMatrix
But your view of the Bible is solely based on your fundamentalist upbringing. Taken in its proper context, taking into account when and who it was written by, considering many parts are allegorical if not mythical and should not be taken literally, seeing it as a whole, a story leading up to a defining moment in human history, it ain't half bad.
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It's really not. I enjoy reading the bible just as much as I enjoy reading about Zeus or Anasi. They're fascinating and not only provide cultural context but also insight into humanity itself.
Dawkins is shrill in God Delusion, but I've read stuff by people I don't agree with before (John Perkins, for example, tends to exaggerate pretty badly) and the tone really doesn't make a difference to me. If people get pissed at Dawkins, then put it down. God Delusion is still an amazing book. Some of Dawkins' inferences and the directions he takes are really interesting.