1. To enhance your understanding of history and early ways of life. After all, the Old Testament is one of the oldest written records around.
2. To understand pervasive cultural and literary references to the Bible in western civilization. You'll miss the nuances in much of English literature if you haven't read what the authors assume you have.
3. To enhance your ability to communicate with Jews and Christians. As an educated person in a pluralistic society, you need to know where some of their values (and some of yours) come from.
4. To provide context for modern and current events. Rational self-interest doesn't explain everything that goes on in the Middle East.
5. To provide perspective on religious and ethical questions. They've been on people's minds for a long time.
6. To know what others believe and/or have found meaningful. Why have so many good and smart people taken these teachings seriously?
7. To decide for yourself if you believe what the Bible says, and whether you find literal or metaphorical wisdom therein.
Can you think of additional reasons?
If you google the question, you'll turn up a lot of fundamentalist Christian sites that assert that the Bible is the literal Word of God. They promise you salvation - an afterlife - if you read and believe the Bible, or at least the New Testament. Nothing comes up that echoes my list. Maybe UUs should rectify that and take a stand for literacy and for skeptical exegesis. Let's not let our younger generation be bound by ignorance.
I started at about Junior High School age voluntarily to read the Bible at a pace of about a chapter a night. It took a long time to finish, but it was quite interesting and led to a lot of enlightening discussions with parents and Sunday School teachers, and to the benefits touted above.
What do you think? Should we encourage this kind of study? Do you have a better idea?
Totally agree! It's crucial to cultural literacy, essential to religious literacy. Among the most valuable classes I took in (public) high school were Old & New Testament, Bible as Literature. I was pleased that our son, after attending his high school sweetie's fundamentalist Christian church a few times, decided to read the Bible himself to see what they were talking about - he said "I think they're misinterpreting some of this stuff...." having Bible discussions with him before school in the morning was pretty interesting. Ultimately, he did decide that he disagreed with some of the interpretations of this church, but he also came to a better understanding of what they were talking about and how much interpretation can change the meaning of the text. Important education!
ReplyDeleteI disagree, profoundly, with both Fogbound and Janine. I have read the bible, although only the B'raichit in the original Hebrew. It may be the bronze-age superstitions of *my* people, but it's still bronze-age superstition, and I don't see it as having any place in a modern education, or being useful, let alone necessary, for cultural literacy.
ReplyDeleteJoel, you might find Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth" enlightening. Understanding (even if we reject subscribing to) bronze age or other myths can help us understand ourselves, as well as to recognize how much of our current culture is shaped by mythology. But then I also like science fiction*, as I note you do as well. What was, what might be... two sides of the sandwich we find ourselves in the all-too-thin center of.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I think it's important that we create a safe space for kids to investigate religious questions, provide some challenging material, and encourage them to form their own opinions. Your comment suggests you had such a space; some kids now don't.
* Just finished The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and liked it so well I'm now into Children of God.
Fog, I've got Campbell's whole "Myth" series, and I agree that a knowledge of *a bronze-age culture* is a useful thing -- we're not all that far from it. I just see no reason to prescribe one *particular* bronze-age myth over any others, and there's a big cultural imperialism issue with particularly the mainstream Christian interpretations of the Jewish mythos.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should start a separate thread on "safety," with reference to "safe spaces." I don't think I've ever been safe, and I'm not entirely sure what it means.
As a kid, I was trained to question everything, vigorously, and to expect similar questioning back in return. But it was also both implicit and explicit in that training that I am not my ideas, and an attack on an idea I hold is not an attack on *me*. Also, that there are rules for such attacks, and what constitutes a reasonable argument.
I've been given to understand that this is *not* the case in UU circles, and I'm still trying to adapt to that. Any assistance or cues would be appreciated.
best,
Joel. Rereading Spider Robinson's 'Dreamkiller' at the moment; may send him an extra check by way of thank-you.
I'm with you, Joel, on even-handedness in dealing with bronze age myths. If we get together at GA I'd like to hear your views and understand the cultural imperialism issue regarding Jewish myths; I've only heard one ( the unaware non-Jewish) side of that.
ReplyDeleteWell yes, "safe" is a relative term, but I like your prescription for helping create it. As to generalities about UU circles, I'd say there are none that hold. To adapt, I recommend that you expect misunderstandings, keep smiling, and enjoy the "never a dull moment" aspect of our diversity.
I'm so pleased to discover another Questioner. You might enjoy the following post (about asking good questions) on my personal blog: http://argentcedar.blogspot.com/
Spider Robinson is new to me; I'll have to check him out.
Best regards, Dave
Dave, I will be delighted to make an opportunity to break bread with you at GA.
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects of Jewish custom that I was taught was fundamental was an abhorrence of prosetlyization. For this reason, Jewish culture *itself* is rarely imperialistic. But Christian *interpretations* of it often are, such as the use of out-of-context quotes from Vayikra to justify gay-bashing.
Another friend had suggested I regard GA as a diplomatic conference from David Brin's "Uplift" universe, where humans are the johnny-come-latelies in the Galaxy and vastly outnumbered by sapient nonhumans. So by this model I'll find just enough humans to be confusing, and have some difficulty discerning which is the Important Ambassador and which is the potted plant, or interpreting if that impressive display of fangs is a threat or a greeting -- with the "marketplace assumption" that it's probably a greeting.
I'm on my way to the airport; if I get good wifi access I can read your blog today; if not, it'll have to wait 'til tomorrow.
Spider's a good writer, though he's seriously bummed out at the moment -- his wife just died. That won't affect what he's already written, of course. I can loan you one when we meet, if you like.