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His brother sounds like a condescending, holier-than-thou asshat. There, I passed judgment on the guy, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilac110
Perhaps you should read the rest of the thread, where the OP explains that this is just another in-your-face move in a long line of in-your-face moves aimed to render judgement and send unwelcome messages.
Passing judgement: ok for you, not ok for OP's brother.
Your brother put the Bible in a package with something that he had to mail to you. It is not like he just plain sent you a Bible. He obviously cares about you. I would not make an issue of it. Some times it is best not to burn bridges. Even if you do not want to cross them.
Just don't open anything from him and always write 'return to sender' on the mail and packages and leave them out for the mail pick up. If you get emails or other social media contact either block them or turn them over as spam.
You act like you have no control and there are plenty of tools at your disposal. I haven't accepted gifts or contact with two of my relatives for 15 years. You have control of the situation.
I had a born-again friend I just got fed up with. I went to Catholic school for years and after one year of being indoctrinated in this new religion and her argumentative nature I cut that line of communication.
Regarding the bible and what would YOU use it for? Depends on what you do. Disregard it as a religious symbol as I did and look at it as a reference tool. You would be mighty surprised what you can do with it. Many a movie plot line can be traced back to stories in the bible and much of popular music through time has also come straight out of the bible. It's amazing the layers of things you begin to understand if you have a grasp of the information in it.
For example:
The movie "The Devil's Advocate" with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino has some overt biblical significance but if you were more adept in religion as a general study instead of a religious one you would see something in almost every frame of that movie in the background and it would make you laugh. It was by no means left to chance that when they were walking down the street together there was a man that appears in the background walking behind them with a box on his shoulder and the box said, "Halo lighting." Unless you're looking you'll miss it and many other things. In addition the name given to Al Pacino is "John Milton." It is a significant name in religious history.
Like many Renaissance artists before him, Milton attempted to integrate Christian theology with classical modes. In his early poems, the poet narrator expresses a tension between vice and virtue, the latter invariably related to Protestantism. In Comus, Milton may make ironic use of the Caroline court masque by elevating notions of purity and virtue over the conventions of court revelry and superstition. In his later poems, Milton's theological concerns become more explicit.
Milton embraced many heterodox Christian theological views. He rejected the Trinity, in the belief that the Son was subordinate to the Father, a position known as Arianism; and his sympathy or curiosity was probably engaged by Socinianism: in August 1650 he licensed for publication by William Dugard the Racovian Catechism, based on a non-trinitarian creed. A source has interpreted him as broadly Protestant, if not always easy to locate in a more precise religious category. John Milton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One of the most significant musicians in popular culture culled his lyrics and music from the Bible. Do you know him? It's Bob Dylan. While Dylan did go through a blatant Christian music phase the most significant popular music before that time was what was culled from the bible. Most notably "All Along the Watchtower" re-recorded by Jimi Hendrix.
Several reviewers have pointed out that the lyrics in "All Along the Watchtower" echo lines in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5-9:
Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise ye princes, and prepare the shield./For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth./And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed./...And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
There are more verses I can point to which went into this song.
I no longer subscribe to the Catholic faith and do not consider myself religious I have used the bible as these gentlemen and many others have as a reference tool. Names and their meanings and other small things have made their way into my writing for years.
It's totally up to the individual to decide what the bible is and isn't - that I can't tell you nor can I tell you it should or shouldn't be significant to you - just know it has been used without religious significance by many many many people.
Last edited by Thursday007; 12-11-2013 at 10:40 AM..
Did you bother to read the big response I wrote to you? Or are you just going to stick to the short responses because they don't require any effort on your part to think about and you can just fire off something trite?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenfield
Passing judgement: ok for you, not ok for OP's brother.
No double standard at work with you.
Another one who needs to READ. The last line of my long post should sum it up for you.
What would you do with ANY book you are gifted that you are not at all interested in?
Do that with this one.
I do not see how you are harassed, disrespected or condescended to, just by receiving a book. Sounds like there is much more going on with the relationship if that truly is the case....
^^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30to66at55
Why dont you read it. Particularly those sections discussing forgiveness.
^^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayekaye
I would lighten up if this was bothering me. He obviously cares about you.
I'm going to answer all three of these as one: the brother is proseltyzing, ie, pushing his religious views on somebody else. It is most certainly disrespectful because these kinds of "Christians" don't respect anybody's religious -- or lack of religious -- views unless they mirror their own. Sending his non-religious brother an unsolicited Bible is no different than a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness knocking on your door or some street corner preacher spewing hell and brimstone curses on passersby.
OP, donate the Bible to the next local library book sale.
Just don't open anything from him and always write 'return to sender' on the mail and packages and leave them out for the mail pick up. If you get emails or other social media contact either block them or turn them over as spam.
You act like you have no control and there are plenty of tools at your disposal. I haven't accepted gifts or contact with two of my relatives for 15 years. You have control of the situation.
I had a born-again friend I just got fed up with. I went to Catholic school for years and after one year of being indoctrinated in this new religion and her argumentative nature I cut that line of communication.
Regarding the bible and what would YOU use it for? Depends on what you do. Disregard it as a religious symbol as I did and look at it as a reference tool. You would be mighty surprised what you can do with it. Many a movie plot line can be traced back to stories in the bible and much of popular music through time has also come straight out of the bible. It's amazing the layers of things you begin to understand if you have a grasp of the information in it.
The brother put it in a package of papers the OP requested. It was an act of opportunism, because he knew the OP both expected and needed the other things in the package and would therefore open it.
As for the rest, so, there was this guy born in December, with a birth accompanied by a star in the east. Three kings came to pay homage. When this person was 12, he became a teacher, and at 30 he was baptized by a prominent cleric. He had 12 disciples, performed miracles, and even walked on water. They called him the Lamb of God, the Light, the Truth, etc. He was betrayed and then crucified, and he rose again from the dead after three days.
His name was Horus, and his tale was told in 3000 BC.
As a work of literature, the bible is thinly veiled plagiarism. It was based on other stories, itself. In terms of reference tools, sure, after 12 years of Catholic school, I see a lot of the things you mention in modern film, but I'd suggest a few history books, first.
Last edited by Lilac110; 12-11-2013 at 11:05 AM..
Reason: clarification
A Bible is an appliance, like a refrigerator or washing machine. Every home should have one, for reference if nothing else. Just say, "Thank you."
I don't know why, but your post conjured an image of the OP using one to level a wobbly chair, or maybe putting two of them at the head of the bed so the bed is on a slight angle, to avoid morning puffiness from fluid accumulation under the eyes. Hey, if nothing else, I'm a practical sort.
Did you bother to read the big response I wrote to you? Or are you just going to stick to the short responses because they don't require any effort on your part to think about and you can just fire off something trite?
Another one who needs to READ. The last line of my long post should sum it up for you.
Read your long post. Irrevelent to the point that you change your rules about being judgemental to suit you. Either you and the brother can be judgemental or you both can't. Make up your mind. Don't much care about your religious beliefs or history.
I don't rely on fictional religious book to tell me what to do. I naturally forgive people after some time. I forgive, but that doesn't mean I should also continue unproductive relationships.
The fact that you divide relationships with your closest family members as 'productive' v. 'unproductive' says a lot about you.
I wouldn't necessarily be interested in a Bible either, but it is a gesture from your -brother- who obviously cares about you.
Either become a feeling human being or remain a robot. Your choice, but to spin it like your brother is annoying you or trying to jab at you without any other evidence pointing to that does not reflect well on your role in this relationship.
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