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The Bible & violence
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By Tribune-Review
Published: Friday, March 1, 2013, 8:57 p.m.
Updated: Friday, March 1, 2013
The Bible & violence
Since the Connecticut school shooting, some letter writers and others have blamed school violence in part on what they view as God being “expelled” from school. Claims are made that in doing so, we have not been faithful to the Founding Fathers. By God being expelled, these writers often refer to the removal of mandated Bible readings or prayer in schools. While many recognize a possible link of violence in movies, television shows and video games to violence in society, many fail to acknowledge that violence in the Bible could also foster violence in society.
The violence in the Bible was abhorred by several Founders. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, for instance, denounce the Old Testament God for his cruelty and killings performed on his own or by his orders. Ethan Allen in “Reason: The Only Oracle of Man” took issue with God of the Old Testament. So, too, did Thomas Paine in “The Age of Reason.”
I have no problems with an objective study of the Bible and other Scriptures as literature. But we must also be prepared to deliver ourselves from the evil violence of Scripture as well as that in movies and video games. We might just need to redefine what “God” it is we want in our schools, if any.
Bruce Braden
Carmel, Ind.
The writer is a Mt. Pleasant native and a 1968 Geibel graduate.
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I wrote the above piece back in January. Here is the most recent piece I wrote: The Bible should not need any "bibliographical support" or exegesis from Ms. Sanner (Feb. 19) or anyone. It should stand on its own. The deception is not mine, nor Satan's. One can believe in God, yet see that, neither the Bible, nor any other current religious text representing itself as the word of God, speaks for God solely, nor inerrantly. If anything, the deception is in representing such texts as God's word, even if, within some or all of those texts there are moral diamonds to be separated from the chaff. "Gospel Parallels" will show that the four gospels, mentioned by Ms. Sanner, and other New Testament books, like Acts, contradict each other in various accounts regarding the passion and death of Jesus. There are discrepancies about whether events occur on the passover or the day of preparation for the Passover, the time and circumstance of trial/hearings, how Judas died, who purchased the "field of blood," the number of cock crows before Peter's denial(s), Jesus bearing the cross alone (John) or with help (Synoptics), the times of crucifixion (3rd hour per Mark, or after 6th hour per John), the actions of the two thieves and guards, the ripping of the temple curtain, who came to the tomb and when, who was in the tomb or outside of it, whether the stone was blocking the tomb or not, where Jesus or the apostles went after the reported resurrection, where he reportedly ascended from and when. Alas, Matt. 12:40 required the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Jesus reportedly spends only two nights, one 24 hour day, and probably no more than 8 hours of two other 24 hour days in the tomb. Thereby, Jesus fails to fulfill prophecy by a night and parts of two days. As to Eve's "sin", Eve could not have sinned in eating any fruit! For, neither Eve, nor Adam, understood good and evil until they ate of the tree of knowledge regarding good and evil? In their minds, God had created everything and pronounced it all "Good." Only after gaining said knowledge could they be found competent to stand trial or be judged in the wrong. Bruce Braden Editor of "Ye Will Say I Am No Christian: The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values." Prometheus Books, 2005. Mt. Pleasant native
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