braxton hicks gave me this challenge. actually it wasn’t a challenge, it was a suggestion. but i’m doing it and it has been meaningful for me: one chapter of psalms a day. there are 150 psalms, so you can finish in 150 days.won’t kill you.
Please do not promote your religion here. It REALLY pisses me off.
Just to clarify, this is something rantheman and I discussed by email, not “here”.
I know what you are saying but surely people can discuss whatever they like as long as it is within the rules? Just like the nudity issue, you don’t have to pay too much attention to the thread if it bothers you that much. :s
Good for you rantheman.
I did a bit of editing for you though. 
Good for you Rantheman. Good book to read.
Good for you mate!
I think you might have a slight time problem with Psalm 119 though. Might wanna allocate some extra hours for this one. 
I can’t think of a bigger waste of time than reading the bible.
Different strokes for different folks. 
FWIW, I think some parts of the bible is just great literature, religion notwithstanding. And given the fact that we are raised in a Judeo-Christian culture, anyone who isn’t versed in the basic elements of the bible is as culturally disadvantaged as someone who has never read Shakespeare.
Whether you believe in God or not, Psalms is good reading, IMO. 
thanks for your comments. i went to see “kingdom of heaven” last week in taichung. the movie was spectacular. i feel a lot like the guy in the movie. i sometimes think about going to jerusalem and seeing all the sites.
BH, understood. Apologies if I offended you.
Ran, Maoman, and any other religous people out there: Your religion is entirely your business and I don’t want to get into attacking it. But I am not a christian, and was not raised in a judeo-christian culture. I was raised as an agnostic in a country where few people bother with religion and the largest single religious group is not christian. And this is the point.
Some christians tend to assume that we live in a christian world, which may be true in places but is not true for all of us. It’s an invalid assumption. The psalms are not ‘meaningful’ for me because I’m not religious. Reading them won’t do me any ‘good’ other than perhaps to widen my mind, but the same is true of many other religious works and a good many non-religious writings too.
I have read large portions of the bible, koran, numerous mythologies, a bit about buddhism, and other religious works in an attempt to at least know what I’m talking about. I’ve also read a lot of work by people who don’t need to explain the world in terms of unproven deities. I’ve reached my own conclusions, and one of those conclusions is that the bible doesn’t have much to offer me except for literature that I find pretty mediocre.
Another is that Shakespeare wrote mostly crap and most people seem to get through life perfectly well without being familiar with juvenile love stories or incomprehensible language. Am I really ‘culturally disadvantaged’ by not having finished ‘Twelth Night’ or by having no interest in the psalms? I could say the same about anyone who hasn’t read ‘On The Road’ or ‘The Dice Man’.
Asking me to read devotional poetry is asking for an argument. Reading whatever works for you, or sharing what works for you with people who share your beliefs, is your prerogative. But please don’t assume that every reader does, or should be encouraged to, share your beliefs.
I do try, not always successfully, not to pick fights with people who have religious views that seem silly to me. I try not to promote my view that religion is a waste of time and that anyone reading the bible daily needs to be taught the error of their ways. I’m asking you to accord me the same courtesy, and not promote the view that the bible is a universal good thing.
And will you PLEASE use capital letters where appropriate?
Thank you.
PS ‘sites’, or ‘sights’?
I feel the same way when someone says Rich Dad Poor Dad is a great book.
I do feel you are overreacting though bud. Rantheman suggested reading the Psalms because it makes him feel better. Why not share something that makes you feel better…the implication is that it may make you feel better too.
WTF is so wrong with that?
Your condesceding 'tude here is surprising. I think lots of things are silly; however, I care more about not mocking people because I have different beliefs.
Loosen the bone Wilma.
[quote=“Loretta”]Asking me to read devotional poetry is asking for an argument. Reading whatever works for you, or sharing what works for you with people who share your beliefs, is your prerogative. But please don’t assume that every reader does, or should be encouraged to, share your beliefs.
I do try, not always successfully, not to pick fights with people who have religious views that seem silly to me. I try not to promote my view that religion is a waste of time and that anyone reading the bible daily needs to be taught the error of their ways. I’m asking you to accord me the same courtesy, and not promote the view that the bible is a universal good thing.[/quote]
Oh good grief. Nobody’s askign you to read the bible or Shakespeare any more than someone who recommends a bad movie is asking you to see it or someone who collects free children’s cartoon refrigerator magnets from convenience stores and posts about it is asking you to do the same. You need to pick better things to be offended by. 
I’ve read all kinds of religious texts, both Christian and otherwise and I’m not a worse person for it. Knowledge is good.
PS Never read the Dice Man, though. Going to google it now…
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
[quote=“Loretta”]
I do try, not always successfully, not to pick fights with people who have religious views that seem silly to me. I try not to promote my view that religion is a waste of time and that anyone reading the bible daily needs to be taught the error of their ways. I’m asking you to accord me the same courtesy, and not promote the view that the bible is a universal good thing.[/quote]
Again, how is this breaking the rules? Surely a poster can promote whatever view they like. You can debate it, as you have, or avoid the thread. There’s tons of threads on here I don’t agree with but I don’t (at least I think I haven’t anyway) asked people to avoid promoting their view because it disagrees with mine.
Please do not belittle ran’s beliefs here. It REALLY pisses me off.
However, that is exactly what you are doing here.
It would seem so.
Ran never said you should share his beliefs.
[quote=“jdsmith”]I do feel you are overreacting though bud. Rantheman suggested reading the Psalms because it makes him feel better. Why not share something that makes you feel better…the implication is that it may make you feel better too.
WTF is so wrong with that?
Your condesceding 'tude here is surprising. I think lots of things are silly; however, I care more about not mocking people because I have different beliefs.[/quote]
I completely agree. You said it perfectly. :bravo:
Except the view that they
[quote=“Danimal”][quote]
Again, how is this breaking the rules? Surely a poster can promote whatever view they like.
[/quote]
Except the view that they
[quote=“Maoman”]Different strokes for different folks. FWIW, I think some parts of the bible is just great literature, religion notwithstanding. And given the fact that we are raised in a Judeo-Christian culture, anyone who isn’t versed in the basic elements of the bible is as culturally disadvantaged as someone who has never read Shakespeare.
Whether you believe in God or not, Psalms is good reading, IMO. [/quote]
Ran didn’t say he meant it in a religious sense, but that’s how I (and others… apparently) took it. Do you think, in a religious sense, the bible is worth your time?