Your Questions

Submitted by Kepha Hor (United States), May 28, 2012 at 13:33

I believe that there is some reality to the story of Adam and Eve, even if I don't use it as a guide to geology. Having raised some kids, I think there's no better psychology text on wrongdoing than Genesis 3.

Your also ask:

Is anyone bothered to be called a sheep by his religion?

**Not at all. Our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, gave his life for the salvation of the sheep which God the Father gave him. See John 10 and Psalm 95. And, I know I can be stupid and recalcitrant at times (albeit, probably not as stupid and recalcitrant as Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, and H.L. Mancken, but that's small comfort), so knowing there's a shepherd who has more for me than the use of my wool and mutton is comforting. Further, I strongly suspect that our esteemed host, Dr. Pipes, being a Jew, has taken some comfort from the Psalm *Adonay Ro'i (Psalm 23) at funerals and other occasions. Call him a fool and a dupe, if you like, but I won't, even when I may disagree with him.

Is anyone bothered by the fact that religions ask you a blind and uncritical belief?

**Sorry, but my Bible (alternately the King James Version of 1611 and the Guoyu Union Version of 1919, with eyes on the originals from time to time) includes the books of Job and John. Re the latter, it took the appearance of the risen Christ to convince the doubting apostle Thomas, while Job is an argument, albeit with someone who, being infinite, eternal, omnipotent, and omniscient, is someone you can't best. Come to think of it, the versions of Genesis I read (shared with anyone whose translation is based on either the Massoretic Hebrew or the Septuagint Greek) has Abraham arguing with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorah.

**And, how much criticism and unbelief of traditional theism isn't due more to the bullying of pop culture, half-educated peers (especially in the teenaged years), and a certain kind of teacher (my own profession, alas) than to real thinking?

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