The Bizarre Hilarious Disturbing Marvelous Things I Learned When I Read Every Word of the Bible

[obits3]

Also, on the Genesis stories, would you rather have the PC version or what really happened? One of the things that lends credibility to the Bible is the honest showing of the people - wrongs and all.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> would you rather have the PC version or what really happened?

I would love it if we could abolish the Disney / PC versions. If this ancient text claims that god wants women who lie about their virginity to be stoned to death, people should know that about this book. And the Bible's cure for leprosy (Leviticus 14:49-52) should be well known too: slay a bird, and sprinkle its blood.

[obits3]

@ToddAllenGates I'm not saying that the text is correct in everything. I'm just saying that the historical accounts show people faults and all. This makes the text of the Bible different from say the claims of Muslims who assert that all the prophets were sinless.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> I'm not saying that the text is correct in everything.

The fact that the bible makes mistakes (e.g. the bird blood cure for leprosy) and shows the limited knowledge of the people of its time period (e.g. the ignorance of the 230 million year reign of the dinosaurs) is further evidence that ancient humans were its sole authors (that is, no hint of Omniscient Wisdom).

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> This makes the text of the Bible different from say the claims of Muslims who assert that all the prophets were sinless.

Yes, it makes the Bible a more interesting book. But honesty about human flaws just means the writers were better--it doesn't provide any reason to suggest the bible was written by Omniscient Wisdom.

[obits3]

You are incorrect about the virgin stoning issue. In the Deuteronomy passage, it is clear that she is stoned for committing FRAUD! This is important. The text says that the woman said she was a virgin, but was later found to by lying. A higher dowry was paid for a virgin in marriage; thus, a lying woman is no better than a common thief.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> A higher dowry was paid for a virgin in marriage; thus, a lying woman is no better than a common thief.

Yes, such a woman definitely deserves the slow & agonizing torture of death by stoning. (Because the groom was totally cheated--it's like he paid for prime steak, but in return just gets something that's already been chewed on!!)

[obits3]

@ToddAllenGates I'm just saying that most punishments back then were pretty harsh. People act like the law is going above and beyond to punish women when that is simply not true.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> People act like the law is going above and beyond to punish women when that is simply not true.

I admit I'm not in a position to judge how harsh laws should or should not have been back in that ancient time period. But I also think the idea that a Omniscient Omnipotent Loving God issuing stoning laws is absurd.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> People act like the law is going above and beyond to punish women when that is simply not true.

I admit I'm not in a position to judge how harsh laws should or should not have been back in that ancient time period. But I also think the idea that a Omniscient Omnipotent Loving God issuing laws on when women should be stoned to death is absurd.

[TOSViolator]

Some of these things are not canonical.

[drfoxcourt]

Recent studies show that the less religious you are, the more familiar with religious tenet and literature you are.

"It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.." - Samuel Clemens

[ToddAllenGates]

@drfoxcourt

> Recent studies show that the less religious you are, the more familiar with religious tenet and literature you are.

Yes, I read that too -- no surprise at all!

[ToddAllenGates]

@Falashmura

> Read Genesis 49:5-7 and you will see how their actions were condemned by Jacob

Yes, I know the action was condemned by Jacob in Genesis 34:30. But Simeon and Levi have the last word: "Why should we like him treat our sister like a whore?" (Gen 34:31) -- end of chapter. Are you saying that the moral message of this story is an overall condemnation of honor killing overkill? And that Gen 49:5-7 is when that finally becomes clear?

[obits3]

@ToddAllenGates First off, chapters were added after the text was created. Secondly, you criticize the text for giving Simeon and Levi the last word of the passage, but you complain about the last word at the end of the book. Either the last word matters or it doesn't. Make up your mind.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> you criticize the text for giving Simeon and Levi the last word of the passage

What I criticize is the notion that this story of an honor massacre of a whole town has some deep divine significance.

[obits3]

@ToddAllenGates You are making assumptions that the text is supposed to be a teaching manuscript that shines with the golden light of divine thought, but that is not what the text is doing. The job of the Genesis text is to show the Hebrew people their family history that started it all - even if that history is really messed up.

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> You are making assumptions that the text is supposed to be a teaching manuscript that shines with the golden light of divine thought, but that is not what the text is doing

So I take it that you disagree with the passage from 2 Timothy 3:16–17: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work."

[ToddAllenGates]

@obits3

> The job of the Genesis text is to show the Hebrew people their family history that started it all

Genesis contains much more than "family history": it also contains things like creation myths that make perfect sense from the perspective than ancient people made them up (6-day creation, ignorance of the earth's ancient pre-human history, ignorance of the sun being older than the earth, etc.), but make zero sense from the perspective of Omniscient Wisdom.

[ToddAllenGates]

@Falashmura

1 of 2:

> The rape of Dinah took place in the ANCIENT MIDDLE EAST..what the two brothers did has to be looked at in that context.

The fact that there's an ancient Middle East story about an honor killing is not at all surprising. What is surprising is that modern Jews & Christians read this tale as Wisdom from an Omniscient Benign God. Do you you (a) believe in God, (b) believe God inspired the bible, and ...

[ToddAllenGates]

2 of 2:

... (c) believe that god feels rape should be punished by killing everyone in the hometown of the rapist?

That is, if someone in your hometown commits a rape, do you feel it would be justifiable for the victim's relatives to kill you and your family?

[ToddAllenGates]

> it's because of their fucking cunt of a religion

Modern weaponry + guidance from ancient mythology is a dangerous combination!

[TLSlayer]

ok,this doesnt make sense to me,if this guy raped her,then why in the world would she fuckin agree to marry the son of a bitch,let alone the father allowing it?

[ToddAllenGates]

> this doesn't make sense to me ...

Thus the title "The bizarre ... disturbing .. things in the Bible!"

I also wonder if these things really happened--it seems more likely that the father would kill the rapist than force his daughter to marry the guy.

[TLSlayer]

well,going by what youve mentioned about the bible (ive never read it myself) its all bullshit.

religion needs to be stopped,god does not exist.

[TLSlayer]

ive never read the bible but im sure most if not all of its contents are bullshit.

[ProudtobeBoring]

@TLSlayer It sounds like you are starting a relegion to stop relegion lol! Getting enough followers? lol

[TLSlayer]

no,it just offends me that much

[ZenannM]

@ToddAllenGates He was drunk when he raped her, he really did fall her her though...if she were to marry another, she would be a whore...so even though he raped her, it would be better if she stay with him that to be with another man..if u get the drift..but thank GOD for the NEW testiment!!

[ToddAllenGates]

@ZenannM

> ...if she were to marry another, she would be a whore

So once a woman is raped, it's better for her to marry her rapist than to be with a man who will love and care for her?

Also, a prostitute is someone who sells sex willingly. I don't see how being raped has anything to do with "being a whore."

[ToddAllenGates]

@ZenannM

> ...if she were to marry another, she would be a whore

So once a woman is raped, it's better for her to marry her rapist than to be with a man who will love and care for her?

Also, a prostitute is someone who sells sex willingly. I don't see how being raped has anything to do with "being a whore."

[ToddAllenGates]

@ZenannM

TOTAL TANGENT -- I just checked out your channel: you have a beautiful voice! Powerful too.

[unassumption]

reminds me of kalsor uk

[ToddAllenGates]

> reminds me of kalsor uk

The same thought occurred to me!

[smpunditz]

Excellent video.

[AutodidacticPhd]

Heh, I've heard several people who went to seminary (some that graduated and some that dropped out) that the best way to loose faith in Christianity is to become intimately familiar with the bible and its history.

[ToddGates]

> I've heard several people who went to seminary (some that graduated and some that dropped out) that the best way to lose faith in Christianity is to become intimately familiar with the bible and its history.

As one of the people who reviewed Plotz's book on amazon wrote, "Plotz lets the Bible speak for itself, which is like letting a sociopath take the witness stand."

[Queequel]

Very intresting and educational video! I'm glad to see that there are skeptics/atheists who are a bit less hostile towards christianity.

[ToddAllenGates]

> Very interesting and educational video!

Thank you!

[SuperFlyNB]

I think on the top 10 should be "Misquoting Jesus". Thanks for the book suggestion

[ToddAllenGates]

> I think on the top 10 should be "Misquoting Jesus".

Haven't read that one yet—I'll check it out.

> Thanks for the book suggestion

You're welcome, and thanks for your suggestion as well!

[gonyea12]

Isaiah 45:7 explains it all. If you want to know why God "works in mysterious ways."

[ToddAllenGates]

> Isaiah 45:7 explains it all. If you want to know why God "works in mysterious ways."

According to Isaiah 45:7, it's not all that mysterious - God Himself says He's a whimsical bastard! (Okay, I'm paraphrasing.)

[freethinker3161]

wow is this a book i can find on amazon? i should have this as a reference. great work on to part 2

[ToddAllenGates]

> wow is this a book i can find on amazon?

Yes - I posted a link to it in the description box (I bought my copy--and the two extra copies I bought for friends-- at a local bookstore).

> i should have this as a reference.

You won't regret it!

[freethinker3161]

ya i should of waited till the end of the video to ask that question. lol. thanks for answering it man, sometimes i jump the gun on my comments.

[hugesinker]

This guys is shocked? I don't think he is preparing his bitter water correctly.

[CousinoMacul]

I followed his "Blogging the bible" series on Slate. It was fun reading.

[ToddAllenGates]

> I followed his "Blogging the bible" series on Slate.

Me too. I had emailed him feedback a few times, so my email got on a distribution list of his - which is how I found out about "Good Book."

[kalsolarUK]

Its an excellent book, nice to see a good video review of it. Thanks again by the way for the copy you sent me!

[ToddAllenGates]

> Thanks again by the way for the copy you sent me!

My pleasure!

[GMwoogitmaster18]

Very interesting! I watched all 3 segments...I think I'll look into this series myself! Thanks!

[ToddAllenGates]

> Very interesting!

Thanks!

[ChozoBoy]

"Vanila pudding versions"? Vanilla has a flavor, too!

[HonestDiscussioner]

Oh, for a minute I thought you were going to say a great book for a skeptic to read to become more skeptical was "The Bible". :-)

[ToddAllenGates]

>Oh, for a minute I thought you were going to say a great book for a skeptic to read to become more skeptical was "The Bible".

Well, I said "Good Book" deserves to be in the Top 10 list---the Bible remains #1!

[DmKrispin]

Mr. Plotz gets the Edacious Reader Award for Best Title EVER!

[ToddAllenGates]

> Mr. Plotz gets the Edacious Reader Award for Best Title EVER!

He gets my vote!

[ChozoBoy]

Agreed, I love it!

[templarart]

Great stuff as always Todd! It's funny, the soft censorship we see from the pulpit, where the real creepy, violent, crazy and absurd stuff doesn't get out all that often. I think that's why books like Enoch and Jubilees aren't part of the Christian Bible - they were just too absurd, even for Christians. Great video!

BTW: Didn't you forget to mention "Interview with a Christian Proselytizer" in your list of books?

[ToddAllenGates]

> It's funny, the soft censorship we see from the pulpit, where the real creepy, violent, crazy and absurd stuff doesn't get out all that often.

One amazon reviewer of Plotz's book wrote that in allowing the bible to speak for itself, it's "like putting a sociopathic murderer on the witness stand"!

> Didn't you forget to mention "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" in your list of books

I had it listed in my original draft but it just seemed *too* shameless, even for me!

[HumanStrategy]

Now if you could only get rid of that one verbal tick you have "umm". (We all have to deal with that one^^)

[Traxx01]

i'm going thru your 3 videos.

Great stuff !

[ToddGates]

> Great stuff!

Thanks!

> i'm going thru your 3 videos.

I tried to keep it to just 1 video, and then just 2, but there was too much great material. It would have been easy for me to make this a 10-part series.

[DasAmericanAtheist]

Excellent stuff. If more xians read the bible there would be more atheists.

[ToddGates]

> If more xians read the bible there would be more atheists.

Or more Deists at the very least!

[unketknyte]

Todd, I really like you videos! Thanks for making them. -D

[ToddAllenGates]

> I really like your videos!

I like having an audience: thanks for watching!