The Art of Pwnage: Elisha and the Bears, A Final Read Part 4 of 5

Fourth in a five part series examining JPHolding's attempt to rewrite the tale of Elisha and the Bears from 2 Kings. In this installment, we examine the curse Elisha utters against the boys and bears which arrive as divine judgement.

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[Kenjitsuka]

You really NAIL it after 13:35! The argument posed against you holds about as much logical water as the desert! HOLDING wants to rewrite the story, you are merely defending the fictions original context and plot idea.

[brettppalmer]

@Kenjitsuka Thank you! While I don't accept the Bible as supernatural literature, I certainly respect it as ancient literature. I does not need an apologist like Holding to speak on its behalf!

[brandishwar]

"We must maintain the integrity of the text and seek what the author likely intended."

This is probably the best line in this series thus far. It argues what I always say when I get into discussions about the Bible with Christians: plain reading is always the best way to interpret the Bible. Reading beyond what is written means you are composing a new story, albeit based on an existing one, but that doesn't even reflect the existing one.

[brettppalmer]

@brandishwar Then you're gonna love Part 5! I'll upload it tomorrow. Please let me know what you think!

[HebaruSan]

The original story as written has a very clear point--"God will fuck you up. Fear him and his messengers." Watering it down with a prophesied coincidental minor wounding of heavily armed bandits who attacked first, totally unrelated to events immediately before, ... there's just no reason left to tell that story. All sense of narrative logic is lost. Why would anyone have written it down, if that's what was meant? Thanks for such a thorough argumentation, Brett.

[Sines314]

Holding treats this story as a murder mystery. We must gather up clues from the available data to arrive at a likely conclusion. He seems to completely forget that this isn't a mystery novel, or a collection of clues. It's a story meant to convey information. If any given claim is not present, it is because the author did not deem it necessary to mention. Even if the boys were hooligans, the author still felt the need to only mention the name-calling as sufficient justification for the attack.

[Cootabux]

Yes...pure fiction!

[philosophicalreason]

Sure if you are going to use logic reason and intelligence all you say is true,but what fun is that when you can make things up as you go along :),on a serious note great series.

[dingodavid]

O, sinner do not stray from the straight and narrow way

For the Lord is surely watching what you do

If you approach the Devil's Den, turn 'round-don't enter in!

Lest the hand of the Almighty fall on you

He'll fuck you up, yes, God will fuck you up

If you dare to disobey his stern command

He'll fuck you up, don't you know he'll fuck you up

So you better do some prayin' while you can

- John R. Butler 'The Hand of the Almighty'

[cruelbusiness1984]

this type of culture was the type that invented swear words and y i don't believe that swearing is immoral as an atheist. nothing will happen 2 something if i say dam it unless i in addition, smack it in anger. if i say dam this person, dam that person, nothing will happen. swear words r an artificial harmful social construct, harmful in that not having 2 say somethin 4 superstitions sake restricts personal freedoms with no good reason. all things should have reason

[dvolokita]

here's the thing it says tore from them 42 which could say separated like in the red sea crossing... and than let you imagination run wild as to what happened afterwords...

and that's the biggest seller he has to make god... less homicidal- but after his master killed if i remember correctly 80 priests of a different god what are 42 kids

[bighugejake]

There are bearly any puns left!