"Call me Ishmael", "Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time", "It was a dark and stormy night".
Great books have a great opening and the Holy Bible is no exception. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." It introduces you to the protagonist and gives you his mission in one sentence!
As we start into 2011, My question to you is a big one: "Did the Bible predict what is now the accepted scientific theory of the creation of the universe or are Apologetics force retro-fitting modern day beliefs to fit."
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Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
A Little About Me
Who am I and why do I want to read the King James Bible?
My name is Bruce and I'm 49, married, and live in Chicago. I was raised Catholic but am now an Atheist.
When I was young, I went to Catholic elementary school and served as an altar boy for several years before heading into public high school, a local community college, and finally, graduating from a Catholic university. My family was very involved in the church. My mother was the first female to read from the gospel at our church back in the early 1970's. It was very controversial at the time but seems very benign now. After mass on Sundays, my family, along with others, would gather at the church rectory for a pot luck lunch. I was amazed that the priests would smoke, drink scotch and watch football with the other men at lunch. Work one hour a week, then party. I wanted to be part of this outfit!
When I was a child I was very curious about anything supernatural. Ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot. If there was a blurry photo of it, I believed in it. My mother wanted me to be an oceanographer or work for NASA. She tried to explain to me that my belief in these things was silly because there was absolutely no evidence that they existed. A blurry photo or witness testimony was not evidence. I resisted for many years but eventually saw her point of view. My mom was happy when I gave up my silly beliefs, until I started asking questions about god.
To be continued...
My name is Bruce and I'm 49, married, and live in Chicago. I was raised Catholic but am now an Atheist.
When I was young, I went to Catholic elementary school and served as an altar boy for several years before heading into public high school, a local community college, and finally, graduating from a Catholic university. My family was very involved in the church. My mother was the first female to read from the gospel at our church back in the early 1970's. It was very controversial at the time but seems very benign now. After mass on Sundays, my family, along with others, would gather at the church rectory for a pot luck lunch. I was amazed that the priests would smoke, drink scotch and watch football with the other men at lunch. Work one hour a week, then party. I wanted to be part of this outfit!
When I was a child I was very curious about anything supernatural. Ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot. If there was a blurry photo of it, I believed in it. My mother wanted me to be an oceanographer or work for NASA. She tried to explain to me that my belief in these things was silly because there was absolutely no evidence that they existed. A blurry photo or witness testimony was not evidence. I resisted for many years but eventually saw her point of view. My mom was happy when I gave up my silly beliefs, until I started asking questions about god.
To be continued...
The Plan
I've been asked what my plan is for accomplishing this onerous task. Does making it up as I go along count as a plan? But seriously folks, my 'plan' is simply to read the King James Bible.
I will post the days reading the night before, and post the sections for the entire week on Sunday evening.
As stated earlier, hopefully others will want to join me and contribute their thoughts in the comments section. I expect all comments to be civil and relevant to the days readings. When we reach the end of a book, I'll create a post for a general discussion on it.
I will post the days reading the night before, and post the sections for the entire week on Sunday evening.
As stated earlier, hopefully others will want to join me and contribute their thoughts in the comments section. I expect all comments to be civil and relevant to the days readings. When we reach the end of a book, I'll create a post for a general discussion on it.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
An Introduction and an Explanation
A 2008 survey showed that 76% of Americans identified themselves as a member of the Christian faith. To say that their faith has an influence on the daily running of this country would be an understatement.
But, which flavor of Christianity do you prefer? Catholic, Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist? The options are quite extensive. 1*.
The one thing they do have in common (other than a belief in the divinity of Jesus, of course) is the Holy Bible. But then again we have the issue/problem that there are many versions. Logos Bible Software lists over 40 versions. The first widely available bible was the King James Version. 2*. First published in 1604, it continues to be one of the most influential. Although the English Standard Version is very popular today, The King James Bible has arguably had a greater influence, and frankly makes for a better blog title.
Which brings me to my goal; I, Bruce Critelli, plan to read the bible in one year - and you're invited to read along.
If you don't own a paper copy, you can read the King James Version here; the English Standard Version here. You can also read the Skeptics Annotated Bible here.
I'll be reading the Logos Bible for the iPhone. They have broken the Bible up into 365 easily digestible sections. Each section will only take a few minutes a day to read. You could read an entire week's worth in well under an hour.
I'll post the upcoming reading at the beginning of every week and in a daily post. When I'm inspired, I'll throw in a question to spark conversation.
This brings me to my next point. I'm not totally sure where this project will go once it starts but, I want to at least get people to actually read the Bible. Many people say they read or have read the Bible, but once you ask them a few questions about its contents, these claims turn out to be mostly false.
We'll be starting on January 1, 2011 with Genesis 1-3.
* I use Wikipedia as a starting point for information. While it is a good resource, it should not be used as an infallible source.
But, which flavor of Christianity do you prefer? Catholic, Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist? The options are quite extensive. 1*.
The one thing they do have in common (other than a belief in the divinity of Jesus, of course) is the Holy Bible. But then again we have the issue/problem that there are many versions. Logos Bible Software lists over 40 versions. The first widely available bible was the King James Version. 2*. First published in 1604, it continues to be one of the most influential. Although the English Standard Version is very popular today, The King James Bible has arguably had a greater influence, and frankly makes for a better blog title.
Which brings me to my goal; I, Bruce Critelli, plan to read the bible in one year - and you're invited to read along.
If you don't own a paper copy, you can read the King James Version here; the English Standard Version here. You can also read the Skeptics Annotated Bible here.
I'll be reading the Logos Bible for the iPhone. They have broken the Bible up into 365 easily digestible sections. Each section will only take a few minutes a day to read. You could read an entire week's worth in well under an hour.
I'll post the upcoming reading at the beginning of every week and in a daily post. When I'm inspired, I'll throw in a question to spark conversation.
This brings me to my next point. I'm not totally sure where this project will go once it starts but, I want to at least get people to actually read the Bible. Many people say they read or have read the Bible, but once you ask them a few questions about its contents, these claims turn out to be mostly false.
We'll be starting on January 1, 2011 with Genesis 1-3.
* I use Wikipedia as a starting point for information. While it is a good resource, it should not be used as an infallible source.
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