The Bible rocks for the same reason the linux kernel source rocks. I use linux every day in my job. I trust linux. It just works. I have read some of the source code. Some of it I understand. Some of it might as well be ancient Hebrew. Some of it makes sense. Some of it is just magical.

The Bible is similar. I have applied many of the principles and ideas of the Bible to my life. They work. They are relevant. They make sense. Lots of it I don't understand. But I accept it by faith, just like the kernel source. I trust it. It works. Get it?

See also Why am I a Christian?.
The big difference here is that, given enough time and patience, you will be able to understand every line of code in the Linux kernel. As for the Bible, you are almost guaranteed that this is not true; according to the Bible itself, we mortals are not meant to understand the ways of God, but worship Him unconditionally. Get it?

See also ignorance is bliss.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am an atheist. Or agnostic. Or simply not religious.

No way man...

  • Religion is about faith, about trust, about not only thinking something is true but fundamentally accepting it at the root of your being, without supporting reasoning, in fact, in spite of reasoning that is detrimental to what you wish to think. Religion is about accepting things not only without proof but because they have no proof.
  • Linux is about everything being open, free and completely visible. In fact with Linux you can change it if you are so able and so inclined.

Religion is accepting without knowing. Linux is accepting, but you can check it if you want.


Adalgeirr: You are completely right. I am referring to only the religions I am familiar with: Judaism (Christianity) and Islam. Out of curiosity what religion are you referring to?

Not trying to flame or anything fustflurn. But I don't think every religion is about blindly accepting faith. In fact I think some religions encourage questioning ones own faith. I know mine does, but mine is not a major religion, so I'm not sure you will really accept it as counting. So in stead of saying religion say my religion. In any case my friend always says "Everyone knows code is unholy".

flustflurn: This probably knocks a few points away from my argument, but I can't name any specifically, just that I have heard of it before. It is also something that I practice in my own personal religion. I guess I just felt the need to rant because it makes me angry when people go off on things they don't know anything about. For instance a whole bunch of people got mad at Kevin Smith because of his film Dogma, even though it doesn't really bash religion. To me it seemed to encourage religion. It was just trying to get people to think about their own faith, and how a lot of people just go to church out of habit and not to worship God.

The bible is a wonderful piece of literature that has been around for thousands of years. It contains beautifully written passages. Just look at almost anything in the book of Psalms: timeless lessons and values, as well as a good deal of not so exciting genealogical histories (and this great patriarch begot this many sons who each begot so many sons and so on). Oh and don't forget check out Leviticus 14: 34 for some useful tips on what to do if mildew grows in your house.

The bible is filled with sex and violence, though they rarely read you those parts in church. The bible has enough incest (see Lot's Daughters), drunkenness (Noah gets drunk on the ark and curses his son Ham), betrayal and trickery (see the story of Rebekah helping her son to cheat his brother Esau out of his blessing, or Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery) and of course general sex, look at all the knowing and begetting that goes on, for 10 soap operas.

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