Dedication to his religion?! Sounds like a Unitarian minister to me. Who else would refer to Samson (accurately) as a mass-murderer? A few months back, I wound up in an argument with a fundie when I compared today's suicide bombers to Samson (or was it the other way around?). Anyway, I learned that the difference was that Samson had God's blessing (else he wouldn't have had the strength to pull down the temple) and suicide bombers who kill Americans in Irag or Jews in Israel don't have God's blessing (though, presumably, He could stop them). I was then told that He doesn't stop them because we have strayed from His ways.
When I was an English major, I was surprised (though I shouldn't have been) by the number of times my class read something with biblical references and then the prof and my classmates discussed it in class, and I had no clue what they were talking about because I was the only one who hadn't heard that Bible story.
I grew up with the Jewish Bible stories that are associated with specific holidays, plus a few more (Creation, Noah's Ark), but I know practically nothing of the New Testament. I'd love to either agree or differ with your analogy of Samson and terrorists, but I'm afraid even if I went and read the story I'd still be taking it out of context.
I didn't realize you were an atheist... but does that mean you're still Jewish? or do you consider yourself still Jewish? I'm going to go on the assumption that you still do since you seem to like to celebrate things like Shabbat and holidays? Sorry - I know they're personal questions - feel free not to answer! :-)
Oh, yeah. I'm Jewish by culture and atheist by religion. I celebrate the holidays because of Tradition -- Shabbat and Hannukah and so on have always been happy family events, so lighting candles and saying brochas and singing songs are comforting and make me feel closer to the Jewish community.
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Date: 2006-03-22 07:12 am (UTC)http://www.thebricktestament.com/
Some of the reenactments are quite racy, if you search around for them!
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Date: 2006-03-22 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-22 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-22 02:08 pm (UTC)I grew up with the Jewish Bible stories that are associated with specific holidays, plus a few more (Creation, Noah's Ark), but I know practically nothing of the New Testament. I'd love to either agree or differ with your analogy of Samson and terrorists, but I'm afraid even if I went and read the story I'd still be taking it out of context.
Doesn't help, of course, that I'm an atheist. :D
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Date: 2006-03-22 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-23 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-23 07:09 pm (UTC)