zerinus Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Find out more from these links:http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9446000/9446028.stmhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/03/grayling-good-book-atheism-philosophyhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Book-Secular-Bible/dp/0747599602http://www.uea.ac.uk/litfest/ac-graylinghttp://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/a-+c-+grayling/the+good+book/7927053/
Daniel2 Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Wow... It actually sounds pretty cool. I'll be interested in reading it.Darin
thesometimesaint Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 It's been done before. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible
zerinus Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 It's been done before. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_BibleYou got that all wrong. That is not remotely equivalent to what Professor Grayling has done.
Questing Beast Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Sounds useful and interesting!No doubt, "believers" will cast aspersions upon the "author" as a humanist, godless, attacker of "true" religion. Or worse.As I told my almost 15 year-old daughter the other day (when I could fit a word in edgewise): "It helps to know a little bit of religious history, so that you can tell who borrowed from whom, and how all religions share common beliefs", etc. (She's Wicca, according to her own pronouncements....)
LDS Guy 1986 Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 So, correct me if I am wrong, the Atheist Bible is the Bible minus the miracles, and any claims of divinity?
zerinus Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 So, correct me if I am wrong, the Atheist Bible is the Bible minus the miracles, and any claims of divinity?I haven
Mudcat Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 In principle they are the same.Not directed at me TSS.Just wanted to make a clarification. Jefferson was a Deist.
thesometimesaint Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Mudcat:True, but what is needed is a definition of what a Deist believes.Deism:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
Mudcat Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Mudcat:True, but what is needed is a definition of what a Deist believes.Deism:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeismSure.. I don't wanna derail the thread or something. But I don't know that the definition offered actually suits him that well. The reason I say that is because of a letter he wrote Dr. Benjamin Rush, regarding his syllabus for the book in question.Here is link to it if your interested in that sort of stuff. In the letter he offers some key points that impressed him about Jesus' philosophy.The question of his being a member of the Godhead, or in direct communication with it, claimed for him by some of his followers and denied by others, is foreign to the present view, which is merely an estimate of the intrinsic merits of his doctrines. 1. He corrected the Deism of the Jews, confirming them in their belief of one only God, and giving them juster notions of His attributes and government. 2. His moral doctrines, relating to kindred and friends were more pure and perfect than those of the most correct of the philosophers, and greatly more so than those of the Jews; and they went far beyond both in inculcating universal philanthropy, not only to kindred and friends, to neighbors and countrymen, but to all mankind, gathering all into one family under the bonds of love, charity, peace, common wants and common aids. A development of this head will evince the peculiar superiority of the system of Jesus over all others. 3. The precepts of philosophy, and of the Hebrew code, laid hold of actions only. He pushed his scrutinies into the heart of man; erected his tribunal in the region of his thoughts, and purified the waters at the fountain head. 4.He taught, emphatically, the doctrines of a future state, which was either doubted or disbelieved by the Jews, and wielded it with efficacy as an important incentive, supplementary to the other motives to moral conduct. It gives a short order view on Jefferson's thoughts about Christ and what he valued in them. However the part I bolded, in point 4 is a bit a head turner for me.Though I suppose it could be speculated Jefferson was referring to future state of government.. Israel in specific or perhaps a broader view of things. I think it seems a bit clearer that Jefferson is noting Christ's teaching on the resurrection, an after life, that sort of thing. Considering that these are the points he agreed with Jesus teachings on. Well that's a pretty big deal, if Jefferson believed in an afterlife. Or at least it surprised me. Perhaps there is more faith to the fellow than some credit.I think we would have to broaden the definition of Deism that you've offered to accommodate it.
thesometimesaint Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Mudcat:I agree that Jesus has some profound philosophical/moral ideas. What I disagree with is the idea that Jefferson would worship a Christan God even given the standards of his day.
zerinus Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 Seems odd since most atheists that I have talked to have said they don't need any book or guidelines to live an ethical life. It just comes "natural" for them.Professor Grayling apparently thinks they do, so he has written one for them!
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