All Religious Texts?

Her Decision? “Before we go home today”, The nun spoke clearly, “And thanks to young Mr Dwyer (which drew disguised angry glances in my direction from dismayed students, but was I believe, led primarily by a piercing glare from the nun herself, a glare which could have nailed me to the wall at fifty paces), we shall all read a passage from the ‘book of Job’(that’s from the bible), to help you all understand the importance of accepting suffering without blaming others”. I looked up. Was she serious? Did she understand, that I wasn’t questioning the suffering, I was complaining about being bullied? It wasn’t God who had come down and pushed my head into a toilet and flushed it repeatedly, it was three students at this school. But no, this misguided, religious zealot, ‘bride of Christ’, decided somehow it was a test of my ‘faith’ by God? “And then,” She concluded. “You may all go”. Ah well, that wasn’t too bad then. I could handle a bit of a read and then be off home. “Except Mr Dwyer (again the glare from her towards me), who will be staying to complete ‘several’ chores”, She finished deliberately looking at me. Challenging a response. That cheered up the others who had shown some dismay at hearing they were to be kept back. At least the one causing the extension was going to be getting more punishment than them.

We read the passage, which part specifically, I don’t recall exactly. Probably the bit about God agreeing to let Satan torment Job as well. Inflicting him with boils and illness. That’s kind of awful when you think about it. God agreed to destroy Job’s lifestyle, wipe out his family and make him suffer because Satan ‘dared’ him? Then, he let’s Satan have a go as well, just to prove a point? Old Testament stuff, you have to love it. Why would you want to follow a religion that develops that sort of behaviour? No wonder this nun thought bullies should be able to behave that way. It always makes me laugh that people who follow a religion, tend to chose bits of their texts with which they are comfortable. Which in itself is interesting. I have hundreds of books, but have not read them all ‘cover to cover’. I have often asked ‘people of faith’ if they have read their main text, and been told yes. “Liar!” I feel like screaming. Sure there are a few who may have read the entire text. I doubt that more than 10percent of any religious group have ever read their entire main text cover to cover. Don’t even get me started on the various versions and translations of their text they may have read. How does that work? Did God (of whatever religion you may follow) appear and say “Here is your text for this religion. If you don’t like what it says just translate the bits you don’t like into something more manageable. Make it so you are happy with it. I mean, when I said love thy neighbour, I probably didn’t mean the ‘Go forth and multiply’ bit at the same time) so, sort it out. And if in a few years you don’t like it, just write a different version, just keep the context if you can.”

(Continued tomorrow)