h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Does anyone have proof that God exists? True, four people wrote a whole load of goobledegook about some guy who suffered 2000 years ago, but is that proof? They didn't write it while it was happening. They could have made it up. And they're dead and buried now, so no-one can blame them for their wrong-doings.

It is weird how god means so much to some people and so little to others. It doesn't mean much to me.

Even if you don't believe in God, respect those that do. (That's a kind of religion too in my opinion, a very personal one: respect.)
Anyway, those four people you're talking about? Well, consider them as novelists instead of biographers, and you'll have to admit they wrote a wonderful story... Same thing goes for the rest of the Bible, or the Koran, or any other: in the first place, they're BOOKS, so read without prejudice...

People deserve respect - ideas do not, imo. There is no insight so brilliant, nor so beautiful, that it should be immune to humour and derision.

I can't say I'm a terrible fan of any of the gospels as fiction - poor characterisation - you don't get any deep empathy for the main character - and most of the rest are little more than carboard cut-outs. Many parts of the plot go unexplained, and we never really understand the emotions and thoughts behind the main action. A lot more detail would help - to do an entire lifetime in just one book is really going at too great a paste - and leaves too many gaps that need filling in.

But it wasn't written to be fiction, was it?

The rest of the bible? Have you read the thing recently? Just opening the thing at random I find Esther 5. The dialogue's poor, and the plot moves agonisingly slowly.

[url removed by moderator]
Read it :- Fascinating stuff, as I'm sure you'll agree. If I'd have gone looking, I could have found much worse - like those horrendous geneologies - page after page of X begat Y, and Y begat Z, and it just goes ON like that. All important stuff to a historian, but high drama it ain't.

Well, I haven't said I LIKED it (I like to think I've got better taste), but still, those are books written down ages after the telling of the stories began. Story-yelling has obviously evolved. Apart from some classics (and even then, you have to really love them) books written as little as 100 years ago now can seem boring. And characterization in faerie-tales or old myths are sometimes completely absent.
On a lighter note: the bible has already "spawned" lots of screenplays for films (some are even called classics today), but I wouldn't want to be the one who's going to analyze THOSE...

I agree with you when I see (or read) your examples (but beware of real bible-pushers who probably can give you as many examples of the contrary, no matter what passage you point out).
I can sum up some modern novels that are just as boring as the example (Esther) in the link you posted, but somebody must like that stuff: sometimes I notice novels like that in some "bestsellers" lists... Well, tastes differ. I know I don't want someone to tell me what my taste should be like, and I (very) frequently disagree with the "professional" critics, wether it's about books or art or films or music or fashion or anything. (Sometimes I feel good when I see them proven wrong, and sometimes I even feel good when I see ME proven wrong.)

Just one more thing: a book with an "idea" you don't like or respect can still be a good read (not talking about the bible now). There's loads of them, but does that mean you shouldn't respect the author? So, in a way you're right, when we talk about respect for a book, it's in fact respect for the author(s). Bur here taste comes into play again.

I hate the bible. I wish I could find it within myself to burn it, but sadly I can't. I love books and reading and after trying half a page I flung it across the room in disgust. Every single F****G sentence begins with "And". I cannot stand it. Couldn't they even take the trouble to make the thing READABLE?!!
That said, uhm, I have a deep respect for your beliefs and everything...uhmmmmm.....bye...
*flees*

You exaggerate, you dxxkwipe (to borrow one of your expressions). It will be assumed that you are merely ranting tediously as per usual UNLESS you identify which particular half-page of the Bible you read in which EVERY sentence begins with the word 'and'.

Walter

Of course he exaggerates - everyone does. For example, you said he was tediously ranting, yet he only wrote a handful of sentences - hardly enough to get tedious.

Oh, and I could manage without the foul language. Thanks.

Depends on your definition of tedious, and objectionable, and perhaps your threshold of tolerance. And I think you have, with respect, missed the point. Perhaps you have not yet encountered Trilby's cameo appearances elsewhere on the site. But to the extent that my choice of language has offended, I accept your rebuke and offer my genuine apology. There is no justification for it, but my defence is irritation. Trilby's musings are like graffiti, seldom an adornment or enhancement and more usually a defacement. And I guess I had better confess to having posted a not dissimilar retort to another of his postings. Do I ask your forgiveness for that separately, or can this serve as a bulk request?

Walter

No apology necessary - I have done the same myself, in similar situations.

What I've seen of Trilby seems reasonable, to be honest - perhaps I'm just lucky... If you have a complaint, you'd probably be best doing so on the home space of trilby - or failing that, Peta's page... but you knew that already, right?

Lucinda,

God be praised: you have obviously been spared some of Trilby's uglier postings, which not even someone possessed of your tolerant and constructive nature would describe as "reasonable". Yet, lest I err again, repeat to myself 'God does indeed move in mysterious ways ....'

Walter

I have to say, when I look in the bible lots of sentances begin with and. But of course, it wasn't written in English so all the ands might be just the translators fault. But I can understand why Trilby is getting angry. Then again, I've been spared some uglier postings of Trilby's too. This is the only one I've seen.

Hairy-legs