Kidding on the Square
I've started watching a collection of PBS documentary series, called Empires, on Hulu. Last night I watched four hours on the Roman Empire from Augustus through Vespasian, narrated by Sigourney Weaver (quite informative and entertaining, but she sounded like she was reading), and tonight I watched the first of four hours about the Israelites, narrated by Keith David. But I feel compelled to say: The white girl gets star billing while they hide the brother in the closing credits? WTF?! Especially since KD did the better job. And the fact that I thought Weaver's voice was familiar but didn't know it 'til I saw the credit, while a minute or so in I said to myself, "Hey, isn't this narrated by Keith David?!"
Yes, I've been waiting almost an hour to find out if I was right so I could post this.
One of the experts who talked about the Hebrew bible said something to this effect (I'm not putting it in quotes because I don't think I can come that close to what he said): Can something that is not historically accurate in every detail still be morally edifying? He then stated that he argues the answer is "yes."
It stirred an urge within me. I've thought for some time that I should read the Bible, to gather ammunition against the ignorami on the Right. Now I have this yen to read the Bible as a novel.
As someone who considers hard rock, heavy metal, and science fiction and fantasy novels to be among the valid sources of moral philisophy, I'll buy that argument with the caveat that that our understanding of morality has evolved in the interim. Since the commission to paper of the Hebrew origins myth capitalism, communism, humanism, paganism, egoism, humanitarianism, and any number of other isms have all made their valid contributions to our conception of rectitude. Therefore, for this thing that is not historically accurate in every detail to still be morally edifying, we must still cherry-pick the morally edifying bits and disregard the rest. Easily said, not so easily executed.
I've probably said this before, but it bears repeating: I don't think I have met anyone who embodies the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth quite as well as my parents do. They are meek, gentle, loving, and largely non-judgmental. They look to their own power before that of others, and to their own flaws before those of others (the fact that they love, support, and accept me even though I've rejected the faith they hold dear should say as much as needs to be said on that score). If I could Believe, I'd want to be just like them. The fact that I can't be like them may have something to do with my lack of belief. I'll take it up on the other side (assuming there is one) if I'm wrong.
My point in bringing that up is that tonight I have half a mind to approach them with something like this: "Your faith is important to you, and you want to share it with me. Regardless of how I feel, you're not going to change my mind without peer-reviewed science. I'm entering into this as an intellectual excercise, and because I suspect there are some good stories lurking in here. And I'm not going to try to change your mind. So, all that having been said, what do you think about a weekly Bible study together?"