Judges is definitely not suitable for Sunday School reading, the bits that are told are firmly censored, and few of us go back to notice what we are missing. But, if we do, what we find is a book chock full of horrid twisted tales, brutal, brutish and sadly not short. Why? Can such a nasty collection of stories be justified, or should it simply be banned?
[When I first podcast the audio only version of this I was called a “politically correct idiot” (( See comments below. )) I have not changed the content. What do you think?]
Ban parts of the bible???!!!!??? Are you “politically correct” idiots losing your minds? That’s just great, help the devil out to destroy the world…soon you will be banning the whole book huh?
READ REVELATION 22:18-19!!!!
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
To me you’re not showing much faith in God, that he even exists if you’re wanting to take away part of his message. And that’s a shame. Even the devils and demons have faith that there is a God! Even the angels call upon his name in times of need!!! He’s our Heavenly Father! To even think of doing such a thing!!!
I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes!
AGAIN I SAY!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
READ REVELATION 22:18-19!!!!
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Thank you for your comment Rheann, it is a pity though that you feel it better to condemn someone without listening to what they have to say.
[…] Another reminder that the focus of the tellers of Bible stories was not on the information content (that we focus on) but more on the relationships and especially on the primary relationship between us (as hearers of the telling) and God. Both tellings are full or irony, and both upset our notions of appropriate gender roles, as well as our stomachs. Stories in Judges are always disturbing. […]
Rheann is right, the fact that you would even consider mentioning banning any part of the bible is a very dangerous line to walk.
I’m sorry, Jack, this still sounds to me like: “Don’t bother thinking, it hurts.” Or worse: “The Bible is so fragile that me questioning anything about it could break it.”
Having listened to the podcast, I can’t see anything about it that suggests political correctness – or that you are seriously suggesting that it be banned. Of course, the implication in the ending which says that this was in the days when Israel had no king and therefore everyone did what s/he thought best flies in the face of Samuel’s stance when Israel demands a king like all the other nations around it, but hey… And, as you say in the podcast, we already censor Judges in that we sanitise it for use in Sunday Schools – but I think this comes under the heading of only providing age-appropriate material.
Judy, if we only sanitised (bowdlerised, censored?) the book for children I’d thoroughly agree, but we also cut it into a “nice” version for adults. Meanwhile much of humanity lives in a “Judges” world.
[…] Twisted tales: or should the book of Judges be censored? […]