So I Was Sent an Anonymous E-mail...

They signed their letter "Bob." Quotes included. I sent a reply to the e-mail person_of_the_lord@yahoo.com, but I don't hold out large quantities of hope that "Bob" will respond again, but I'd like to make some things clear in case there are other who feel the same way as "Bob."

I don't feel it makes me a hypocrite to quote the bible, or even learn some things from it. Yes, I have stated that I do not hold it to be true, by which I mean historically or as the "word of god." Does this mean that it cannot be learned from? I think any rational person would say you can learn things from a person or thing you have basic disagreements with. I disagree with things people say all the time, and most of the time I'll just nod my head, but I learn from every interaction. I read lots of books whose basic premises and claims I find ridiculous, even radically idiotic. But I still learn.

Whether that be learning about a mind-set, looking at something from a new perspective, entertaining a point of argument that I personally never considered... There are many different "ways" of learning. When as I child I learned that 2 + 2 = 4, not only did I learn that equation, I learned of the existence of mathematics, of how singular things can equal totally new things when put together, how not paying attention to all parts of a problem can be disastrous... Now, I'm not saying all these things crossed my six or seven year old brain at that time, but all of these are lessons learned from so simple an equation.

So, "Bob," just because I quoted your holy book doesn't mean I am a Christian, and it doesn't mean I'm a hypocrite, and it certainly doesn't mean I'm goign to hell (although you may believe it is so). I happen to share a long history with this book, most of my life, actually. And whether I like it or not, whether I agree with it or not, whether I view it the same way as you or not, it is a part of my life and experiences. It is a part of who I am.

I dare say, it would be foolish of anyone to disregard something simply because you disagree with it. And just because I disagree with the supposed "accuracy" of it's historical context and the "authenticity" of the author, doesn't mean it cannot be a valuable learning tool. Much like the writings of Charles Darwin, Henry Louis Gates Jr., hell, even Oprah Winfrey, can be controversial and cause much disagreement of ideals and thoughts... but it doesn't mean you can't learn something valuable from them.

And that is all I have to say about that. Hope this enlightens you, "Bob." And in the future, "Bob," if you aren't man/woman enough to put your name on your message, I wonder how your god will view this act of cowardice... I mean, if you can't even put your name on defending his "word" from a big bad evil person like me, how will you defend this action to your god?

Even though you disagree with me, I hope you've learned something...