Nice reverend on Countdown

[Zabimaru]

I'm sorry if this has been posted/discussed before; I tried to search for it but the search function didn't seem to be working that well right now.

I was watching some videos from Keith Olbermann's Countdown. Specifically I was looking for stuff about the Bible quotes on Iraq War briefings. I found this video:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30894449#30815275

I think that Rev. Gaddy says a lot of good things in the video. I don't share his beliefs, or his opinion about what the Bible as a whole says, but in cases like this I couldn't care less about disagreeing. He clearly has his faith as a positive thing and more importantly he greatly opposes the use of religion to promote war.

There is also some good comments about the whole "taking the Lord's name in vain"-thing, where he explains how it's really about that you shouldn't use God as an explanation for actions you take yourself. You know, the kind of behavior this lovely picture mocks:

[Tiger]

May 25, 2009 8:59:15 GMT -5 Zabimaru said:

There is also some good comments about the whole "taking the Lord's name in vain"-thing, where he explains how it's really about that you shouldn't use God as an explanation for actions you take yourself.

I didn't know that, though I'd be wary of explaining what it's "really" about. The Bible is so ambiguously written that it can be interpreted to justify pretty much whatever you want. My own church interpreted that commandment to mean that you're not allowed to say "Oh my God!" or "Jesus Christ!".

[Zabimaru]

May 25, 2009 12:10:23 GMT -5 Tiger said:

May 25, 2009 8:59:15 GMT -5 Zabimaru said:

There is also some good comments about the whole "taking the Lord's name in vain"-thing, where he explains how it's really about that you shouldn't use God as an explanation for actions you take yourself.

I didn't know that, though I'd be wary of explaining what it's "really" about. The Bible is so ambiguously written that it can be interpreted to justify pretty much whatever you want. My own church interpreted that commandment to mean that you're not allowed to say "Oh my God!" or "Jesus Christ!".

Yes, that the Bible is so ambiguous that you can interpret it to mean whatever you want was the reverend's main talking point in the video, and of course that's true. And for once it was someone who publicly said that this actually means that you can't use the Bible or God's name to justify anything; you have to stand for your own actions.

And, yeah, of course we can't know what any commandment or Bible verse "really" means. But I like any reverend, priest or generally religious person who admits that it's wrong to hide behind a holy book or deity and pretend that you're not responsible. So I do like his explanation, even if he has as little basis for it as anyone else has for their interpretation.

[Admiral Lithp]

I'm not buying that, actually.

Simply because the Bible is full of justifying war with God.