Want to read the Bible or the Koran?

Federika22

Just wondering if anyone would ever be interested in reading these books (or parts of them) for a quarter book discussion...??? As an atheist, I feel strongly about knowing what is written in these books, since they are influencing our world in so many ways.
What do you think?

Chris OConnor

I'm more interested in the Koran at this point. I consider both of them to be works of fiction, so if I'm going to read one of them I'd like to get as much out of it as possible. The Koran would be a good choice seeing as Muslims are the ones everyone seems to be afraid of these days.

I'm up for reading and discussing the Koran. But we would need to go sloooowly. Other books are higher on my personal reading list at this time. ::44

Yeah, yeah, yeah....I know...George Bush is a bigger terrorist. Let's not hijack this thread people.

Mr. Pessimistic

I am not afraid of Muslims...I am afraid of terrorists. Well, at least I am not afraid of Muslims any more than any other group of people that believe in blatant fairy tales.

Mr. P.

Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

funda62

I would totally be up for this! Maybe we could make it an ongoing discussion apart from the quartly ones? We could have "assignments" of aproximately when a certain section of text would begin to be discussed.

I've read both and both are fascinating, so either one is fine for me.

Just a note: Muslims believe that the koran should only be printed in and read in arabic, that you should make abolution before touching it and that women should never touch it (they put a cloth or paper cover over it to get around this prohibition). So many people are taught to "read" arabic but don't actually understand what is being said. Its very lovely and sing-song and is great for falling asleep.

funda

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, prehaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

-Henry David Thoreau

tomiichi

I agree. I would also like to devote some time to getting to know these texts for simplicities sake.

I also don't think they should be quarterly readings though. I highly doubt everyone would be interested in this idea.

I think funda had a good idea about creating an ongoing discussion with certain parts of it at a time. This way we could go very slow like Chris had mentioned, and slow for my sake as well.

Federika22

I like Funda's idea too. We should just pick a book to start with and go slowly, part by part. We could have one thread dedicated to the discussion in the religion section, of course. I think it would be fascinating, and I'm open to reading either book. When do you all want to get started?

Frank 013

I'm in!

Chris OConnor

When MadArchitect gets back from his vacation he might lead this discussion. Last year he tried to get a group of members to read and discuss the Bible and it never took off. Maybe we can all use this thread as a means of telling Mad exactly what we want or don't want in such a discussion.

Personally, I want the discussion to go extremely slowly. I don't want to read more than a few pages per day. But this is just me.

And I want it more from an academic perspective and not one of preaching. I'm sure you all are in agreement here.

tomiichi

I agree... Very, very slowly!
and only for acedemic purposes

Loricat

I'd be interested -- but the KJ version of the Bible, not a modern language one. With the KJ, you can read it as a work of well-written literature.

I've been meaning to read the Koran for ages -- but if we do read it as a piece of literature, and a cultural artifact (as opposed to a religious text with ablutions & layers of gauze between me and it), what choices do we have for translations?

Actually, I have Muslim friend, who is also a writer, who I can pose that question to...

"All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds."

Loricat's Book Nook
Celebrating the Absurd


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