Friday, December 5, 2008

Hambone Talks: Richard Carrier & PZ Myers


* This is part 1, there's like 14 of them.

Carrier makes a number of great points. Science is a moral good. If we want to be healthy, then the Bible is really bad. Jesus goes around shooing demons but in Mark 7 says it's fine to scoff at unwashed hands and dishes are fine to eat from.

7:2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
7:4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

However, we have strong scientific evidence that washing your hands is leaps and bounds more effective than shooing demons.

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