Best religious humor books according to redditors
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best religious humor books. We ranked the 32 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best religious humor books. We ranked the 32 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Read up on life n crucifizzle of Jizzle, creation of tha heavens n tha ghetto, Adam n Eve in tha weed garden of Eden, observing of Puff Puff Passover, Tower of Babel, n mo.
Includes 2 books of old testizzle - Genesizzle n Exodizzle n 1 of new testizzle - Tha Dope News Accordin 2 Matthew.
Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
Contains strong language.
https://www.amazon.com/Tha-Holy-Bibizzle-Neffew-Moses/dp/1544259158
Sure, let me grab my Bible first.
ELI5 Israel....
> Why is it bad to not allow Israel to build settlements in Palestinian territory
Lots of fake news in one sentence, because people don't know history. But I'll try, anyway.
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What is the "West Bank"? It was territory controlled by the Kingdom of Jordan between 1948 and 1967. Prior to Israel's founding in 1948, it was just another part of the Palestine Mandate (now divided into Israel and Jordan), controlled by the British Empire on behalf of the UN as part of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after WWI. Over 2000 years ago, before Rome conquered the Middle East, the West Bank area constituted the heartland of the Kingdom of Israel, which split into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah after King Solomon's death. Because the Northern Kingdom's capital was at a place called "Shomron" ("Sebastia," according to the Romans), I and many like me, refer to this region as Yehuda/Shomron.
Israel's War of Independence ended with the Jordanian army controlling the mountainous highlands of the West Bank, and the eastern half of Jerusalem, while Israel retained control of the coast plain.
In 1967, Israel beat the Jordanian Army, the Egyptian Army, and the Syrian Army. Territory that had been controlled by them, from the Suez Canal to the Golan Heights and Jordan River Valley became integrated into Israel. The Israeli government made a policy that it would be willing to return control of the newly-captured land in return for peace treaties and an end to all hostilities with its neighbors. In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt and returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian control in 1981.
In 1993, under the auspices of the Oslo Accords, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel, but also relinquished all of its claims to the West Bank, leaving the whole of West Bank to Israeli control. Under the Oslo Accords, an organization called the "Palestinian Liberation Organization" (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat would be given administrative control over predominantly-Arab cities in the West Bank, because the Israeli government did not want to govern these places, because the population of these cities (Ramallah, Shechem/Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jericho, Bethlehem, and most of Hebron) were generally resistant to Israeli governance (though you'll never hear them complain about the paved roads, running water and electricity that Israel installed for them between 1967 and 1993). Naturally, this wasn't good enough for Yasser Arafat, so he orchestrated a series of bus bombings in order to pressure Israel for more territorial concessions. Israeli prime minister Ehud Barack offered Arafat nearly everything he asked for at Camp David in July 2000, and Arafat walked away. In October 2000, Arafat ordered the beginning of the Second Intifada, a 5-year campaign of terrorism against Israeli civilians. The intifada ended with Arafat's death (whether from AIDS or some other ailment, who knows-- that he was diseased is evident in every picture of him), the IDF policing the cities under PLO control, and a succession of right-wing Israeli governments who were elected with the mandate that they would not give any concessions to the PLO as long as the Arabs continued to support terrorism.
The PLO was initially founded in 1964, as a terrorist organization and foreign policy tool under the joint control of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in order to be a perpetual thorn in Israel's side. After the Six Day War ended, the PLO tried to hide among the population of the aforementioned ungovernable Arab cities. Over the next three years, the IDF chased the PLO into Jordan, where, in 1970, they hijacked several international airliners and tried to overthrow the King of Jordan. In a massacre that became known as Black September, the Jordanian army ejected the PLO, who then fled to Lebanon and ignited the bloody Lebanese Civil War, which lasted from 1975 until 1990 and directly led to the rise of Hezbollah (which murdered more Americans than any other terrorist organization before 9/11), who made their debut by driving a bomb-laden truck into the peacekeeper barracks in Beirut, murdering 241 American servicemen.
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What are "settlements"?
Remember at the beginning of this wall of text, that I mentioned that Jews have roots throughout the West Bank? Regardless of whether you believe G-d exists, the Old Testament explicitly states that Abraham lived in Be'er Sheva, and is buried in Hebron with his wife, son and grandson. Isaac was bound and nearly offered to G-d on Mt. Moriah, where a retaining wall from the Second Temple still stands. Jacob's daughter Dina was raped near Shechem/Nablus, where Josef's body is buried. Rachel died on the road to Hebron, and was buried near Efrat, just outside of Bethlehem, where King David was born. The mobile temple from the 40 years of wandering in the desert was placed at Shiloh for over 300 years before King Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem. Jericho is at the place where the Jews crossed the Jordan River into Israel. It's all there in the book. And these are some of the places that are now called "Settlements," where Jews built suburban towns, in order to maintain access to their heritage. As long as these places had been under Jordanian rule, Jews were forbidden entry. Even now, if you are Jewish, then you can only access Josef's tomb with a military escort because Shechem/Nablus is controlled by the PLO. In the case of any peace deal, the existence of these "settlements" reminds the Israeli government that Jews can't trust Arabs to let them visit their heritage, and that Jews are not willing to part with their heritage for the sake of a peace that would already exist if the Arabs behaved like normal human beings instead of being brainwashed by their leadership to support terrorism.
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Here is the book list that I recommend to anyone looking to learn more about Israel:
Six Days of War by Michael Oren <---- Nothing happens in a vacuum. The first half of the book describes the events leading up to the war, from 1956 to 1967. The author is a former Israeli ambassador to the USA.
The Revolt by Menachem Begin <---- Excellent discussion of the War of Independence, the events before and after it, and how Israeli politics evolved once the State coalesced. The author led Etz"L during the War for Independence, and served as the first non-Labor-party Prime Minister from 1977 to 1983.
The Arab-Israeli Wars by Chaim Herzog <------- Excellent summary of all of Israel's military actions. The author is a former Israeli president.
Like Dreamers by Yossi Klein HaLevi <---- The different ways that everyone all over the Israeli spectrum believe in Zionism.
The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal <----- snapshot of Israel's diverse population. This book is from 2005, so the description of certain events and especially their outcomes is a bit dated.
Catch the Jew by Tuvia Tenenbom <----- All the different ways that international organizations meddle in Israeli affairs, looking for ways to blame Israel for malfeasance, as well as all the different ways that the Arabs can't keep their story straight.
Voice of Israel by Abba Eban <------ The author was Israel's ambassador to the UN.
Letters from Tel Mond Prison by Era Rapaport <---- The schizophrenia of post-1967 Israeli policy in Yehuda/Shomron, and how Israeli citizens dealt with it.
Is this available in the UK? I so want to buy this for my dad.....a vicar.
I always look out for 'father ted' type shit for him. A popular favourite is the Nuns Having Fun calendar
Let it come up naturally.
Have you read Relax It's Just God: How and Why to Talk to Your Kids About Religion When You're Not Religious? I thought it was pretty good. I don't think you need to worry about it right now. Your baby won't be able to understand or remember anything that happens before it's three years old, so you've got some practice time.
When it comes up just be natural and straight forward about your beliefs or lack thereof. If you're dishonest he won't trust you and he'll think you're lying because you know you're wrong. If he wants to say prayers you should be respectful of his current beliefs and take a moment for him at dinner and other such times. Alternatively you can do what my family does and thank the Earth for providing the fruits and vegetables and grains you're eating and for the lives of the animals who died so you can live, and for all of the people involved in getting all of your food to the table. You're essentially doing the same thing - being thankful - but you're aiming it at real things. What he does in his own room at night whether it be praying or masturbating is his own business.
It is only an issue if he tries to push his belief as right and your non-belief as wrong. Then it is your and your husband's job to be parents. Teaching him about world religions and the history of his religion can help undo the brainwashing, but if he insists on belief as his answer you should respect that. That means you need to brush up on his religion, too.
If you attack this from a "not under my roof" angle and you live in one of those crazy religious states you may end up on the pointy end of a custody battle with the grandparents.
Read the book. Read the Bible. Read some history of his religion. Learn about his church. Arm yourself with information.
Also, get him involved in some secular social clubs and youth groups. I'd recommend the Civil Air Patrol personally. You can also do the Boy Scouts of America. If you can do both go for it. CAP is secular and BSA is not, but they're both good programs that teach kids to become good citizens. CAP let's kids fly planes though, so they're ahead in the cool factor.
Don't fret. You've got this.
I think the problem comes from people that claim to be SJW such as yourself, when in reality they do encourage violence or lie to cover it up. Read the book Catch the Jew for an interesting look at this phenomenon. Basically, he went to Israel and Palestine and pretended to be German (well technically he was German, but also Israeli). He went around with these Nordic "peace activists" only to find many of them say blatantly anti-Semitic and violent things to him when they thought he was German.
You can't ever truly buy back your health, so start the THRIVE diet as soon as you can and keep yourself in shape.
Skip relationships and any drugs that won't help regulate your behaviour. Jerking off is cheaper for now and not nearly as much time or effort.
Avoid spirituality and soul searching for now. The world's a fucked up place, sure, but everything will proceed with or without your special view on things. To truly know what's wrong with humanity, study humanity and it's approach. Future me note: You will fucking LOVE anthropology.
Focus on your craft, whether it's writing or drawing or acting or filmmaking or whatever. For instance writing: if you just brave through and write as much as you can every single day, by age 30 you'll have a good FORTY or more novels completed. Trust me, with forty products on Amazon you won't have to work a day. Nike, man, Nike. JUST FUCKING DO IT.
Save every penny now - you can buy all those shiny new video games and comic books when they're in the bargin bin.
Invest all that money into a giant pile, but for lord's sake in a Credit Union or a non bend-you-over bank.
Practice your craft to a degree that you can make money without a shitty dayjob.
If you study a new language every day, you will eventually know a shitton of languages.
After you've invested all the saved money and the well earned money into a pile, you no longer need to work as the money's compounded interest makes more money in a day than you can.
By age 30 you'll be independently wealth, healthy and fit, extremely happy, know a lot of languages, have perfected a craft, and have a lot of free time on hand: use this to acquire relationships with anyone you want and chase your own hobbies in the luxury of time.
...if I knew this list of things back then, if I KNEW the things I KNOW now: I would not be in the shithole condition I am now. "If gets better" only works if you make things better with your hard work.
So good.
Also...if you like this comic, you’ll love:
https://www.amazon.com/Story-God-Biblical-Comedy-about/dp/1634310772/ref=nodl_
Do yourself a solid, and download the audiobook.
You’re welcome.
Someone is selling that for £999.11. And that's not with free delivery. Those nuns had better be having a whole lot of fun.
http://www.amazon.com/Nuns-Having-2015-Wall-Calendar/dp/076117849X
I've mostly heard free-willies say that evil was necessary for God to create free will. It's a lame argument. If God can't create free will without evil, God is not all powerful.
But, of course, an all powerful god would be impossible.
Can God create an object so massive He can't move it?
Anyway, the important thing, as /u/Matt7hdh has pointed out, is that this is the complete documentation of all of the hard evidence for the existence of god.
Spoiler Alert: For those too lazy to click through, the book is 200 blank pages.
If you haven't seen them, you may like the Awkward Moments (not found in your average) Children's Bible series.
haha it's actually from The Book of Zelph: Another Testament of the Book of Mormon. "Translated" by Josh Anderson.
I bought a physical copy back when it was still on Lulu, but it is still available as a digital download on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Zelph-Testament-ebook/dp/B009HKYXN4
The book can still be read in archive from when the entirety was posted online by the author, er, translator.
http://web.archive.org/web/20071009124255/www.bookofzelph.com/start.html
Check this out. It's awesome, and it's only $.99.
I'm sorry for being blunt, but this has been asked before.
You're not going to get strictly unbiased books, just some that are more factual and that deal with opposing views, and some that are less so.
In any case, check out these threads:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/7si3cq/any_book_recommendations_on_the_history_of_the/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/7m3ibu/book_recommendation_on_the_israeliarab/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/8adpuj/what_books_do_you_recommend_about_israel_andor/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/8i3mu8/lately_i_found_great_interest_in_the_modern/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/77frgx/looking_for_history_book_recommendations/
My comment from the thread in the last link:
I don't endorse or even know any of the following, I've just aggregated a few from the previous times this was asked:
Recommended by /u/Jiveman7
"The Case for Israel" by Allan Dershowitz
Recommended by /u/scisslizz:
Six Days of War by Michael Oren <---- Nothing happens in a vacuum. The first half of the book describes the events leading up to the war, from 1956 to 1967. The author is a former Israeli ambassador to the USA.
The Revolt by Menachem Begin <---- Excellent discussion of the War of Independence, the events before and after it, and how Israeli politics evolved once the State coalesced. The author led Etz"L during the War for Independence, and served as the first non-Labor-party Prime Minister from 1977 to 1983.
The Arab-Israeli Wars by Chaim Herzog <------- Excellent summary of all of Israel's military actions. The author is a former Israeli president.
Like Dreamers by Yossi Klein HaLevi <---- The different ways that everyone all over the Israeli spectrum believe in Zionism.
The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal <----- snapshot of Israel's diverse population. This book is from 2005, so the description of certain events and especially their outcomes is a bit dated.
Catch the Jew by Tuvia Tenenbom <----- All the different ways that international organizations meddle in Israeli affairs, looking for ways to blame Israel for malfeasance, as well as all the different ways that the Arabs can't keep their story straight.
Voice of Israel by Abba Eban <------ The author was Israel's ambassador to the UN.
Letters from Tel Mond Prison by Era Rapaport <---- The schizophrenia of post-1967 Israeli policy in Yehuda/Shomron, and how Israeli citizens dealt with it.
Recommended by /r/AskHistorians:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/middleeast#wiki_israeli_history
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2a8mnf/i_want_to_know_everything_about_the/
https://www.amazon.com/Story-God-Biblical-Comedy-about/dp/1634310241
I like that version. I will also have to check out the recommended X-Rated Bible. That sounds like a page turner.
http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Evidence-Gods-Existence-Comprehensive/dp/1483962393
I think it makes sense in so far as it shows how God really is a human construct. As you read through the Bible, it's not God learning how to "be God", rather its the authors learning the popular way to portray God. This is way God is "all things" because the stories are written at different times to appeal to different people. Ergo, God is made up.
There's a book that is written using the concept you're describing. It's pretty funny!
The Story of God: A Biblical Comedy about Love (and Hate) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1634310772/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MNFMDbPB75ZSG
Sunday of the Living Dead
http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Living-Dead-Robert-Kirby/dp/1885628498
He has two others out in the sub-standard works "Wake me for the Ressurection" and "Pat and Kirby go to Hell"
They are hysterical!
EDIT: Had some time to A. Wake up, and B. Get my shit organized.
So my first recommendation is to read these 3 books.
http://www.amazon.com/Relax-Its-Just-God-Religious/dp/1941932002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1452781395&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=relax+it%27s+just+god
http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=41mSJWJjhCL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&amp;refRID=136KZ8YRX0P0CY93EJGA
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Dawkins-Richard-Hardcover/dp/B011SKFWNK/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1452781427&amp;sr=1-2
These are all geared more towards the parents, but it sounds like that will be just as beneficial to you. I've worried about the same exact stuff you're worried about ever since my wife told me she was pregnant. These books have been a fantastic resource. The first 2 help you prepare for the inevitable questions (which it sounds like you're already getting) children ask in regards to our origins. There's nothing I can say here that will really improve upon what's contained in these books, so my #1 suggestion is to just pick them up and read them. "Relax, It's Just God" Is a quick read, so I'd probably start there.
I'll just say, for anyone that hasn't read them, or doesn't intend to, the most important thing I took from these books is this:
Please don't shield your children from religion. It's played an incredibly important role in the founding of civilization, and it continues to be a dominant force in society (particularly if you're in the US). By shielding your children from all things religion, they will have no defense against it when they are inevitably confronted with it. To a child, the easy answers and flimsy logic of religious dogma can seem persuasive. By refusing to talk about it, or not engaging them honestly in discussions about it, you're essentially sending them out into the world unarmed.
Now, once you've sort of amassed this collection of tips and strategies for talking about it with them, you need to build an understanding of the concepts that ACTUALLY govern our world. There's a lot of great resources out there nowadays that introduce complex things in a very approachable way. If your children are on the younger side, I'd recommend these books:
http://www.amazon.com/I-Wonder-Annaka-Harris/dp/1940051045/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51Xa9vh-4mL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&amp;refRID=13A7B660SHNYNWGNRS9J
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=12ZKCH4ZP41R11J3AQC3
http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=1NTGW8B5FNWYGW2MDDGP
I buy these 3 for every single one of our friends that has a child (provided I'm cognizant of their beliefs, wouldn't want to step on any toes)
I think one of the things religion has going for itself, that science and reason kind of lag behind in, is instilling a sense of wonder in people. It's easy for adults to marvel at things like quasars, black holes, the process of DNA replication, etc., etc., but it's a bit harder to instill that sense of wonder in kids without getting into some really dry science. That's why religion (in my opinion) is still so successful, it offers easy answers to really difficult questions, and doesn't really require you to think too hard on it. "I'm scared of dying" is easily answered by "Well don't worry, God loves you and will bring you to heaven with him."
There's also some great videos on youtube I'd recommend (though they vary a bit in regards to age appropriateness):
https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly (evolution)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg&amp;list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL (Astronomy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X56fBK1JlY&amp;list=PLsmqeqKj7M-rZe1C9PUon8V-VQ1tZj5NF (evolution)
Kids, even very young kids, are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Knowledge of the way the world actually works is the best insulator against religious dogma, so give them as much as they can handle. When that kid at school tells them God created everything, instill values in your child that will lead them to ask "why" instead of just accepting that at face value. And if your child comes home and says, "Jimmy said god created the world" you can respond with, "Well yes, that's what Christianity says, do you know what Islam says? Hinduism? What about the Greek Myths, those are pretty cool huh? Most civilizations have a story about how everything got started, but none of them really agree with one another, and we've never been able to prove it. Scientifically we have a pretty good idea, but there's a few things we don't know yet, and that's perfectly fine. It's ok to say 'I don't know' when it comes to big complicated stuff like this. Let's see if we can't find out more! (insert books/videos/research here)"
My son is barely a month old, so I'm a ways off from a lot of these conversations, but I'm doing my best to prepare myself. I hope to teach him how to tell whether a source is reliable or not, how to be skeptical (particularly of those in power) and how to think critically, and not stop digging just because the answer he arrives at makes him feel better. Luckily, there's a plethora of information out there nowadays from secular sources that is geared towards people like you and me and our non-religious offspring.
EDIT: The other book I will recommend that's not a parenting book and isn't geared towards kids is "Your inner fish". There is a series of youtube videos based of the book if you prefer that. Basically, it makes evolution really cool, and in a way that (in my opinion) you can tell your children about easily. Things like why our skin is the way it is, why we look the way we do, etc. All stuff kids will probably ask.
>I'd love to see an entire Bible Abridged in the style of your Book of Esther though lol. Leviticus would be fun. "Yo homeys, all this shit be wack:
Oh dear god, if there is a hell, I'm certainly headed to it for this but ask and ye shall receive. LOL! Not exact but close enough I think.
Here's another fun version
man.... makin' me work over here...
http://www.amazon.com/Herejes-Pensados-Heretics-Atheists-Spanish/dp/9700514757
page 21...
it's a book on famous atheist and heredics... filled with quotes and atheist humor...
Here are some books you may find useful:
https://www.amazon.com/Belief-Book-David-G-McAfee/dp/1908675314
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Gods-David-G-McAfee/dp/1533066760
https://www.amazon.com/Relax-Its-Just-God-Religious/dp/1941932002
https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814437419
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960
This is the only Bible to be had: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1544259158/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1501664003&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=Gangsta+Bible&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51zxGc7alAL&amp;ref=plSrch
I prefer this one
This is album cover material!
Also, potential fodder for the Nuns Having Fun calendar series. If you haven't checked them out, they're a hoot.
https://www.amazon.com/Tha-Holy-Bibizzle-Neffew-Moses/dp/1544259158
Of course Amazon has it.
I like the Savvy Convert's Guide to Religion.
You might enjoy Holy Bible - Best God Damned Version - Genesis: For atheists, agnostics, and fans of religious stupidity It lays out all the absurdity of the stories, including exposing the splicing together of the separate (sometimes competing) versions. It really illustrates how the editors of these early books had at their hand different traditions, but had to cobble them together without leaving anything out. Including the three times Moses went up Mount Sinai and how differently things worked out. For example, one time Moses got to meet and talk with God face to face like an old friend (Exodus 33:11). In the other version, God said to Moses no one can look at him without dying, but for Moses he'll make a special exception. God will show Moses holy arse as he passes by as the ultimate celestial celebrity (Exodus 33:20).
Everyone with an interest in this should read the book "Catch the Jew" by Tuvia Tenenbom. https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Jew-Tuvia-Tenenbom/dp/9652297984
I recommend they use this as the course textbook: The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion
I suggest the book, The X-Rated Bible. http://www.amazon.com/X-Rated-Bible-Irreverant-Survey-Scriptures/dp/0910309191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1368118303&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+x+rated+bible
It's a survey of the tons of sexually inappropriate actions of the so called holy men of the Old and New Testament.
Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet might be a good start if you're interested in Taoist philosophy.
I just hope they place this book next to it at all stores that carry such material.
Awkward Moments (not found in your average) Children's Bible - Vol. 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1744GM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.9rADb0M1VEY6
> Just because Islamic terrorism exists doesn't mean that Israel gets a blank cheque.
Sure, no nation state under heaven is perfect. For a deep dive into imperfections and strange quirks of the Israeli political scene, you might want to read Catch The Jew!. Be advised the work is very satirical in it's approach to the subject, but none the less quite accurate. Enjoy the chuckles as you read, it is as funny as it is enlightening.
> Errors are: the wildly inaccurate map…
Yep, you're right. I read the words and didn't pay attention to the pictures. That map is more than a bit silly. Especially because the creator of the map makes the all too common error [among Westerners] of conflating "Arab" with "Muslim" to the point of using the terms interchangeably. Also, big chunks of the map that are marked in red for "Arab/Muslim" are relatively unpopulated such as the interior of the Sinai Peninsula which also makes no sense.
> In short it is contrary international law to settle your people in occupied territory in order to demographically alter the region, which is exactly was Israel is doing.
*Sigh.* Jerusalem is not a settlement anymore than Moscow is settlement. The regions of Judea and Sumeria aren't settlements either. They have been occupied by Jews since very ancient times.
The fact is, as I suspect you well know, the "Palestinian state," already exists: Jordan. A second concurrent "Palestinian state" is not needed.
> …calling people who have lived in Palestine for centuries "squatters" and "brutal terrorists".
I'll concede this point too, but I do not think you'll like the result. Non-Jewish residents of these regions should be brought into the fold and offered full Israeli citizenship. If they cannot stomach Israeli citizenship they may voluntarily relocate if that is truly their wish. The most efficient path to peace therefore would be The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East. Wouldn't you agree?
Before dissenting from the One State solution, please consider this: virtually every time Israel has extended an olive branch along "two state" lines both the Israelis and residents of the Palestinian Territories have been made to suffer. Just look at Gaza. Israel seeded control and militants promptly moved in and began shelling Sderot. (Irony of ironies: the first Qassam rockets were made using "recycled" materials from greenhouses the State of Israel left in Gaza to the Gazens get on their feet, economically.) Israel, having a moral obligation to protect its people, was forced to act with an embargo and, at times, limited military strikes.
The very sad truth is: Palestinians are made to suffer because their own leadership reckons them as useful political pawns than as settled and naturalized Israeli citizens. The optics of the situation are then exploited to create the appearance of a moral crisis that would not otherwise be present if Israel held unchallenged autonomy over its borders. This is also why residents of Palestinian territories don't relocate, they're generally prevented from doing so by neighboring powers perpetuating the "crisis."
What are your thoughts /u/TeoKajLibroj?
I'm days late to the party but still wanted to reply.
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"All of them and none of them" is going to be ( albeit frustratingly ) your best answer haha!
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Like most philosophy its a bit like fine art... meant to be thought provoking yet very personally interpreted. The empty spaces between concepts laid out by words are where the real value is. So really you are trying to capture the 'accurate' feeling of those gaps, of that nothingness.
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Yet at the same time one of the best concepts from the Tao Te Ching is simply that if you can put it into words then it is not 'the eternal tao'. Really this means that it cannot be neatly defined by language. This makes the fact, that we require translations, to be less impactful on our attempts to understand the text.
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So I cannot answer you as you would like. But I can honestly say that this is because there really is not a best translation. I own many different copies and related works ( on mentoring, on parenting, on this on that etc etc ) simply because there is not a single best iteration.
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I have ended up favoring two copies both of which are actually 'illustrated' - but do not hate on illustrations! Since they are illustrated I leave them out in the open like coffee table book style. Over time I've grown fond of them and their particular translations. Worth noting, the illustrated aspect of both books came AFTER the translating work... as in these authors didn't set out to make pictures they set out to translate accurately first then after many years made illustrated versions.
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One is by Stephen Mitchell. He is a renown translator. His Book
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The other is by Man-Ho Kwok, Martin Palmer, Jay Ramsay w/ calligraphy by Kwok-Lap Chan. Link for convenience
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I also found this on Mentoring and this classic on Parenting to both be very good.
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Final thought. I wanted to address your direct inquiry honestly ( ie: cannot label a 'best' ) but also provide some specific works that I have found value in. I also want to make a final recommendation to learn about Taoist philosophy. The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet. Amazon Link to box set of the two.
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Those two books are excellent for the studied as well as the unfamiliar reader. They thoughtfully explain how Winnie the Pooh is almost a perfect representation of taoist principles and concepts. I found these two books to be a really great way for me to personally cement philosophical concepts to real world practice. Having to read and think about full situations ( even if cartoon ) really helped me to memorize practical take-aways.
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So in summary, the TL;DR is this...
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Whether you just want to explore a copy, or dive headfirst into The Way, I hope you can find some of this advice helpful!
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I love his stories. His books are highly recommended https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Worry-Be-Grumpy-Inspiring/dp/1614291675/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1500228414&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=Ajahn+Brahm
I highly recommend this .
Coffee warmer. This is less funny and more useful. Keep coffee hot at your desk all the time!
Awkward Family Photos
Nuns Having Fun Calendar
like this one? lol its literally just blank inside
The Atheist Bible
I would start with the classic Some mistakes of Moses, by Robert Ingersoll.
There is a short book called Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God, by Armin Navabi, that is also a nice read.
One that I recently finished reading and enjoyed very much is The Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism, by Aron Ra. The book is not exactly about atheism; it's Aron's rebuttal to many creationist arguments, but Aron is a widely known atheist activist, and the book is very enjoyable.
I usually listen to The Thinking Atheist podcast, from Seth Andrews (a podcast I highly recommend, by the way). There are some book he suggested in his podcast that I haven't read yet, but which I included in my to-read list:
It may sound interesting because I understand from where you come from. As a jew I feel very butthurt and conflicted when I see jews (specially jews powerful in the media) spouting all sort of leftist, self destructive discourses, ignorant how this is only evidence of their deepest neurosis. Some have a gun pointed to their heads, some have their sons attacked in university for being jewish, some reside behind gated communities in majority brown/black cities, yet they still think they are living in a multiculti fantasy.
I have my own theories regarding why so many jews are pants of head retarded leftists, but they are long and lack confirmation. If you find the topic interesting, you'll enjoy reading Catch the Jew!. The author pretended to be a german journalist and interviewed a lot of leftist israeli jews, the result was hilarious. Some truly believe they are fixing the world with their superiority.
And no, there isn't any anymosity between israeli jews and diaspora jews, not besides political: J-Street, funding for human rights ongs, breaking the silence, etc. What I felt by my brief stay in Israel is that american jews treat the place as if they owned it, they find everything besides Tel-Aviv barbaric, there is even a term for them, complanglos. Yet most of the americans who make aliyah, specially religious, are the opposite and very sincere, intelligent people. Many religious people in Israel are insufferable, yet all the religious americans in Israel mix the better of the diaspora and Israel, they are religious without being closed minded, they are educated without being degenerate post-modernists... At least this was my impression.
the Tao of Pooh was a surprisingly good book.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Piglet-Boxed-Set/dp/014095144X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332330401&amp;sr=8-1
> catch the jew
https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Jew-Tuvia-Tenenbom/dp/9652297984
The Holy Bibizzle probably the closest your gonna get https://www.amazon.com/Tha-Holy-Bibizzle-Neffew-Moses/dp/1544259158
Behold! The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion.
So there are three that I always recommend to people wanting to learn about Israel and the conflict. Righteous Victims by Benny Morris and Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert are two lengthy, sometimes dry, but incredibly comprehensive overviews that have been praised by people on both sides for their historical accuracy. And Six Days of War by Michael Oren is the best (imo) summary of the 1967 war which is crucial for understanding how Israel came to occupy the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza. Which is vital for understanding the current situation. After that much intensely historical reading, I recommend Catch the Jew by Tuvia Tenenbom for a lighthearted but thought-provoking view of the the oddities of both Israeli and Palestinian society.
The amount of damage religion does to society does not allow me to chill. Check out Diatribes Vol 1. and 2. by Noah Lugeons and Heath Enwright if you are interested in seeing a glimpse of how bad it is. I know religion seems harmless from the outset, but it literally does the greatest harm to the planet of any destructive force.
The source material is better.
Section 4 of the Urantia Book.
I was a young adult, and very disillusioned with the kind of Christianity I was brought up with. I was an athiest, but I wasn't comfortable with my newfound atheism. I very angry that I thought I had been lied too for all those years. I thought that my Atheism was truth, and Christians were just a bunch of cowards that lied to themselves to provide a little comfort. This bloomed into a very obnoxious "You're at best an idiot, at worst a liar." type of attitude toward anyone that professed any type of belief in something. In short, I had become an elitist dick.
But also during this time, I found myself exploring the world's religions, including plenty of new age crap. I was reading stuff like The Tao of Pooh, A Path With Heart and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I experimented with meditation, played with I Ching and Tarot Cards. Losing my belief in God had left a festering dark spot in me that I subconsciously sought to fill.
I read the Urantia Book off an on over many years, mostly as entertainment, but eventually I gradually realized that I wasn't athiest anymore. I really believed in the Jesus portrayed in Section 4 of the UB. I found myself saying yes, yes this is what my God is like.
My point is that it's an innate human drive to understand the metaphysical. I'm not trying to use that as a buzzword. It really, literally means things-transcending-science.
Some people want to explain those (metaphysical) things away to control you, other have stupid answers; some search within themselves, others in nature.
Religion is bigger and broader than what this nerd circlejerk sometimes makes it out to be. Read Mama Lola. Read about shamanism. Pick up a copy of the The Tao of Pooh, look up at the sky and think about everything you just plain don't understand.
Religion is necessary, just not for the reasons you might think. It will do us good to get rid of it as an institution, but it will stay with us as long as we're human.