Bible Secret #2: I was prepubescent, maybe around 10 years old, when I first discovered the story of Onan. (see Genesis 38). I didn't know what semen was back then, so I wondered what Onan was pouring on the ground to prevent him from having a baby with his brother's wife. I didn't grow up with any sex education from my parents, so I was totally in the realm of imagination for that one. Not knowing the real details of the withdrawal method, I just guessed that semen was some sort of sterility potion that Onan poured out to keep Tamar from getting pregnant. I didn't know how babies were made when I was 10. I never had that conversation with my parents.
Maybe that story stuck out for me because I was the second born child and got my sister's hand me downs often... clothes, toys... but Onan got the ultimate in a hand-me-down... a wife. I can imagine a bit of what that might have felt like for Onan. Looking at that story now... it still makes me sick that that it was one of my first introductions to the content of the Children's Bible my parents gave me.
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Maybe Brandon from the Mindshift Youtube channel would also get sick at the idea of a child having to make sense of a story that would make any movie back then R-Rated. It's what I like about his biblical analysis. He calls out the sick and twisted stuff for what it is.
After my interest for Bart Ehrman's material started to wane, I found myself listening more to Brandon's take on the Bible. Maybe I just needed a different voice and a different perspective. Maybe I wasn't bored of the Bible just yet. I have enjoyed Brandon's Secular Bible Study. I have been to a lot of Bible Studies in my time, and this one takes the cake. Brandon doesn't whitewash the horridness of the stories and doesn't need to defend "Yahweh" who isn't that great of a loving "God" once you start to read his bio.
It makes me wonder how I was so able to whitewash those stories, because I had read them and knew them... but somehow, I was still able to find a loving "God" in there somewhere. I got good at picking cherries... real good.
I will share some of my favourite Mindshift videos here. Brandon keeps coming up with great material and I would recommend him to anyone who wants a reality check when it comes to the Christianity and the Bible.
Thank you Brandon!
What does an Atheist have to be thankful for?
Commanded to Love: A Paradoxical Demand.
Does Atheism lead to Nihilism?: Let's talk Meaning, Morality and Philosophy.
Escaping Religion: Lessons from my Journey Out.
The Problem with Paradise: 7 reasons why Heaven fails.
How to come out as an Atheist: 7 essential tips
Beyond the Bible: Where else can Wisdom be found?
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Day 29: 2022 - "Reaching Maximum Potential"
