I’m an Atheist to the core. But there are a few verses from the bible I tend to favor:
“You reap what you sow.”
“Don’t throw your pearls before swine.”
“Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Probably one of the most misuderstood verses in the bible in my opinion.)
[QUOTE=Deut. 25:11]
When two men are fighting and the wife of one of them intervenes to drag her husband clear of his opponent, if she puts out her hand and catches hold of the man by his privates, you must cut off her hand and show her no mercy.
[/QUOTE]
I’m old-school.
Most of Ecclesiastes, but especially 3: 19-20:
Ecclesiastes 9:11:
“Go forth and multiply” is a usefully polite way of telling someone to eff off.
But as moral precepts, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” and “Let him that is without sin cast the first stone” are powerful brakes on some of our worst instincts, even they aren’t always observed.
Proverbs:
‘‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.’’
Here it is in modern English:
Turn the other cheek.
[QUOTE=Luke 6:27-36]
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
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The next verse is judge not lest ye be judged, honestly this whole section of the gospels (looks like it’s in Matthew 5 as well) is a pretty powerful philosophy that I wish more people adhered to.
The various translations of that are interesting. When I encountered it as a child it was “…a brother is born for adversity.” I misunderstood that to mean that you can trust your friends but family will screw you. Checking now, I see translations like “family is there to help…” and “… a friend is like a brother - will help in times of trouble”.
Thou shalt not quote without attribution. – 74westy 3:14
Ezeliel 223:20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
Allright; that’s Orwell, in case anyone missed it.
Probably as many quotes as in Shakespeare.
I find that most Bible quotes, even the ones i like, leave little room for nuance. For instance, “by the fruit shall you know the tree”. True, but when applied to people it’s a bit more complicated.
Sure, much of it is pretty much the same common-sense moral advice that might be handed down by any decent and thoughtful human being, and recurs in the scriptures of all religions.
I believe we generally use the conversion (not necessarily true!) and know, or claim to know, “the fruit” from our knowledge of “the tree”.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil.”
Matthew 7:3-5; “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Galatians 3:28; “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (I don’t care much for the last three words, but the sentiment is the same without them)
Numbers 14:18
The LORD is long suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Not that any god punishes the children, rather the negative behavior of the father (and mother) can affect future generations. Alcoholism, domestic violence, child abuse, cheating, etc., can be carried forward.
1 Timothy 6:10 ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’ (not, as frequently misquoted, ‘money is the root of all evil.’)
Matthew 7:12 ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’
P.S. I thought ‘This too shall pass’ was from the Bible, but apparently it isn’t. :o
From the missing dedication page:
“To my darling Candy…All characters herein are fictitious and not based on any real persons living or dead.”
I was gonna put the whole "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance…’’ and all that, mostly from Pulp Fiction, but it’s not exactly a direct quote.
Lol.