Coda

I always meant to write a conclusion to this project, but somehow I forgot all about it after I finished it up and was bombarded with a bunch of stupid finals. However, this morning I came across THIS charming picture --

-- and was reminded that, oh yeah! Many moons ago, I used to blog about the bible, and I never really wrapped things up.

First off, I owe a huge thank you to everyone who read this blog, whether it was the whole thing or just a couple of entries. I realized about halfway through that writing the blog was a huge part of what motivated me to finish the project. Although we never went viral and surpassed Rebecca Black's Friday video in popularity, as was the dream, just knowing that a handful of people were interested in what I had to say gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and convinced me that quitting on this project was not an option. So give yourselves a round of applause, humble readership! Pour yourself a drink! This noble experiment could not exist without you!

I began this project without any serious goals other than completing it, and with that in consideration, I think I learned a lot. For every mind-numbingly boring passage I endured, there were others that were funny, intriguing, and even emotional or sad, and I'm grateful for my enriched familiarity with biblical lore. It has also become clear to me that reading the bible only scratches the surface of Judaism and Christianity, which are both complex and intricate religions. One day in the WAY DISTANT future I would like to tackle some rabbinic texts, and maybe the Apocrypha as well.

Anyway, I can't think of much else to say. Happy winter holidays everyone! We are in the midst of Hannukah (I made latkes), Christmas is two days away, KWANZAA is a mere three days away -- and TODAY is Festivus, for the rest of us. These are exciting times.

To conclude this blog, I'd like to share my favorite quote about religion. It comes from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Enjoy, friends.

"'Religion!' said St. Clare, in a tone that made both ladies look at him. 'Religion! Is what you hear at church religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? Is that religion which is less scrupulous, less generous, less just, less considerate for man, than my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, and not something beneath.'"

 Chew your cud on that! Until next time, adios amigos.