I’m reading a lecture called “How the Bible Was Invented,” delivered by M. M. Mangasarian to the Independent Religious Society Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Illinois, although I’m not sure what year. The 10th edition of that lecture was printed in 1900, so I assume this was in the late 1800s, when lots of freethinkers were busy giving the religious headaches.

This bit made me LOL, so I figured I’d share:

You have to listen as closely as you can, if you do not wish to do me the injustice of misrepresenting me. I have traveled extensively in the Orient, and have conversed with and read the works of eminent scholars who have enjoyed a first-hand acquaintance with eastern people, and the unanimous testimony is that one of the besetting sins of Oriental races, is lying. It is not because the Asiatics are wickeder than European nations, for in other respects they are as good, if not better, than ourselves. The average of morality is perhaps about the same in all countries. But the notorious vice of all Asiatic peoples is lying. They lie with a freedom and a fluency,—with such plausibility and so straight a face,—that one can hardly distinguish their lie from their truth. Curious though it may seem, people who are given to lying are often the first to be deceived by their own lies. They

“Keep on till their own lies deceive them.

And oft’ repeating, at length believed ’em.”

Now, then, I am going to look this audience in the face, and then I am going to say just this:

The Bible is an Oriental book.

I’ll have more to say on this lecture after I’ve finished it, but as you can tell from the above quote, it’s been a delight.

In other news, there would have been a new Geokittehs post by moi up last night, but my kitteh chose last night to spend lying atop me. All night. She allowed me up once to get food, but otherwise, I was plastered to the bed with a cat on my belly. This is my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Good thing I had a UFD pre-loaded, innit? But due to her insistence I engage in excessive snuggling, I did finish a maclargehuge paper on Mount St. Helens and found the above delight. All was not lost. And thee shall have a Geokittehs post from me this night, unless I am waylaid at the door by my own geokitteh, and forced once again into servitude.

She only loves me because it’s been cold at night…