James
09-13-2008, 08:04 PM
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Link to article (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/09/142_30991.html)
Staff Reporter
Anyone knows how hard it is to follow all of the Ten Commandments in one day, let alone obey all of the Bible's rules and guidelines for one whole year.
A.J. Jacobs, author of ``The Know-It-All'' and editor of Esquire magazine, did just that and he chronicled his experience in the book ``The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.''
Before you dismiss the book as written by some ultra-religious nut, Jacobs actually describes himself as agnostic. His family is Jewish, but he never really practiced any form of religion.
So why would someone, who doesn't even believe in the existence of God, become an ultra-fundamentalist who literally follows everything single rule written in the Bible? Aside from the fact that it was a great idea for a book, Jacobs said the Bible Project was his chance to not just to study the bible but live it, as well as explore biblical literalism in the United States.
He started by reading different versions of the Bible, and came up with more than 700 rules ranging from the simple (love your neighbor) to impractical (you cannot wear clothes with mixed fibers) to confusing (purify one's self by sacrificing a red cow). These rules served as his guide for the way he lived, ate, worked and dressed for a year.
The result is an entertaining and funny book filled with Jacob's experiences trying to stay faithful to the Bible, which he quickly realized is full of contradictions.
Since the Bible stated men could not trim their beards, Jacobs stopped shaving. His look went from ordinary guy-next-door to someone who resembled Moses, Abraham Lincoln or even terrorist (judging from the numerous times he was picked out of the line and questioned by airport authorities). He also started wearing all white outfits with tassels, as prescribed by the Bible, drawing a lot of stares from the streets.
What is particularly interesting is seeing how Jacobs navigates modern-day New York using rules from the Bible. People can relate to this part of the book, since everyone knows how difficult it is to adapt the Bible's teachings in everyday life.
He does try especially hard to avoid common sins such as lying, coveting and gossiping. Although when he tries to be honest, in most situations he ends up offending other people because of his brutal honesty.
Jacobs also faced dilemmas with some rules, such as stoning adulterers and homosexuals. He does attempt to throw a pebble at an adulterer, but nearly gets punched in the face.
The Bible is open to interpretation, so Jacobs sought out different religious groups to get their views. He met with Orthodox Jews, evangelical Christians, Amish, Jehovah's Witnesses, Samaritans and believers of creationist theory, who all help in giving him a broader perspective on religion.
The most memorable character in the book would have to be Jacobs' ex-uncle Gil, who has led a colorful life as a cult leader, Hindu guru, Christian and now an Orthodox Jew living in Israel.
Sometimes Jacobs' zeal to follow the Bible word for word can get a bit ludicrous, like blowing a horn at the first of every month, avoiding unnecessary contact with women, not eating fruits from trees less than five years old and even shepherding sheep.
Then again, it was precisely Jacobs' point to show how taking the Bible too literally can be dangerous, if not absurd.
``I learned you can't follow every single rule in the Bible. There is a certain amount of picking and choosing. ... It's all about choosing the right parts of the Bible, the ones about compassion and helping your neighbor,'' he said.
The book is still about Jacobs' own personal journey in trying to find meaning in religion and the Bible. He peppers the book with anecdotes about his family, especially his wife, whom he calls a saint for putting up with him throughout the Bible project.
After a year, Jacobs shaved his beard but some habits stuck with him, like wearing white clothes, being more thankful and trying to lie and gossip less.
He admitted he didn't expect to ``as the Psalmist says, take refuge in the Bible and rejoice in it.'' The experience of living by the Bible changed his life and perspective, although he is still not convinced of the existence of God.
``I'm now a reverent agnostic. I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness. Life is sacred. The Sabbath can be a sacred day. Prayer can be a sacred ritual,'' he said.
The book will make people rethink their views about the relevance of the Bible and religion in today's modern world.
agape,
James
Staff Reporter
Anyone knows how hard it is to follow all of the Ten Commandments in one day, let alone obey all of the Bible's rules and guidelines for one whole year.
A.J. Jacobs, author of ``The Know-It-All'' and editor of Esquire magazine, did just that and he chronicled his experience in the book ``The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.''
Before you dismiss the book as written by some ultra-religious nut, Jacobs actually describes himself as agnostic. His family is Jewish, but he never really practiced any form of religion.
So why would someone, who doesn't even believe in the existence of God, become an ultra-fundamentalist who literally follows everything single rule written in the Bible? Aside from the fact that it was a great idea for a book, Jacobs said the Bible Project was his chance to not just to study the bible but live it, as well as explore biblical literalism in the United States.
He started by reading different versions of the Bible, and came up with more than 700 rules ranging from the simple (love your neighbor) to impractical (you cannot wear clothes with mixed fibers) to confusing (purify one's self by sacrificing a red cow). These rules served as his guide for the way he lived, ate, worked and dressed for a year.
The result is an entertaining and funny book filled with Jacob's experiences trying to stay faithful to the Bible, which he quickly realized is full of contradictions.
Since the Bible stated men could not trim their beards, Jacobs stopped shaving. His look went from ordinary guy-next-door to someone who resembled Moses, Abraham Lincoln or even terrorist (judging from the numerous times he was picked out of the line and questioned by airport authorities). He also started wearing all white outfits with tassels, as prescribed by the Bible, drawing a lot of stares from the streets.
What is particularly interesting is seeing how Jacobs navigates modern-day New York using rules from the Bible. People can relate to this part of the book, since everyone knows how difficult it is to adapt the Bible's teachings in everyday life.
He does try especially hard to avoid common sins such as lying, coveting and gossiping. Although when he tries to be honest, in most situations he ends up offending other people because of his brutal honesty.
Jacobs also faced dilemmas with some rules, such as stoning adulterers and homosexuals. He does attempt to throw a pebble at an adulterer, but nearly gets punched in the face.
The Bible is open to interpretation, so Jacobs sought out different religious groups to get their views. He met with Orthodox Jews, evangelical Christians, Amish, Jehovah's Witnesses, Samaritans and believers of creationist theory, who all help in giving him a broader perspective on religion.
The most memorable character in the book would have to be Jacobs' ex-uncle Gil, who has led a colorful life as a cult leader, Hindu guru, Christian and now an Orthodox Jew living in Israel.
Sometimes Jacobs' zeal to follow the Bible word for word can get a bit ludicrous, like blowing a horn at the first of every month, avoiding unnecessary contact with women, not eating fruits from trees less than five years old and even shepherding sheep.
Then again, it was precisely Jacobs' point to show how taking the Bible too literally can be dangerous, if not absurd.
``I learned you can't follow every single rule in the Bible. There is a certain amount of picking and choosing. ... It's all about choosing the right parts of the Bible, the ones about compassion and helping your neighbor,'' he said.
The book is still about Jacobs' own personal journey in trying to find meaning in religion and the Bible. He peppers the book with anecdotes about his family, especially his wife, whom he calls a saint for putting up with him throughout the Bible project.
After a year, Jacobs shaved his beard but some habits stuck with him, like wearing white clothes, being more thankful and trying to lie and gossip less.
He admitted he didn't expect to ``as the Psalmist says, take refuge in the Bible and rejoice in it.'' The experience of living by the Bible changed his life and perspective, although he is still not convinced of the existence of God.
``I'm now a reverent agnostic. I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness. Life is sacred. The Sabbath can be a sacred day. Prayer can be a sacred ritual,'' he said.
The book will make people rethink their views about the relevance of the Bible and religion in today's modern world.
agape,
James