A generation ago, it was reported that Readers Digest Condensed Books planned an edition of The Bible, provoking obvious jokes that it would cut three Commandments and four Apostles.

Now that I’m reading the thing, though, I do see where it could be shortened with little risk of offense.

• Genesis and Exodus contain several repeated genealogies.
• Exodus 36–39 could be summarized: “The tabernacle and its furnishings were made according to the detailed plans dictated to Moses by The LORD in chapters 25–27.” (I mostly skimmed over these chapters.)
• Leviticus 1–7, prescribing rituals of sacrifice for all occasions, could be put more concisely in table format, as could various parts of Numbers.
• Leviticus 13–14, concerning skin infections, may be obsolete.
• Leviticus 18:6–18 details varieties of incest, all equally forbidden, and could be collapsed with “or”.
• Joshua 13–21 mostly details the boundaries of the lands allotted to each of the tribes.

I will likely add to this later.

In some places the repetition makes me think the tale was relayed orally for some generations before being written.

Nazi racial ideology was religious, creationist and opposed to Darwinism — long and thoroughly documented

An anarchist who uses the Internet is as hypocritical as a Protestant who uses the Latin alphabet. ( . . more . . )

The local Humane Society has such a hard time placing black cats that it offers a deep discount on the adoption fee.

I don’t care to log in at Kos for one comment, so I’ll put it here.

Daily Kos writes:

What natural means isn’t specified. But I’m sure there’s an Tex-aytollah somewhere ready to let us know.

Allow me to suggest ayatexah. Besides letting the /t/ and the last /a/ do double duty, it preserves the tatpurusa structure of the original: an ayatollah is a something-or-other of God, an ayatexah is a something-or-other of Texas.

Arel Lucas writes: DELETED. Arel’s initial report, written in the heat of emotion, was relayed without her permission or knowledge and she later repented of writing it.

Some background: Wikipedia; Scientology vs Keith Henson; Keith Henson News (mirror)

New: freekeithhenson.blogspot.com

This morning someone came to my door and invited my comment on a line of the New Testament, something about keeping an eye out “for none knoweth the hour.” After he had gone I thought: but then what?

“Sorry to wake you but I thought you’d like to know, Jesus is back.”

“Yeah? Say hi for me, then, and invite Him to the party next week. Did He happen to mention when we throw off the Roman yoke?”

One cannot grow up in this culture without absorbing the broad outlines, as I said to my visitor, but here’s a point on which I’m hazy.