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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2008
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Speaking at the most recent EG conference, author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically -- following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.
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I loved that he got down to what really matters, loving your neighbour, showing compassion and caring for one another.
I read this book & thoroughly enjoyed it.He took a gentle,loving & humorous approach to the subject.Predictably,there are people that are so easily offended that they cannot respect the effort put into this undertaking.
Be sure to read, "Know It All."
What is the title of the book? I thought there would be a link, but I can't find one.
@@sherripowell7285 A Year of Biblical Living.
@@user-ug2hk3go6i I have it.
All you people that are saying that he missed the point of the bible have clearly missed the point of the talk and the reason for doing this. It is to point out how you cannot take the Scripture literally.
Are you saying all of it, or just some of it?
Actually I don't think people missed the point of the talk. I think perhaps you missed the point of the comments. I completely understand what he's trying to say, but he, surprisingly, has no idea what he's talking about. The question "Should you take the Bible literally" is the wrong question to ask in the first place. The Bible is not a list of rules. Parts are law, parts are narrative, parts are poetry, parts are prophecy, parts are letters. If someone says they take the Bible literally, they don't mean without context. Usually people mean they seek to take it as it was meant to be taken when it was written. So, when God commands Moses to stone adulterers, Christians today recognize that this command was a given as a civil law for the ancient nation state of Israel, God's chosen people back then. The civil laws have since expired, because the nation of Israel is no longer God's people (the Church now is), and God's people are no longer meant to live as a nation. God wasn't commanding vigilanteism when he commanded the death penalty for adulterers. This was a command for the governing bodies of the country. Taking the Bible literally doesn't necessitate reading it like an encyclopedia and out of context.
I also find it strange that he said he didn't run into anyone who knew what laws like the mixed fabric law meant. I could give you an answer right now: much of the Sinaic Law was given by God as visual symbolism. So, not mixing fabrics is a symbol of how God commanded His people to be morally pure, or morally unmixed. It's not like God really cared about what clothing people wore simply for the sake of the clothing. Leviticus is VERY big on "holiness" which really just literally means "set apart". Israel was meant to be "set apart" from the pagan nations surrounding them that worshiped false gods and did terrible things like child sacrifice or sexual immoral practices. The lack of mixed cloths is only one of many symbols of this. They were literally to not wear mixed clothing, but the purpose behind the literal command was symbolic.
@@jacobdietz1444 Two problems with what you are saying. One is Context and one is the unchanging nature of God. To say it was OK back then but not today implies that God changes his mind with the context of the times. Or that his unchanging mind is interpreted differently depending on the context of the time. Most Christian Theists will claim that god is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and then apply cherry picking convenience to the context. So, without the context qualifier, when God says in Exodus 21:21 that it's ok to beat your slave as long as they don't die within a day or two... means God feels the same way today. That's a immoral God... (in my opinion). What I see you also saying is "Wait a minute... there is a context out there that makes it ok back then but not today". (I'm assuming you do not think slavery is OK today). If that's what you are saying, then please give us a context that makes it moral (even back then) to own another human being as property that you can hand down to your children (read the whole chapter before giving the indentured servant argument... that is not what 21:21 is referring to).
Can anyone tell me what chapter the setting people on fire is. and the one where they burn all the science books.
@@o0o-jd-o0o95 1 Kings 18, and Acts 19. They didn't burn science but, but books about sorcery which is the exact opposite. You should investigate it more for yourself.
:-)
I tried living biblically too, only lasted a couple months. The menstruation laws were pretty difficult during the school year o.o.
Lol asking all of the women there would be so hard
Your wife is a patient woman :D
I'm a Christian, and I found this book to be both absurdly funny, thought-provoking, and absolutely worth reading. Religious or not, everyone should read it.
@JLangston2315 EDIT: Ah, I assume you mean the book that A.J. Jacobs wrote? I can't comment on that, as I havent read it myself, so my bad.
How do you know for sure you are a Christian? Love 4Truth!
@@abomination2theLord let him be a Christian 10 out of 10 Christians are not followers of Yeshua
@@mustardseedministries754 What's wrong with him specifically?
It is so wonderful that he could do this experiment without adding the bias of favoring religion or hating religion. He was able to just experience this and report about it. I am not so sure that I could have not added bias due to up-bringing experience with religious people & aethiest etc..... Just Awesome. Thank you for posting it TED.
Context is EVERYTHING!
why should context matter ?? If this is the word of god ! It should be applicable to all times and societies
No it´s not. Context is cherry picking. The Bible is just like any other book and like so represents the ideas of those who wrote them. It does not necessary mean you have to agree with someone who lived some thousands of years ago and had their social agenda to put forward.
You have to explain to me in what context is fine to beat your slave or sell your daughter into slavery. I'm just asking for a friend. 😉😉
@@stevenaustin8274 that’s just lazy, go open the book and understand all that’s being said
Oh. My. God. I've read all of his books and i felt like a really knew him, and this was the biggest shocker ever. His voice is NOT what i expected. I like it, but sooooo different than what i was expecting..
The part about rituals starting at about 14:50 is great! Everyone, believer or not, should listen to that part.
leaves out the part where nothing bad happens if you don't blow out candles; it's just a fun thing. But if you wear clothes of mixed fabrics, you'll be shunned from the community at the least and killed at the most
@@carnsolus True. One step at a time.
An entire year of that is absolutely insanely amazing.
Hooray for A.J.! (& TED)
A great study on an important subject. Anything taken 100% literally is going to steer us in the wrong direction. Ideas are foundations only.
I think one of the most important and interesting points he makes for me is that Behaviour will affect thinking. I mean this isn't new or profound, but I think it's something that people tend to forget. Want to be more thankful? Give thanks. Thank you AJ!
Protestant: I take the Bible literally
This dude: hold my non mensturation seat
LOL
Eleventh commandment: "Do not start a fight with a guy whose wife looks like she might have a strong grip."
This was a very entertaining and inspiring talk. Awesome that someone did this
I love AJ! I am currently reading "The Know-it-All." I love it, and I keep reading different sections to my parents, etc. I am looking forward to reading "The Year." He is a very interesting, smart, funny man. Great job, AJ!
Wonderful, thank you. A thoughtful yet humorous comment on a very important question.
If your god speaks for you; that's beautiful. I'm a Buddhist, and that teaching of buddha speaks to me, as it does for many millions of people in this word. One thing I've learned is hell only exists to those that believe in it. The same goes for love.
I read this book..twice..because it is sooooo funny! You will literally laugh out loud at some of AJ's comments. I LOVED IT!!
Exactly.
Very interesting perspective from an agnostic. Not sure why the experiment morphed from ancient Judaism to evangelical Christianity? I find we are more likely to get wrong results, by asking the wrong questions about anything.
For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 13:47
@@CTimmerman light for my genitals
I am a huge fan of A.J. Jacobs, a great writer indeed.
One of the best TEDTALKS ive ever seen/heard. Became an instant fan of AJ JAcobs.
Like A.J. Jacobs reading the entire Encyclopedia? I took all TED Talks and moved them to MP3 format and listen to them while I sleep, many I keep for re-listening for months. I just woke up to A. J. Jacobs this morning, and said- I must actually 'see' this one!
Wow- this is one of my FAVORITE Ted Talks. heh heh. I stopped at Central Park and the stoning when asked "are YOU? going to stone me"? (I think it was more like "Are you going to Stone? me"? ) he said "that would be great".
Haha
"So there I was in my single fabric outfit in sandals" hahahahaha
I need to start reading Esquire I suppose :)
Thanks A.J. Jacobs your sense of humor is either 'out there' or 'deep to the core'. :)
And my grammar is terrible, I know lol.
He is truly brilliant! Humorous and insightful. I hope to meet him one day.
But that is the summary of my marriage! It all started by faking a relationship as if I truly loved a girl I wasn't that attracted to. I wanted to try it as an experiment. Very happily married and in the best marriage of all time.
An excellent video. And it gives me a lot of great food for thought, when it comes to my own religion and how hard I should -- or shouldn't -- try to follow all of the Scriptures of my religion!
You're the greatest. Thank you for your books. I have been and have almost finished reading the Guinea Pig Diaries and it is great.
Wow your voice is a lot higher than I thought. Love the books!
This man's experience needs to be made into a movie, starring Jason Biggs.
I really liked this talk. Very interesting!
I just finished the book today, totally worth it! I learned a ton and it was really funny at times.
That is because we often forget or don't even realize the matters contained within the book. The book is there as a reference, as a reminder. It is not necessarily a guide to life but more an encyclopedia of different morals. No one person has the brain capacity to store the amount of morals the book contains in order to choose. This is the same thing artists use reference for. We cannot rely solely on memory of what we have seen. Sometimes we have to be reminded or have it in front of us to see
It was very interesting to hear such widely varied, yet extremely relevant ideas regarding the exact same stories.
All of you people that are taking great joy in correcting him should relax a little bit. More thought went into this project than he was able to convey in a 17 minute video. Try actually reading the book like I did. He was very respectful of each of the groups of people he visited and wrote about, and of just what a profound experience it was. There is more to life and this story than youtube.
Really enjoyed this A.J
I feel this is a great idea. I feel it's a good idea to step into the shoes of others, whenever you can; be it conceptually or physically.
Brilliant!!
If the TED powers that be are reading this - more offbeat social commentary like this.
Loved it.
The Sabbath Day is awesome! I laughed out loud about you out talking the Jehovahs Witnesses 🤣😂 I loved this video and can’t wait to read your books!
Absolutely love this💕❤️ 😘
I was thinking the same thing. what a testimony that would have made!
i read your book and i think you are a great author :) don't let any haters get you down!!! you are sooo talented and awesome :D
awesome talk!!!
Thank god for people who are willing to do something like this and then tell us about it
I don't usually smile (as one person complained to me recently). That person was unaware that I have never been happier in my life. I have become a skeptic and this alone has freed me.from all the nonsense I have been taught to believe, which in turn has made me happy.
I give A.J. Jacobs credit for being such an excellent speaker. He has a wonderful mind. I do not think that this particular effort on his part was productive but he has my respect an admiration. He should have chosen something like immersing himself as Hugh Hefner
Oh my I didn't expect him to sound like this!!
A.J. Jacobs: Pharisee for a year!
I think that title would be much more suitable!
yes
You do know who wrote the OT don't You? The scribes and Pharisees. And the NT was written by Rome!
@@scottlouissmith2382 Is that one of satan's jokes you picked up on? Love 4Truth!
@@abomination2theLord Satan DOSNT exist. It's the evil thoughts and intentions of all human beings. So many look outside to blame things on this "satan" when it's just them! Just like many people wait for Christs return, it's not gonna happen. Until man realizes he is Devine and stoped worshiping God's he will only be a slave.....
@@scottlouissmith2382 Wow Scott, satan really has a grip on your soul, mind and body!
Well Scott, one thing for sure you are going to see Jesus and not be taken up with him. I tell you this will happen faster than you can imagine. For your information GOD wrote the Bible for us to know what was, what is and what is coming.
When you get left behind then remember this: take your death in the name of Jesus to get saved in the Great Tribulation.
Scott, all you lack is reading, learning, and understanding the word of GOD to get saved and have eternal life. I too scoffed for a third of my life at the thought of GOD and/or Jesus. I finally picked up the Bible (King James Version) and started to read it. Then I found a great teacher of the word and have not looked back since.
Love 4Truth!
This guy hits the nail on the head. Incredibly person
Because every action requires a consequence. We are given the power to choose, for good or for bad, and without that consequence, our agency becomes void and ultimately worthless.
Just plain brilliant
Tradition of putting candles on birthday cake:
The tradition of placing candles on birthday cake is attributed to early Greeks, who used to place lit candles on cakes to make them glow like the moon. Greeks used to take the cake to the temple of Artemis. Some[citation needed] say that candles were placed on the cake because people believed that the smoke of the candle carried their prayers to gods.
From Wikipedia I searched for Birthday cake. Every ritual has a purpose, it's just forgotten.
Nice!
This man is hilarious. God bless you
I think AJ's upper lip never moves, hence the funny voice. I'm enjoying reading all three books at my leisure and taking pause (sometimes for weeks) to ponder what he writes.
There are some things in the Bible, that confuse me as a believer, however I do know that as one grows in relationship with God, more things become clear. It is true that you shouldn't just follow rituals without meaning to them, or without sound reason as to why you are doing them. This is probably the biggest thing I took from his speech. And it is soooooo true because God does not want us to be purely ritualistic. The view that is common among non-Christians, I find, is that the Bible is a bunch of rules and regulations. It isn't. There are 66 books within it, many of which telling the stories of real people and their real relationship with God. Some pages have rules--most, that I have read are narrative. Just from that alone, you could gather that being a Christian is not about who can followed the most rules, but rather who has a heart for God?
Being a Christian means being a self-proclaimed screw-up! It means recognizing that for the rest of your life, you will sin. Nothing you can do about it. However, being a Christian also means that we should try to emulate who Christ was. Someone who loved everyone and who was totally obedient to God. It's hard, and we will fail at it. The Bible is very clear about that. But we can at least try to be better than who we were yesterday because we love God and appreciate everything he's done for us. That doesn't mean picking and choosing (Although I'm sure we all wish it did) It means trying our best.
Delusion->confirmation bias->stronger delusion->more confirmation bias.
Rinse and repeat.
The bible is a chameleon, it adjusts its message differently for everyone, even in contradictory ways. Jesus the peace lover, Jesus the war bringer, (Matt 10:34-36) Jesus the racist (Matt 15:21-28), Jesus who overthrows the old order and Jesus who has not change one dot or jot of the old law. Pro slavery or anti slavery, pro and anti the death penalty, the bible has it all.
@@PeterGregoryKelly I don't understand how Matt. 15:21-28 has to do with racism.
@@ocdplaylistmaker7032 I suggest you read it. You don't feed the dogs (Somartians) when you you your children (Israelites) to feed. Just was the reason Jesus refused to recognise her, a reaction he reversed BTW. This is EXACTLY a racist response.
To be a Christian and believe the bible is infalllible takes an infinite amount of rationalization.
Just curious: do you think Jacobs actually spent a year of his life trying to live biblically, or do you think he just had a point he was trying to make so he grew out a beard and had some silly photos taken as part of his presentation?
This is brilliant
This is not only funny, but very interesting. Also a good book. It makes us question religion, faith in our daily lives and in the overall scheme of things.
I did a similar experiment. But it was several years at a United Pentecostal Church. I have yet to transcribe my experience. I am still sorting it all out. One thing I learned was that Jesus said that the sum of the law and the prophets was in the command to love your neighbor as yourself.
Not to mention tha I've learned a lot with his book. A LOT.
Awesome way to live life.
Love the epic beard! Wasn't going to watch this, but glad I did. Rent-a-sheep. Now why didn't I think of that!
going into this, as an athist, I did not think I would like this talk. But he had a lot of good points and I am glad I watched it.
i loved the guinea pig diaries! don't worry, a.j., your voice is not annoying, it's endearing!
Im reading his book right now... im near the end it's pretty good
some random notes:
-"I’d always thought you change your thoughts and you change your behavior, but it’s the other way around…you change your behavior and you change your mind"
-Red Letter Bible: only contains Jesus’s words, based on different colored letters in old Bible
-Red Letter Bible is often used to argue that Jesus was not against homosexuality (technically, he never said anything about homosexuality), that his focus was on helping the outcast and the downtrodden
-rituals are by nature irrational - the key is to choose the right rituals; whether religious or not, we all have rituals that Martians would think are strange (e.g., blowing out candles for your bday)
more if you're bored: www.kevinhabits.com/ted/
I (as a Christian) would really love to meet this guy! Tons to speak about if possible.
I read your book when I was in jail. It was pretty good read.
Who cares where you read the book.
"I will say though that the museum is gorgeous and you should definitely visit it if you are ever in Kentucky"
Great, glad I found this on Pentecost - the origins of the Christian faith. AJ makes sense - get less self-focused. Be thankful - beautiful. Unfolding the great truths of life. Ooooo... Reverence. Not very United Statesian. Sabbath - yes, a truism - take the day off from your worldly concerns, dwell on God.
But here's the thing. God chose us, we do not choose God. When people come to Jesus they weep because of how beautiful He is while we are so impure. We realize then and there we can never achieve perfection thru all those 700+++ laws. He came to fulfill the laws. We are saved when we admit He redeemed us in our unholiness. Our lives changes for the better. All the laws are good for us. Thanks for the share, AJ., a special TED talk.
Yo A.J jacobs. I know you troll your own comment section. I just read it in your book "the Guinea Pig Diaries"...
YOU ROCK DUDE!
He's is an author. He was doing it to have the experience, make people think, and sell books. That is his Job.
We'll each understand it better after several more lives
Heard him in Sam Harris's podcast. He looks so much different then his voice
This will be a fantastic movie.
Fascinating talk - I'm amazed that he was able to follow so many "rules", but without actually "believing" in God or "Loving" God. You really haven't followed the bible unless you do those two things.
I pray that at some point of in all our life, we realise we are like the prodigal son who abandon God's son or daughter's status to live our life according to our desire without honouring our Father in heaven. Abba father, I thank you for this entertaining video and laughters. may your mercy fall upon all the audiences. You are hurting but
AJ Jacobs is what he says he is: humble, egomaniacal, silly, serious, lucky to have Julie, dedicated, more Jewish than he admits (I'm of the tribe, so this is not anti-semitism), the smartest man on earth, the dumbest dip on the planet, a guy with a voice reminiscent of Truman Capote minus drawl (or the arrogance and self-importance), a man deeply aware of the inescapability of human flaw (perfection being an illusion), nice guy, a workaholic, lazy shmoe, & more. I read it all. Give me more.
Nice to hear clarity from someone of a rather neutral position.
Thank you A.j, Loved t! …when Martians come down!
That picking and choosing part is called grace. If he had read and understood the Bible before hand he would see that
It’s called bs
Sacredness... that was a great revelation. I've been trying to put that thought into words for years.
Exce4llent!!!!
This guy knows where his shit is. Everyone should read "The Know-it-all" by AJ Jacobs. Man thats one awesome book. Funny and inciteful. Do it peeps... dooo it!!!
I loved his bushy beard!
Having - as a convinced homosexual CHRISTIAN - fought Christian biblical literalists my entire adult life, and now aged 70, to have found this clip is wonderful. Unfortunately, though, Christian fundamentalists are not the most dangerous 'religious fundamentalists' at this time: and our politicians are encouraging THE most dangerous of them (those who follow what SAM HARRIS calls, "the mother-lode of bad ideas") to flood into the West in their millions. Fundamentalists have never learned the lesson that "the Sabbath is made for man: not man for the Sabbath!" They also frequently accuse non-literalist believers of "cherry-picking" when - as your experience demonstrates - it is the literalists who are the arch-cherry-pickers of all time! I am, at least, consistent in the way in which I read the Tanakh and the New Testament.
kudos, nice comment, plus i feel that maybe he didn't go harsh enough on the stuff he covered, but he really did put an undeserved positive look on religion.
This was a pretty cool talk from the start, but it started to get reeally interesting at 6:25
interesting talk although it had two sticking points for me. first of all, there have been many studies concerning i.q. and religiosity. the results overwhelmingly point to the fact that the more religious a population is, the lower the i.q.
(nyborg 2008, Poythress 1975, etc.)
secondly, all the "good" things the author encourages us to pick and choose from the bible, (altruism, the golden rule, etc.), preexisted the bible.
they are observations in the bible, not from the bible.
"change your behavior and you change your mind."
....hmmmm, nice.
Indeed
I actually really want to visit the creationist museum now. Not because I believe in creationism, even a little bit, but because I love interactive educational experiences. :D
I just read his book, and I can assure you that he does understand that the Old Testament was before Christ came, and he does understand Christ's command to live your God with all your hear, mind, body, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He talks about it in the book to some depth.
If this ins't an exercise in why good writers should not venture into public speaking I don't know what is...
+Matt Nemmers Yep!!
+Matt Nemmers butthurt?
He points out how people who follow science view those who believe in religon to be odd. His statement about how a creature not from this world would observe someone blowing out candles on a cake and someone wearing only wool would both look odd. At least that is what I recall since I viewed and made my comment weeks ago.
I thought this was a good talk. His idea about how your behavior changes your thinking was new to me. Also I liked his mixed fabric / birthday candle comparison.
vewy interesting! found out about him from david nihill.
I find him adorable. Also, he is what is referred to as a humorist, in the Mark Twain mold.
No one can follow the law, we are human, our nature is to sin, but we must try to be righteous because this is what God wants..
16.26. It's not about picking the 'right' parts (i.e. Cafeteria Religion, which is a derogatory idea and a kind of selective shopping for ideas you approve of), but rather reading the Bible in a correct hermeneutic manner using these four literary tools; Literal; Allegorical; moral; Anagogica (I speak as a Catholic here)l. Cafeteria Religion is a form of religious pluralism, in which people pick and choose doctrines and religious practices to arrive at a customized and personalized spirituality, a smorgasbord of religions and philosophies that suit our own world view. Many so-called 'Nones‘ - people who claim not to follow any religion (which A.J Jacobs is also promoting)- actually have cobbled together a Salad Bar Religion. Cafeteria religion is a form of dissent with one foot in the door. In the Catholic faith, for example, this only leaves people in a sort of spiritual limbo without any solid direction. I strongly advise anyone (especially Catholics) listening to this to steer away from 'pick and mix' belief.