Assorted theological and political musings

As you may have noticed, I changed the name of my blog. The first title was off the cuff, uninspired, and every time I saw it I hated it. But I didn't change it, because I didn't know what to change it to. After seeing another blog subtitled, "From a godless liberal" I thought, this is perfect. What better phrase to encapsulate what my blog is all about? So I am now Salomedesade: Godless Liberal.
On to something I've been thinking about for a while. The Bible, that historical document/holy text that many believers take literally to the detriment of differing beliefs and rationality in general, works best as a surrealist novel. Like all works of fiction, it incorporates elements from the time it was written, so it has historical significance in that respect. The fantastical devices it employs, epic floods, voices in the sky, raising the dead, are not meant to be realistic, but are used to make a general point. Through the supernatural fiction elements, a basic theme of the nature of humanity and how to live comes through to most people, the ones who don't dwell on the gory punishment parts. While the Bible imparts valuable life lessons in parts, altruism and unconditional love, its implausible explanation of the creation of the world should not be taken literally to the detriment of real science and science education and it should not be used as an excuse to murder and pillage those who don't interpret it the same way. Have you ever heard of literature scholars killing each other over differing interpretations of Marquez's or Borges' (masters of magical realism) works? Maybe that's not the proper way to speak of a text that so many hold sacred, but like I said, I'm an unbeliever, and an English major.
My parents and I were talking about Gitmo today (we are all firmly opposed to "President" Bush's foreign "policy"), and my dad said he was surprised that Cuba hasn't kicked us out yet. After all, the US has been at cultural war with communist Cuba and its now ailing dictator Fidel Castro since the 1960s. So I was thinking, the US is housing prisoners suspected of plotting against America in a country they know hates America. For all we know, the Cubans are secretly aiding the "evil" Arab terrorists housed there (if any) in a massive plot to destroy America. But I'm the paranoid type.