A Book

[Wayne Goodwin]

Have you ever read The Bible as a Book ?
Whether you believe or not it is a good read .

[Lifesighs]

I read the whole thing in my late teens when I was still a Lutheran, I found the old testament violent and contradictory many horror stories, the first few books were boring in the extreme. The new testament was better although very repetitive. I would not recommend it to anyone. I've since done research on the earliest known versions which were all letters together with no punctuation or spaces between words or sentences. I believe the earliest version was around 200 years after the death of Jesus, later versions were done at the request of rich men who had scribes write and change to their own specs and on it went, more changes as the person who ordered the copy dictated. If people want to believe that this is a word from above, go ahead. Everything I've learned is contrary to that.

It's like believing in Sci-Fi very bazaar.

[Wayne Goodwin]

I've had trouble believing anything man has written from inspired writings . So much add on's can be added that are ideas of the writer .

[P.A.]

You mean there is no Star Trek or Star Wars? I am crushed.

[Wayne Goodwin]

I do believe people need something to believe in one way or another ....

[P.A.]

To use the words of General George Patton, "the whole damn thing". It has some good stories in it but I find it to be just that stories.

[Mickchick]

I read the whole thing way  back when ... High School?  I agree that the accuracy is horribly suspect and subject to the whims of the person who wrote it or commissioned the writing at the time.  There have been so many variations and changes to the words that I simply look at it as simply a book, not divinely inspired, and not a particularly accurate rendition of history, though certainly indicative of the social mores of the times when it was written and rewritten.

[crestofwaves]

What Mickchick said.  And it is so mired in its own time an place that many of the teachings are just outdated.  I don't understand how people can believe it word for word.  Just the translations from Aramaic or Greek or whatever language it was written in lead to such varied interpretations, who knows for sure what the stories really were?

[Lucinda Stone]

it's just a story. end of story.     i have never understoood how some folks can believe it either. granted i did the sunday school thing back in the day, i even played Mary in the Christmas pageant! but as soon as i could think and  realize things myself, had no use for it....

[blithe spirit]

As a series of stories, parables,myths, fables etc. some interesting similarities to other cultures and religions.

Certainly nothing to be taken literally...what is it about the bible that should be believed more than another guide to live your life?

To be honest, not all that well written...

And yes, I have read it...from several perspectives...several different version ya know.