Religious texts

[sobrique]

If we assume that there is no God, and therefore the central basis of the Bible was in error, would that make it any less valid as a source of spiritual thought, and social/moral guidance?

Comments

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does. As a source of spiritual thought it's just plain wrong. May as well read books about the Cthulhu mythos or the repeated works of David Eddings. As a moral source, well, it becomes like anything else, if you agree with its morals it's fair enough - if not, oh well. That and there is no longer any basis with which to coherently resolve the old/new testament contradictions.

Oh, and by-the-by, I think the Bible is a frankly terrible source of moral guidance. Whereever and whenever it goes beyond principles common to pretty much every society and religion ("the golden rule", thou shalt not kill, stealing is naughty, etc.) it gets it horribly wrong and espouses a mixture of oppression, cruelty and excessive punishment for minor violations of its own pet set of ettiquettes.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've always rather liked the Jedi concepts. OK, Starwars has drama around it, but ... *shrug*.

So you'd be of the opinion that without the 'positive assertion' of being the word of God, the Bible would be relegated to the 'budget' bookshops?

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Hmm, actually on that note: Jedi and Taoism.

Might have to do some more looking at that.

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Bible? Frankly, I can't see anyone reading it without it's associations to religion. I mean, really, how many of us have read the Qu'ran, the Bhagavad Gita or the Upanishads? I imagine bits of it would be read: Revelations, Ecclessiastes, some of the tales of Solomon and David - but Number and Leviticus? Come on. Leviticus might hang around as an example of an early codification of law, but not as spiritual or moral guidance.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have. At least, a fair fraction of it.
I won't deny it was because it was a religious text, but it's got a reasonable selection of materiel.