Clock is Running Out on the Bible


A progressive preacher published what he has learned about the Bible. What he has learned is kind of simple. The Bible is ancient literature written by wealthy people at the time trying to steer their local world in the direction writers preferred. The preacher believes there is some kind of god but doesn't believe a god wrote or directed the writing of the Bible. It was all a human thing.

His view is so logical it is nearly self evident. How could any rational person believe the Bible is something other than the musings of human beings? Well, millions, maybe billions have it wrong. They let the preacher know about that. His post was swapped with anger.

I can understand why if your life is wrapped up in the notion the Bible was passed down from some heavenly being and a preacher presents a well reasoned argument you are wrong you would be upset. But, why not consider what the fellow has to say and try to understand him? Reacting with a wave of anger does not move you to a better place in any sense whatsoever.

To many Christians, the Bible is not a means to worship, it is something to worship itself. I've seen it handled with theatrical reverence on the pulpit. It is displayed in churches as a symbol just as the cross is displayed. It is as though neither Jesus nor the Bible exist without believing the Bible is something other than a book written by the ancients. If both Jesus and God actually exist why could they not exist if there never had been a Bible? Why could not all Bibles be thrown into a bon fire and belief in Jesus and God continue as it has been?

The angry comments on the link say repeatedly progressive Christians who do not take the Bible literally are not Christians. If this is true, they need to find some way to prove this is so. We all know of the very wide variety of beliefs that self identify as Christian. I don't see why this could not include those who do not consider the Bible as a reliable documentation of events that led to Christianity. 

There can be no doubt the future belongs to Christians who do not consider the Bible as the source of their beliefs. This growing portion of the faith will be attacked until the bitter end.


Comments

  1. tsmFebruary 18, 2021 at 5:43 PM

    as to your last sentence: don't you wish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenFebruary 18, 2021 at 6:55 PM

      tsm -- "don't you wish."

      In that sentence I overstated my own confidence in what lies ahead. I don't know if Christianity will actually fade to something like Paganism is today, a relic of the past with a few that still are interested, or if it will come back and grow like it did for so long. We only know history. In history all thousands of religions humans once believed in have evaporated, mostly without a trace.

      Delete
  2. little helperFebruary 19, 2021 at 8:00 AM

    Off topic, but timely.--The landing on Mars yesterday with the stated emphasis of "life on Mars, or the start of life" is interesting. Don't misunderstand me, I am wholeheartedly in favor of science, and discovery in all areas, and the beneficial unintended discoveries via the space program. However, it is clear the over all emphasis is the discovery of the beginning of life elsewhere flowing from the very beginning of the space program. Just a thought; if all the billions and billions of money spent on the space program was mutually diverted to infrastructure, the care and feeding of those starving around the world through drought, war, and disease, would that not that be an important primary consideration?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenFebruary 19, 2021 at 9:36 AM

      little helper--I agree with you there seems little tangible benefit from going to Mars. The reason given, "the search for life on Mars," seems like marketing propaganda. I've heard some new and useful products came from space exploration. Aside from that, have our lives improved because of landing on the moon? Nothing comes to mind. Products developed to go into space and used elsewhere could have been developed for elsewhere and we would have them anyway.

      Delete
  3. little helperFebruary 19, 2021 at 8:22 AM

    Ps, I don't consider this to be religious related.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jon LindgrenFebruary 19, 2021 at 10:41 AM

    P.S. Some good things come from satellite technology. I guess that is related to the space exploration. Sending humans into space is appealing but seemingly impractical. Robots can do everything needed it seems like.

    ReplyDelete
  5. tsmFebruary 19, 2021 at 1:29 PM

    from a strictly economic point of view, space exploration has dubious if any value. except maybe we'll find usual resources on Mars (and if we can find ways of exploiting them). that notwithstanding, look at it from another perspective. ours is a curious and adventurous species. we wonder at it all and would like to know more about what's out there. don't you? is astronomy in general an economic waste?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenFebruary 19, 2021 at 2:29 PM

      tsm--I agree curiosity is inside us. The thinking now is humans spread across the globe faster than previously believed. There is the famous answer a mountain climber gave to the question why he wants to climb that particular mountain. His answer, "Because it's there."

      Delete

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