The Bible is a great self-help book, but, other than that, it reads as pure fiction to me. Anyone can write a book, but the Bible is more of an anthology or literary magazine than it is a literal map to that mystical place referred to as Heaven.
In the beginning, in Genesis, the book resembles a family tree. It is not without irony that during the period in which the gospels were written the majority of humanity was illiterate.
At least, that’s what our history books indicate.
I think it is quite logical to deduce that nomadic-family trees and stories, which were originally passed on to new generations via bedtime stories and campfire lore, ended up being documented on paper by someone who was passing through on his way to Mecca and was eventually buried or hidden for unknown reasons.
Not that I am trying to use cold, hard documentation to discredit the Bible, but there are many things within that Bible that seem not only impossible and contradictory but also embellished to the degree that many of my grandfather’s tall-tales were.
It aggravates me that almost every denomination of Christianity tries to put its separate views on the teachings of Christ and the Bible all in the same pot and claim that they are all the same when they are so invariably different. The same problem arises when anything is written so subjectively that anyone could twist the words and meaning to fit what it is they want it to mean. Yet, people are so surprised and shocked when an entire cult commits suicide, and neglects to notice and acknowledge that the religious group which they have pegged as a “cult” actually considered themselves Christians.
Christianity means “Christ like.” It is impossible for everyone, or anyone for that matter, to be right about what was meant in the Bible, especially considering that the generally accepted version has absolutely no quotes from Jesus or Jehovah.
Another irony is that there are gospels missing from the Catholic version of the Bible, such as the gospels of Mary and Judas, some of which have been time-dated as far back as 180 A.D. The Catholic Church refuses to recognize the validity of these gospels, in my opinion, because it so drastically contradicts its version of the Bible, which they have been using for centuries to direct the lives of their parishioners.
It is a commonly accepted fact that throughout history, religion has been used as a means of control for sociopolitical gain. As evidence, I would cite Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, the Inquisition, or just about every imperialistic conquest of North and South America over the last 500 years.
There is much I can say and write about my views on religion and the Bible, but the bottom line is this: I consider myself a Christian because I treat others the way I want to be treated and that is with dignity and respect. I do my best not to judge others. Furthermore, I do not follow blindly anything that another human being tells me, no matter who that person is.
I do not accept the Bible as the teachings of Jesus or Jehovah because the gospels in the Bible were written by men, and men are corruptible, no matter how true or decent their intentions.
Let me put it another way: Ask yourself how much of any print publication you believe to be accurate and fair.