Posted: Apr 24, 2017 5:30 pm
PensivePenny wrote:John Platko wrote:
I don't think that's true.I could come up with an interpretation of the story that fits well with the behavior of people I have experienced in my life and develop an explanation for certain behaviors that I could use to make predictions that are testable about human behavior and yet the reality of the story could be very different. It could, for example, be a completely made up story based on bits and pieces of other stories that themselves contains some data about human behavior. The notions that our dreams can be communicating something to us that we can't quite consciously grasp and that treating someone with compassion who is in a difficult circumstance, even if doing so may not reflect well on us because of the culture we are in are things worth learning from that story - even if it was made up.
Emphasis mine! That sums up everything I could say to disqualify the bible. At the center of it is all YOU doing all the WORK based on your OWN experiences.
At the center of the story is the story. Surrounding that are the stories people built around that for 2000 years. It's me doing the work of trying to wrap my head around all of that - which is a lot 
. But I'm not alone in trying to do that. A lot of people have worked at trying to make sense of that story. When Jefferson wrapped up the D of I and other work he was busy trying to rationalize the Bible. As many many others have also done as best they could.
We don't have to use a 2000 year old text, it's unfathomable cultural differences and nuance for that.
You're right, we don't have to. And I don't recommend anyone who hasn't been abused by people who unwittingly force nonsense in other peoples head to pay too much attention to it. I feel sad every time I type that but that's my considered opinion. But for those of us who had it crammed into our head and/or have family that believe this stuff - it makes sense to me to roll up your sleeves and try to make sense of it all.
To do so is to invite the introduction of error into whatever conclusions might be drawn. It is far more beneficial to use less subjective personal and scientific observations for that purpose. It is clear that YOU have a personal affinity for the bible. I find it interesting in as much as I might find the discovery of a broken pot being excavated from the ruins of that period. But IMO you give it far more weight than it deserves.
How much weight we give something depends on our understanding of it. I might find a broken pot lying about and kick it and move on, another person might see that pot in a very different way. But anyone taking a serious look at Western history who doesn't see how important that Book and those stories have been isn't paying attention.