I and I's JM

Are they 100 percent false?

Arey they 100 percent true?

Are they old attempts (prmitive science) to understanding nature and other events?

Are they a hodge podge of historical accounts, some mystical bullshit, ancient oudated attempts at science?

Are they something like the illiad or the odyssey, where we know that some parts are historical places and events, mixed with mystical bullshit.

nanaimo

You should be able to rule out 100% true without much effort.

MortalWombat

Right-side up

Sheshbazzar

Religious and nationalistic legends fashioned to establish and maintain a cultural identity, wherein "history" is often freely revised, interpreted, or even created, to suit a political/religious agenda, for the greater glory of the god (or gods) of the people, and of the nation.
Kind of like competing sports teams, where each has its particular mascot, (god) its team, (the government) and their coaches, (the religious leaders) and fans (the people) all working in concert to convince all opponents, and the rest of the world, that win or lose, they really are the best.

spamandham

I vote for "hodge podge". Each portion of each text has to be analyzed in context for that portion.

spin

Despite what a lot of people believe, there's almost nothing that is either 100% true or 100% false, except -- for true --, say, the phone book when it is first printed and even then there should still be doubt.

This depends on your usage of "bullshit". I don't think there's any bullshit in the bible, but then I don't think it has a direct relevance to this age, being a collection of traditions gathered and developed by religious leaders of an ancient culture.

Ancient traditions had a number of purposes including to explain the world -- that's where your notion of outdated science comes in: how does one explain how the world came to exist before the development of modern cosmology? --, to explain social structure: why is woman subservient to man; why are the sons of Aaron priests, to provide legal rulings, to say what people should believe, and lots of other juicy things traditions frequently do.

For me where the bullshit lies is in the intentions of people who try to use an ancient text to govern other people's lives. Societies have changed somewhat in the last few thousand years. They're have gained for better or worse a culture dictated by science, which as a source of explaining the world is much more coherent, though not without its philosophical difficulties. Societies have become more democratic in those years as well, so it doesn't like the straightjacketing of culture or control of behavior by religion.

So, if you're not interested in the book, put it back on the shelf. If you are interested, don't treat it like a sacred cow. We don't treat religious works from other ancient cultures with any misplaced reverence. In fact because of the prevalent religion we tend to undervalue other religious traditions. Myths are bullshit, right? Well, no, but you don't really need to deal with them as you might have to with the bible, because our society is dominated by people misguided enough to try to shove it down anyone and everyone's throats at the drop of a hat.

I treat the bible like any other collection of cultural traditions, but it is the collection I know most about. This is because I find them interesting. At the same time, I know that they have been foisted on people who know no better. The context for those cultural traditions has long gone. In a healthy society they should be up on the shelf with the Rigveda, the Koran, the Enuma Elish, the Avesta, etc. But it's not. We live in a society that forces its ultimate political figure to kowtow to those outmoded traditions. So, the more you know about them, the better off you will be.

This is a message that says: don't shoot the book; shoot those who try to dictate others' lives with it.


spin

Sheshbazzar

amen, sometimes we do agree.

Demigawd

Yes.

Doug Shaver

The same way everybody should view it. And it depends on which parts of the Bible you're talking about. They're not all the same thing.

No.

No.

Some of them, yes.

Some of them, yes.

I don't believe there is any history in the Iliad or the Odyssey.

robto

So you don't believe that there was a city of Troy?