Boro Nut

Do you think the bible is the greatest story ever told? I don’t. I think it’s absolute pish to be honest. There is no plot to speak of, and it is impossible to warm to the characters. Should Christians read more before they voice an opinion do you think? What about some contemporary horror like Steven King, a bit of Sci-Fi by Asimov, or something more classic like a Charles Dickens story, a little Mark Twain, or one of Jane Eyre's? They’d be in a much better position to judge the merits then.

I just feel the bible gets off to a really bad start introducing that God monster at the very beginning instead of building up the suspense till the end. It would have been better if you only found his scary footprints next to the skeletons, or his teeth marks in the partially eaten children like in Jaws. Once you actually see it is only a badly articulated rubber God it just spoils it.

Plus, the hero only appears right at the end, and they bump him off about eight pages later. What is the point of that? I could understand writing him out if you wanted to cram in some sex scenes or something, but there aren’t any normal heterosexual ones. And if you do manage to stick with it out of sheer bloody mindedness, just as you think it is building to a spectacular climactic end of the world scene, it doesn’t. People just start wandering about. What a swizz. It’s all a bit Channel 4 for my tastes.

I did quite like the humorous bits like the The Garden of Edam I suppose, but overall I think Aesop makes a much better fist of that sort of thing. They should include some of his stuff, like ‘Why The Bears Eat Honey’ or ‘How the Spider Lost His Cock’ and stuff like that. I thought the tree of life part was clearly allegorical in the sense that it’s made up, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil is a simple metaphor for something that never happened. I believe the talking snake bit though, because I saw one on Harry Potter and the Temple of Doom.

Boro Nut

Kryten

No, I don't think much of it as a story. Unoriginal, confusing, contradictory, very badly written etc. I prefer Tolstoy or Sophocles myself. When I first read the bible I was amazed at just how bad it was. To this day it remains one of the most idiotic works I have ever read. The fact that people base their lives on it truly amazes me. I simply think they have lower standards than I. I guess that makes me arrogant?
Okay, I'll be arrogant. I'd rather be right, than humble.

Gawen

Nah..the bible is no novel. More of a medley than anything else. But of course with all that it is a rulebook. A manual. A code of conduct.


But everyone knows the code is more of a guideline.....bloody pirates...

Ooops...wrong guideline..

DiogenesofSinoppe

As the late Bertrand Russell aptly noted, those professing belief in the Bible as the word of God are motivated by two pyschological aspects, a.) fear and (which corresponds to a.), b.) social environment of the believers.

Since, in my neck of the woods: the Southern United States, most people grow up having the Bible being referred to while youngster shoot helpless deer in the woods, and while they later battle against other youngsters on the football field. There is a biblical reference to every human activity of their culture. Whether it's the thrill of the killing of animals, or the slaughtering of opponents in sport, or devouring fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the supper (not dinner, that's at noon) table, the Bible is the reason these people can do these things.

Fear manifests itself in many ways. Most important is social acceptance. If one of these southern USA believers suddenly question the Bible, or refuses to pray at a football game, then they will forever be outcasts in their culture. While some may have the means to leave these small-town, close-nit societies, most do not possess the means. By financial criteria, most of these believers are impoverished. Since they are lacking in education and money, many believers think that prayers can and will be answered. Consequently, many prayers are requests or demands for health, added years of their life, food, money, knowledge, safety, protection, and the ability to keep believing in nonsense. For many literalist Christians their belief requires a quid pro quo.

Impoverished people have alot of superstitions because they believe it protects them against the cruel world. They think that critically examining their beliefs will either lead to rejection from their culture (oh my gawd, billy joe, God doesn't want us killing deer in his name or scoring touchdowns!). Other, more of the biblical literalist tradition of superstitious beliefs, have the convicition of critical examination leading to either Divine damnation or Divine smiting, either of which would have enormous consequences on scoring touchdowns or devouring mashed potatoes (with gravy).

Fear also manifests its way in other psychological aspects. Many believers need to have the big questions answered, i.e. how did I get here? Where is here? etc. For them, the biblical explanations are paramount. The Bible, in their belief answers all of these questions.

In light of Bertrand Russell's criticisms in relation to the Bible, it may be a bad book but entire cultures are based on strict adherence to the belief that this book is the revealed word of God.

Plognark

My 2 cents: it's friggin ponderous and really poorly written. Too many cooks....ruins the broth.

Sparrow

You don't need great literature to start a religion. I offer as my proof - Scientology.

Mageth

Heh.

Here's my account of The Greatest Story Ever Sold.

Occams_Razor

Boro Nut

:notworthy

Doctor X

Perhaps the sequel will be better?

--J.D.

Naruto

It better be, it's taken them this long to write it.