The bible. Fact or fiction? Loving or lethal? Divine or godless? Here are my thoughts on the infamous/famous book. Please hold your stones until the end.
I once heard
that the word “bible” was an acronym for, “basic instructions before leaving earth”
and honestly I think that perfectly sums it up. A good book full of basic instructions
on how to live your life in a mentally healthy, truly loving and mutual
beneficially way for you and all who occupy the space around you.
Now with
that said the bible is a book, one with many wonderful and loving messages, but
nonetheless it’s still a book written by man, an imperfect man at that. This
book may be God inspired (for those who
believe) but it was still written by humans, those who (according to the book itself) are not
without agendas, flaws and biases, just to name a few of our shortcomings. Not
to say that all of the influences of man within the pages are bad, because
believe it or not we sometimes do things with the best of intentions and
without any concern for what we stand to gain as a result of our actions.
We don’t
even really know the authors (or possibly
even multiple authors per piece) of the documents contained within this
book, the works were originally written anonymously and names were attached to
each piece later on down the road by scholars. Books were omitted; things lost
in translation and extended periods of time passed from when the events took
place and when they were recorded. I can barely remember what I ate for dinner
last night, let alone the exact details of an event that happened many years
ago…just saying. I’m not trying to tear the book apart; or crap on anyone’s
religion; I just want to make sure that we’re all on the same page (no pun intended).
I consider
myself a Christian, and I have read the bible many times and honestly it has
helped me get through some really tough and unfortunate circumstances in my
life, but I don’t just ingest everything I read on its pages like a pig dining at
the trough. I question things. I trust my own interpretation of what I’ve read.
I don’t go into it with a preconceived notion of what the text is supposed to
mean because of what I was told it should mean by others. I keep an open mind
and form my own opinion.
I consider
most of the Old Testament a collection of parables, beneficial and positive
lessons for sure, but the stories are not to be accepted as literal events. I
do believe most of what I’ve read in the New Testament, which should go without
saying or I would be a complete idiot for following the faith. I just don’t
believe any man, in person or on paper, can speak for God. The only way to
truly fulfill your spiritual needs is by going to Him directly. Speak to Him
yourself, because like Frasier Crane, “He’s listening” and always willing to
have a conversation.
I do have
some questions for those who believe that the pages are divine and full of
nothing but accurate historical content.
Why is it
that you believe God’s story is confined between the covers? If Harry Potter
can go on and on why can’t the bible, is God not greater than J. K. Rowling?
I’m not saying that this book is a children’s fairytale, I just don’t
understand why people think, as an author, that God is a one-hit wonder. Do we
really hold ourselves in such a high esteem that we seriously believe that we
can keep Him imprisoned between Genesis and Revelations because it makes us
feel all warm and cozy inside?
Why
couldn’t He create and inspire additional works, like a New-New Testament? Isn’t
that blaspheme to say that He couldn’t continue to grow, to change the world
and adjust His word to more adequately coincide with how His children are
behaving nowadays? This is not an attack by any means, these are real questions
that come to mind when I think about the bible.
As far as
His word and change is concerned (because
I’m sure I just opened up a can of whoop-ass on myself with many Christians),
in the Old Testament He told
us to go after an eye if our eye is attacked and then in the New Testament
tells us to take the eye poking and graciously turn the other cheek exposing
our unplucked eye, leaving it ripe for the picking. Now that’s just one example
of the many changes from one testament to the other, and proves the point that
His word can, and does change. Whether you like it or not, it’s right there in
black and white.
His word is
a never-ending “developing story” like in a breaking news spot, and to believe
otherwise is ignorant and utterly foolish if you ask me. He is orchestrating
change all around us, every new idea and innovation has his fingerprints on
them, nothing happens without His approval. Everyone knows that change sucks,
but it’s impossible to prevent, so we have to get over trying to be comfortable
and allow him to be like a fine wine and breathe. Give the artist his space and
let Him make his masterpiece.
This book
also gets the blame for lots of the madness that surrounds us in the world
today, but truthfully it is not what you read that defines you, it is how you
react and treat others based on the information you are absorbing mentally. It’s
not the words on the pages that make a book dangerous, it’s the actions of the
reader that does. We don’t have to obey everything we read, it is not our
master and we are not its slave. The bible is meant to be a companion piece to
help make your life on this otherwise dark and dreary planet a little bit
easier, not as a means to condemn/judge your fellow human beings.
The bottom
line is this, for the most part I love its message and I’m happy to have it in
my possession, but I’ll be damned (possibly
to hell if I’m wrong) if I’m going to let it persuade me to hate and/or
become “holier than thou” because of it. The book should be kept like a diary,
something that is personal and near and dear to your heart, not as a weapon
used to attack all who oppose your beliefs (notice I said “your beliefs” and
not God’s) and those who don’t walk the same path as yourself.
For the
record, this rant is not just about the Christian bible either; I’m only
speaking on what I am familiar with, because I have no doubt these sentiments
stand true against any religious and/or holy book. As cliché as it sounds, knowledge
is power, but as with Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. Take
what you’ve learned in that book and use it to make the world a better place
for all involved, because in the end it will only make things better for you
and your loved ones.
One for
good measure…
Remember,
when you see someone acting the fool in the name of religion, especially your
own, speak up and put them in their place or you are just as guilty as they are
for destroying its image. One bad apple spoils the bunch…don’t believe me, ask
Adam.
