'How do you decide which bits of the Bible are true and which bits are not?'

That is a very reasonable question. Unfortunately I do not think that there is a single answer. I know how I do it. The Gospels contain a view of how life should be lived to which I subscribe. I suppose it is not a question of whether it is all literally true but whether the underlying message resonates with me, and it does. The Old Testament traces (supposedly) the history of the Jewish race; it is treated with respect in most Christian churches because some of it foreshadows the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ. However, it is my perception that a good many Christians give scant attention to the Old Testament and that most recognise that it is more myth than reality. The fact is that truth is a slippery customer and that religious belief cannot be equated with objective truth, unless of course you are a fundamentalist, which I am not.

Shimrod, when I used the word 'must' in the post to which you objected I was not suggesting compulsion but implying that it was Steve Shaw's view that one could not, logically, think in that way. I thought that that was quite clear, I apologise for confusing you.