I dunno, Little Hawk and Mark. I agree with much of wwhat you say, but I think that's a pretty cynical view of the formation of the New Testament. From what I've read, it seems that the canon (contents) of the New Testament was fairly well set by 150 AD, with minor revisions here and there over the next two or three hundred years. I've taught scripture for many years, so I think I have a pretty good background.

I really don't think the Hebrew or Christian scriptures were written to "control people's thinking." In many ways, they seem to be a perfect example of the "folk process" - oral tradition handed down from one generation to the next, refined as it was passed along, and finally written down.

I'd agree that the churches have been far too political and materialistic in many periods through the years, and that a great deal of harm and injustice has been done in the name of religious faith. On the other hand, faith has been a foundation for many good and holy people through the ages, and I think they have been able to keep the faith intact - despite the political structures of the churches.

And yes, I think the Scriptures have great value. You need to read them within context and with a little guidance, but they certainly are not beyond understanding. The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, is a literary masterpiece and an extraordinary example of solid moral thinking and social justice. Paul's poetic piece on love in I Corinthians 13 is something that can speak to everyone, even those who have no religious belief. The psalms and the writings of Isaiah are wonderful, inspiring poetry.

Observer, I don't think I'd say that God changed from age to age - I think people's understanding of God has changed from time to time. By the way, there are many passages in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) that speak of a God who loves and provides for his people. There's also talk of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and loving one's neighbor. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures is not nearly so vengeful as people seem to think.

Now, if we look on the Scriptures as a statement of faith of believers, rather than a historical document, many of the inconsistencies become insignificant. The stories of Adam and Eve, of Noah, the Patriarchs, David, Jonah, and many more are legendary in their very tone - it's obvious that they must be allegorical. As I said before, they're not untrue - they are stories told to illustrate a profound truth. Throughout those stories, there's a thread that conveys the idea of a God who interacts in some way with humankind. I'd say the "liberal" interpretation of Scripture fits quite well with what we know in other fields of study. It's the "literal" interpretation that doesn't work. I think I can also say that there is little evidence to support the idea that the Bible is some sort of secret code, or that it was intentionally compiled as a tool for mind control. If you take the Scriptures and examine them with the tools of literary, linguistic, redaction, form, historical, and archaeological criticism, those other standpoints just don't hold up.

-Joe Offer-