Well, Tunesmith, I think your last two posts do a good job of illustrating the Great Conflict that exists within religion: is religion some sort of blueprint imposed on humankind by an outside authority/God; or is it the coming together of people who share some sort of spiritual journey? I see it as the latter, and I don't want to have anything to do with an authoritarian view of religious faith.

For me, the "Bible" is both old and new testaments, and I accept it completely as a sacred book, the source document of the Christian faith. But mousethief is correct to hesitate when you say his only choices are "either accept everything written in it or not accept everything written in it, which is surely "picking and choosing." Fundamentalists dictate that only those two choices are available - the rest of us don't think that way.

I accept everything that is written in the Bible, warts and all. I accept the sometimes-cruel religious practices and ideas I read in the Bible, I accept Paul's misogyny, I accept the creation stories and the story of Noah's ark. I don't pick and choose - I accept it all because it is the sacred book of my faith.

Do I agree with the cruelty and misogyny and the silly rules and a lot of other stuff? No, of course not. What kind of dummies do you think religious people are?

Do I see the creation stories, and Noah, and Jonah and the whale, and the book of Job as historically factual? No, of course not - but all these stories teach powerful lessons.

To be understood and fully appreciated, the Bible has to be examined and questioned with every critical tool known to humankind - history, archaeology, literary and linguistic criticism, study of literary forms, the whole nine yards.

There are a few religious sects who look on the Bible as some sort of rule book for life, that has all the answers to all the questions that anybody would want to ask - but a whole lot of religious people don't think that way at all.

The Bible gives a very accurate picture of the faith of Jews and Christians, covering over a thousand years of faith experience - both the good parts and the bad parts of it. I accept it as a full and valid expression of their faith and as the roots of my faith, but I certainly don't see it as a rule book for how I should live my life or practice my faith.

As for Christ not being accepted, that's the whole conflict right there: the messiah was expected to be a manifestation of divine power, which was seen by many as military force. Power and authority and force are all that a lot of people understand. Christ was the manifestation of love and humility and suffering and compassion - not at all what people expected. Many "religious" people are still looking for a God who will do what they want God to do, to come with power and prove that everybody else is wrong.

-Joe-