pete - I don't doubt that there is much spiritual truth in the Bible (as in many other great books of great religions). I just don't think every single word in every single passage in the Bible is necessarily the unadulterated and entire truth straight from God.

Therefore, I read the Bible with an eye to discernment to find what truth is there....not as a perfect instruction manual that will tell me everything I need to know.

And I note that Jesus, during his entire mission, never once said to his followers: "After I'm gone there will be followers of mine, some of yourself included, who will write a number of Gospels and books about me, those books will be combined with the old Hebrew scriptures you already know, they will become a great book called 'the Bible' and in it will be all the truth about me, about God, and about life, and the new church founded in my name will make it the one book you must study to know the truth. Listen and comprehend!"

Nope. He never said anything of the sort. And he would have if it were so, in my opinion. For the truth, I am inclined to go straight to the source itself...not to a collection of books written by a series of different men about the source.

You see what I mean?

And where is the source? The source is within each one of us. You have to become silent...go within...search...and find it. As Jesus advised. And as Buddha and many others have also advised since antiquity.