As I was reading some of the threads here,

[hawkins_anderson]

I could not help but to think very simply what would happen if the bible was an advice book, a satire or social commentary on life if you will. What if it is a social commentary on how we should conduct our lives but written in such a way to make it easier to digest those things about our natures we do not always wish to directly address about ourselves kind of like, also very simply, what cartoons were intended to do for adults during the 40s, 50s, etceteras. What if we substituted the word "man" for Satan and the word "deed" for God? This is not to say that man is inherently good or inherently evil. However, I have heard many people say they believe we are already in hell but to me it is a hell created by man and anytime we do a deed that helps man to do the right things then in those deeds is the concept of goodness or of God if you will. There is no scientific evidence to explain as to whether or not the supernatural exists but what would happen if humanity began to substitute those words for the new terminology?

[pgwenthold]

Originally posted by hawkins_anderson
I could not help but to think very simply what would happen if the bible was an advice book, a satire or social commentary on life if you will. What if it is a social commentary on how we should conduct our lives but written in such a way to make it easier to digest those things about our natures we do not always wish to directly address

It's not a bad concept, in principle. I say it's not a bad way to view things.

Of course, I would also say that it is a probably a very decent advice book for folks who lived in the first century CE but that it's relevence to today is not all that great. Oh sure, there are probably parts and bits that might be useful, but you have to sort them out and evaluate in the context of today's moors. Since you have to evaluate everything piece-by-piece, it really doesn't mean much from a modern standpoint. It's about as useful as Harry Potter.

[iain]

The only problem is who would pay attention to a self-help book which started off advising you to rape, kill and enslave those who opposed you and then in part two suddenly started saying that you should forgive them and turn the other cheek.

[Ladyhawk]

I've always regarded the Bible, the Tao te Ching and other such publications as just that....a mirror reflecting the culture and morality of the time. I find them useful, from a philosophical point of view. For the most part, they encourage patience, acceptance and a respect for others. Not much wrong with that kind of thinking.

Naive or not, I believe that humankind is inherently good and that most of the evil we do is born of ignorace or greed (and a few nut jobs out there) . I agree with you that man creates his own hell but I prefer to believe that these times which we exist in are the more painful part of the overall learning curve as we evolve toward a better end.

I know. Naive. But, then, I've always preferred the glass half-full approach ..;)

[Some Friggin Guy]

Originally posted by Ladyhawk
Naive or not, I believe that humankind is inherently good and that most of the evil we do is born of ignorace or greed (and a few nut jobs out there) . I agree with you that man creates his own hell but I prefer to believe that these times which we exist in are the more painful part of the overall learning curve as we evolve toward a better end.

I know. Naive. But, then, I've always preferred the glass half-full approach ..;)

I don't find this thought to be naive.

Hopeful, certainly, but not naive.

Humanity must have some inherrent goodness, otherwise the world would be even more dangerous than it is today.

My view is that we have to believe in that inherrent goodness and trust in it, rather than believe that goodness and morality comes from another source. historically, when humans start ascribing morality to an outside source, they stop taking responsibility for their own actions. Once things are not our fault, it doesn't matter what we do.

[Ratman_tf]

Originally posted by hawkins_anderson
I could not help but to think very simply what would happen if the bible was an advice book, a satire or social commentary on life if you will. What if it is a social commentary on how we should conduct our lives but written in such a way to make it easier to digest those things about our natures we do not always wish to directly address about ourselves kind of like, also very simply, what cartoons were intended to do for adults during the 40s, 50s, etceteras. What if we substituted the word "man" for Satan and the word "deed" for God? This is not to say that man is inherently good or inherently evil. However, I have heard many people say they believe we are already in hell but to me it is a hell created by man and anytime we do a deed that helps man to do the right things then in those deeds is the concept of goodness or of God if you will. There is no scientific evidence to explain as to whether or not the supernatural exists but what would happen if humanity began to substitute those words for the new terminology?

A nice sentiment, but certain followers of the Christian faith would burn you at the stake for suggesting tampering with the bible. Not that it hasn't been done, but you have to be sneaky and duplicitous about it.

[Dorian Gray]

Consider this: What if the Bible had never existed, and then was coauthored by some people and released today? Wouldn't everyone pretty much think it was a bunch of crap? Or a good story full of plot holes and a little longish, nothing more?

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Dorian Gray
Consider this: What if the Bible had never existed, and then was coauthored by some people and released today? Wouldn't everyone pretty much think it was a bunch of crap? Or a good story full of plot holes and a little longish, nothing more?
The trick is to get at them young (http://www.scientology.org/html/en_US/results/index.html).

[Wrath of the Swarm]

Not a very good story, I would think.

Although I must say that I find the Tao Te Ching to be very useful. The few assertions it makes about the world seem quite obviously true to me. That doesn't mean that religious Taoism is very useful - but its philosophical form, very much so. Or so I would argue...