By some counts there are 30,000 sects in the Christian religion and each of these sects interprets the Bible to suit its own agenda, sometimes in subtly different ways and sometimes quite fundamentally. An obvious example is that body of opinion which insists that Genesis is literal history and the universe is less than 10,000 years old. Most Christian sects, including the oldest and largest, the Roman Catholic church don’t agree with this interpretation
Obviously not all of them can be 100% right, perhaps not even one of them is right. How are we to tell?
It follows from this that the actual words of the Bible are inconsequential; it is the interpretation that counts., This being so why should we pay any attention to the actual text? What we must consider are the myriad interpretations of that text and their effects upon society. Some of these effects are deleterious to society at large;
- The concept of original sin; each of us is born with a sin nature and we need salvation.
- Sex is basically evil and must be controlled. So, it must be within marriage and open to life (no contraception)
- Homosexuality is a grave disorder and those “afflicted” with it must be celibate.
- Masturbation is a grave sin (it has the taint of homosexuality and is not open to life.
- Life is sacred and begins at fertilization, so any termination of a pregnancy is a grave sin.
- All those who don’t obey the rules of a sect will go to hell and burn in agony for ever and ever. (Some sects modify this to being separated from God).
These are just a few of the effects on society of the various interpretations of a 2000 plus year old text, which is full of obvious myth, garbled history, propaganda of the tribesmen who wrote it and many contradictory statements.
The big question which has always puzzled me is: Why do we give the Bible such authority? Why is it any more authoritative than any other ancient or modern text. Perhaps the Book of Mormon is more accurate than the Bible, so why aren’t we all Mormons? A silly question, I know but is it any sillier than building our society on a text written thousands of years ago by ignorant middle eastern tribesmen?
Should we bin the Bible; consign it to the scrap heap; wipe out every law based on it?
Or should we return to our past where the Bible was the fount of morality?
This Style 10/6