Summations Only

Then it sounds like you are saying "This is just a book, it has no real meaning other than the fact that it is a book. You can ascribe meaning to it, but really, it's just a book."That makes the Bible no more valid than Harry Potter or the Iliad.That's a perfectly reasonable position to take.

But couldn't you say the exact same thing about any character from any book.Harry Potter inspired JK to write the Harry Potter series and while the events within are in her words, the meaning behind them should be used to control people's lives.Jenny Bigbutt inspired the porn movie in which she stars and though the events within are not "real", the meaning behind the porn should be used to control people's lives.Waldo inspired where's Waldo, and while the book contains drawing, not photos, the search for Waldo should be the central purpose of everyone's life.I mean, it's all the same.The only difference is that the people claiming your book are willing to murder people who disagree with them whereas no one claiming Waldo is the guiding influence in their life would murder anyone over it.

Well, that's a pretty big cop out."The Bible is real, and even if it isn't real, it's meant to be believed to be real".Come on."the most part" to tell the truth?This is a book the orders genocide. It condemns people to death for MINOR transgressions against an imaginary figure.It better be the ABSOLUTE truth or it's the most evil bit of literature ever produced. People are making REAL LIFE decisions TODAY in the areas of politics based on the belief that this story is absolutely real and that the wizard it describes is literally in the process of destroying the world."It's the end of days, so why pass environmental protection legislation".Seriously. If you don't believe 100% that it is the absolute truth, then you need to get your ass out there and start convincing the people who DO believe its the absolute truth that they are wrong. Otherwise, THEY are going to kill US.

I'm not talking about historical events. I'm talking about instructions.I'm talking about a book that tells you that if you find a town where one person worships a different religion, it's your duty to kill every man, woman, child (even those of your same religion) and animal in that town, to burn the town and everything in it, and then to salt the earth so that nothing grows again.That's not a historical account of some battle. That's a "DO THIS" instruction.If the book which is ordering people to wipe out whole cities because ONE person there isn't their religion is not based on the 100% accurate word of God, then it is PROFOUNDLY evil in its intent. Then some rules are ignored. Okay, but then NO rule in the Bible should be enforced upon anyone simply because "The Bible says so".Right now, the Bible is being used to justify homophobia. Why are those churches claiming that God says to kill fags but not saying that god says to kill sluts?