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Add to FavoritesThe bible is a collection of manuscripts. I wonder if we compared just as many manuscripts found at a publishers could we find them as valid as what the church authorities consider are contained within the bible as a totality.
The bible is not a single book - it is a collection of ideas and thoughts from many and varied authors. Hence the contradictions found from author to author and manuscript to manuscript. And the manuscripts were written over time and with no authority of presence during the experiences they reference. That makes them fiction, not fact.
It could certainly not be considered an authority on any subject. As there is no agreement from author to author how would agreement come on a given subject?
In education there is a book that teaches the subject at hand. What is the subject of the bible?
The bible claims authority on such varied subjects as sex, social mores, church, religion, philosophy, even science. Is there an authority in any of these topics, other than the church ordained authority?
The church teaches the bible, from denomination to denomination, according to what their particular religious group finds valid and important, and is not consistent within all religions that use it as a religious authority. Is there anyone who takes the bible literally?
And when studying the bible message which verses are important to take literally and which would be considered allegory or symbolic? Who is the authority to decide? Is it a personal study or is there an authority on the bible that tells the reader the true message of what they are reading?
In its highest form it is a history book of a the Jewish people. It contains the historical figures, the progression of thought from generation to generation, the laws enacted to keep the group together. The Jewish history is concerned with the law of nature as well as God.
Any book we would pick up off the library or book store shelf, we gain what resonates with our personal experience and thoughts. It can and does contain a different message for the many who read its pages. This is what literature and learning is about.
What does the bible teach? What is the message that will get across to the reader? And was it written by God as some claim?
Another thought is: Does religion need a book to define its message? Can a religion be lived and learned through experiences of life to form a spiritual lesson? So as a religious education does the book remain valid and functioning?
Learn more about this author, Judy Merrill.
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Agree
Without a doubt, the Bible should be considered a valid book for real education purposes. There is no other writing in world history which has been as widely distributed, translated, or read than the Bible. For clarification, by Bible, I mean the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament to Christians) and the Christian New Testament.
The Bible is filled with some of the greatest poetry ever written. The Hebraic poetic forms of the Psalms and even the poetic grief found in the book of Lamentations are exemplary. In English, the King James Version's translation of the Psalms not only helped standardize the English language, it continues to fill the reader with an appreciation of the poetic power of words.
There are thousands of allusions to and citations of the Bible in the world of art, literature, and even modern movies. A basic knowledge of the Bible is necessary to appreciate the depth of expression by ancient and modern artists. How can one read Dante with understanding without at least a cursory understanding of the Bible? The artwork of Leonardo da Vinci is not as rich without an understanding of its Biblical roots. The series of Biblically-themed movies of the last decade are empty with an understanding of the allusions they make (see, for example Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, The Lord of the Rings, The da Vinci Code, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the painfully obvious The Passion of the Christ).
The Bible should be used to teach not only poetry, but also can be used to teach the historic background of many of today's most pressing issues. For example, why are their multiple claims on the country of Israel? What motivates passionate, misguided zealots hell-bent on bringing about an apocalyptic battle over Jerusalem? Not all the history in the Bible is "historical" in the academic understanding of the term. Much of the history in the Bible is tainted by the axiom, "To the victor belong the spoils." That is to say, Biblical history is a very unbalance view of history written by the victors among the various Jewish and Christian factions responsible for writing and assembling the Texts. But even with this triumphalist slant, the Bible offers historically accurate insight into the history it covers.
To be sure, the use of Bible in public school education should respect the separation of church and state which in principle is enshrined in the first amendment to the United States Constitution. No public school student should be forced to study the Bible, ever. However, as an elective course in public schools, taught by an even-handed teacher who realizes that proselytizing is prohibited, then classes on the Bible will not only be a good idea, it will enrich the education experience.
For more information on issues about how to appropriately teach the Bible and about religion in a public school setting, see the publications of the Baptist Joint Committee for Public Affairs:
http://www.b jcpa.org/resources/p ubs/pub_qarelinpubsc hools.htm
http://www. bjcpa.org/resources/ pubs/pub_relinpubsch ools.htm
Learn more about this author, Roland McShane.
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