by Rosemary Redfern

Created on: August 03, 2010

The only way the bible could be considered a valid book for real education is if it is used as a language text.  To use the bible correctly it is necessary to read it in the original languages. There have been numerous translations and for those of us who do not speak the biblical languages we have no way of knowing how accurate those translations are to the original words. The translators may have missed details and not been aware of the political issues, or fashions in vernacular use, when certain books were written. If the translators are from northern Europe and are not familiar with the middle east, some of the plants, and daily practices of the people, will be alien and errors can creep in.

Books chosen for the bible have messages for the reader, giving one side of the events of the time by a passionate group of people.  Since the discovery, at Qumram, of other documents which could have been included in what is recognized as the modern day bible, how do we know why they were not included.  This indicates the confusion of political choices made in the past.

It could be considered a form of history yet when dates are cross checked with other texts, and artifacts like the Egyptian monuments, they sometimes do not agree. For this reason this work cannot be used by historians who want to be accurate. We have no way of really knowing when the action took place in the old testament.  The flood has been documented because there is physical evidence, or references in other parts of the world, but the dating system is flawed otherwise.

The bible is full of fantasy stories and metaphors which are often taken as factual by the avid reader.  If they are understood at the imagery level they might be enlightening but they can only ever be ideas. 

As a book about the treatment of women is fails to be uplifting. Most women have a poor time in the bible. This is surely not what we want our girls to be taught. The impressionable minds of children might believe it is acceptable for women’s lives to be unpleasant because they are women.  What a waste of half the population’s potential and what misery emotionally could be caused by this indoctrination. 

Mathematics is confusing in the bible.  The system of years seems fantastic compared to how we use dates now, although the body measurements mentioned might be interesting as how people managed in the past. 

As a resource book for real education, the bible does not come up to the standards we expect our children to be taught, nor for adults to further their own education.

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