If everything in the Bible were historically untrue couldn't it still be used as a fable?

Question

IMO the bible is not 100% accurate nor does it always preach the correct moral model. With this said I also believe the cannon also has some historical truths to it with certain moral standards which are indeed correct. With this also said, even the stories that are not historically accurate & or those which are metaphors can be used to demonstrate a teaching point. Does it matter or not whether the story of Noah's Ark is true to be able to use it for teaching trust in the higher power? There are many such possible examples in the bible. I write this in part for those of you who are certain the bible is the one all be all of truths & I also write this for those of you who have polarized in the opposite direction thinking the bible like other books in the past should be burned. If we realized the point is moot then we allow ourselves to be open to functional teaching points without getting too caught up in our respective dogmas.

Genie, IMO their are indeed dysfunctions in the cannon however there are also iconic stories and teachings that can have great spiritual value. I suggest ignoring or disclaiming the dysfunctional aspects and use what is good for teaching & self growth. It's like the old saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater".

Bimpster, my example of Noah's arch is a what if, not an absolute. You kind of have missed my point all together. Thanks for posting anyway.

Einsteinetta, you're kind of right but my lot of words said much much more. Read them again carefully and think about it and I am sure you too will write a lot of words, words hopefully with nuanced content.

Hadley Hodgkin, I think you understand the gist of my point. I too am not big on believing any one religion has all the truths. Unlike you I don't know if any religion ever had the truth to lose. Once something becomes an organization power immediately seeps in and corrupts it, not to mention it closes off other interpretations. Creativity is one cornerstone of true spirituality.

UncleGeorge, You don't think loving God with all your heart mind and soul is a everlasting moral model? You don't think loving your neighbor, let alone your enemy, is a good functional model? You don't think judging not least you be judged is a rule of thumb to live ones life by? You don't think mercy triumphing over judgment is a beneficial moral concept to teach? Yes, the bible has crap in it but it also has timeless values as well. Some of them are related to the time and others are timeless. My whole point is to take the good and leave the rest. And to be able to fully take the good one must be receptive to the stories. If we are too busy critiquing the history we'll miss the whole spiritual point.

UncleGeorge, as someone once told me religions don't slaughter people, people slaughter people. In the name of religion many have indeed been slaughtered. But times have changed in which the west does not burn witches or stone people to death for adultery. If the Old Testament advocates this practice then why don't we do such things today? The bible still exists, and is even somewhat still prevalent. It is because people either believe it was for another era or that these were primitive aspects to the Old Testament. In short even religious texts that have dysfunctions still can be used for good; We just need to be smart enough to delineate which from what. All the above holds true for all religions, including Islam, in which many of the adherents have taken its religious texts way too literally.

Answer 1

The Bible
The Bible is books inspired by God but put into text by man
Interpretation resulting in many religions, from land to land
God is only but one, something we refuse to understand, free will has taken us off course of that plan
The Old Testament, King James Version Genesis, the first book. the beginning of it all.
The New Testament Revelation, wternal life or the ending where man falls
These books have displayed acts of violence, betrayal, loyalty, and many forms of faith; with so many differences of opinion, the Bible stays in the center of debate
To understand the Bible an open mind has to come in to play
Exploring all the possibilities in every conceivable way
Fear and what you have been taught have put us in a contented state of mind
Hundreds of years of being programmed, we are still afraid of what we might find
Starting from the beginning: Adam and Eve a beautiful story to believe, but could it be God created a tree with more than two leaves?
Writers with strong imagination have created many religions
The power of thought of many writers visions
The truth will always stand, but free will and the truth we may sometimes bend
Some will say believe it all or none, but after thousands of years the words have been changed some
Belief is within, but more to often, it has been passed down from generation to generation; can the key actually lie in the book of Revelation?
Is the book of Revelation simply to determine our fate and hope of a waiting salvation, or a fear to pull a people together, showing true affection?
In the Bible only certain parts of God's world are revealed; God's creations were everywhere and that is for real
Over time, the words of God where hidden and in some lands destroyed
People were forced, killed, and even imprison to accept certain religions.Was that God's or man's vision?
Translators played a powerful role in how certain stories in the Bible were told, leaving out the parts they didn't want the people to know
Artists, translators, and God taking power from one and giving to another, open doors for the characters in movies, plus free will to paint a different picture, purposely to reject any thoughts that we are the same, God's children, sisters and brothers
No matter which way we try to turn it, in the eyes of God we are one color
The Bible speaksd of slavery, but the facts are four races were enslaved to each other at one time; if not for the concealment of certain documents where the truth lies, the answers would reveal the truth, which the Father left behind
Translators and writers like Shakeespeare and the King had great influence on the version some study now
But we must take into considedration othe religions, and other Bibles, that have eithe been destroyed or still missing, and most importantly the knowledge that man has allowed, for there is so much of the truth is still hidden
However, as long as ther is faith, contradictions, meaning free thoughts, questions will always be there; are the words real?
This is something to think about, but in reality it will come down to what you feel.
To Answer:
Some of us believe in traditional beliefs, making the true meaning of God confusing, leaving the soul with partial relief
Translators, with their own imaginations, have complicated the Bible, making it hard to comprehend, leaving the people with mixed feelings, the point, a purpose of what to hold within
To know God is to know yourself, ant to find the right path you must follow in His footsteps
One day all knowledge of a truth will be revealed, and on that day all God's children's souls will open, for the truth will emerge within His will
Understand the Bible or Bibles or only instructions for how we have and will live

Answer 2

Bible is a good tool upon which a very strong politicoeconomic system is based to uphold a manipupative control to the masses.
NO MATTER if it contains truths or not, it serves the system well..
WE can make a BIG LIE to become a truth through repetition
History has prove it many time in the past and in the present.

AS far as about "moral models" and "morality"?????? They change very quick....
Just consider that 100 years ago it was immoral a woman to show her ankles. NOW????
it is not immoral to show her boobs.....
and what moral model could we take from bible?????/ the way that LOT's Daughters drunk him and then raped him????or tha the wise King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 cocubines????
or in the name of LOVE that Jesus tought, the christian have slautered thousands here in Europe in Africa and America????

Oh....common....get real

Answer 3

I agree with what you said. I believe in a god or higher being, yet I don't believe the bible is 100% accurate, when it was written by humans( men only), many times many years after the fact or by someones "scribe". Noah's Ark can be found even in the stories of the palastinyins written on clay predating the bible, but truth be told it was more like a massive flooding of the area, not the world. Also, If God wanted it to be concrete he would have written a damn book himself.

Answer 4

The parts that can be proven true are true. However, there are many parts that do not have any proof to back them up. Those parts are where the controversy begins, especially when it comes to science. There are some people who disagree with the findings of science because it disagrees with the bible. However, the science has proof to back it up. The bible does not. Also, there are many people who disagree with some of the messages in the bible. There are many passages that promote violence and very cruel behaviour.

Answer 5

Yes that is the truth, they say if Jesus did have a wife that would end everything we believe in. Maybe it would end their hipocracy, but it would not change the fact he was a great spiriutal leader. It is all about control, who so ever controls the "truth" controls the world. The problem is all religions lost the truth long ago, so now it is just a battle to battle.

Answer 6

Stories and legends have been used since man had a tale to tell to teach moral values and pass on knowledge. Unfortunately stories, legends, and myths are also used to mislead people. Why should bible stories be any different?

Answer 7

These guys can be a bit too harsh because they tend to be hypocritical, however this article is about new developments in the search for Noah's ark: http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?&ArticleID=813
Enjoy the article, ignore the rest of the garbage on the site...

Answer 8

Took you quite a few words to say there is a lot of wisdom in the Bible. : )