Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Yeah, I get that. My problem is that the perception this creates among people tends to make them needlessly dismissive in the process. Your own response implies that because the so-called "biblical moral code" is barbaric and outdated, this effectively renders the entire collection worthless, meaningless, and of little more than antiquarian interest. This is what I take issue with, and my point is that there is value in the text for those who are willing to pay attention.
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If you mean worthless in the sense of defining our morals, or our understanding of the universe, then I would say that I stand behind that. I don't see how a text that attempts to explain our existence by leveraging the concept of a being whose basic existence cannot be demonstrated to begin with provides any value.
As Carl Sagan once said, "In many cultures, the customary answer is that a god or gods created the universe out of nothing. But if we wish to pursue this question courageously, we must - of course - ask the next question, 'Where did God come from?' If we decide that this is an unanswerable question, why not save a step and conclude that the origin of the universe is an unanswerable question? Or if we decide that God always existed, why not save a step and conclude that the universe always existed?"
I see no harm in answering a question with "We don't know yet", but what I do see harm with is making up an answer for the sake of comfort, and closing the investigation. Religion promotes this lack of questioning, and it is something I see not only lacking value, but harmful in one's endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of our world.
Similarly, a text which contains such a vast array of contradictions throughout its pages would not serve to be a very useful guide on any subject, nevermind one that is purported by many to provide an objective moral framework. You and I do agree on something, that morality is undoubtedly subjective.
BUT, if you mean the books have value simply as a collection of texts, then I suppose that depends on who is the one reading them. I don't read Harlequin romance novels, but my grandmother sure seemed to enjoy them when she was alive. I read the Bible and it only served to push me further away from the beliefs I was once indoctrinated with.
Come to think of it, maybe the Bible does have value....