THE BIBLE
Why God Had Nothing to Do With It
Don't get me wrong. I like the Bible. What I don't like is what everyone (at least most everyone) goes around saying about it.
I also do not believe that God had anything to do with it. Why? Because it just doesn't seem to be the sort of activity that a perfect Being would indulge in. For that matter, I can't imagine a perfect Being doing much of anything. I mean, why would He? He's perfect. He doesn't need to do anything, like reveal Himself to mortals and intimidate the hell out of them and just basically show such a keen interest in what they do. The more you think about this kind of crap the less sense it makes.
And I completely understand that what I say about the Bible is not likely to be well received.
In the first place, it's not exactly a scholarly presentation, a style of writing that seems to merit credibility by those who like to busy themselves with book reviews.
But the audience I had in mind does not care so much for scholarship or the opinions of book critics. It devotes itself instead to the fearful imaginations that are ever emanating from the blind faith that continually compels it.
I know this to be true, having experienced it first hand. I grew up in a fundamentalist family, and went to church (the Church of God) every Sunday. I even went to a church college (Southeastern University) after I completed a little stint with the Air Force.
Most people are a slave to the Bible and are not even aware of it. But please don't misunderstand me on this. As I said, I happen to like the Bible. It is without question one of the primary pillars of Western civilization, a compelling literary accomplishment to say the least. But thanks to the Church (with a capital C) it has become—most regretfully— something much more.
As the result of centuries of brainwashing and propaganda, motivated no doubt by interests at least somewhat pecuniary, that rather beautiful collection of ancient stories, genealogies, poems and fables has been transformed into a work of art that bears an aspect almost sinister. It has become the word of God.
It is understandable that such a thing could happen in an undereducated barbaric world, but that the masses (the technologically affluent masses mind you) continue to embrace such a primitive notion is nothing less than astounding.
Even a novice philosopher could appreciate that a real God, i.e., a perfect and complete Being, would very likely have little, if anything, to do with mere mortals. And if there were such interaction, it is unlikely in the extreme that a pristine Deity (which is surely what a real God is) would publicize it, or posture with the crass familiarity so evident in the Old Testament.
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