h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd like to throw my oar in if I may!

The Bible is a remarkable collection of works and I believe, whatever your views on faith may be, it's a little churlish to judge it on current models of narrative, literary criticism and scientific logic. It's remarkable on a number of levels:

- As a history of certain group of peoples it's quite singular. Although this history often slips into vague myth it's sheer breadth - 5000+ years? - gives us very vaulable perspective on our own times.

- As a book about the trials of life it's a belter. It gives some great advice on matters of love, death, hate, war, peace, conduct etc. Just check out Book of Job, Song of Solomon and the Gospels account of Jesus' teaching as examples. Sure some of it is more relevant than other bits but we're covering a huge time period here. It's not Nick Hornby.

- As pure literature it has some quite beautiful pieces of poetry and prose. Here in the West the very liberal thinkers who may knock the Bible praise Sufi poets, Hindu story telling or Chinese philosphy, when writing of a similar insight is tucked away in every hotel drawer.

To ignore it's power and discredit it due to a number of anomalies that don't make sense in C21st just cries of 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater' to me. The Bible has managed to be relevant to people across the world for thousands of years. To simply see it as irrational and irrelevant is plain wrong. Now, I'll say now, I am not a Christian, I do not go to Church nor to do I believe in a Christian God. (I am a spiritual person and I believe in a creating force but please don't ask me to pin my 'knowing' down as I can't it. It's a mystery and I'm still exploring...) I AM interested in people and I will not prejudice whole groups, or whole periods in history, as swiftly as some in our so-called enlightened age do. Yes - the Bible has flaws, but so does humanity and history and philosophy and ethics and so on.

To pick on the Bible for such particular points is like knocking the Mona Lisa coz she looks has an odd smile. I suggest anyone who sees the Bible as pure nonsense to actually read it. With an open mind. That is all!

With all due respect.

the bible still exists and is interpreted as a book of laws. Facts are facts, it is responsible for great human suffering over thousands of years.

And even christians contradict the point of jesus, even christians carry out capital punishment.

Not to harsh on your argument, but there is a BIG difference between the Mona Lisa and the Bible. Largely the fact that people don't pray to Da Vinci or the Mona Lisa, herself. Now I will admit that I haven't read the Bible as of yet, however, to argue the two are so how alike is a bit odd.

The Bible does have staying power, though, need I point out the Left Behind series, which is what happens when Tom Clancy and Pat Robertson get together and have a baby. I also agree, that it is a bit much to pass it off as irrelevent, which I don't think this entry does.

All I'm saying is lets keep things in perspective...

Of course it is irrelevant.

It even contradicts itself.

The bible is:

A series of books written by Hitler-like dictators and story tellers with biased opinions.

It is very misleading. The sooner it is gone, the better.

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Yes, and just as mnay who oppose it! AFAIK, the only developed country
which still has capital punishment is the USA, and not even all Americans support the death penalty.

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An equally large number of Christians oppose it!

Death Penalty Permitted
Afghanistan
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Botswana
Burundi
Cameroon
Chad
China (People's Republic)
Comoros
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Cuba
Dominica
Egypt*
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Guyana
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Libya
Malawi
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian Authority
Qatar
Rwanda
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
Sudan
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-facts-eng

Of the countries above Ive higlighted the ones I consider to be developed on grounds of wealth, infrastructure or nuclear capability.

Which sort of blows out of the water you argument about the US being the only developed country to execute people.

Which just leaves the assertion that opppsition to and support for the death penalty is 50/50 amongst christians where does this *fact* come from?