(August 29, 2019 at 8:40 pm)Belaqua Wrote: Right, I was saying why people find book to be holy. Whether that means it's also divine or not is another question.
If you want to take a stand that only things that provably come from god can be holy, then we're using the word in different ways. That's OK.
What do you propose the word holy means, if not divine?
(August 29, 2019 at 8:40 pm)Belaqua Wrote: I have in fact addressed why a book that doesn't come directly from God can be more worth following than another book. First, because it's a good book, and second, because lots of people have enriched the reading of the book by interpreting and responding to it.
Don't give yourself so much credit. You've hardly done or said anything. You're known on AF for waxing poetic; making excessively wordy posts without really saying much (all the while making particularly apologetic posts concerning Christianity, one wonders if you actually are a Christian), but I'm asking a very simple question here and looking for a very simple answer.
(August 29, 2019 at 8:40 pm)Belaqua Wrote: Sometimes people say that since the Bible is fiction, they might as well follow Harry Potter. Leaving aside the literary qualities of Harry Potter books, I agree with this -- provided that Harry Potter books provoke 2000 years of serious commentary which we also have access to.
Who says the Bible "provoke[s] 2000 years of serious commentary?" You? Great. I think I'll finish up the Sorcerer's Stone instead.
(August 29, 2019 at 9:02 pm)Acrobat Wrote: Sure, I thought I did in other parts, but okay.You certainly didn't. You responded to my question with a question.
(August 29, 2019 at 9:02 pm)Acrobat Wrote: It doesn’t follow that even if a book were the direct word of God, that it would be a book to live our life by. In fact why would I need any book to tell me of the life I ought to live? Why not just show me a sort of life worth living instead?
It wouldn't be? If there was an ultimate creator that delivered this book to us because it is supposedly very concerned with our Earthly affairs... you don't think that's something you might want to take some lifestyle cues from? ...What?
(August 29, 2019 at 9:02 pm)Acrobat Wrote: Why not show us a profound sort of life, that those of us who see it, would want?
Or instead, why not give us simple, literal instructions on how to live, since this all-knowing being knows the best for us?
If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.
