The bible... why take it seriously?

[robvalue]

I applaud Benedictine communities if this is how they operate, I wasn't aware that such a system could actually work with human greed as it is. I think such a system could indeed be a better way of life, if only the average person could be trusted to act fairly under it.

But jesus clearly was talking about the world ending soon, and that was his justification for the teachings. So if some of it happens to work long term, I see that rather as a coincidence than any wisdom on his part.

And with rhetorics, we have the problem if what is literal and what is not? Who has the authority to say? Certainly no man could proclaim it true, unless he presumes to speak for god. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but we are still left confused.

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Also we have the problem that jesus is god, who is a mass murderer among many other things. Why should we listen to him?