Without citing the bible, what marks the bible as the one book with God's message?

[Minimalist]

Now all you need to do is demonstrate that your 'god' is real, frods.

Always the first step step that's the hardest.

[fr0d0]

If I was to forget that God was subject to 'belief' > then yes Min.

[Faith No More]

1. Justification results from human intellect leading to deduction.
2. An understanding (literal interpretation) is what God chooses to bestow upon you.

That's a bit vague, even for you, frods.

[fr0d0]

That's a bit vague

You didn't specify granularity, and I have no interest in verbosity, unfortunately for you!

[Minimalist]

If I was to forget that God was subject to 'belief' > then yes Min.

I NEVER forget that god is subject to (merely) belief. That's the problem with invisible sky-daddies, mon ami.

[fr0d0]

I NEVER forget that god is subject to (merely) belief. That's the problem with invisible sky-daddies, mon ami.

To you a problem, to me a sweet solution

[frankiej]

I NEVER forget that god is subject to (merely) belief. That's the problem with invisible sky-daddies, mon ami.

To you a problem, to me a sweet solution pathetic cop-out

Fixed that for ya.

[Whateverist]

justify 1) that the bible is the special book and 2) that a literal interpretation is the one intended by your god .. without (for obvious reasons) citing the bible itself.

1. Justification results from human intellect leading to deduction.
2. An understanding (literal interpretation) is what God chooses to bestow upon you.

Thanks for responding, Frodo. (I've just got a few more days until school starts back up and I have to put myself on internet restriction again.)

Your #1 really responds more to the nature of justification than it does to what justifies belief in the bible in particular. Can you think of any reason a person from outside the faith should give the bible a special place in their life - without appeal to the bible itself? I'm not sure what it implies if you can't. It wouldn't be any reason for the decided to give up belief but perhaps it would mean that no one who hasn't already decided the bible is the book should pay it any special attention. That makes me wonder why a wise god would set his followers up like this to go out to win followers with little more than smoke and mirrors. I know I wouldn't want to have to sell anyone a pig in a poke like that but then I value a good night's sleep and wouldn't want to undermine my peace of mind.

I'm happy to see your #2 would seem to justify other than literalist interpretations of bible. Perhaps fundamentalist literalism is what results when God chooses not to bestow any insight whatsoever on those who want to believe but just really don't have a clue?

[Minimalist]

I NEVER forget that god is subject to (merely) belief. That's the problem with invisible sky-daddies, mon ami.

To you a problem, to me a sweet solution

I'd rather dream about a heavenly pair of tits.

[fr0d0]

@ whateverist

A person would give assention to biblical text because of the integrity therein. That's how I find it.

What is literal interpretation to you (I'm assuming that you disagree with scholarly conclusions), is misunderstanding to me.