So a book of second-hand and third-hand accounts ... translated (creatively), reinterpreted, re-written to suit the prevailing mood of the time, rehashed, abridged, added-to and summarised ... is the foundation of faith. Says it all ...

If the same neutral,objective,scientific approach is used on biblical text as issued on all other ancient documents, then the texts prove remarkably reliable. What do you say of the hundreds of scholary books that carefully document the veracity and reliability of the bible? How did 35-40 men, spanning 1500 years and living on three seperate continents, ever manage to author one unified message?

So the earth is less than 6,000 years old and all species living today came from one pair in the Ark?

But given enough 'experts' you can virtually prove or disprove anything. Experts will whore themselves to the highest bidder and the church itself has the funds to outbid almost anyone. Let the believers believe (even though they are wrong) and the rest of us will get along in reality.

Did you see the link Leslie posted t'other day in the lounge? About the creationist museum in Kentucky? Very, very funny (and bloody scary).

I saw something about that museum before >groan<

By trying to "stick to the story" these people are just getting deeper into the mire.

I suppose you subscribe to the incredible odds that the tilt and position of our planet relative to the sun are merely coincidental?

If man is nothing but the random arrangement of molecules, what motivates you to care and to live honourably in the world?

How could order have ever resulted from chaos?

Most of the unbelief I have heard here appears to be the result of a bad experience with an imperfect church, or a misunderstanding of the facts, therefore an unfair rejection of God.

"sticking to the story" rakes in millions a year - why bother changing a winning formula?

Err...maybe we evolved due to the conditions of the world we are on?

It totally hacks me off when Christians think they have the monopoly on honour and morality. What an insult.

And you didn't answer my question.

No - mine is just a general incredulity that people can so blindly follow what they call a belief. I guess it's just as well the person who started it all didn't decide that sheep were the supreme beings otherwise we'd never have roast lamb. It's absurd that a book, which is essentially just a compilation of stories with no actual proof, can be the defining document that people use to 'guide' their life. To quote good old Pope Leo X "It has served us well, this myth of christ". And it is still serving them well to this day, 5 centuries later!

Indeed. All that honour costs big bucks.

Good post Uncle F
xx

Where did I state that?

It's certainly not what I believe. Maybe read the post again... it was a question.

In answer to your question... what does it matter what I believe? It has no bearing on the topic of this thread. I am merely throwing out some theories to keep this interesting thread alive...

Yes it does...you stated the Bible could stand up to scientific scrutiny.