Holy books, worth reading?

[jomifl]

Could reading a holy book make you believe in a god if rational thought has ruled out the possibility.

[naomi24]

I doubt it.

[mibn2cweus]

//So your a loser then.//

Speak for yourself.

[emmie]

No, waste of your eyesight.

[sith123]

yes, naomi, i read the quran a lot.

[naomi24]

You do? Why don't you know what's in it then?

[beso]

Poor retention and comprehension.

[Trillipse]

Hey, there's an actual answer to this. If you have a fair idea of the logic of salvation, and can overcome any clenches about the topic, you can open yourself up to a change of mind, followed by a change of heart. You see, the Bible to me always seemed the dullest book imaginable, (apart from the book of PROVERBS, of course, which I found fascinating) until i opened up a bit (many years on) and stopped reading it cynically. You see, if you don't pre-judge it, but take it at its word, and suspend your disbelief awhile, it's a corking book to read in many ways: so many layers of meaning: I loved Martin Amis and Tibor Fischer and so on, and they're great with language in my view, but once i started looking at the Bible properly, crikey! Take it 1st as "literally true" (remember: we've agreed you'll suspend your disbelief for now!) and once you find your way around a bit, start dipping your toe into the metaphorical meaning of it. A lot of it has been made clearly metaphorical (Jesus often spoke in "Parables" while on earth, to make spiritual things graspable by putting them into practical language) but you'll eventually find even the seemingly most literal stuff has a very splendid inlayed metaphorical level too: this is *actually God's word* (remember: suspended disbelief!) so *however* much you study it and take it apart, you're *never* going to run out of new meaning and revealed truth. And remember, God gave it to help us re-find Him and build a relationship with him, so rather than saying "it's illogical@", "religio claptrap!", etc, play the humble, created servant of a really good and loving God for a bit: ask "why are things like this?", "what answer does this book give me about the fundamental questions I feel most deeply about life?", if this actually is God's Word, how can I use it to know God. Mainly, however ridiculous it may seem to you at the time, ask God for some help, and ask Him to show you the truth. If you don't believe in God, or if you're unsure, it can hardly do you any harm to ask, can it? If there is no God, he's not going to harm you, and if the God of the Bible is real, you can only gain: it's a win-win. I've known a lot of people put a LOT more effort into finding out the inner secrets of say, computers, cars, mobile phones. All I'm saying is: it's worth a little time to ditch preconceptions and cynicism and open yourself up to the possibility. You don't have to ask anyone else or risk embarrassment or looking silly: God, if He's real will hear you in private, if you're really interested in finding out the truth. I'm not getting angry at anyone or dismissing anyone's viewpoint, just saying: why not give it a shot. The Bible itself says it is "...the Living Word..." this is why it's different from just a book. Too unusual to explain here. Read a modern translation, perhaps, like the NIV or NLT or The Message. For me, quite a revelation.

[Trillipse]

and, it's not the actual reading of a book that does the work, but the working of God's Spirit in yours, through the vehicle of that "living word". These sound like crazy things to say, but since we're talking about God, they really aren't...

[naomi24]

Trillipse, You're preaching to some here who know more about the bible than you might imagine. As for claiming that sections of bible are metaphorical, that's a convenient way of changing something that doesn't suit you into something that does.

//These sound like crazy things to say, but since we're talking about God, they really aren't..//

Since we're talking about an entity for which there is no evidence - yes they are.

[jomifl]

My brain froze a 'the logic of salvation'

[naomi24]

^^Gin & tonic? :o)