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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Clarke's Writings on Religion
Message-ID: <3335@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 8-Sep-86 20:17:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.3335
Posted: Mon Sep  8 20:17:43 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Sep-86 03:08:39 EDT
References: <961@hou2g.UUCP>
Organization: University of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Sci.
Lines: 35

Scott Berry poses the following question [heavily edited to save space]:

>I invite him to tell us all whether or not he feels the same about this
>statement [referring to the Bible rather than Clarke's books] as the one
>he originally wrote. 

>>By the same token, a lot of people, particularly children at various stages
>>of life, simply aren't prepared to approach the bible with the proper sort
>>of critical attitude.  

Well, this is a very interesting question, and the answer I must give is
somewhat complicated.

There's an important sense in which the Bible must be approached with a
critical attitude.  But the }idifferences between the Bible and Clarke's
writings give cause to different approaches to the two.

The most important difference, and one which I drew attention to earlier, is
that Clarke's books pass off some religious teachings as science fiction
(and, given }iscience fiction's traditional position with respect to
reality, imply to some extent that the opinions are factual).  THe Bible on
the other hand, is overtly and unabashedly religious in nature, and makes no
bones that it presents its own views as truth.  Clarke's writings therefore
don't naturally invite the same skepticism, especially for one for whom
skeptical reading has not become a habit.

The Bible, on the other hand, is a book which talks about religion and God,
but which makes possible many Gods.  It is frightfully easy to read into it
all sorts of doctrine, particularly if you  are into picking and choosing.
It is my opinion that coming to the Bible with a theological axe to grind
pretty much guarantees that it will be misread.  Most children don't come
equipped with the right kind of skepticism to see when they are being sold a
theological bill of goods.

C. Wingate