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From: speter@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU (Peter Osgood)
Newsgroups: talk.origins,talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Creation, Evolution, and Flood
Message-ID: <1188@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon, 22-Sep-86 10:35:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-tril.1188
Posted: Mon Sep 22 10:35:43 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Sep-86 23:48:20 EDT
References: <203@BMS-AT.UUCP> <7643@tekecs.UUCP> <214@BMS-AT.UUCP>
Reply-To: speter@athena.mit.edu (Peter Osgood)
Organization: MIT Project Athena
Lines: 28
Keywords: So why write a Bible?
Xref: linus talk.origins:99 talk.religion.misc:224

Let's get to the point really quick.  Excluding strict fundamentalists
most theologean, I believe, would agree that the Bible, in its entirety,
is not a reliable document for historical accuracy.  What about creation,
was there a flood, how old were the early characters in the Bible, did
Jonah live in a whale; this all reminds me of the tree falling in a 
forest argument.

So why have a Bible?  Simple.  Moses, who was responsible for at least
five books, and his decendants, knew that his followers and decendants
needed a guide for living daily life.  They needed something to refer
to give them some insight into how they should act.

In the New Testament Jesus made it quite clear that he was talking in
parables or stories.  His concern was that his followers be concerned
with the moral of the story and not as to wheather the characters in
the story actually ever existed.  Was there really a "Good Samaritan"
as Jesus told it?  Maybe, but does it make a difference?

I think that creation shows us who gave us life, not when; the flood
and Sodom and Gomorrah show us who has the power; that Job and Jesus
show us perseverence and charity work.

So would not a better arguement for "the flood" be why rather than
wheather??

Just a thought.

				---peter osgood---