In Reply

Someone emailed me about my Sunday school memory and pointed out the miracle of Jericho was not the genocide but the fall of the walls by the power of faith they also said they personnel didn’t take all of the stories of the bible stories, “as literal truth, but rather truth built up to be used for the purpose of teaching an idea or belief”.

My problem is these Bible stories are not just taught as allegories to teach some higher concept but are taught as History. And although the individual who wrote to me may not take all of the Bible stories as literal truths a vast portion of the people in the three major religions of the world, who find their roots in the Old Testaments, do accept these stories as Historical facts.

When Joshua first led the Israelites into the Holy Land he ordered them to kill every man, women, and child and even their animals because God gave this land them alone (this is part of the story they never teach in Sunday School). But you might say this is Joshua not God doings. But wasn’t Joshua the heir to Moses who spoke directly to God, and who better to know right from wrong. But even before they reached the Holy Land Moses himself had lead them though a couple of similar campaigns so Joshua was only following Moses examples. Also when it came to Jericho didn't God gave direct help by bringing down the walls so the people could be killed.

After I had read the Bible I saw that the morals and values the stories of the Bible conveyed were not from some magical source but were the morals and valves of the times the stories were created in. In the early eighties there was a series on TV called “Heroes of the Bible” when they did the story of Jericho, as I remember it, they rewrote the story. In the rewrite Joshua approached the city with offers of peace and the evil people of Jericho not only turned him down they then kidnapped Israelite children and used them as human scarf ices. In other words the writers of the series were rewriting the story to meet the values and morals of our modern western society. In the times when the stories of the Old Testament were first created, to kill those who were not from the same creed or tribe was not unthinkable but considered reasonable. In our time slaughter without at least a very good reasons is just wrong.

We see this again in the New Testament when Jesus says the best way for the slave to enter Heaven is to honour and obey his master. You will properly say this again is just an allegory but I doubt the people for the next two thousand years who had to live in slavery would see it that way. Again the writers of that period where expressing the values of their times through the stories of Jesus when the idea of ending slavery was just unimaginable. It took thousands of years for the morals and values of Christians plus influences of the other cultural values they absorbed before they evolved to realize that slavery was just wrong.

I worry about the values the true believer take from these ancient writings and similar books as we have seen even in our time those of extreme faith can the strength to do extremely evil things to the other and themselves.

I believe there is very little if any real History in the Bible. When I first read it as a young adult I wanted so much to be effected by it. I wanted to find those profound messages I was told would touch me and give my life meaning and purpose. But as I read I was amazed at how empty it was of anything real or profound and how small and childish the worldview the book represented. I didn’t give up right away on it I went back some years later and read it through again but it was the same thing.

I can’t understand how other read it and see what they see. But then I wouldn’t share a glass of Cool aid with Jim Jones, or expect to go on a rid in spaceship hiding in the tail of a Comet by eating poisoned yoghurt, or fly a plane into the side of building and expect to rewarded in heaven for it either.