What is Holy Scripture?
A modern day theologian, lawyer or atheist would say it is --any-- collection of human writings, that are revered and worshipped as divine revelation, by another set of humans -- aka "religious" followers of a "religion".
These writings are, without exception, human authored, either recording what a person said directly, or reporting what a person is supposed to have said.
There are some exceptions .... the Bible says the 10 commandments were written with the finger of God (an alien) on stone tablets, the Mormon faith says the book of Mormon was based on golden tablets given by an angel (alien). Islam holds that the Quran was dictated orally to the Prophet by an angel (alien) as well.
Interesting!!
So... one is compelled to ask --- Why --do-- these humans venerate these so called Holy Scriptures? What drives this... need.. if you will... for humans to believe in a "higher power" ?
We submit that the answer is obvious! ....its ----not---- because --all-- these "religious" people throughout human history swallowed the same dumbness pill.... it is because we are surrounded on all sides by ---- higher powers! Why wouldn't we believe in the existence of a supreme one?
Sun, stars, galaxies, gravity, light, fire, life, death.... our collective human reality is CHOCK FULL of things we can't control, are just beginning to understand and we are only beginning to use and control these "higher powers"... to our benefit!
Religion, viewed in this light, really appears to be an attempt to "define" a Higher Power , and then, a subsequent figuring out a set of rules to get that Higher Power on our side... or following a set of rules that the Higher Power (alien) or Prophet ( human person ) said we need to follow, to avoid getting stomped on, by said Higher Power....
Isn't praying a form of trying to get --the Highest Power, GOD-- to do what --we-- want? Isn't a shared religion a way of joining a mutually protective club and fitting in with society? or a convenient tool for mind control to attain power?
Surely mankind has evolved past these fairy tales by now, in this, the most advanced age of Information and Knowledge?
Surprisingly, the answer is no!!! So why do intelligent people still cling to these scriptures? Why do they follow them?
Cynics will say that we need to believe in SOMETHING to explain our lot, or that the convenient fable of religion is an excellent way of manipulating and controlling gullible people, or that it is a cultural/societal/traditional hangover from a primitive time.
Well... if you study the major human scriptures... some themes emerge...These writings can be classified or processed as:
A. Myths, Legends, Folklore
Myths try to answer the BIG questions... where did we come from, who or what started all this etc. Legends are about heroes... people that successfully negotiated the divine challenges! Folklore is localized ... like the Loch Ness monster, fairies, sacred places etc.
Key modern perspective regarding myths, legends and folklore .... No right-thinking person believes or follows them any more!!!
B. Practical wisdom
Fables fall into this category ... e.g. in the fable of the boy who cried wolf for no reason, he is the "poster child" of bad decision making to teach us a lesson.
The Buddhas speculation on the root cause of suffering, evil and death was to try and provide a PRACTICAL path to dealing with these ills. The Vedas have hymns, incantations and instructions to propitiate the forces of Nature for mans practical benefit, as well as even more practical writings ... e.g. Ayurveda ( technically NOT a single vedic writing but a science ) focuses on the medicinal properties of herbs.
Key modern perspective: Fables, Buddhism and Ayurveda are all alive and kicking today, because enough humans, have discovered the practical value of the truths articulated therein.
C. Moral excellence.
Call it "living with the herd to survive", social mores, or just striving to be a better human... you could argue this is practical as well. The Jewish Torah makes the claim that following the LAW will benefit you practically ( wealth, health , relationships ) as well as bring down the favor of God upon you.
Islam regulates behavior more strictly, but the goal is the same, currying favor with the Almighty.
Key modern perspective: Humans can agree on a basic set of rules... respect for life, personal property and physical/personal boundaries ( no hitting other people or making them feel bad ). Differences exist beyond these fundamentals (e.g. one wife or many).
D. Destinations.
What happens after... death, humanity, the endgame?
Key Modern perspective: No one knows, and the universe doesn't care!
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What is our point?
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There is a definite impact of WORD ... in our human lives!!
Ever since man has been writing, he has tried to pass on information about how to ----practically deal---- with the "higher powers" to the next generation, through this communications medium!
That is the source of myth, legend, folklore, fable, wisdom, moral guidance, endgame ....
Well duh... you might say... we are beings with a written language, why should that be remarkable? Answer --- Because we are the only living species --on earth-- that have a written language!!!
When you consider the major religious scriptures, some cover some aspects, some others... for example, ....... the Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical treatise on the practical duty of man... it only briefly touches upon issues of origin or endgame. Buddhism and Jainism do not have origin stories. The Quran does not contain prophecy.
The Bible is the oldest text that is still followed in the modern world that has origin, endgame, wisdom, practical advice, history, prophecy, and a story that no --single human-- could possibly invent, let alone sustain!
Detractors of the Bible accurately say that the text most Christians hold in their hand today is a human compilation of human written texts -- but they intentionally OMIT one key fact --- NO SINGLE HUMAN, in NO SINGLE HUMAN GENERATION --- controlled what would be IN the Bible, and how it would get there!
The sheer span of time (thousands of years) over which these books were collected and came to be in one volume, COMPLETELY ELIMINATES any systematic/human conspiracy!!
Take for example, the Gospels. The Words of Jesus were written by His disciples about 30-80 years after He walked the earth, and even if it was a clever marketing ploy to hijack the Jewish religion..... these disciples did not control the fate of the books they wrote or who would read them, or how they would be received!! They could control some of the narrative in their time, but could NOT possibly influence the whole world, or the generations that came after them!
Read the Words of Jesus, and you will realize, the Person the Gospels describe is someone more radical than the Taliban (if your eye, arm or leg causes you to sin, CUT IT OFF !!), more hardcore than a Pharisee (wash the inside not the outside), and nobody bottom lined a more hardcore philosophy into a simple one liner (love your neighbor as yourself) than He did!
He did not change a single word of the Torah, but changed everything about how it was viewed... and even though He never wrote a single Word down Himself, the POWER and TRUTH in those Words is ringing true through the hands of other humans thousands of years later!!!
THAT is why the Bible is still relevant today (check out our series on the Law on this Pages' companion website, accessible from the first pinned post on this page). Its because enough humans have PROVEN for themselves, that it MAKES MORAL & PRACTICAL SENSE!!!
The Bible is not ultimately concerned with helping Man survive, or become wealthy. It is concerned with the CHARACTER of Man, which is a SPIRITUAL CONCERN.
God has spoken in many ways and through many prophets to many people across human history. In these last days, He has ripped apart the veils of secrecy surrounding His purpose by speaking through His Son, as well as giving us a blueprint for the future.
The time is here. The Gospel has been universally proclaimed.... through the agency of Man, yes, but by a mechanism no one really understands --- the slow trickling through of the water of the WORD into the most impenetrable rocky ground of unbelief!
We do not have far to go now.
The digital world requires biometric identification to buy and sell, and it is only a matter of time before those mechanisms are co-opted to serve a State that mandates compliance with its policies in order for citizens to buy and sell goods. We shall see if the prophecies in the gospels, in the book of Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation really come true or not.
If they don't .... religious people and Christians in particular, will look really stupid. But the track record of Bible prophecy is 10/10.... and we don't think that is going to change! They may happen tomorrow, 10 or even a 100 years from now... but should they occur in our lifetime, we have been warned, AND given PRACTICAL advice on what to do!
THIS is the work of the Word. To make known the counsels of God to humanity. To outline His mind and heart for all mankind to see. To put together a book that no single man wrote, compiled, or caused to be widely circulated. To take the words of a dusty carpenter from Nazareth, and a rag-tag band of men, and elevate them beyond anything that has come before or since!! All authenticated and stamped with divine prophecy!
Have faith... what God has promised, He WILL perform... till then, don't worry about a thing... just keep your eyes and ears open, and grow where you are planted.... love your fellow man for the time is coming when everyone will hate us for not toeing the anti-God line!
Hallelujah!!