(THE BIBLE AND CHRIST/JESUS)[29th March 1987]

[Redbook3:67-70][19870329:1210r](THE BIBLE AND CHRIST/JESUS)[29^th March 1987]

19870329.1210(BST)

[continued]

The Bible is not the Word of God. (Nor, for that matter, is the Tarot Pack.) It is sad to have to say that: as anyone who does still believe that the Bible is the word of God, is likely to take the denial hard. But it isn't. We have brains, and must use them. The Bible is a collection of histories, mythologies, stories, and notes, of varying degrees of reliability as historical records, composed by many different human hands, not all of whom (apparently) were even who (or when) they claimed to be. It is confused, and contradicts itself. Some of it is nonsense. Some of it is outrageous. It is a wonderful book.

The Bible is at its strongest when recording directly the thoughts of its author*. It seems that more of the Bible than is at first apparent may fall into this category. Then we may judge what is said without anxiety about its historical accuracy (although there may, of course, be inaccuracies in the transmission). If we can extend this principle to the reported words of Jesus, we can allow the teachings to stand or fall on their own merits. But by what standard do we judge them?

There is a standard. It is difficult to define; but it has something to do with Conscience, that inward-knowing religious sense which runs through the Bible from the beginning to the end, if rather patchily at times, and is with us still. Conscience is the inner sense of innocence which gives us the knowledge of God and Evil. It is always there, but not always developed.

*[(s)]

[continues]

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