Is the Bible the literal word of God? Yes.

When you join the church most demoninations want you to profess that the bible is the literal word of God. I have heard Christian pundits talk about the bible as the foundation of law, or the only word of God, etc. I wish to ask them this question:

When you ask me if the Bible is the literal word of God what Bible are you referring to?

The Hebrew Bible?
The Catholic Bible?
The Protestant Bible?

Each of these books are markedly different. The Hebrew bible does not contain any of the New Testement and is pretty much in chronological order. The Catholic Bible contains Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and I, II Machabees. The Protestant bible does not contain these books and is also a bit different in Daniel and Esther.

And what about the biblical stories in the Koran? The Koran, unlike the Hebrew Bible, contains the story of Jesus and even acknowledges his birth by the virgin Mary. The Koran also contains a bit more storyline about Jesus as a child.

We could really get all bent out of shape over differences in books. The truth, I think, is that all these books are part of the Story of mankind's awakening to his importance to this world. No other creature is like us, and no othe creature has the capability to destroy this world, or take life from this world and more it elsewhere. Some people read the ancient text to justify themselves to others or God. Some people read the text to poke holes in the inconsistancies, and there are many of them. I find the people who get the most out of such writings, are the people who read the text with an open mind, people who like to ask questions about the text, who do not blindly accept it the as the literal word of anyone. The Bible is the product of 3 thousand years of man walking with his God, sometimes humbly, sometimes imperiously.

To me the Bible does not need any suspension of disbelief. It is for me, and has been for others, a key to openning up a broader view of universe and myself in relation to it. It is a bit like the total-perspective vortex in Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy, with a twist. In the story Zaphod goes into the vortex and comes out just fine. He says that it told him what he new all along that "I'm a really great guy!" Well the twist here is that the bible does reveal our importance to things, and at the same time shows us our utter insignificance too. The hairs on our head are each known to God, we carry an imortal bond to God, but we all will perish and return to dust; kings, beggars, rich, and poor, even prophets and Saviors are part of this cycle.

To me the litteral word of God is written accross the faces of all my friends, family, and the strangers I see on the street. It is in snow on Mt Hood, and in the ocean. It is everywhere and the Bible helps you unlock that knowledge. The Battle Hym of the Republic speaks of a firey gospel writ in burnished rows of steel, the rows of men with light glinting off muskets and bayonets. The word of God cannot be contained in a book or a million books. Newton, Einstine, and Plank were listeners to and prophets of the word of God. Mozart, Bernstein, and Bob Marely were prophets of God. Any man or woman that is not affraid to use their mortal mind and body to better the condition of the world, and thus have an eternal lasting impact on others, is a prophet.

What was the meaning of all the words of all the prophets of the Bible, and in our own times too? Reform your life, turn away of self indulgence, listen to those who went before you, love your neighbor as yourself, no one is unimportant, it is okay to love living, and sacrifice is also part of living to the fullest, in short to make the most of your time alive right now, for yourself and others.