“ ** You continue to seek this overawing sense of direction form the Bible and Christianity- that applies to everyone. I don't see why you do this, or why, since you are understandably not able to, you think and embrace the negative, the downsides to the faith / doctrine / attitudes which may or may not stem from them.”

“I don't where you are living, or have lived, but it doesn't seem to be the same world in which I have lived. I don't know what history you've studied, but it isn't the same human history which I have studied. People do seek an overarching sense of direction from the Bible which they don't seek in secular literature.”

You could not be more correct- but what they don’t do is try to garnish and draw that overawing sense of direction and think it should apply to everyone- my point.

“I might be a little more focused on the negative because I have lived a long time in the Middle East, and that I like medieval/early modern history, but I really think that you're arguing based on a very odd interpretation of human history.”

But, conversely, your view of Christianity seems to be nothing but totally immersed in, and strictly that ancient way of thinking about the faith. I, too, enjoy history. But historically speaking, there is no set of values; specifically negative, since you use historical imagery to depict the current form of the faith, which endures in every sect today. The very fact that variance has been the theme of my approach to this is an affront to your more historic sense of the practice, wherein only a handful of denominations existed. As such, your attitudes are based on someone deviating from those few sects, which at that time could be very hostile to the notion. Modern history and the practice does not work like that in today’s world.

“The Bible is not Jane Austen. Jane Austen does not promise you eternal life, or threaten you with damnation. It's just a good story. You can identify or empathize with the characters -- something which I can't do with most Biblical characters, unless it's the ones who are suffering some sort of awful pain or humiliation in which the reader is somehow supposed to perceive the righteousness of God.”

If all the Bible is to you is a good story; if you can or cannot manage to empathize with the characters described in the Work, or their suffering; and if you can or cannot see God coming through the story to these people in parts of the work, then it is no different than any influential piece of literature.

“Sometimes we are influenced by secular works of literature. They mold who we are, and our values. But no one picks up Jane Austen or even Tolstoi and feels obligated to do things that they would not otherwise do.”

That’s simply untrue. How many people have read a work of literature, and started a cause? Ho many people have attempted to go out and do good or bad by the author’s message? How many rulers, leaders, and those in high positions of authority have been moved and influenced by authors, writers, and pieces of fiction and non-fiction alike, and have acted on those messages on the page? I simply do not hold your argument on this point to be correct or true.

“ ** Simply singling out the Bible simply because it is a faith-based product is not correct or truthful.”

“Yes, it is. That it is a faith-based product promising aeonios salvation or despair makes all the difference. This is not provable, but it seems to me a basic point of common sense.”

Something giving us hope and promise or despair is found in an infinite amount of other literature. This book was written by men, and if an Atheist, this book is not “promising” you anything, so if all you’re taking it as is a “good story,” why is this different to you?

The Bible isn’t going to specifically discuss you morning commute to work, it isn’t going to discuss you going out to a strip club or going out golfing. But like any piece of literature, you put it in the context of your life, because that’s what spirituality and subsequently religion is - YOUR life. You think about these characters, and what they went through and what their joys and hardships were. You may not necessarily understand why they did what they did, or empathize with their situations. You may respect them, or even dislike them for their actions and choices. What is common is that you ask yourself questions and you find what is important. And are more than able to do this, regardless of whether or not you are taking the piece as divine or not.