Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Thinking critical]

The purpose of the bible is to indoctrinate the minds of those who feel life is meaningless and can't be understood unless a higher power which transcends our own reality is some how involved and invested in the nature of the Universe.
I use the word indoctrinate, due to the fact that it's content is full on inconsistencies, tautological dogma and false claims in regards to the state and evolution of both life and the Cosmos, yet the followers of the religions still hold the bible as a credible account of history and claim that it be of devine providence. It appears reason and logic can be momentarily suspended it order to protect and justify the pillars which ones entire belief system is built upon.

[LuckyR]

The purpose of the bible is to indoctrinate the minds of those who feel life is meaningless and can't be understood unless a higher power which transcends our own reality is some how involved and invested in the nature of the Universe.
I use the word indoctrinate, due to the fact that it's content is full on inconsistencies, tautological dogma and false claims in regards to the state and evolution of both life and the Cosmos, yet the followers of the religions still hold the bible as a credible account of history and claim that it be of devine providence. It appears reason and logic can be momentarily suspended it order to protect and justify the pillars which ones entire belief system is built upon.

There are plenty of christians who (rightly) feel the bible is literature. Not meant to be a word for word microexamination on how historical events happened nor how the universe works. In other words they perfectly comfortable with cosmology and religion.

[MidiChlorian]

The purpose of "The Bible" or a bible is to promote a religion or cult as defined by the editors of said writings to encourage followers to a specific way of thinking. Otherwise in general "the sacred writings of any religion."

[Father]

The purpose of the Bible is to provide man with answers to unanswerable questions.

[MidiChlorian]

The purpose of the Bible is to provide man with answers to unanswerable questions.

My post here is not to disagree with your statement but to ask, what answers might be considered as unanswerable?
I'm sure there are many questions that could be posed from within the Bible or are the "answers" you indicated from outside the Bible? Could you provide an example or two?

[MidiChlorian]

[. . .]
That short version of history requires we fill in the blanks. It's really not in context because the context of the origin of the Bible isn't really understood other than a date estimated around 800 BC. The Exodus however is thought to have been an event occuring between the dates of 1500 BC to 1200 BC but those dates also reflect space time which is in a sense astrological.

So within those dates we have the Phoenicians, the Canaanites, the Israelites, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and so forth and each step or evolution in time there is establishment of some principles that have become incorporated into our western civilization. So what role has the Bible played in these evolutions? First and foremost the Bible offers man this concept of "God." Secondly I believe the Bible offers man a beautiful rendition of the law in the commandments and, I believe, completely expressed in the new testament. Thirdly I believe the Bible offers man a sense of history, of the past and a sense of evolution in that "one thing leads to the next." The Bible seems to me to have structured our thinking through this exodus in time to the so called promised land.

The Bible is full of contradictory notions however that make it very puzzling. The story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit and the notion of never returning to Egypt. The Bible literally plays with our minds and casts these images of concepts (i.e., "God," Creation, Law) that I question whether or not man would have had if the Bible didn't exist. So why did the Bible come into existence? Was it really to lead man to the promised land?

Having just had an opportunity to read the OP (opening post) the title of this topic takes on a different nature.
Based on the information noted above, one of the questions here is where did the "Old Testament" come from where it seemed to be from a different time line, which would be true?

The primary text came from the "Septuagint" which came from memory but also was influenced by the Babylonian, Sumerian Text. There are some Sumerian text which are similar to what was presented in the "Septuagint" although what was presented in the Bible (OT) is not the complete script from the "Septuagint". And from certain translations of Sumerian text, the so-called Flood was not from water covering the Earth, which is supported in other apocryphal and pseudo-apocryphal text.

Therefore, the real question is, why is the Bible a collection of individual text or scripts abridged from all of the original works available that have been selected? If we ask why were only those specific books or sections selected to be present in the Bible? Then would the topic title "What is the Purpose of the Bible?" have more meaning and also have some possible answers?
As it is, the topic seems to have taken on an open discussion not necessarily related to OP above.

[Belindi]

The purpose of the Bible is to provide man with answers to unanswerable questions.

So that is what you use The Bible for.

What is your approach? I imagine that you have been told by someone that this or that text will apply to this or that problem. Or do you open the Book at random and trust that God will make eyes alight upon the text that you need?

[ReasonMadeFlesh]

The Bible is a mystical text end of story.

[LuckyR]

The Bible is a mystical text end of story.

What do you mean by mystical? Many would assume you mean: "difficult to understand"

[Belindi]

The Bible is a mystical text end of story.

That may be the end of the story for you.
All texts are published or communicated in some way. The purpose of the text's author(s) whether that author be God or someone else, is thenceforth beyond the control of the author and that purpose is of historical interest only to readers.

It's true that some people use The Bible for what may be called 'mystical' purposes. Others interpret The Bible in other ways. There are as many ways of interpreting The Bible as there are people who know The Bible.

[ReasonMadeFlesh]

The Bible is a mystical text end of story.

What do you mean by mystical? Many would assume you mean: "difficult to understand"

The Bible is a mystical text end of story.

That may be the end of the story for you.
All texts are published or communicated in some way. The purpose of the text's author(s) whether that author be God or someone else, is thenceforth beyond the control of the author and that purpose is of historical interest only to readers.

It's true that some people use The Bible for what may be called 'mystical' purposes. Others interpret The Bible in other ways. There are as many ways of interpreting The Bible as there are people who know The Bible.

No, no. It is JUST a mystical text, but that's all it is. It makes no difference to anything. It's merely a description of everything as it truly is, but this does not change what will happen in the world.

[LuckyR]

What do you mean by mystical? Many would assume you mean: "difficult to understand"

That may be the end of the story for you.
All texts are published or communicated in some way. The purpose of the text's author(s) whether that author be God or someone else, is thenceforth beyond the control of the author and that purpose is of historical interest only to readers.

It's true that some people use The Bible for what may be called 'mystical' purposes. Others interpret The Bible in other ways. There are as many ways of interpreting The Bible as there are people who know The Bible.

No, no. It is JUST a mystical text, but that's all it is. It makes no difference to anything. It's merely a description of everything as it truly is, but this does not change what will happen in the world.

Still not clear what you mean by mystical, unless you mean that it is "a description of everything as it truly is". If so, you're going to need more than the declaration to make the point

[Cosmogenes]

“The Bible” is a short term for the HAGIA BIBLIA or "sacred books". Most believers see or attempt to see it as a unified whole, “the Word of God”, but in fact it is just a collection of select books, a library bound into one volume because we invented printing. And those books reflect the often contradictory ideas, speculations and fantasies of numerous writers at various times and places, often with clearly political/propaganda tendencies.
Overall, though, one can discern a Jewish history of polytheism with numerous gods and goddesses, then a consolidation of YHWH worship under king Josiah who exterminated his opponents, then a Neo-Zoroastrian monotheism in the "second temple" period, and finally the Pauline gentile, paganized "Christianity" reflected in most of the "New Testament".

[Belindi]

I guess that the OP's attitude is that God did in fact reveal truths to people; and did so by way of a big book.

[LuckyR]

I guess that the OP's attitude is that God did in fact reveal truths to people; and did so by way of a big book.

A common understanding that holds up to cursory scrutiny.