Bible poll: fiction or nonfiction?

[sirmyk]

That's funny? God said I could do it, if I start believing in HER.

Did she have a penis?

 

[Motokid]

The Bible was written some 40 years after the event and is certainly not fiction...

Is the burden of proof on the believer, or the non-believer?

Fact until proven fiction, or fiction until proven fact?

I would say the events of Genesis had to have been written well over 40 years past the creation of earth.

Did she have a penis?

Blasphemer !!!

 

[ylris611203]

which event was that? are you talking about the jesus myth? debate is strong over the dates for the gospels, 40 years after that event is only one of the dates put forward for one of the gospels.. i should look it up, but i think i remember one of the favoured dates for the writing of even the earliest gospel was sometime in the next century... like, no eye witness accounts that's for sure, so the jury is still out on whether that is fact or fiction... again tho, it depends on what you believe in....

That’s right, Jesus. No myth though, he was real enough, just like you and me; that is fact, 100% fact. He was a character from history like many others you may have learned about at school. Jesus was a prophet. Prophets in those days were as common as Pop Stars are today. They would move around from area to area telling people about their
prophecies from God. What made Jesus different from the others was that he said he was the Son of God. Had he renounced this claim he would have avoided execution, but he would not.

Sorry if this is sounding a bit like a history lesson but I am trying to show what’s fact and what’s fiction.

So far the above is all fact. The question is was Jesus just one of hundreds of Prophets or was he who he said he was? I guess this is down to belief.

If he was not the Son of God, this makes no difference to the, is there a God, debate.
But if he was the Son of God that does prove the existence of God.

 

[ylris611203]

Is the burden of proof on the believer, or the non-believer?

Fact until proven fiction, or fiction until proven fact?

I would say the events of Genesis had to have been written well over 40 years past the creation of earth.

Blasphemer !!!

The Apostles were young men when they hung around with Jesus and they were old men when they wrote the Gospels. But over the years there were many others written.
I was only going back, but you are going way back, but I take your point about events of Genesis.

Believer, or the non-believer? Fact until proven fiction, or fiction until proven fact? Is it not the case a rose by any other name is still a rose. Believing or not does not make something any less fact or fiction.

 

[zen]

...That’s right, Jesus. No myth though, he was real enough, just like you and me; that is fact, 100% fact.....Believing or not does not make something any less fact or fiction.

ummm.... i think it makes a whole lot of difference what you believe to be true... i still see no historical basis for the jesus myth... i cannot see it as a 'fact' at all... like i said previously, dates and authors for the gospels is a debate all on it's own...

 

[sirmyk]

This thread isn't about whether or not Jesus existed, whether or not God existed/exists, whether or not Jesus had a penis (although, funny...), nor the validity of the Bible. Please keep religious debate off this thread. It is a simple thread to see whether the Bible goes onto "fiction" shelves, or "non-fiction" shelves, or maybe, as another posted, simply in a "religious" section of bookstores. I don't care what any of you believe otherwise.

[ some of the above discussion would better fit into this new "mature discussion" section the site admins are working on ]

 

[ylris611203]

. It is a simple thread to see whether the Bible goes onto "fiction" shelves, or "non-fiction" shelves, or maybe, as another posted, simply in a "religious" section of bookstores. I don't care what any of you believe otherwise.

[ some of the above discussion would better fit into this new "mature discussion" section the site admins are working on ]

Its either a daft question then, or you were trying to provoke a response from those who were likely to respond to a question with the words Bible and fiction in the same sentence.

 

[Motokid]

Its either a daft question then, or you were trying to provoke a response from those who were likely to respond to a question with the words Bible and fiction in the same sentence.

Take a look at the poll results. (Too bad it's closed...)

There are obviously some people who think it belongs in the fiction catagory.

It's a question designed to provoke discussion, which is exactly why people come here.

There are no daft questions, only daft responses.

 

[veggiedog]

I think that it would make sense to put the Bible with all other religious books. In the library, it believe it is categorized under a spiritual section in the non-fiction Dewey decimal system. Most bookstores have a separate section for religion. That would suggest that the Bible should go under one of these sections. I personally don't care and would not be offended it was even under the fiction section. What would be unfair would be singling out the Bible as either fiction or non-fiction and placing other religious books under the other category. Since religion is not testable and cannot be proven, there is no use in speculating over whether it is true or false, which would only result in offending someone. For the purposes of a bookstore I think it belongs under a spiritual section.

 

[ylris611203]

Take a look at the poll results. (Too bad it's closed...)

There are obviously some people who think it belongs in the fiction catagory.

It's a question designed to provoke discussion, which is exactly why people come here.

There are no daft questions, only daft responses.

Except that the author of this thread does not seem to want to provoke discussion he wants a fact or fiction answer.

As for daft responses, I`m sure you would know more about that than me.

You file the Bible where you file all other history book unless there is a special section for religion.

As for the pole results......lets start one about the Koran being fiction. It would be locked with-in a week.

 

[SFG75]

As for the pole results......lets start one about the Koran being fiction. It would be locked with-in a week.

That would only be due to nationalist prejudices, but both the Koran and the Bible are products of eye-witnesses and "authors" who testify of knowing certain things. Now whether or not they were *divinely inspired* is quite another issue.

 

[sirmyk]

It's a question designed to provoke discussion, which is exactly why people come here.

True. It is a question designed to incite discussion, but only on the topic of its placement on bookstore shelves. Religious beliefs can stay the front door off this thread.

...the author of this thread does not seem to want to provoke discussion he wants a fact or fiction answer.

Bull-sucking spit. And you can call me sirmyk, or smirky, or notsirmyk, or Dr. Smirky, or whatever else you please. Yes, this poll (now closed) had only two options, but the idea was originally poised to determine where the book (whether fiction or non-fiction, hence the term "book") should go. It cannot be proven as fiction. It cannot be proven as non-fiction. So, where should it go? Faction? I think a "spiritual" or "religious" section of bookstores would suit it best.

As for daft responses, I`m sure you would know more about that than me.

Please don't let your spiritual beliefs bend you to insult others.

You file the Bible where you file all other history book unless there is a special section for religion.

Defining the Bible as a "history book" would be defining the Bible as "nonfiction", which, if I am not mistaken, is your answer to this original poll. You think of it as "history", while many others think of it as "myth" or "fantasy".

As for the pole results......lets start one about the Koran being fiction. It would be locked with-in a week.

For this thread, we could easily subsitute the word "Bible" with the title: "Koran" or "Book of Mormon" or "Book of the Dead" or any other religious / spiritual book.

That would only be due to nationalist prejudices, but both the Koran and the Bible are products of eye-witnesses and "authors" who testify of knowing certain things. Now whether or not they were *divinely inspired* is quite another issue.

My point exactly, which is why religious debate on this thread can take a fying fluck.

 

[Choc]

I believe, Non-Fiction

 

[sirmyk]

I believe, Non-Fiction

Thank you for the type of response this thread is looking for.

 

[Choc]

First and foremost, I believe there should be a 'Religion' section in bookstores. If not, than file it under 'Non-Fiction'


Although everyones opinion to where this book should be placed will weigh on wheather they believe or they don't believe, which than in turn will excite the whole discussion within this thread......

 

[SFG75]

I believe, Non-Fiction

So are books about UFO abductions, Elvis sightings at 7-11s, and the chupacabra non-fiction? What distinguishes the Bible from these "eyewitness" books.

 

[Motokid]

So are books about UFO abductions, Elvis sightings at 7-11s, and the chupacabra non-fiction? What distinguishes the Bible from these "eyewitness" books.

Don't forget books on Satanism, Witchcraft(Wicca), all the different forms of Paganism, and some suspect books that have to do with the possibility of the offspring of a married Jesus and Mary....

 

[Halo]

This is just a simple A or B poll regarding the Bible's placement on bookstore shelves: fiction, or nonfiction?

The above is sirmyk's opening post in this thread.

This thread isn't about whether or not Jesus existed, whether or not God existed/exists, whether or not Jesus had a penis (although, funny...), nor the validity of the Bible. Please keep religious debate off this thread. It is a simple thread to see whether the Bible goes onto "fiction" shelves, or "non-fiction" shelves, or maybe, as another posted, simply in a "religious" section of bookstores. I don't care what any of you believe otherwise.

I can understand that, having made your choice of fiction or non-fiction, it is very tempting to justify your decision, which in turn leads onto debate about religion. But it is possible just to register your choice, as many members have. As sirmyk says above, he wanted a purely A or B answer to his question. Please keep the religious debate out of it until the new mature forum is launched. Thank you.

 

[sirmyk]

I'll quote myself:

[ some of the above discussion would better fit into this new "mature discussion" section the site admins are working on ]

So are books about UFO abductions, Elvis sightings at 7-11s, and the chupacabra non-fiction? What distinguishes the Bible from these "eyewitness" books.

+

Don't forget books on Satanism, Witchcraft(Wicca), all the different forms of Paganism, and some suspect books that have to do with the possibility of the offspring of a married Jesus and Mary....

Good points. Maybe a "theory" section would work better.

 

[beer good]

It cannot be proven as fiction. It cannot be proven as non-fiction. So, where should it go? Faction?

Friction, apparently...