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What we learn from a book totally depends on our perspective. A single sentence is interpreted differently by different people. To understand the essence of a holy scripture, one must read the scripture with open mind.All the scriptures teach the same thing. It is us, who are sometimes unable to understand the true meaning behind these teachings.

Our God has not left us alone because he is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Since he provided guidance for his servants in the past, he will continue to show his love for us until all is made perfect in his new system.

I know that the Old Testament contains a lot of law that the Jewish people were to follow. One of them included washing their hands before eating. I think that that law is still very relevant for today All kidding aside, it is said that the law and the commandments can be summed up in two commands: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. I think those two things are very relevant for today.

I do agree with you. I believe spiritual stories were born to teach lessons of morals to the common man. Now, with a high prevalence of education, spiritual stories are relegated to moral studies.

Jsovermyer wrote: ↑08 Aug 2019, 19:42 The Old Testament has little effect on my life. The New Testament has more value. The teachings of Jesus give ideas for being more loving, more tolerant of others and less judgemental.

This is an excellent point and how I see it as well. It's how I choose to live my life!

I think that stories in general will always be important. I think those that believe in God will find some extra comfort from the stories in the bible and stories like this book, and that's great. Some people even use it as a moral compass for how to live their lives, which again is great. The world is a confusing place and anything that helps someone is a good thing.

However, a lot of the things in the bible are severely outdated (for lack of a better term) and when people try to impose it as a set of concrete rules that everyone must follow that I start having issues with it.

This was a book written hundreds of years ago and I think it's silly for people to try and use it literally as a guidebook. It just doesn't work.

Othervi wrote: ↑07 Aug 2019, 16:29 In the past, scriptural stories related to the Bible were very important in human life. They presented a worldview in which they showed human beings important things related to the Hereafter, the fall of man, the afterlife, the rewards and punishments, and so on.

But do these stories still work today? Or are they just read for hobby and enjoyment? Stories like the ones in I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation

In my opinion, they no longer have a role in human life, because our history has changed a lot. Now these stories are important for literal aspects. Also they're noticeable because they are beautiful and probably have some tips. But in our view of the world they have little effect.

Personally, I think they should almost be treated like fairy tales. They have good morals, but trying to literally follow the book word for word just won't work now a days.

Take Cinderella for example. In that story the evil step sisters and mother are punished by being forced to dance in red hot iron shoes. Moral - be nice to people. But should we really punish people in this method? I should hope you think no...

You just can't take something written so long ago and use it in the same way today.

I have no doubt that the Bible still has an effect on human life today. I have to agree with the person that said you're not really reading it. To understand and apply something to your life from the Bible means you have to understand it and more importantly, you need to be willing to understand it. I know the world is not the same and many things have changed for sure but if you believe in God, do you not think He knew that the world would change?

I read the Bible as advice from a father. Many times, Jesus taught in parable or symbolic speaking so his audience would understand. We can read the true stories in the Bible in this way. As we read their stories of endurance through trials or the consequences of wrong actions, we can feel less alone as we face temptations in a similar way (greed, immorality, envy, violence, etc). The Bible teaches us principles that though the situations will be different, the lessons that can guide our actions based on good principles are still applicable. However, if I tell you the story of the house made on sand and the house built on rock and you don't want to learn the lesson, you will only hear a story about architecture. The same could be said of modern fables and stories we tell our children that aren't from God, for instance the 3 little pigs. If you don't want to learn that hard work pays off in the end, then you won't.

Well I do believe in a God but not in religious texts. To me, religion is very man-made. I feel God has several ways to reach out to us and that texts have a very ambiguous way of doing that. Every bad thing that's happening in the world is a failure of humanity, not God. That being said, when I do read religious texts, I do it for entertainment. God is God and religion is human scam in the name of God, in my opinion. I have no issues with the belief of another or their religious sentiments but this is how I see relative texts. So God hasn't left us alone, he runs the world and everything that he's doing has a purpose. As mere human beings we are too simple to understand what he's trying to do but eventually it all has a purpose.

When I wake up and ask myself, "why do I have to go to work?" "why can't life just be easy?" I remember how God meant us to live in enjoyment, and toiling is part of the curse on mankind brought on because of sin and man's desire to rebel against God. When Jesus returns and the curse is broken forever, I won't have to struggle and life will be as it was in the Garden of Eden and how God meant it to be.

I think the Bible is still relevant today as it was years ago. What has changed is the perspective of people in how they view God and who He is to them. In my opinion, He has not left us but we have left him.

(Disclaimer: I'm not particularly religious)

I believe that for people who don't follow religion, the beliefs and morals behind a lot of the stories still apply to everyday life. I believe that a lot of the 'good' in the world stems from the teachings of God/the various Gods out there that people believe in.

Hopefully, there is someone watching over us all, wanting the best for us.

I'm very torn up about religion so a book like this has been excellent for me to explore that.

Everything in the Bible can be applied today. Sure, the cultural circumstances were different, but the heart of God's laws and commandments are still applicable.

I don't believe God has left us alone. I consider myself more spiritual than anything, so what do I know. I just have faith that someone, or something, is up there looking after me.