re: ridge - compass not necessarily right
G'day IR,
I agree the history and belief should be separated, however, some folk use history to justify belief.
Some parts of the Bible may well contain some truths (probably in both Testaments) the problem is just about all of it was written a significant time after the supposed events (in many cases centuries) and with the best of intent reliability would have to be extremenly suspect. Even with educational and literary advances in the past one thousand years modern history still suffers from the time lag effect. Legend live a long time in tact, most of it without a shred of truth. Can you imagine the camp fire stories three thousand years ago?
Sorry, but for me too much of history as portrayed in the Bible has been proven by too many sources as false to be considered credible. It has largely been created to explain the unexplainable and to create a social system for the benefit of sect leasders.
