Jewish folklore...

I was away last weekend, fulfulling the tail end of a long commitment to the hospitality industry. I had a cool opportunity to help Pappadeux's open their newest location in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got to meet a ton of great people, including about 50 of what will eventually be closer to 100 waitstaff, and hopefully made an impact on their technique, their personal customer service philosophy, sales skills, and God willing, their worldview.
In winding down from a 14 hour day of mental taxation without gratification, I decided to "zone out" with some tube and gave HBO a chance. Laden with cynicism, humor, and a sarcasm thicker than the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, Bill Maher hosts a panel show discussing the issues of the day (week) with a variety of celebrities, newsmakers, and dignitaries. In the course of the show, he made a comment that some of you will find interesting and funny, but I found to be slightly a bit sad. (Not judgemental sad, but "sorry to hear that" sad.)

"...that good old book of Jewish folklore - the Bible."

Now, a few years ago, I might have been offended. But, in hearing it this time, I think I snickered a bit, then simply felt bad for Bill. Could the Bible be a grand anthology of "folktales" by 40 varied authors? Could it be merely a book-form conspiracy formulated over a 2000 year span to establish a power dynamic for those "in the know"? Could it be a bunch of cute stories and clever teachings that just help weak people get through the night?

Sure.

But, that would go against all the archaelogical evidence, historical evidence, extra-Biblical evidence, that "demands a verdict" of "not guilty" of any of the above claims. I admit, I'd find it a bit odd to hear someone say "I have a great relationship with Ann Rice through her book 'The Vampire Lestat'." So, I can see where someone might be a little wierded out by a statement like "I have a great relationship with God through the Bible."
However, this excludes the fact that my relationship with God is not some compartmentalized event that happens only on Sunday or when I open His Word. Further, it would ignore the fact that Ann Rice's books never make a claim for veracity. The Bible actually claims to be true. More on that later? Yes, just not today.
Here was the collision between an accusation that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of stories, and the four days I had spent unpacking much of its truth to the Pappadeaux's waitstaff. No, I wasn't proselytizing for Pappas, but I had just spent 4 days applying Biblical truth to real life situations - procedure, mindset, worldview, that I have learned from explicitly Christian sources from John Maxwell to Andy Stanley to Rob Bell and a variety of other lesser known trainers and people of faith who have often stressed "self over others" and "servant leadership" in no uncertain terms.
My application of these principles doesn't make the Bible any more or less true, but does cast Maher's comments into a slightly different light. If the Bible is more than just folklore, if the Bible is one of several keys to unlocking an abundant life, unfettered by the many things that can and often slow us in our progress, doesn't it suck that Bill just dismisses it into a bookshelf next to "Goldilocks" and "Hansel and Gretel"?
Sure, we learned lessons from the Three Bears and Cinderella, but again, neither of those books ever invite us into a deeper relationship with the Creator of the universe - a central tenet of Christianity and Biblical living. Furthermore, the Bible makes a fantastic claim that not only does there exist eternal life, but that it is a free and open option to those who will take it. The fact that a superfuluous number of idiots have taken Biblical principles and used them for their own gain and /or to harm others does not mean that the Bible is wrong or untrue. Conversely, when the actions of these individuals is held up against the backdrop of what the Bible expressly or implicitly states, their infidelity to the god they claim to represent becomes painfully apparent.

So what's the deal - no judgement or dart throwing from either side of the aisle -
1. What bothers you most about the statement "The Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God?"
2. What Biblical principles, if any, do you know of that when applied, paint a picture of "a god who loves us"?

I intend for this environment to be one where non-adversarial discussion can take place free from ad hominem attacks. Where I am guilty which I often am, vis-a-vis my waning sarcasm, point it out, but try to comment with this in mind.

3. Is the Bible merely folklore that promotes intolerance?

What if? What if the 66 books written over a 1600 year period by 40 different authors and preserved and perverted by better and wiser men than we, is really the inspired word of God, a god who seeks not a world of automatons praying, kneeling, standing, and hypocritizing in lock-step, rather a body of believers, each unique in their gifts and talents, approaching Him from their unique perspective and meant to manifest their love for him via their love for those around them? What would the world look like if the principles espoused by the Bible were taken to their logical ends?
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