Do you believe the Bible is a fictional book?

[Anonymous]

I haven’t read the Bible fully but I know their is a verse in there that says something like

Genesis 1:
This chapter details the creation narrative, with God creating light, the sky, land and vegetation, the sun and moon, sea creatures and birds, land animals, and finally humans, all within six days.

I just find this hard to believe all of this much of this can be created entirely in just 6 days. It just doesn’t seem realistic to me.

[SotiCoto]

It came from a time where there wasn't any distinction between fiction and fact. By which I mean superstitious idiocy ruled all, people believed what they were told... and some guy who wanted to record why he believed his family was the best family for all time could make up some half-baked creation bullshit story and pass it off with long lists of who his dad's dad was and how he beat up Gary's dad from down the road or whatever.
Then you get to the second half and it is mostly Jesus fanfiction, made by cultists for cultists. They can't even agree with themselves half the time, so they just recorded what they believe they saw and heard through their own biases because they were ancient superstitious idiots.

And now thousands of years later idiots are still taking it seriously.

[jahaims]

Historical fiction

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

So obviously any story about something that can’t be proven nor provides any evidence to make you believe it to be true can be considered fictional, but this is religious doctrine. Honestly, this is a historical piece that details a great deal about the religion it describes when you put the chapters into historical context. A majority of the book of genesis, for example, is an almost exact mirror of Mesopotamian mythology. This is because, during the time in which this oral tradition was finally being put to paper (which happened after Babylonians occupied Israel and were forcing the jewish people from their homeland), the Jewish people realizes they never had or knew the origins of how YHWH created the world so they borrowed from what was already popular. They were in a rush to make sure their religion was documented because they were afraid that it would disappear with the very real threat of racial genocide they were facing from the occupying Babylonian forces, they didn’t really care about plagiarism. Honestly, if you read The Epic of Gilgamesh, you can see the story of Noah’s ark almost perfectly but told with only one god rather than with the popular Mesopotamian pantheon.

[Orion84]

I wouldn't say "fictional" or "non-fictional" exactly.

I don't think the Bible was ever intended to be taken as a historical textbook. I tend to view it more as something akin to Aesop's work. That is, a collection of fables and allegories, some of which are, or are based on, real historical events.

I think it was intended as a guide, a way to teach about the religion, and to impart morals and ethics to the reader, and never to be taken literally.

Then again, I am not, in any way, religious, so what do I know? 🤷‍♂️

[andreasderjuengere]

I see it as a collection of texts that were written a long time ago by people with very limited knowledge - who were facing 'leaked' insider information.

Just as thoughts: The 'Big Bang' is simplified to 'light' / Hydrogenium becomes water / 6 stages of billions of years are made comprehensive as 'days' (add the day off, too) / making a person from dirt turns out to be elements that are naturally found in the ground as well... etc.

Where - personally - I connect the scientific facts with God being the initiator of what went on. It looks ''planned'' to me rather than a myriad of unlikely coincidences.

[Anonymous]

When Christians ask this question in church, the priest or preacher always smiles and says "Well, millions of years could be just 6 days to God" , or something to that effect. It reminds me of a small child asking their parents how Santa manages to visit every house in the world in just one night. The parent smiles and says "With magic, honey!". That smug response is the same. The fact is, if your God, through it's "holy spirit", told Moses that he created the Earth in 6 mere days, KNOWING of course that Moses would take it literally, then your God LIED. There isn't any way around this. For 1000 years, the Catholic Church ruthlessly tortured anyone claiming that anything existed outside of this Earth. Saying that the Moon was a rock in space would get you tortured to death. This was by the orders of the pope. As every Catholic knows, the pope is so into the holy spirit, their decisions are infallible. This is Catholic doctrine.

[Berethor]

Then there is the Adam and Eve plot that don't take inbreeding into count. Have you even seen an angel? the bible is contradicting with science, so you don't need to believe it.

https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve_Plot

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jMYIl5b-paY

[jennifer_bloom]

The bible uses day both as an allegory for phase / stage / dimension / witness / recognition / impending awareness / documented reaction / joyful outburst / hopeful prayers / expensive spirituality / liminal transition / and doctrinal observation.

It is not always a description of 12 / 12 time blocks.

[nl171]

The God of the Bible is all powerful, all knowing, and all seeing, outside of time. He created time, so what leads you to believe he couldn’t bring something from nothing in just six days? All had to do was say “let there be…” and whatever it was was instantly created outside of time.

[Staximus]

Yeah it's a bunch of crap. An all-powerful god who knows everything and could create the world magically decided to do it in 6 days instead of just doing it in one second. All he has to do is say "abra cadabra", right? Like what did he have to do so it took six days? Think about it? Measure the ingredients? Mow the lawn?

[The-Stud]

Yeah but science never gave a good answer either.
All started from a bang my ass.

[dudeinohio]

It is real but written by expressing thoughts based on what was understood at the time.

[Anonymous]

Hell yes i do