Articles such as this fascinate me.

Sometimes I think that Graham slots one in every now and then, just to see if anyone has anything new or original to say on the subject. If so, he must be sadly disappointed, as the comments quickly polarize to their respective corners, believers in one, and scoffers in the other.

Trouble is, where the believers can only repeat the same mantra each time, the scoffers have something new to get their teeth into - the manner in which the believer's argument is presented. This gives them a substantial advantage in terms of scoffage, as each presenter provides their own Achilles heel within the piece itself, as they try once more to justify the unjustifiable.

There's plenty to choose from here, but this is my "pick of the day". Mr Muehlenberg writes:

"...here we have a masterful presentation of the data in a finely written and cogently argued volume... he argues that the "Bible was the force that created modern India"

My goodness.

"Modern India" was created from, presumably, old India. So let's take a look.

According to Angus Maddison's "The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective", India was the world's largest economy from the first to the seventeenth centuries. When the British arrived, bible firmly clutched under their sweaty armpits, India boasted a full quarter of the world's GDP, and about the same in terms of manufacturing output, according to the Cambridge Economic History of India.

So if we are to take the claim seriously, the bible alone was responsible for the entire destruction of that economy, which went from 24.4% of the world's GDP in 1700, to a mere 3.8% in 1952.

How can it live with itself, with a record like that?

More likely, though, the whole "masterful presentation of the data in a finely written and cogently argued volume" is a load of horseradish.

Horseradish yuk. When i went to get a pass port i was given the choice of putting a hand on the bible or putting a hand on my chest. Because i have never had a hand on a bible i went for the other. i don't know if you get that choice in court or not. Anyway the world is changing, and about time. Saw Normy Row in concert the other day and he sang It ain't necessarily so. I reckon he has got it right.

Pericles that was a studious commitment to mischaracterising the argument.

Of anyone Mangalwadi understands the thefts of the East Asia Company, and why Hinduism did not produce the culture that could repulse a corrupt colonial power. But sure enough Biblical Christianity was the reason Britain was forced to leave India when Ghandi's non-violent resistance could have affected public opinion in no other civilisation than one with a free press and tradition of Christian anthropology. As indigneous leaders the world over explain: "The Bible (translated by Christians into native languages which preserved their traditions and language) taught us we could at last look the white man in the eye"

We could be here all day listing particular crimes of Christians, it is Christianity more than anything that is actually able to diagnose the corruption in humans and provide the cure "They that are whole have no need of the physician" Mark 2:17. Christianity teaches that humans are corrupt by nature and that Jesus is the long term cure, through a process of transformation not immediate translation into angels.

The thesis presented is that the effects of Christian anthropology and affirmation of the Creator as logos (reason and order), in general on balance and over centuries produces the kinds of institutions and societies that cherish and honour human beings in their essential dignity. In the face of constitutional human corruption. No other tradition can draw from this kind of teaching and it is simply a matter of logical connection of the principles correlative with the Christian tradition to the goods described in Bill Muehlenberg's article.

All around me I see the cancers of modern Western society:

- the abortion epidemic
- drug abuse
- violence (try to find non violent entertainment)
- the "sex" industry
- gambling
- homosexuality

To name but a few. Christian Church attendances are falling and many people not only don't read the bible but openly mock it. Could there be a correlation? Yet the secularists chatter away and pour scorn on Christian values whilst the world around them them falls apart. In fact, many of these "cancers" will be celebrated as "enlightenment" by the very same people. I pity those for whom the obvious is not so obvious.

Ive been asked 'what is the real purpose of all these holy books'...thought I post my best reply...

each of us do what is necessary to live, each and every day...and two groups form...those 'self_serving' whom getting and keeping more satisfies their existence, and the 'others' who sense and seek better meaning to daily existence...

now its important to know which group you are...they are incompatible...individuals of 'other' group should hone their skills at recognizing self-serving individuals, step away first mentally, then physically...or have little hope of further development...
(always remember the self-serving will use anything for benefit, including holy books...)

now we all seek knowledge of; our physical world, ourselves in it...and where we came from, and where we will go...and all this is given in religious books, in various eloquent and cryptic ways...

also remember...whatever information you receive...you must ask 'is it true'...always and repeatedly...this will serve one very well...and keep you on the path of 'truth'...scientist ask this all the time...no excuse for you not to...

so...university is good for information on physical world, life experience for ourselves and religious books particularly for our souls...effort on all aspects of life is necessary...and prevent repetitive responses in daily life...it means you no longer seek but just survive...

for an example...Buddha, sought 'end to suffering'...resulted in 'how to live' knowledge...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma
in essence avoid attachments...yep 'want' aka 'self-serving'...see...easy right...and your suffering ends...only thing left to do is to try it...intelligently and practically...god gave you a logic+reasoning brain as well...

to extreme of end_of_time...which we cannot experience until we are in it...but knowledge given...all religions say all we see will end...revelations etc...hindu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki_Purana Kali Yuga 'sin and misery'(we now in),Satya Yuga(golden thousand year) 'sinlessness and peace'the 'millenium of thousand years'(see...common time from holybooks from different times and places...which MUST make you think further...)

and you are off on your spiritual and life journey...hope this was useful to any...

sam
Ps~good question now is 'how does one live a sinlessness life...'yeah?

'the 'millenium of thousand years'

for those not familiar with bible revelations...

http://www.rapturechrist.com/timeline.htm

sam