You can read Hebrew, Yuyutsu? That's awesome. Languages have always been hard for me. So for what it's worth, well done.

I hope you get some good stuff out of that book. I'd have my doubts though. It seems there's a few books each generation that try to rewrite the bible. (And several more philosophies that are unwritten or borrowed ideas of said books). I have my doubts on those books and it's become a categorical doubt towards those kinds of books. Moving on though, referring to referring to if God would protect what He influenced in the scriptures...

<<But does He want to?
Can you point to anything that was not influenced by God?
Nothing of course can happen without God (it's even meaningless to speak of such), but given that God allows man to modify other things in this world, then why not this book?>>

There's a verse where Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the law but to complete it. In that section He also said that not a jot or title will change till all is fufilled. This leads me to believe that yes God will protect His words.

As for things not influenced by God, I would say you're half right. God is in control and He is sovereign over everything. The rightous and the unrighteous, where even the wicked fall into place to be part of His plans, like His days of punishment to Isreal when they were exiled for their wickedness, God did not use a more rightous people to correct them but used the Babylon empire. This is the God I look to when I refer to God. However, God made laws for Isreal, even gave warnings and pridiction so of what would happen if they turn away from the covenant of the laws and the blessings assoicated with them. Reading later books what was warned about in Deuteromony happened to exactly in their exile. Everything is in His hands and under His influence, but there are still expectations to keep. A means of following Him or turning away.

Continuing on Yuyutsu, you also said...

<<Parts of the bible indeed originated as scriptures by Prophets of God, but they were not the editors of the completed compilation.>>

The issue I have with this logic is that future prophets refer to older writings in the bible. And instead of correcting what was written as in to say something like "this is what it should say," those prophets use earlier references to their current audience. This continued even with Jesus, referencing bible verses as rabbi like teachings to the teachers of religion themselves. This would have been the perfect time to correct previous errors but instead, like the prophets before, Jesus confirms the verses He references. In order to trust the prophets you need to hold to their trust of bible texts.

<<How could anything possibly NOT be from God?>>

Seek a solid foundation, and a stable ground before moving forward on anything. There are things that are not from God, and it is for our sake as well as those around us to be discerning enough to know the difference. Not all things are good and some are in fact cruel, wicked, and evil. To put it another way not everything is healthy, and the dangers of some drugs are not something to count as being just as good as a new diet that give nutrients. If you would discern the evils of addiction and the poison that sucks people into something that they never were before, then you have the measure to recoginize that some things can come from God, and other things that are unhealthy, and draw us away from Him.

Dear Not_Now.Soon,

I was going to respond to your last posts and there is much I could have written in reply, but then I take no pleasure in undermining people's faith, so please permit me to leave it at that.

My own faith in God does not depend on the bible, but when someone else's does depend on the bible, who am I to disturb it and why would I want to do them such a cruel disservice?

I am just back tonight from a Taize service. We were singing and playing devotional music to God. I also read a psalm in the original Hebrew, followed by its English translation. Why care what people believe in - nobody there cares what I believe in either: we all come together to sing to God in good company, because it is good and well to do so, just as Psalm 92 says: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to make music to your name O most high, to proclaim your love in the morning and the truth in the watches of the night".

Dear Yuyutsu. I'm sorry if I was undermining your faith. There are other good foundations in faith besides the bible. But I do think it is reliable. Wishing you well, and hoping you can forgive my posts.

Dear Not_Now.Soon,

On the contrary, it is I who need to beg your forgiveness, it is your faith that I referred to, which I take no pleasure at shaking, but I might have done so in my earlier post and for that I am sorry.

All students should be encouraged to read the Bible to enrich their appreciation of literature and the Arts. It is one of the world's great books.

It should be included in the literature curriculum and studied that way, as literature.

Where religion finds meaning that is up to its members. Tolerance oils the wheels of society.