Holy Bible readers are aware that the book contains contradictions, illogical arguments, biased history, and facts that lack evidence or credibility. To begin with, there is an evolutionary process. Our planet is but one speck in an endless cosmos, and the probability of other living creatures is high. We accept specific laws of nature, i.e., men do not float up into heaven in burning chariots, serpents do not talk, axe-heads do not float, nor do men compose psalms in the belly of a whale or sing in red-hot furnaces. Within the pages of the Holy Bible, the history of humankind is sometimes flawed. The Holy Bible is not a guidebook for knowledge in the areas of biology, geography, geology, or astronomy. Humanity’s story is incomplete.

It is a well-established fact that the Old Testament books evolved through the centuries-old tradition of storytelling. Realistically, we must accept the fact that tales and legends have become mixed up, confused, exaggerated, and lost, leaving our history with holes and misplaced threads. The Bible has been used to both blame and glorify the actions of ordinary people and to substantiate the claims of the prophets. Take, for instance, the books of Joshua and Judges did not materialize from the idealized picture of the whirlwind conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. Take, for example, how the historical books of Samuel and Kings illustrate the correctness of the ‘Latter Prophets’ Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and others.

The New Testament came to us through the efforts of countless scribes, mostly schooled, intelligent, and dedicated. Others were unschooled, but great scribes. Later discoveries reveal that scribes strictly copied the original transcript word for word, but occasionally their own words and ideas appeared in the margins. Over time, many of their terms found their way into the actual manuscript. Also, it was too easy to make translation errors and copying mistakes, especially when it took only a short line over a letter or a missing dot under a word to change the term’s meaning, or the sentence, or the story in its entirety. I have written nothing in this paragraph that is not already known to the world, having been discussed countless times in various settings, from beer joints to university classrooms. Tell me, then, in the world can the Holy Bible continue to influence?

The Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible have influenced world events since the first copies were printed. And, indeed, it had an influence! This work of humanity’s history and growth of Faith has influenced the Christian church, the Jewish religion, and the Muslim believers who worship our biblical Supreme Being and venerate Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as the greatest prophets who ever lived. The Holy Bible has caused wars. The Holy Bible has stopped wars. The Holy Bible has both inspired and horrified, enthralled and disgusted. The Holy Bible has helped free people from slavery and has been responsible for keeping people enslaved. The Holy Bible has been used to justify behavior, assign blame, and influence the course of action—for better or worse. Again, the question remains: How is it that the Holy Bible continues to influence?