Overcame the temptation? You do understand that the OT does a lot of explaining at how the Jews are the Chosen People and all of the authors related to Hebrew or Hebrew Roots. Each 'sacred book' makes similar claims, especially those Big Three that come from the same area. Christianity, based on the bible, has made it quite clear that it is the one and only true path to God. This means that Christians, based on the bible, believe themselves to be the 'chosen'. This has much to do with the bible saying that those who Follow the God of the Book ARE the chosen. Hoax? No. The Bible is not the "word" of God in that God came down and wrote the book himself. It is written by men who felt that they had an understanding of God, Mankind and the relationship between the two and attempted to clarify for the rest of us those things. It is also written about 2000+ years ago, with specific books picked out of 600 potential 'sacred writings' dealing with the same subject matter by a group of men who half thought they had a better understanding of what God wanted from his people on Earth. As such is it woefully inadequate when dealing with all of the new stuff we have learned for the past 2000 years, especially what we have learned about how vast and diverse humanity really is. To continue to use a book composed of 60 some odd books written so far back in our development to fully express the Divine is highly illogical and demands that we question what God's plans is for us now - today with our better understanding of the universe, with our much more advanced understanding of individual rights and equality. Unfortunately God doesn't seem to be sending us any more prophets to enlighten us now days in a manner that we would understand. And that is the problem that folk have with the bible, it is so far out of touch and out of date with our society and our times that it is impossible to 'relate' to it without becoming superstitious and blind to reality. Frankly I doubt that God's purpose was for humanity to get stuck in a bronze age society and understanding. I suspect God wants us to move on, to use our brains and our tools to reach out and find Him. Even if that path takes us through a minor period of 'pure science' that refuses to look at the God Card in everything.

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