3) The final assumption being that of biblical authority, or another way of saying it sometimes is, simply, that all portions of the bible are useful for instruction in some way or another.
I'm becoming quite an authority on the validity of the Bible stories through the agency of Dr Jordan Peterson.
The first question to ask is where did the stories in the Bible come from?
It is thought that the stories contain useful information to instruct people how to conduct themselves in the world, and there is much evidence for this, in that the stories, in some form or another can be found in multiple tribes/races throughout the world & throughout history.
It is also evident that the stories existed long before books, long before our ability to write, to commit thoughts to some physical format.
So where did these stories come from?
They were passed on from Generation to generation in the spoken form word of mouth, the oral tradition.
That begs the question why? What is it about the stories that led to them being preserved so well and so accurately, which can be proved through the fact that stories being found in many diverse communities and cultures throughout the world.
The stories speak of a way to be, a way to live. Of how to conduct yourself in the world.
There's the story of Cain and Abel This is a story about sacrifice, and the need to make a sacrifice now to survive in the future. Cain made sacrifices but Cain made the wrong sort of sacrifices and was unsuccessful, where by his brother Abel made the correct sacrifices and was successful.
Moses and the 10 Commandments
This is the story about the man who was in charge of judging his people's, deciding who is right and who is wrong. In this judging, perfecting this process, which took place over many decades, Moses learnt the rules of conduct, the rules and the law that controlled life, of people living together. These rules were not invented by men of intellect, they were extracted from the intuitive nature of Man. The law is the law because it feels right and just. It's not an intellectual decision, not a decision based on thought, but on feeling and instinct. Moses turned those feelings and Instincts into a set of written down rules and these form the basis of most modern cultures legal systems to this day. That's an incredible thought, the evolution of the law through the understanding of man's basics Instincts.
I have gleaned much of this information from listening to Dr Jordan B Peterson's podcasts the podcast are derived from a series of Biblical lectures that Jordan did throughout the world, lectures which were presented to audiences of thousands. To many of whom were university students who paid to come and listen to him.
You can listen to the lectures yourself on Dr Jordan Peterson podcast channel.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
With Google Podcasts, you can find and listen to the world's podcasts for free.
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The most recent podcast I listen to was this one:-
Biblical Series: Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors
With Google Podcasts, you can find and listen to the world's podcasts for free.
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Next time your doing the washing up, mowing the lawn, taking an hour drive, fire up the podcast channel on your mobile, stick on your headphones or connect your phone to your car radio with Bluetooth and have a listen!