The Dragon, I get your meaning but it's buried under sloppy logic. You slip in bible and religion and God as if they are interchangeable. The way I see things, they are not. The first question is loaded, so it cannot be answered seriously. I'll show you what I mean.
Is there anywayanyone can deny all religion is nothing more than guesses?
When you use words like any or all, you either drastically broaden or limit the question.
Is there anyway anyone can deny all religion is nothing more than guesses?
Double negative. This also makes the question confusing and near un-answerable. So let's take out those adjectives and see what happens to the question.
Is religion just a bunch of guesses?
Now, if the bible, religion, and God are not interchangeable, let's ask all three questions.
Is religion just a bunch of guesses?
Is the bible a reliable document on the nature of God?
Is God a figment of our imagination?
This is what I think. Is religion just a bunch of guesses?
Pretty much. My definition of religion is that it is man's search for meaning, or God. It's us searching upward and outward. We struggle, perfect, and make mistakes. As groups define themselves, they often make the mistake of exclusivity. I think it's a primal urge of people to identify with a group and exclude the "stranger". When religious doctrine gets thrown in the mix, we have groups rabidly opposed to each other. But this kind of exclusivity is not unique to religion. We see it in soccer, hockey moms, and nature nuts.
Is the bible a reliable document on the nature of God?
As with all historical documents, it is prone to error over time. I think the best it can be is an approximation. I prefer to consider it a historical document with some great tips. We've grown beyond it's usefulness in some areas, such as dietary laws and the "cities of refuge". Our justice and health system today is far more refined. That doesn't mean the bible doesn't have value. It's an early codex on what is good and what is bad, and how to obtain justice. Without documents like the bible, people today may never have conceived of writing the rules of living down.
Is God a figment of our imagination?
In my case, I have no choice but to believe He is real. God rescued me from a horrible future. I don't depend on religion or the bible, however, to maintain my belief. My faith is based on personal acts of love and rescue from a living God.
How does God best express His love to us? Through the acts of kindness of others. In a primal, dog-eat-dog world, I would not strive to make it a better place. But my worldview strives to bring creation and beauty back in to the world, to lift people out of the mire, and prove that they can live better. I live like this because of my believe in God, that He did this for me. I pass on my gratefulness to others.
