What does a book have to contain for you to accept it is of divine origin?

[HonestJoe]

Interlinking passages going beyond time, with a knowledge of the future, showing a clear understanding beyond our normal comprehension.

I’ve got a train timetable which does that. It’s even produced by Virgin Trains.

Does this mean Richard Branson is God? It would explain a lot.

 

[Demonslayer]

Does this mean Richard Branson is God? It would explain a lot.

He's got the white hair and beard, you could be on to something.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

The bible

The Bhagavad Gita, Lotussutra, Guru Granth Sahib, Gospel of Arabia And others are better examples.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Ok so many of you don't believe in the bible, many of you don't believe in the Qur'an or the Vedas or religous texts. What would manuscripts have to contain for you to say they are of divine origin? If we just have the text itself what must it contain? Would you even accept a document?

Books are written by people. Everything written in every book, ever, is easily and obviously attributable to human minds and imaginations.

 

[LuisDantas]

Ok so many of you don't believe in the bible, many of you don't believe in the Qur'an or the Vedas or religous texts. What would manuscripts have to contain for you to say they are of divine origin? If we just have the text itself what must it contain? Would you even accept a document?

Hmm, perhaps if it could be readily understood by all people, regardless of which languages (if any) they had actually learned.

Or if they had a clear, self-evident effect on the religious wisdom of people. And promoted mutual understanding and acceptance among people, as opposed to pointless interpretation arguments.

Also, I would expect considerable artistic merit. And odd are that it would not be something to "believe" in.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Ok so many of you don't believe in the bible, many of you don't believe in the Qur'an or the Vedas or religous texts. What wouId manuscripts have to contain for you to say they are of divine origin? If we just have the text itself what must it contain? Would you even accept a document?

I don't think there can be anything. I think it's beyond the capabilities of a human being to justifiably say "this book is so ______ that I can reject all possible causes for it - including causes I've never even heard of - and conclude that God is the only possible explanation for it."

Also, I think there are fundamental problems with the idea that a god would use a book written in a single language to disseminate his/her/its message to humanity.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Interlinking passages going beyond time, with a knowledge of the future, showing a clear understanding beyond our normal comprehension.

"Beyond our normal comprehension"... and therefore beyond our ability to confirm that it's genuine?

 

[Brian Schuh]

If the book had naked pictures of Scarlett Johansson, that would be divine.

How about a book containing a money order for several grand? Divine or not divine? If yes, you can have the book with whatever it contains.

 

[sayak83]

Ok so many of you don't believe in the bible, many of you don't believe in the Qur'an or the Vedas or religous texts. What would manuscripts have to contain for you to say they are of divine origin? If we just have the text itself what must it contain? Would you even accept a document?

Something like a benevolent and more enlightening version of Tom Riddle's diary.

 

[fantome profane]

For a book to be in the New Testament, it must have been written by an apostle and eyewitness. If there are books like that, I would consider adding them to my New Testament, also I would consider ripping out books that turn out not written by an eyewitness and apostle.

So you rip out all of the books of the New Testament?

 

[Brian Schuh]

So you rip out all of the books of the New Testament?

Are there any books written by eyewitnesses to Jesus that were excluded?

No, I don't rip up books. I bought a Tanakh that didn't a New Testament to begin with.

Are there any apostolic books not in the New Testament? What about the Epistle of Clement?

 

[fantome profane]

Are there any books written by eyewitnesses to Jesus that were excluded?

No, I don't rip up books. I bought a Tanakh that didn't a New Testament to begin with.

Are there any apostolic books not in the New Testament? What about the Epistle of Clement?

In this case there are no books written by eye witnesses. Full stop. None. Inside or outside the canon.

 

[Brian Schuh]

In this case there are no books written by eye witnesses. Full stop. None. Inside or outside the canon.

I believe the gospel of Mathew was written before 70 C.E. it says not one stone would be left on another stone of the Temple. Anyone after 70 C.E. would know Titus saved the Wailing Wall. If it was written after 70 C.E. they would not have made Jesus out to make a false prophecy.

 

[fantome profane]

I believe the gospel of Mathew was written before 70 C.E. it says not one stone would be left on another stone of the Temple. Anyone after 70 C.E. would know Titus saved the Wailing Wall. If it was written after 70 C.E. they would not have made Jesus out to make a false prophecy.

But do you believe it was written by an eyewitness? Do you believe it was written by Matthew?

 

[Demonslayer]

If the book could smite someone, I'd consider it divine. Smiting is a very Godish behavior.

 

[Demonslayer]

How about a book containing a money order for several grand? Divine or not divine? If yes, you can have the book with whatever it contains.

I'll take it!

 

[Brian Schuh]

If the book could smite someone, I'd consider it divine. Smiting is a very Godish behavior.

If the book was born of a virgin, I'd call it a book of God.

 

[Demonslayer]

If the book was born of a virgin, I'd call it a book of God.

That's a dead giveaway for sure.

 

[Brian Schuh]

But do you believe it was written by an eyewitness? Do you believe it was written by Matthew?

I don't know. I've read that the three synoptic gospels were the same book just in 3 different languages. Mathew in Hebrew, Mark in Latin and Luke in Greek. So that the whole empire could read it. We don't have the originals. Short of a archaeological discovery, I don't have a clue how we could know.

 

[Riverwolf]

Ok so many of you don't believe in the bible, many of you don't believe in the Qur'an or the Vedas or religous texts. What would manuscripts have to contain for you to say they are of divine origin? If we just have the text itself what must it contain? Would you even accept a document?

Its contents would have to magically change while being observed by anyone, in addition to being made out of paper or some other pre-electric equivalent. Furthermore, the simple act of reading it would have to somehow induce clearly observable physical changes in whoever's looking at it, which can be measured.

In other words, at minimum, it would have to share qualities with the Elder Scrolls.