THE POWER OF THE BIBLE

Here’s a question I would like to you to ponder over, is the bible popular because it is powerful or is it powerful because it is popular?.

It is always amazing to observe how people easily neglect certain wisdoms and truth in favour of their religions in spite of them agreeing with the sensibility in them momentarily . This is especially truth when it comes to Natural Laws which most people believe it is some eastern mystic. People easily brush aside the truth about these laws (primarily because they seem to put into question what we have convinced ourselves to be true) in favour of their worn customs.  And no more so is this observation evident than when it comes to the bible.

The reason why the bible is the most commonly referenced book, even by those who don’t really read it but seek refuge whenever their prejudices are brought to scrutiny, it is not because of it is truth but rather because of its popularity. I am not saying that it isn’t true. Being a student of life that would be an extreme transgression on my part as I am exposed to a variety of philosophies and ideologies that account for how I see things. But the truth is that the bible owns its power solely because of popularity and not truth. Anyone who is a scholar knows that what I have claimed is the case. A simple search of the history of the bible and how Christianity came to being will evidence this. Of course it requires an open mind for if you are fundamentalists you will without a doubt find those writings, even this blog, heretic and disturbing. I do not propose to change anyone’s belief but simply to spark thought and solicit the power of awareness and the desire of constant observation and willingness to alter what no longer serves the individual and the humanity.

“The Bible is widely considered to be the best-selling book of all time,^[4] has estimated annual sales of 100 million copies,^[5][6]and has been a major influence on literature and history, especially in the West where it was the first mass-printed book.”

 I do not intend write another article about how Christianity came about, there scores of those already on the internet, both supporting and opposing it. The main idea I am seeking to bring across with this article is the idea that power is born from popularity. For the are books that are just as equally true if not more than the bible, but majority of them fall on the wayside due to the heavy weight of the bible’s popularity.

This is true of everything regarding popularity, things exert powerful influence because they are popular not because they are really powerful. From books to foods to even in the music business, the most widely searched and popular celebrities are not necessarily the most talented. Lauryn Hill said in her  Freedom Time song that:

“There’s a war in the mind, over territory For the dominion/Who will dominate the opinion/Skisms and isms, keeping' us in forms of religion/ Conforming' our vision to the world churches decision.”

Man is a creature of comfort and habit, and thus is very resistant to changing his thought about something that he has grown fond us, hence Constantine had to use force to make Christianity the “new world order” over the pagan religions of the Romans. This is the reason why most people will reject or ignore other truths about humanity that are equally as valuable and important as the bible for the sake of their now found comfort in the Scriptures. We believe it because many believe it.  Yet few know where the bible owns its origins from and its acclaimed popularity.

Christianity is the most widespread/powerful religion not because it’s the “one true” religion but because it’s the most popular. Christianity is a pop culture! Had that not been the case we would have a balanced world view due to sensibility and not popularity. People resist change because of their love for comfort.

"Something in human nature makes us resent the impact of new ideas. We hate to be disturbed in the beliefs and prejudices that have been handed down with the family furniture. At maturity too many of us go into hibernation and live off the fat of ancient fetishes. If a new idea invades our den, we rise up snarling from our winter sleep. Nothing is more tragic or more common than mental inertia. For every ten men who are physically lazy there are ten thousand with stagnant minds. And stagnat minds are the breeding place for fear." ~Napoleon Hill

I personally am intrigued by philosophies that stretch beyond what our minds have grown accustomed to. This is an ambivalent disposition to always assume because it always circulates around the fact that nothing is completely absolute which is both the thrills and threats of such a disposition.

The most interesting thing I have observed that there all of us have this kind of yearning, willingness rather, to know beyond what we know, although in different degrees and intentions. I have met people who are incredible sources of wisdoms that I lack, either due to my ignorance and self-imposed prejudices. However I always seek to rectify this default by always modelling myself in accordance to the words of the great Greek teacher Socrates when he says, “He knows nothing."

But I ask again, Is the bible popular because its powerful or powerful because its popular?

In the current social conditions we need to be willing to rethink our philosophies in order for true power of the people to return to the people. A restructuring of thought or truths is of planetary urgency, because some of the truths we are still insisting in clinging on to are not taking us where we say we want to go as a race, and as an individual.