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I was just about to reply to your e-mail just then when this new message came through!!! I'm fascinated by a number of different things - it is granted that history is a rather unreliable discipline and that all sorts of stories are made up - but as someone who has studied history formally at uni, I can say that history is probably more reliable than you might think. Good historians do of course understand that ancient documents often include mythological elements (myths can be true - they are stories which give meaning to a culture and its way of life) and there is the temptation to simply disregard such things because of those elements because of philosophical reasons (the materialists belief that miracles do not happen therefore this account must be wrong). Of course no one can disprove or prove much of this "scientifically", but there is the reality of archaeology - I can actually go to the places described in the Bible and see for myself where the alleged events took place - this puts the Bible in a different category than the "boy and the wolf story" which is utterly hypothetical and takes place nowhere.

Much of the Bible has been confirmed from other historical sources - Josephus himself refers directly to Jesus and calls him a renowned miracle worker who was killed and whose followers nevertheless continued to believe in his teachings. This much and not much more is what we have verified - but it is enough for people with faith. In my last letter, I feel a little doubtful about Lewis and his "Mere Christianity" - the Christian explanation of life the universe and everything is long and complicated, but then the universe is a complex thing and God if God is real must also be a complex thing. The point is that we are dealing in mysteries and experiences of which there is no certain answer. God is wild, untamed and elusive - He never turns up when it is convenient in order to "prove Himself" to anyone!!! C.S. Lewis does nevertheless assume that the Biblical record is a good one. I tend to think that while God certainly did communicate to specific people in history, that the stories are still interpretations - but as you say there is truth in them that still counts - loving your neighbour or self sacrifice or the idea of grace and faith are still very nice things to have in our lives. That is the important thing - because the Bible is historical - that is based in the real world of ancient Palestine etc, we can see examples of real people (not just legends or made up people) actually dealing with issues and crises. I believe that this is important because testimony is better than an opinion - if I see an example of someone who really did struggle with love and did overcome various problems then perhaps the same can be applied to my life. But if the story is fictional and fanciful, then it is of no practical value to me at all. Morality which is only hypothetical, and not tested under actual life conditions is unproved and worthless.

My brother used to take drugs and he nearly died as a result - I believe his testimony because he experienced it - that is enough for me to not take drugs and so avoid the pitfalls he experienced. But someone who had never taken drugs can give me some advice, but that is all it is - he has no practical authority, no wisdom gained by experience. This is the usefulness of the Christian spirituality - it isn't up in the clouds with the angels, but grounded in earth based moral conduct - thy will be done on earth as in heaven. Christianity is a transformative thing - it is supposed to make the world a better place. Having a few agnostics around I think is a good thing, because you keep us honest and act as the crapometer so that we don't preach bull shit instead of that which brings life - but my friend, if you accept the responsibility of being that crapometer, then you become an agent of the moral nature of God, a kind of prophet!!