Who'd Have Thought It, The Bible Still Considered The Book 'most Valuable To Humanity'?

[sandyRoe]

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/13/folio-society-survey-bible-edges-out-darwin?utm_content=buffer49d88&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[mibn2cweus]

Natural selection, it would appear, does not assure all members of a species necessarily evolve at a comparable pace.

[Zacs-Master]

Pretty strange selection. Could it be that the bible was the one most people had actually read bits of? It simply means it's the most recognised book from THAT selection. What on earth 1984 is doing in there I don't know.

[vulcan42]

Not exactly a free choice was it? given that the Folio Society decided which 30 books to choose from.

[jomifl]

Certainly a valuble lesson, that shouldn't be ignored. The fact that some humans seem to have stopped evolving doesn't actually mean that they would not evolve in the absence of the bible. :o)

[janbee]

I still prefer Bill Bryson's books. They are my guiding light!

[atalanta]

I'd find it easier to believe that the organisation conducting the "survey" thought there would be outrage if they didn't include the Bible. Who's to say that this "survey" is genuine ?

[Old_Geezer]

Given the swathes of people who live by what the bible seems to tell them, and none of the other books listed can say that, it's hardly surprising it is top influencer and thus seen as most valuable by many.

[beso]

There will never be peace on this planet while the Bible is still considered important.

[ll_billym]

And The Qur’an weighs in at number 8, just behind 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

[Canary42]

More Christian propaganda.

beso's right.

[vulcan42]

I think there would have been a different outcome if they had asked the Chinese.

[birdie1971]

↑ Precisely.

It's hardly a shock to find that in the largely Christian west, with its Christian history, festivals, culture, language, etc. that many people consider the Bible to be the most important book ever written.

If this survey was carried out in Tehran, the Koran would have unequivocally topped the list. If it was carried out in India, the Tipitaka would win. Jerusalem, the Torah. Any survey of this kind is inherently biased in favour of the predominant religion of the region.

I find it depressing and frightening in equal measure that so many people consider books that preach violence and intolerance to be culturally and spiritually rewarding.