imperialscum said:

RicOlie_2 said:

If you think it's simply bedtime story material, then you display your ignorance of the story. The creation story in Genesis is a carefully crafted narrative that has some clearly symbolic elements woven into it. The order of the things created is definitely deliberate, and not the result of some primitive mind making up crap. The author(s) conveyed theological ideas through the story, and thus it has theological value, if not scientific value.

Well it falls under category of art since it is clearly not a scientific book. Therefore it is completely subjective. It is not to my taste. So now you are trying to tell me that I should like it (or should consider it good) just because it was "carefully crafted" (another completely subjective thing)? Creation process, primitive or sophisticated, has very little affect here.

For example, I am sure Lucas "carefully crafted" the prequels in his own right. I don't like them. And let's take another example of something that is widely acclaimed, Citizen Kane... I don't like it and I couldn't care less how "carefully it was crafted".

Where did I write anything about you having to like it, or even think it great? I only meant that it is at a higher level than a bedtime story. The fact that it was carefully crafted is only slightly subjective. It certainly wasn't carelessly cobbled together. It could be considered to fall under the category of art, but since it is also a theological work, and not all such works are any more art than science books, it is not entirely subjective. It has certain characteristics that are revealed through textual analysis, and are more than just private opinion.

While the Genesis story was created to entertain to some degree, it was also created to teach, and so I don't agree that they are only art. And the prequels or Citizen Kane were not created to teach, but solely to entertain.