There's an argument that Christians sometimes put forth, attacking atheists for dismissing the Bible as fiction while having their own views informed by different works of fiction. Something like this (spotted on the politics stream):; Joke's on them. Fiction often does contain complex, edifying political themes and allegories. You can, in fact, learn a lot from fiction - if you recognize it as fiction. Fandom is one thing. But can you find any fans of science fiction, Harry Potter, what-have-you, who take these books as the *literal* truth? I don't think you can, and that's where the logic of this attack breaks down. Side-note: Rightists often cite "1984," a famous political allegory, though their love for George Orwell is ironic given that he was a self-proclaimed democratic socialist who wouldn't want anything to do with right-wing libertarianism, let alone Christian nationalism. But anyway. I'm not trying to convert anyone out of Christianity, and I'm not flatly against the Bible. Yes, there is a lot of bigotry and violence in its pages. Rules that make no sense in the modern world, and an unstable, vengeful God figure that primes believers to accept patriarchy, monarchy, and dictatorship. But there are also a good many verses and tales from the Bible which furnish salutary moral allegories and instructions. I would challenge Biblical literalists to stop trying to square the circle of the book's internal contradictions, let go of their rigid dogma, and approach the Bible the same way they would read any good book: with a curious and inquisitive mind.
