What is a sacred book? (Torah, doctrine, bible, faith)

[gmilne]

I'm compiling a list of all the sacred books that have ever been written. Is there an agreed upon list? What constitutes a writing as "sacred"? These questions are not meant to be either hypothetical or challenging. I actually need the list. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Green Gaia]

This might help: http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm

[Scuba Pete]

It's in the eye of the beholder. What is sacred to me is not to others. Go figure!

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

It's in the eye of the beholder. What is sacred to me is not to others. Go figure!

Amen.... Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises makes me smile like almost no other written words..... truth is truth and beauty is beauty, no matter the source.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by gmilne

I'm compiling a list of all the sacred books that have ever been written. Is there an agreed upon list? What constitutes a writing as "sacred"? These questions are not meant to be either hypothetical or challenging. I actually need the list. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, if you want to go strictly by the dictionary definition of the word "sacred," here's what it says:

Sacred: Consecrated to or belonging to a god or deity, dedicated or appropriated to religious use, made holy, relating to religion or religious rites and practices.

It goes without saying that books that are considered sacred by one religious group would not be considered sacred by others. With that in mind, I would include the Holy Bible, the Torah, the Qu'ran, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Urantia Book. There must be dozens of others accepted as sacred by various eastern religions. The above named ones would be considered sacred by various Abrahamic faiths.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by gmilne

I'm compiling a list of all the sacred books that have ever been written. Is there an agreed upon list? What constitutes a writing as "sacred"? These questions are not meant to be either hypothetical or challenging. I actually need the list. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

That is going to be a freaking long list. You are going to have to define your terms. What is sacred? Does it have to be respected by just one person or a group? How long does it have to be considered sacred to be on your list? What constitutes a book? What if we only have a fragment left? What if the book only remains in references by secondary sources? What if the book is only one page, or one stanza of poetry in a language that someone made up?

You are not going to be able to find every sacred book that has ever been written, possibly regardless of how you define your terms. Much has been lost, and much is unknown.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

It's in the eye of the beholder. What is sacred to me is not to others. Go figure!

I agree. I do not think that the Book of Mormon or the Doctrine and Covanents are sacred, but I recognize that others hold them in high esteem, and I can see that others ascribe sacred value to those documents. So are they sacred?

[Aqualung]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

I agree. I do not think that the Book of Mormon or the Doctrine and Covanents are sacred, .....

Ah, but then you do think the Pearl of Great Price is sacred?