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Why does God need books?

youknowme

Whatever you want me to be.
Maybe it seems more like something people would come up with because God was reaching down to our level.
God doesn't need books or the written word and historical accounts, but humans do we because we are finite beings of very limited capabilities and understanding. If we could have handled something better God would have provided something else.
That doesn't make sense God is all powerful, he is not bound by our limits.
 

youknowme

Whatever you want me to be.
Certainly God is not bound...but we are bound by our limitations and God knows, understands and meets us where we are.
All powerful means all powerful. That means God could make us fully understand without books or the like regardless of the limits of humans.
 

arthra

Baha'i
Why does God need books (or other written text) to spread his word? Seems like an incredibly inefficient means for an all powerful being. Surely an all wise and all powerful God could have come up with something better. I mean such things as sacred text and oral tradition, that is so crude and clumsy it seems more like something people would come up with.

God doesn't "need" books... Books are relatively recent but they have served as a record for mystical experiences and of course recording knowledge and so books are more for us than God having any need for them in my view.

See:
History of books - Wikipedia

There is a reference I found in the Baha'i Writings that may explain why we need books:

"The mission of the prophets, the revelation of the holy books, the manifestation of the heavenly teachers and the purpose of divine philosophy all center in the training of the human realities so that they may become clear and pure as mirrors and reflect the light and love of the Sun of Reality."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 261

So the answer may well be: "....so that they may become clear and pure as mirrors and reflect the light and love of the Sun of Reality.""
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
So basically God should be able to perfect us all in a bleeping instant in the most peaceful of ways.
 

youknowme

Whatever you want me to be.
Maybe you people shouldn't have invented an all powerful god, because God would make much more sense if he was limited.
 

InChrist

Free4ever
All powerful means all powerful. That means God could make us fully understand without books or the like regardless of the limits of humans.
Okay, God could make us do whatever, but that is not how God has chosen to do things. He created beings with a freewill and desires us to freely love in response to His love. Language and communication appear to be important.
 

youknowme

Whatever you want me to be.
Okay, God could make us do whatever, but that is not how God has chosen to do things. He created beings with a freewill and desires us to freely love in response to His love. Language and communication appear to be important.
Or maybe language is not that important. I mean how would you know?
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Why does God need books (or other written text) to spread his word? Seems like an incredibly inefficient means for an all powerful being. Surely an all wise and all powerful God could have come up with something better. I mean such things as sacred text and oral tradition, that is so crude and clumsy it seems more like something people would come up with.

You make some good points. Although even books seem to be giving way to other forms of media. A lot of people read books through some sort of device, not the old-fashioned kind with pages and a binder.

It would be different if God came around now, since the means of communication have improved immensely since Biblical times. There'd be no need for ancient tablets or sacred scrolls. The word of God could be transmitted across all the networks and to every cellphone.
 

InChrist

Free4ever
Or maybe language is not important. I mean how would you know?
Because the Jewish scribes were meticulous in preserving God's written word and the scriptures have survived through the ages. Do you have something against books? Don't you like to read?
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Gods preferred method is to perfect us in total ardour. Eons is not long enough a process. LOL.
 
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