Response to 'Unconvinced'
The scriptures of the various Faiths are unquestionably different in style, content, tone, manner, mode, et cetera. One has to keep in mind that a person's literary preferences are no measure of scriptural truth or literary genius. I taught school for thirty years and most of the students I taught were in no way attracted to the Bible--Old or New Testament--or Shakespeare for that matter--regarded by many as the finest writer in the English speaking language. A person's literary preferences does not validate or invaidate the text. In fact one can hardly judge anything by what people like. The same goes for the Quran, the holy books of Buddhism or Hinduism or, I hasten to argue, virtually any printed matter. 8)
To make one final point about Holy Books and I will use the Quran as the sample, although I could draw on the literary tradition of any of the great religions here if I had the time. Non-Muslim experts in Arabic see the Quran as a masterpiece of literature. To the superficial reader of the Quran--and I include myself here from the age of 15 to 45--its meaning disclosed itself as little as the Art of the Fugue to my unappreciative musical ears and the world of Bach. The philosopher Goethe said that an initial inspection of the Quran puzzled him as to its truths and its literary quality, but mature contemplation saw him see its profundity. I rest my case for now.-Ron Price, Tasmania. ops: