The Bible-Is It Just a Good Book?

A BOOK THAT PROMOTES MENTAL HEALTH

The Bible encourages us to cultivate qualities that foster good mental health, qualities such as compassion and forgiveness.  "Become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another," says Ephesians 4:32.

According to a publication of the Mayo Clinic, in the United States,  "If you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly."  Forgiveness, the article explains, can  result in "healthier relationships; greater spiritual and psychological well-being; less anxiety, stress, and hostility; lower blood pressure; fewer symptoms of depression; and lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse." 

A BOOK THAT ADDRESSED LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS

Science has answers to all kinds of questions. But science enlightening though it is, has limits.  The book Biotechnology-Changing Life Through Science states:  "Most scientists, doctors, and philosophers agree that science cannot answer ethical, moral, or religious questions."

SCIENCE CAN  give us mathematical formulas for laws governing the universe, but science cannot tell us why the universe exists or why it is governed by precise laws.

SCIENCE CAN explain how the reproductive organs function, but it cannot define sexual morality.

SCIENCE CAN describe the development of a human embryo, but it cannot make moral decisions on the embryo's right to life.  

The Bible addresses these and many other important questions, thus helping us to "understand what is righteous and just and fair, the entire course of what is good." -Proverbs 2:9. 

Next time: What Does the Bible Say About Heaven? -  Heaven

From the Awake! magazine