Worst religious books

aulsmith: Very tedious

waltzmn: The Bible (both Hebrew and Greek portions) are written in the contemporary language of their people -- that is, contemporary Hebrew and Greek. If Joseph Smith was granted divine inspiration, why didn't God tell him to drop the fake King James English?

: I do see problems with its language and origins, but it also holds great value as a vehicle for inspiration. Some of its teachings are unfortunate, but others can be sublime and profound. In other words, it's a lot like many prized religious texts that wouldn't make the "Worst" list.

thorold: Isherwood is great. But not when he's in full guru-adoring mode

aulsmith: Completely revolting ethics.

aulsmith: Dull

aulsmith: Really dull and not very forthcoming if you don't know what adultery or the power of the keys is already.

aulsmith: Repetitive, misogynist, dull and ethically questionable.

waltzmn : It is unfair to judge the Quran by English translations; although the Arabic is said to be brilliantly written, I have yet to see an English translation that is anything but wooden (usually so literal as to be meaningless). But I don't read Arabic. I will not condemn a book I cannot read.

thorold : It might be a bad translation technically, but it's had a huge and generally positive influence on English literature

aulsmith: Bible in general: Too long, contradictory, misogynist and ethically queestionable. KJV: translation made from bad original sources

waltzmn: Without discussing the merits of the Bible as a religious work, the King James Translation is very poor as a translation (although an excellent piece of prose). The translators' Hebrew was poor, and although their Greek was better, they were translating an incredibly corrupt Greek text. Time to put the King James translation on the shelf as a literary monument and study a translation that is competent.

aulsmith: Except for the part about Satan, it's dull.

aulsmith: Dull and didactic.

aulsmith : Short, snappy, a little obscure, but then it's not telling you stuff you can't find out by just living your life.