text: isn't religion like star wars? ok, i made the comment to a preacher, "i think the bible is a beautiful novel with some really good poetry" and he replied.  "the bible is real written about real events.  how could someone just make something up, as complex as the bible?"  and i replied how could someone make up star wars, which is way more complex and has way more "books" than the bible and alot less loopholes. exluding laser guns and light sabers of course.lol what's so bad about the possibility that the bible is a novel? thing is, the bible doesn't claim to be a novel.  it doesn't label itself with a fiction stamp.  its many human authors (though god wrote through them) all claim it to be the inspired word of god himself, the ultimate truth handed down to the human race containing what we need to know of who we are, what our purpose is, who god is, how we reach him, and how we find value and meaning, not just in this life, but for eternity.    there are 66 books in the bible, last i heard, star wars was up to like 6 or 7 movies :)  the bible has been espoused as reliable by the founding fathers of science like newton, galileo, and pasteur.  famous presidents and even napoleon have spoken of the bible's reliability and jesus' divinity.  the bible has more bibliographical backing then any other historical document in history, just read josh mcdowell's "more then a carpenter" where he applies the 3 tests applied to historical documents to the bible.  there are hundreds of credible prophecies[1] which even israelite scholars like edersheim who deny jesus as the messiah, acknowledge as messianic, and which fit jesus to a "t".  there are numerous, numerous archeological finds[2] supporting the bible.  there are thousands who have died for the name of jesus christ and thousands more who risk death daily around the world for his sake[3].  the apostles and many christians since like the anabaptists have died peacefully, loving and forgiving their enemies, even as jesus did.    unlike the koran or vedas, the bible's authors tell of their mistakes.  david tells of his sins with bathsheba and how god punished him.  moses tells of his breaking of a messianic prophecy and how he couldn't enter the promised land because of it.  job ends his book repenting of speaking of things he shouldn't have, as he says "i abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."[4]  isaiah admits himself a "sinful man" and is frightened when meeting god, for he is unworthy[5]. paul calls himself the "chief of sinners" and says he doesn't even deserve to be an apostle because he persecuted the church, while thanking god for his abundant grace and mercy[6].  what you should be realizing is that this is not human nature, to so freely admit our mistakes and say we don't deserve god's mercy.  it's not our nature to humble ourselves.  not only does this very consistent practice through the bible suggest authorship divine, for the human authors exalt god while abasing themselves, but also suggests that rather then seeking to exalt themselves, as in the koran, they are intent first and foremost on telling the truth, including the undesirable truths about themselves.