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54. Who defines what the Bible is or is not?

There were councils held in the early 300's that allowed some books in and kicked some books out, but not all Christians ever agreed with those decisions, and different Christian sects include different books (the Catholic Bible is different from the Protestant Bible, for instance.) Even if there is some criteria by which "official" scripture can be clearly defined, there are so many different copies of the important texts (in different languages, with different sections added or missing), and so much variation in translation, that it impossible to know which version of a sacred text is "the" version sanctioned by God.

In addition, one can turn to historical practices of Christianity to justify how one chooses to view the Bible--whether one views it literally, metaphorically, or somewhere in between--whether one views it as the absolute word of God, the inspired word of man, or tales very clearly based in their culture and time, yet from which some kind of truth can still be glimpsed with reflection and personal interpretation. All of these choices come from a valid body of interpretation and historical analysis, and all can be justified on theological grounds. There is no "one" Christianity, just as there is no "one" Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, or any other religion or spiritual practice.