The Bible: A History (Channel 4)

I've just watched The Bible: A History on 4 On Demand. An incredibly enjoyable programme presented by Howard Jacobson. The programme focussed on Genesis 1.

Jacobson discussed several concerns throughout the programme that I have discussed here previously, such as the aggressive nature of the New Atheist (I have to confess that I am not happy that he appeared to be tarring all atheists with the same brush in this programme), but for me the biggest missed opportunity for supporting atheism came at the end of the show.

Now I should point out that Jacobson declared himself early on in the programme as someone who was neither religious nor an atheist, and I appreciate that a TV programme needs to be structured and concluded inside 50 minutes. However this programme actually asked more questions than it answered.

It started so promisingly, with a trip to Jerusalem to investigate the origins of the Bible. The conclusion was drawn that Genesis 1 was written approximately 600 years after Moses. The rationale behind the continued belief in one god after the Jews had suffered at the hands of the Babylonians was at best unclear and at worst very weak. The catastrophe had apparently proved to them that the whole world was under the command of God and this actually strengthened their beliefs, after some degree of questioning them.

He then moved on to talk to Professor AC Grayling, who did his best to perpetuate the myth that all atheists are irrational fundamentalists.

But the most disappointing aspect for me was the conclusion. Jacobson concluded that Genesis should not be read literally, and was open to interpretation. Surely this is the strongest argument against the Bible? The convenience that any of the stories in the book can be interpreted any literal or theological terms is what makes it all too convenient for me. Could this god not have been a little clearer with his messages?

Unfortunately Jacobson does not address this point. This was the first in a series, I will continue to watch in the hope that this will be addressed at some point.

All in all though, a pleasant programme that shared many of my feelings on this voyage of discovery.