The only reason religion exists is to help guide ancient ignorant people who lived in a "small" world to live good productive lives and to build a sense of community. The purpose of the Bible, and before people could read, local churches and clergymen, was to contain in one readily available source many small stories and anecdotes that a simple person could read (or have read to them) and think to themselves "how is this situation similar to mine? And how can I learn from that example to enrich my life and the lives around me" (also, it's not like they had t.v., and that old book certainly has some drama). It's easy to see how people in a simpler time would gravitate to it, if everyone knows the story or if a community is hearing the stories be told as a group, then those ancient entertainment starved people would all have something to talk about besides goat pellets and rocks. I don't think the people behind the creation of the bible had any idea so many people would be so simple and lazy that they would take it word for word, and in doing so, destroy it's true intended purpose. All religion should have been left in the 18th century. Faith today exists for recreation.