Kinda like how other fiction stories are created, isn’t it?

From comedian David Cross’s new show, Bigger and Blackerer, where he makes an astute observation on the origins and development of a certain holy text:

Here’s a (not-so-)quick and (not-so-)easy transcription:

One of my favorite things about the Bible is how antiquated all the things that are supposed to take place in the future are already. How all the prophecies, completely antiquated they are. ’Cause, you know, when the Bible was written – and then rewritten, and then edited, and reedited, then translated from dead languages, and then re-retranslated, and then reedited and re-re-reedited and retranslated and then given to kings for them to take their favorite parts out, then reedited and then retranslated and then reedited and given to the Pope for him to approve, and then re-retranslated, then re-rewritten, then re-reedited, then retranslated, reedited again – all based on stories that were told orally, 30 to 90 years after they happened, to people who didn’t know how to write.

So … I guess what I’m saying is, the Bible is literally the world’s oldest game of telephone.

I’ve never heard of the “game of telephone”, but whatever the case is, it really just sounds more like the re-(re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re)telling of ancient fairy tales. Ugly, misleading and gruesome fairy tales, to boot.

(via Friendly Atheist)