Roughly the first half of this
Bible contains introductory material. This material is divided into
several sub-parts, including this introductory "Book,"1 a "Book" on the existence of God,2
a "three-Book" essay on Spengler's vision of cyclical history, and a
"three-Book" essay on a "return" to a "new" kind of "family values."
The remaining half of this Loose-Leaf Bible consists of two basic
"Books" of "scripture," followed by several additional "Books" of
less-dogmatic material.
The first of the "scripture"
"Books" states the fundamental dogma of the Agnostic Church. That dogma
provides the foundation for the entire belief system of the church. The
next "Book" contains a number of principles, consisting of various
beliefs and thoughts which are intended as guidance for the faithful in
developing the rules for the society (or civilization) which will
eventually evolve from this religion. The remaining "Books" consist of
the current rules for the faithful, along with explanations and
extensions to cover particular situations.
Some "Books" of this remainder
address rules for individuals, families, tribes, governments, and other
organizations, including the Agnostic Church itself. Following the
rules is a "Book" containing advice and commentary based upon what we
now know about ourselves. The next part, containing the "Great
Debates," is intended to provide a forum for moral debate, which will
eventually lead to the refinement of the remainder of this bible. After
this last part, a Glossary of Terms is included. This Glossary should
be consulted for any significant words that you might not understand.
Also, some common words (such as "tribe") have been used in a somewhat
different way, and if you think a particular usage is strange, consult
the Glossary for clarification.3
Throughout the various topics, historical perspectives are included
which give some foundation to the belief system by showing how the
dogma, principles, and rules for life were derived.
Because the dogma, principles,
and rules themselves are subject to change, the historical perspectives
are intended to provide memory to the process in order to avoid
repetition of dogma, principles, and rules which have been previously
considered and rejected without at least carefully considering all of
the circumstances which led to the prior rejection of the dogma,
guidance, or rules which are now being considered again.
1 It is presently anticipated that the entire Agnostic Bible will eventually be available in printed form as a single book, or if not that, a two-volume set, no matter how many "Books" it contains.
2 The word "God" is used in unique senses in this Bible. Please read the next book, commenting on the "Does God Exist?" debate, for necessary explanations about the use of the word "God."
3 If the word does not appear in the Glossary, then the "normal" usage is intended. As you might guess, footnotes appear throughout to indicate sources and provide commentary.