> What I'm really trying to say is that if we assume God exists, is perfect and wants the best for us, then we can conclude that anything He tells us to do is the best way to function. As such, we can examine what he tells us to do and decide whether or not it's true, based upon evidence that doesn't require a belief in God.
>
> Did that make any sense?

Absolutely. But it gets tough, because you have to remember that God is beyond any of us, and we can not pretend that we are capable of understanding Him fully. As such, we may not be able to understand in human terms why he commands us to do certain things, but He, as a being beyond our comprehension, and indeed as our Creator, knows better than we do what is best for us.

Still, I think you are correct, in that there are many cases which we can research for ourselves and find that obeying God's will makes things better for us. I certainly don't know any statistics, but I'm inclined to think that a marriage based on the love outlined in the Bible is more likely to last than one based on arbitrary human standards. But then, I could be biased, since I *do* accept the Bible as my authority.

Maybe someone else can come up with a more easily verifiable example of God's commandments being generally accepted as the better way to do things.

~Mina "trying to be a submissive wife" moon