[wideawake]

Even if we were to reduce the Scriptures to a mere instruction manual, an instruction manual is still a description of reality which points to the actual reality itself underneath the escription.

And you make my point for me - no one worships the Scriptures, but they do use them in worship. Just as no one worships a crucifix, but they do use crucifixes in worship.

There is also the matter that for 99+% of Christians in this country, the Scriptures are a double representation of reality - they use English and Spanish representations of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words which are themselves representations of underlying realities.

[GeronL]

We wouldn’t have Christianity without scripture.

None of the symbols, totems or idols are necessary. As a matter of fact idolatry is strictly prohibited.