I reject the 7lamps explanation as being circular, it’ attempts to justify what happened as being sensible and honest. Some AI analysis… • Theological utility: Books that supported desired doctrines stayed or were elevated; those that didn’t (or contradicted) were sidelined. Protestants removed/downgraded the Apocrypha partly because they bolstered Catholic practices like intercession for the dead or works-based elements. Catholics affirmed them against Protestant challenges.  • Historical and linguistic preferences: Preference for Hebrew originals over Greek translations, Jewish canon decisions (post-1st century CE), and questions of authorship/date. These are scholarly/textual debates, not divine revelations.  • Power and identity: Canon formation reinforced group boundaries. Reformation-era fights were tied to breaking from Rome, nation-building (e.g., in England), and rejecting “superstition.” The Westminster era was explicitly political—Civil War, anti-episcopacy, etc.  • No evidence of divine consistency: If these texts were truly inspired by an omniscient god, why the centuries of disagreement, regional variations (Orthodox have even more books), and later printing changes? Errors, contradictions, and cultural influences abound across all versions. “Inspiration” claims are post-hoc rationalizations by believers. Other “removed” or excluded books (Gnostic gospels, pseudepigrapha, etc.) were rejected for similar reasons: they didn’t fit emerging orthodoxies, were too late, or promoted rival theologies. The process was messy, contingent, and human—much like how other religions curate their scriptures.  If I might summarize, 1641-era decisions (and the broader Protestant shift) reflect reformers asserting their version of Christianity against rivals, using textual and historical arguments as tools. From a secular viewpoint, it’s fascinating evidence of how sacred texts evolve through debate, politics, and culture—not proof of any unchanging divine word. If I can go back and quote my first post here… We descend from a particular population of apes numbering several thousand strong at least, who set out on the road to our lineage at least a few million years ago. To be clear, this is a matter of objectively demonstrable scientific facts, not assumptions. Physical anthropologists and paleo primatologists can show how humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestry is an objectively verifiable fact in the absolute sense that it doesn’t change, meaning that it will not be corrected by new information. It’s not just a probability; it’s a certainty. This inalienable fact is incompatible with religion.
