What makes the Bible so believable for people?

[Twilight Hue]

How do you know what "divine means" are? How do you know that God, interested in man, doesn't work through people?

Again, if you could stick to the facts, that would be great.

The New York Times is reviewing books that SELL. More Bibles are distributed free annually than all the NY Times books together! People around the world crave it.

If God worked through people that would indicate there is communication.

Givin the state of Christianity with 32000 plus denominations including fringe groups as well as mainstream, over 42 existing English variations of the Bible including denomination specific versions, it's pretty safe to say communication is notably lacking. If there was Divinity actually involved, you simply wouldn't have that.

It's just people going around and saying that Divinity is there and working through them, when factually things point quite to the contrary in that regard. That's how I know. And of course I stick to the facts. The facts speaks for themselves as it's Christianity who supplies the evidence all too clearly albiet not in the way they intended.

The New York Times is pretty accurate usually with the bestseller list. Every single distributed Bible is paid for through various Christian churches and charities so I'm sure that list includes the titles that were purchased.

It's pretty clear Bible's are not craved as much as you might think. It's distributed quite a bit after costs which would jimmy up the figures of course, however I don't see anybody running to the book stores in droves asking for a Bible to read regardless so as to whether they're free for them or not. I'm pretty sure you won't find the Bible today as even the most requested "free" publication.

I figure most distributed Bibles would gather dust within the month with the vast majority of recipients who received "free" publications of the Bible. Which of course aren't actually free givin the fact somebody has to pay for it somewhere along the line.

 

[1213]

No they're not. Don't equivocate. Paying taxes and receiving benefits in return is not even remotely close to be owned by another person as their property.
I'm so sick of reading these ridiculous apologetics trying to blow off the slavery of the Bible.

Also the ancient slaves got benefits from being slaves. If one is forced to do work for others, as taxpayers are, I don’t see how you could say it is not same as slavery.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Well your no expert, all because there is no flaws.

You're no expert either, since there are flaws. You're in denial too, by the way.

 

[Faithofchristian]

You're no expert either, since there are flaws. You're in denial too, by the way.

Nope not in denial, just know there are no flaws, if to what you say, there are flaws, Produce just one. You can't because there are none.

 

[Faithofchristian]

Honestly I can't think of a single thing.

Nobody knows who wrote it, with any degree of certainty. No names of the original authors, nobody knows who was on the Council of Trent , Council of Nicea Etc.

It's obviously been redacted , has incomplete information and has gaps in its narratives. Side-by-side variations are noted in each version of the Bible that exist today to substantiate that is indeed the case.

The Bible clearly is not a divinely inspired collection of books either , evidenced by Christianity's vast and varied amount of denominations and sects, who, to this day remain visibly at odds with ongoing issues over interpretation and meaning, making it clear there's no evidence of any type of guiding hand at play to indicate it now or was ever divinely inspired to begin with at its inception.

There's no real support or proofs to the notion of divine harmonization between one author with another throughout the Testaments over significant periods of time to substantiate any type of harmony exists because each subsequent book could be "harmonized" with each proceeding book by simply reading what each proceeding book said and conveniently changing the subsequent book to "fit" each narrative to uphold the claim that the subsequent authors did not know what the preceding authors wrote making such alleged harmony between books a divine proof a Biblical accuracy and credibility.

Oral tradition is actually worthless. If it wasn't, it could have been used and demonstrated today as a living testament of reliability and accuracy but it isn't for a reason. Obvious reasons.

Hence the requirement for writing something down , and we've seen how effective that can be.


Why would anybody be willing to think the Bible is for one reason or another a proper foundation to base an entire religion on and in cases, people's own lives to point of believability that it would trump logic and science?

Well that leaves you with out logic and science totally.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Nope not in denial, just know there are no flaws, if to what you say, there are flaws, Produce just one. You can't because there are none.

I can see there is no point talking to you. You are in denial and no amount of logic or evidence is going to change your mind.

The list of inconsistencies found in the Bible is well documented. Look for them yourself if you think they are bogus, then come back here and explain why. I don't see you doing that.

If your faith is so weak that you have to deny the truth, that is not my problem, but it is yours.

 

[BilliardsBall]

This is science' strength. It always reflects the conclusions drawn from the latest research and observations. It's the cutting edge.
The alternative: Accept the fireside tales of the ancient pastoralists as eternal, unchanging truth and live forever in our tents and mud huts.

Non-existence need not be proven, it's the default position we start out with. It's the folklore that begs evidential support. The burden of proof is on the folklorists, making positive claims.
Influence is no evidence of truth. There have been many influential religious works.

I didn't say influence is evidence of truth. But those who belittle the Bible are foolish.

I agree that the existence of God requires extraordinary proof. I challenge you to do what I did and ask God for some extraordinary proof.

 

[BilliardsBall]

How do we know that "he" does? And for that matter, how do we know "he" is a "he?"

Yeah, that's the first thing I think of when I check into a hotel room ... I hope those Gideon people left a Bible in the nightstand for me to read on my vacation!
(The fact that they're given away for free doesn't necessarily mean they are deeply craved by all people in the world.)

Those Bibles are often taken home, and therefore, replaced.

I was thinking more so of people who are open.

 

[BilliardsBall]

If God worked through people that would indicate there is communication.

Givin the state of Christianity with 32000 plus denominations including fringe groups as well as mainstream, over 42 existing English variations of the Bible including denomination specific versions, it's pretty safe to say communication is notably lacking. If there was Divinity actually involved, you simply wouldn't have that.

It's just people going around and saying that Divinity is there and working through them, when factually things point quite to the contrary in that regard. That's how I know. And of course I stick to the facts. The facts speaks for themselves as it's Christianity who supplies the evidence all too clearly albiet not in the way they intended.

The New York Times is pretty accurate usually with the bestseller list. Every single distributed Bible is paid for through various Christian churches and charities so I'm sure that list includes the titles that were purchased.

It's pretty clear Bible's are not craved as much as you might think. It's distributed quite a bit after costs which would jimmy up the figures of course, however I don't see anybody running to the book stores in droves asking for a Bible to read regardless so as to whether they're free for them or not. I'm pretty sure you won't find the Bible today as even the most requested "free" publication.

I figure most distributed Bibles would gather dust within the month with the vast majority of recipients who received "free" publications of the Bible. Which of course aren't actually free givin the fact somebody has to pay for it somewhere along the line.

The groups that started were all motivated by scripture, yet you are claiming 32,000 sects that grew to last, following a book, are following a useless book. You are rather strengthening my argument.

" It's just people going around and saying that Divinity is there and working through them, when factually things point quite to the contrary in that regard. That's how I know."

My suggestion is you do as I did and ask God for extraordinary proof.

 

[Valjean]

I didn't say influence is evidence of truth. But those who belittle the Bible are foolish.

I agree that the existence of God requires extraordinary proof. I challenge you to do what I did and ask God for some extraordinary proof.

I don't belittle the Bible. It's an important anthology of ancient writings. I do, however, consider it a human work, and recognize the many contradictions and inaccuracies therein. I'm also sure it's been pretty heavily edited over the centuries.

People have been praying and asking God for answers for thousands of years, but S/He gives no consistent answers. I'd expect a God who cares about how humans behave and believe would at least give a single, consistent reply to questioners.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Also the ancient slaves got benefits from being slaves. If one is forced to do work for others, as taxpayers are,

Oh, the benefit of being owned by another human being and treated as property?
Puh-lease.


Taxpayers are not "forced to do work for others." We voluntarily perform work for people and are monetarily compensated for it.This comparison is inane.

I don’t see how you could say it is not same as slavery.

Because you don't want to see it. Because you actually know it's immoral, but have to find some way to justify it because the Bible condones it. That's why all these apologetics exist on the subject. It has to be explained away as something other than what it clearly is.

A slave is a person who is the legal property of another person. What is described in the Bible is slavery.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Those Bibles are often taken home, and therefore, replaced.

Wow, amazing! Though I doubt that.

I was thinking more so of people who are open.

You tried to say that all there are so many Bibles out there because people deeply crave them. When in actuality, there are tons of them out there because groups like the Gideons cram them into every available space they can find. That doesn't mean there's some big global clamoring for them though.

You seem to have missed this, from my previous post:
How do we know that "he" does? And for that matter, how do we know "he" is a "he?"

 

[Twilight Hue]

Well that leaves you with out logic and science totally.

The only valid scientific information on the Bible is that it's it's just an old ancient book which offers an interesting window into the past. It has scientific value in terms of archaeology. That's pretty much it.

 

[Faithofchristian]

I can see there is no point talking to you. You are in denial and no amount of logic or evidence is going to change your mind.

The list of inconsistencies found in the Bible is well documented. Look for them yourself if you think they are bogus, then come back here and explain why. I don't see you doing that.

If your faith is so weak that you have to deny the truth, that is not my problem, but it is yours.

As for my faith being weak, there's your problem, you look at people and combine them into one group. Just because I am Christian, does not mean I think and do as other Christian's do and think. Other Christian's hasn't a clue or idea what the bible actually does say and confirm. Only because they go and listen what their Pastors will tell them, not having a clue or idea if what their pastors are even telling them is right.
But yet these Christian's will go to church each week and sit there listing to a man, that they have put on some pedestal like he's some kinda of God, which he is not, he's a man just like everyone else.

The bible does say ( For all haved sin and come short of the glory of God)
This includes every Pastor that's out there also. But yet these Christian's look upon their pastors as being without sin and some god. It will be the day when I look at another man that is just a mere man as I am, and think he's some god or better than I am. Yeah right.

You know what I like the most, it's not really talking to other Christian's, but talking to these Pastors and watch them trying to figure out a way of getting out of what I ask them to explain this or that in the bible, wh


That's right, all because I have already look over that list of inconsistencies, which people say there are flaws in the bible.
But there are none, only that people are taking things out of their context.Thereby making it look like there are inconsistencies and flaws.

As for another, back at the time when people took the Hebrew and Greek language and translated it into English, they didn't have all the necessary tools to translate with, So there are words that got lost in translation.
But it doesn't take away that they did the best that they could with what limited tools they had at the time.
That's the whole problem people have to day, that they don't stop and realized that back 300 to 400 years ago, people didn't have all the necessary tools to do translation of languages, but they did the best they could with what limited tools they had at the time.

Let's for say, that you were going to translate the German language into English. Now how exactly would go about to do this.
Probably without a doubt, you would go to a Library or on the Internet or some where to get literature to help you in the translation or you would do the best that you could with what limited tools you had at your disposal, to do the best you could in the translation of the German language into English.
But for some unknown reason, people to day, thinks everyone had all the tools to do translations with, unto which people did not have back 300 to 400 years ago. Library's the Internet to help them with their translations of languages. So they did with what limited resources they had at the time to do translations of languages.

People today can to about any Library or on the internet and get whatever tools they need to help them in the translation of other languages, but people back didn't have these things to help them in their translations of other languages.

But those people back at the time didn't have these things to help them.so they did with what tools were available to them, which were very limited at the time.

The only valid scientific information on the Bible is that it's it's just an old ancient book which offers an interesting window into the past. It has scientific value in terms of archaeology. That's pretty much it.

 

[Faithofchristian]

The only valid scientific information on the Bible is that it's it's just an old ancient book which offers an interesting window into the past. It has scientific value in terms of archaeology. That's pretty much it.

If to what you say is right, ( it's just an old ancient book which offers an interesting window into the past)

Maybe you can explain, why that ancient book as you call it, gave prophecy a little over 2000 years ago, that people to day who criticize it to put it down, are found in fulfilling that prophecy that was given a little over 2000 years ago.
As to how do you explain that ?

 

[Twilight Hue]

If to what you say is right, ( it's just an old ancient book which offers an interesting window into the past)

Maybe you can explain, why that ancient book as you call it, gave prophecy a little over 2000 years ago, that people to day who criticize it to put it down, are found in fulfilling that prophecy that was given a little over 2000 years ago.
As to how do you explain that ?

What's the prophecy in question?

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

Real commandment is, don’t do adultery. If people would love as the Bible tells, no one would do adultery, and there would be no reason for judgment.

But, and I say this as a child of a broken home where the father cheated on the mother, adultery was only bad in the bible because the ownership of the female was assumed. It was more like hacking into your Netflix account and watching on your dime. Adultery wasn't wrong because both spouses deserved respect. Men having flings with a gazillion concubines wasn't considered adultery, after all. Males who had sex with someone "owned" never had to compensate the "victim", just the father or husband or whoever "owned" her.

Or do you think you are a judge set by God?

If beings are judged as they judge others, it's only fair to call God out when He breaks His own rules.

And about slavery, everyone who is forced to pay taxes is a slave.

We tried confederacies ... TWICE. It turns out, you need money to make money. Also, you don't own your money. You didn't print it (I hope). As Jesus said, the names and faces on the bills ain't yours. Even the Federation from Star Trek, supposedly abandoning capitalism and money, had to start paying people again because of the realities of dealing with cultures with economies, like the Ferengi.

Taxes don't make you a slave. Money makes you one, because you don't own it (which the government is all too happy to remind you when they want it back). The only way for you not to be a slave is to get rid of your paycheck as well as your taxes. And then nothing gets done because no one wants to do stuff for free.

Also the ancient slaves got benefits from being slaves.

Are you serious? Are you going to volunteer to be a slave? With all the illegal immigrants being forced out of the US, including actual legal citizens, I've heard there's plenty of crops to go pick. Go have fun.

 

[Faithofchristian]

What's the prophecy in question?

The Prophecy in question is, when people of to day are found in criticizing the bible are found in fulfilling Prophecy that was given a little over 2000 years ago.

 

[SkepticThinker]

The Prophecy in question is, when people of to day are found in criticizing the bible are found in fulfilling Prophecy that was given a little over 2000 years ago.

So somebody once said that people would doubt the claims of the Bible? And that's supposed to be some amazing prediction?

 

[Milton Platt]

I think we have no reason to reject truth. If we have some scientific truth, it is ok.

But stoning sinners is not the real commandment. Real commandment is, don’t do adultery. If people would love as the Bible tells, no one would do adultery, and there would be no reason for judgment. But the judgment is still correct, however, we don’t have judges, set by God, like it was long time ago. That is why we should not give the judgements. Or do you think you are a judge set by God?

And about slavery, everyone who is forced to pay taxes is a slave. If we really love others as the bible tells, I think we should free the slaves, even if it is not forbidden to have or to be a slave.

I don't know what you mean by "real" commandment. The Old Testament commandments weren't real??? Stoning is a real commandment in the Old Testament as well as genocide.