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Biblical Credulity

arthra

arthra

Baha'i
Timidly -Truthful-Seeker said:
I have requested further information. But if that is the case, don't the claims of Jesus as "I the way " become debatable?
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If you're asking me ... You can find claims in all scriptures. If scriptures were revealed having no challenge or claims why would people investigate them?

The challenge for you on reading a claim would be to investigate further and determine what the claim "I am the Way" means in the context of where it was uttered.

Baha'u'llah also made a similar announcement:

"I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight."

~ Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 169

Are such claims debatable.. I would say they are controversial ... Who makes such claims and what do they mean..?

Thus an investigation and a search ensues.. You read what they mean in context and Who is supposed to be speaking.. For me it is the Divine speaking through the Messenger.

Baha'u'llah reveals in another statement:

O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow.

~ Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 98

When Baha'u'llah wrote "..asleep upon My couch..." He was referring to His imprisonment in the Siyyah Chal prison awaiting execution in Tehran.

So He is saying it appears to me that God was using Him and speaking through Him.

The same I think could be said of Jesus..

Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

and

I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

So in your search you perhaps could find that when Jesus is saying "I am the way" it is the divine speaking in Him and through Him..also the words speak of His station to men.

Abdul-Baha also wrote:

I ask God that thou mayest attain such a state of perception, as will enable thee to expound with knowledge the words of the Holy Bible.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 53
 
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sarek

sarek

Member
The answer you will get much depends on the background of the person answering it.

In my view, there have been many divine channels throughout human history. Those influences have been the source of all the primary religions, including the Abrahamic religions. Primary influences are, by their nature, truthful.

However, after the original revelation, the message tends to be lost, distorted or misunderstood by people who, while trying their utmost to get it right, are themselves not(always) in contact with the divine source.

This effect must be taken into account when reading any of the holy books of pretty much any religion. They all point towards the same convergent truth, but discretion is advised.

In the case of the Bible, the situation is further complicated because there may be different levels at which the Books can be read.

I am not sure if it is possible to do without faith though. The structure of reality is thus, that a morsel of faith is necessary to begin the true journey. Its quite possible to believe in strict materialism and leave it at that. I can not prove the existence of the higher to you.
 
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Timidly -Truthful-Seeker

Timidly -Truthful-Seeker

Brilliance!
Quintessence said:
Nothing makes it "more credible" other than some human saying so. Credibility of mythology is a subjective assessment, and, IMHO, completely missing the point of mythology in the first place. Whether or not someone regards mythology as "credible" is irrelevant; the point is to be guided and inspired by the stories.

Then again, I've never understood the perspective that something should be "inspired by the gods" or some such in order to be worth learning from. Not just because I find everything is of the gods, but because there is something worth learning from absolutely everything regardless of it being "credible" or "valuable" based on some human's authority claims.

You're an adult; you make your own decisions. Learn from what you want, be inspired by what you want, like what you want. You don't need anyone to make these decisions for you. So long as it enriches your life, go for it.
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Ah but how ominously does hell loom!
 
BruceDLimber

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
Timidly -Truthful-Seeker said:
Ah but how ominously does hell loom!
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Not very, if you're a Baha'i.

The Baha'i scriptures state that God, in His infinite Love and Mercy for us, will assist everyone--even those initially in the worst state in the Next Life (due to their own actions in this life)--eventually to draw spiritually near to Him (the definition of Heaven)!

Peace, :)

Bruce
 
Brickjectivity

Brickjectivity

wind and rain touch not this brain
Staff member
Premium Member
Timidly said:
I am seeking an inclusive view on the credibility of the Christian Bible. Is it truly the inspired Word of God?
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As usual, I'll give the dumb answer. The Christian Bible is constructed by adding the NT books to a slightly reorganized Tanach. If you want to call it the 'Inspired Word' then you have to define what 'Inspired' means. Literally 'Inspired' means one person breathing into another person's mouth. The NT books are somewhat difficult reading, even if you've read the Tanach first. Its not as simple as 'Breathing in' the material.
 
T

Theodore A. Jones

Active Member
InformedIgnorance said:
Probably do not need three versions of the same thread, also credulity and credibility are not exactly synonymous.

Personally I find the credibility of the document dubious based on the simple recognition of human fallibility, we cannot be certain that we can authenticate the authorship (whether divine or even merely secular) of various parts of the bible, let alone the content therein. In addition from my understanding examination of particular historical and factual claims in the bible have not been borne out by objective investigation therefore I am dubious not only of the authenticity but of the accuracy.
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It will be a hell of an outcome to realise that your opinion is an error?
 
I

InformedIgnorance

Do you 'know' or believe?
Hmmn? Are you suggesting that I am wrong and that Thor is real?

For the myriad theological traditions out there (most of which are incompatible) a position of non belief with regards to any specific theological tradition is the most probable to be correct simply by virtue of their number. Indeed there is nothing to suggest that any of them are correct, but even if they were, I would still be stuck in exactly the same position as I am now - with no credible sources of knowledge that might be authenticated to have some authority to be able to reliably assert any even rudimentary claims about the supernatural.

Sure I might be wrong, but the chances of that seem quite minimal. And if I am to jump because of the promises of hell fire, why would I not do so for the bogeymen of other theological traditions.
 
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