What is your view of the Bible?

[reloadthis]

The fulfillment of the Law is love. This means one must keep the law to fulfill the law. Traditions can cause men to break the law.There are many traditions I can name which cause men to break the laws of God.

Your words are true when you claim the body is the temple. How can one clean the temple with the doctrine of repentance if they keep not the law. How will the spirit of God fill the temple if the temple is in corruption and lawlessness?

Many crimes against humanity have been committed by people who were simply withholding the law.

 

[sojourner]

Many crimes against humanity have been committed by people who were simply withholding the law.

OOh! He shoots -- he scores!

 

[Luminakisharblaze]

Why do so many people believe that the bible is uncorrupted? If it is truly the word of God, untouched by the impurities of man's insatiable greed and hunger for power, then how is it that so much is about punishment and threats that if you do not follow this male-centered doctrine created for one specific bloodline (and then carried over later to convert the rest of the unworthy world), you will burn. Yet, in the same breath, it offers forgiveness for the chosen few who have the fortune to run across someone who has this book. And what kind of love makes statements excluding all races of creation except a chosen few. Would you choose between your children? What kind of love continually puts women in a category of wickedness just because they are women? Did God not create them also? So is it that He regrets creating them or any of the excluded children? That is not love. Again, the bible is man's use of God to control the weak and simple minded.

 

[sojourner]

the bible is man's use of God to control the weak and simple minded.

Oh yes. Let's just dismiss it and go merrily on our way. Let's not spend any time studying, exegeting or truly critiquing it. And let's not waste precious time trying to understand those who make these claims. Obviously, they're beneath our contempt.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I don't think the Bible is man's attempt to use God to control the weak-minded. That is certainly what extremists of any religion can use their religious texts for. The Bible, primitive as parts of it are, has many great morals, virtues, and stories contained in it's pages. Things that can inspire a person to do good.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I like something Paul said, that I think not only applied to the law, but the whole of scripture: "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life."

 

[Luminakisharblaze]

Yes, that is exactly right. The letters have been misinterpreted for far too long and so many see the bible as the only religion. I suppose this bit of animosity on my part is due to the constant barrage of people telling me that I am going to hell unless I follow the only true church, their church. And this same statement has been given to me in the last 6 months by the Catholics, the Mormons, the Baptists, the Methodists and the Seventh-Day Adventists. And each time the denominations would tell me that the other denominations are not the true church and are all being deceived by Satan. And when I tell them that I am an ordained minister, they always reply with, "Yes, but do you know Christ?" This is the weak and simple minded I speak of. I have had this experience mirrored in every place I have ever lived, and I have moved over 55 times in my life and been in every state in the Continental US except Maine and Idaho. So this problem is at least nationwide. So many living in ignorance and so many blinded by the need to disagree. Can't people simply accept that everyone believes something (even atheists believe in no God, and that is still a belief). what a person believes is irrelevant to another. No one is 'saving' anyone. The bible could be word for word exactly what was written at the time it was transcribed and it could still never be interpreted properly because the little understanding of the slang of the time is gone. Unless you personally knew the ones who wrote it, you can never truly understand what they meant. Divinity on the other hand is very clear if you search with your heart and soul and leave man out of it altogether. The laws and commandments should be no-brainers. They are all common sense. (well, at least they are to me.)

 

[Caladan]

Its fascinating to see how many people rant about Christians when asked about the Bible, yet remain ignorant of the scriptures themself. as if one needs to have an allegiance to any faith in order to study the most influential text in human history. even if you want to criticize the text, it will give you more credibility if your criticism is not summed up in googling verses to make your point.
If you want a good context into the works of Shakespeare it takes a decent knowledge of biblical books such as Genesis, Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the various books of the NT to have an insight into what Shakespeare messages about romance, sexuality, morality and human behavior are.
So instead of talking about the people you don't like, lets talk about Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake!

 

[sojourner]

Yes, that is exactly right. The letters have been misinterpreted for far too long and so many see the bible as the only religion. I suppose this bit of animosity on my part is due to the constant barrage of people telling me that I am going to hell unless I follow the only true church, their church. And this same statement has been given to me in the last 6 months by the Catholics, the Mormons, the Baptists, the Methodists and the Seventh-Day Adventists. And each time the denominations would tell me that the other denominations are not the true church and are all being deceived by Satan. And when I tell them that I am an ordained minister, they always reply with, "Yes, but do you know Christ?" This is the weak and simple minded I speak of. I have had this experience mirrored in every place I have ever lived, and I have moved over 55 times in my life and been in every state in the Continental US except Maine and Idaho. So this problem is at least nationwide. So many living in ignorance and so many blinded by the need to disagree. Can't people simply accept that everyone believes something (even atheists believe in no God, and that is still a belief). what a person believes is irrelevant to another. No one is 'saving' anyone. The bible could be word for word exactly what was written at the time it was transcribed and it could still never be interpreted properly because the little understanding of the slang of the time is gone. Unless you personally knew the ones who wrote it, you can never truly understand what they meant. Divinity on the other hand is very clear if you search with your heart and soul and leave man out of it altogether. The laws and commandments should be no-brainers. They are all common sense. (well, at least they are to me.)

I agree. It's frustrating. I'm really surprised that a Methodist (especially if its a United Methodist) would say that theirs is the "Only true church." That's a head-scratcher.

It occurs to me that we could not understand Divinity without a human factor. Jesus, fully human and fully Divine, gave us a pretty clear image of God...

 

[PMM]

The Holy Bible is a living document that applies as much today as it did in the 1st Century. The Old Testament is a collection of stories, and laws governing God's people, the Jews and also a prophetic text of God's promise of a Savior, Jesus. The New Testament is His story and His directions on how we should conduct ourselves. God is real. The Bible is inspired by Him. It is His word, which no church could "control". God's will be done. Whether you believe or not, it's irrelevant.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Oh dear, we seem to have another fundie. Sigh

 

[sojourner]

The Holy Bible is a living document that applies as much today as it did in the 1st Century. The Old Testament is a collection of stories, and laws governing God's people, the Jews and also a prophetic text of God's promise of a Savior, Jesus. The New Testament is His story and His directions on how we should conduct ourselves. God is real. The Bible is inspired by Him. It is His word, which no church could "control". God's will be done. Whether you believe or not, it's irrelevant.

Soo... the Bible is bigger than those who produced it. Sort of like Frankenstein?
:franken:

 

[Autodidact]

I think that as the Hebrews compiled the Tanakh, it was the only book they had. They did their best to compile their history, as they knew it, their view of God and His commandments, interesting tidbits, recipes, proverbs, fashion, whatever they had and wanted to keep--they threw it all in there, over a period of a few hundred years. Then they carried it around with them, and it served them pretty well and changed the world.

The NT is different. I think there was a guy named Yeshua, a teacher and sage, who was Jewish, and preached and taught a new way of looking at things. He changed his followers minds and hearts, and made a big impression on him. After he died, they talked about the whole story among themselves for a few decades, and tried to capture what had happened and what he said. Bit by bit they added in local myths, cool stuff, rumor, speculation, etc. At around that point someone finally thought to write it down, but it was already pretty far off by then.

Eventually they coalesced into a Church, and The Guys in Charge decided what versions to keep and what to chuck. Then it got translated a bunch of times, the original version was lost, the translation was itself translated into English, then they found a better original translation...long story.

 

[sojourner]

Oh dear, we seem to have another fundie. Sigh

It's like a doctor's report:

**organ music in background**
"Mrs. Jones, we've gotten your test results back. Regretfully, it appears as though you've got Fundies."
**organ music swells, as camera pans to a close-up of a stricken Mrs. Jones**
"Dear God! What will I tell Howard?!"
"It's going to be OK, Mrs. Jones. There are therapies and medications. We can even perform a radical radicalectomy, if you like."
[narrator] "Will Mrs. Jones eradicate the free radicals that have invaded her system? Tune in tomorrow to... Another Whirl."
**organ music fades out**

 

[sojourner]

I think that as the Hebrews compiled the Tanakh, it was the only book they had. They did their best to compile their history, as they knew it, their view of God and His commandments, interesting tidbits, recipes, proverbs, fashion, whatever they had and wanted to keep--they threw it all in there, over a period of a few hundred years. Then they carried it around with them, and it served them pretty well and changed the world.

The NT is different. I think there was a guy named Yeshua, a teacher and sage, who was Jewish, and preached and taught a new way of looking at things. He changed his followers minds and hearts, and made a big impression on him. After he died, they talked about the whole story among themselves for a few decades, and tried to capture what had happened and what he said. Bit by bit they added in local myths, cool stuff, rumor, speculation, etc. At around that point someone finally thought to write it down, but it was already pretty far off by then.

Eventually they coalesced into a Church, and The Guys in Charge decided what versions to keep and what to chuck. Then it got translated a bunch of times, the original version was lost, the translation was itself translated into English, then they found a better original translation...long story.

A little naive and fairy-tale-esque, but... whatever.

 

[Autodidact]

The bible with it's many changing versions is Satans Greatest deception to keep men ever learning and never coming to the truth of God through the Law.

If even one word found in the pages of the bible is false and men claim that lie to be truth from God, they are telling a lie, how then will they repent?
.

Wow, cool and weird. The Bible is from Satan. Have you told sojourner?

 

[Autodidact]

To see the good seed from the bad seed which has been sown in the same field. Seek to understand and live the Law of God. Men of the past who did not know or keep the Law of God already made much of this choice for you when they made your bible. Here is just a piece of what you are missing due to the choice of a man 1700 years ago. read this portion of ancient text in full as you will find it differs greatly from the lie you will find in your bible for this single point of Earth history.

And Jesus said unto them, Ye have heard what men in the world say concerning me, but whom do ye say that I am? Peter rose up with Andrew his brother and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, who descendeth from heaven and dwelleth in the hearts of them who believe and obey unto righteousness. And the rest rose up and said, each after his own manner, These words are true, so we believe. 3. And Jesus answered them saying, Blessed are ye my twelve who believe, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you, but the spirit of God which dwelleth in you. I indeed am the way, the Truth and the Life; and the Truth understandeth all things.4. All truth is in God, and I bear witness unto the truth. I am the true Rock, and on this Rock do I build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, and out of this Rock shall flow rivers of living water to give life to the peoples of the earth. 5. Ye are my chosen twelve. In me, the Head and Corner stone, are the twelve foundations of my house builded on the rock, and on you in me shall my Church be built, and in truth and righteousness shall my Church be established. 6. And ye shall sit on twelve thrones and send forth light and truth to all the twelve tribes of Israel after the Spirit, and I will be with you, even unto the end of the world.7. But there shall arise after you, men of perverse minds who shall through ignorance or through craft, suppress many things which I have spoken unto you, and lay to me things which I never taught, sowing tares among the good wheat which I have given you to sow in the world. 8. Then shall the truth of God endure the contradiction of sinners, for thus it hath been, and thus it will be. But the time cometh when the things which they have hidden shall be revealed and made known, and the truth shall make free those which were bound. 9. One is your Master, all ye are brethren, and one is not greater than another in the place which I have given unto you, for ye have one Master, even Christ, who is over you and with you and in you, and there is no inequality among my twelve, or their fellows. 10. All are equally near unto me. Strive ye not therefore for the first place, for ye are all first, because ye are the foundation stones and pillars of the Church, built on the truth which is in me and in you, and the truth and the law shall ye establish for all, as shall be given unto you. 11. Verily when ye and your fellows agree together touching anything in my Name, I am in the midst of you and with you. 12.Woe is the time when the spirit of the world entereth into the Church, and my doctrines and precepts are made void through the corruption of men and of women. Woe is the world when the Light is hidden. Woe is the world when these things shall be.

I'm so confused. Isn't all this stuff from the Bible? And isn't the Bible of Satan?

 

[Autodidact]

You are correct in that the bible can convey truth. When looking at the 4 bible testimonies for the death and resurrection is it not a truth to say that the bible presents 4 half truths for this event that lead men to differing speculations concerning how Jesus fulfilled 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth and that not all the differing speculations of men are truth from God but speculations by the imaginations of men who were not present looking for a way to justify their belief in a lie.

Please meet my friend and yours, Mr. Comma: ,

 

[sojourner]

Wow, cool and weird. The Bible is from Satan. Have you told sojourner?

Dammit! Why did you have to ruin the surprise, Auto? Just for that, I'm not coming to your house for the next Bible-palooza fundie-fest!

 

[sandandfoam]

The Holy Bible is a living document that applies as much today as it did in the 1st Century. The Old Testament is a collection of stories, and laws governing God's people, the Jews and also a prophetic text of God's promise of a Savior, Jesus. The New Testament is His story and His directions on how we should conduct ourselves. God is real. The Bible is inspired by Him. It is His word, which no church could "control". God's will be done. Whether you believe or not, it's irrelevant.

Behan, a self-confessed daylight atheist found it great consolation:-
"The Bible was a consolation to a fellow alone in the old cell. The lovely thin paper with a bit of matress stuffing in it, if you could get a match, was as good a smoke as I ever tasted."