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Why Study The Bible?

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
That would depend upon whether or not it was meant to be taken literally. Take the skeptical interpretation of the average skeptic when it comes to the Bible's figurative use of stars, the sun, and moon. Typically the skeptic will take them literal, i.e., in reference to celestial events that have never occurred, when in fact, a little research would clearly indicate the application is figurative reference to political and social upheaval. For example, many of the references in Revelation that seem impossible if taken literally already happened in ancient Israel.
Revelation is a quite a bit like the prophecies of Nostradamus, events that are expected to occur sooner or later if one uses vague enough wording. Overly vague open ended prophecies are failed prophecies.
 

Earthling

David Henson
Maybe a reason to study it would be to find out what it really does say?

Exactly. That's why I picked it up. For example, the Hebrew term yohm. Day. The seventh day of creation, the day of rest, continues to this day thousands of years later. Genesis 2:2-3 / Numbers 14:28-35 / Psalms 95:7-11 / Hebrews 3:18-19
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
No one here, but if one takes the Bible literally that is what one is supposed to do.
There are commandments against worshipping foreign gods and a capital punishment for this, but this is for Jews by Jews. Not everyone.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Exactly. That's why I picked it up. For example, the Hebrew term yohm. Day. The seventh day of creation, the day of rest, continues to this day thousands of years later. Genesis 2:2-3 / Numbers 14:28-35 / Psalms 95:7-11 / Hebrews 3:18-19
Just out of curiosity how do you interpret Genesis? Do you think that it is a collection of morality tales or do you think that some of those events actually happened? If so which ones and why do you believe that they happened?
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
This is the secret of the exegetical method. It takes belief out of the equation and forces the exegete out of his own head. It’s about what the texts say, to the best of our abilities, which means we can’t fill in gaps with our own made up stuff. It’s not about what we believe, or about what proof-texting our theology.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
There are commandments against worshipping foreign gods and a capital punishment for this, but this is for Jews by Jews. Not everyone.

Still highly immoral. It is also a recognition of their lack of power over others. Why make a "law" that you can't enforce.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Excellent point, but what about Jeremiah 31:31-34? See Hebrews 8:13
What about it? G-d says he is going to write His Law (the Torah) on their (Jews') hearts, so that 'no one will have to teach his neighbour about G-d' because everyone will know Him already. It says nothing about a new law or new people.

“I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbour and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD,
 

Earthling

David Henson
Just out of curiosity how do you interpret Genesis? Do you think that it is a collection of morality tales or do you think that some of those events actually happened? If so which ones and why do you believe that they happened?

That depends upon the text. I don't think it is a collection of morality tales.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Exactly. That's why I picked it up. For example, the Hebrew term yohm. Day. The seventh day of creation, the day of rest, continues to this day thousands of years later. Genesis 2:2-3 / Numbers 14:28-35 / Psalms 95:7-11 / Hebrews 3:18-19

You've already impeached the credibility of your*
connetions between the bible and the rest of
reality, far beyond any recovery, so none of this
is of any actual interest or value.

*see "flood"
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Let's start with an obvious one. How about the story of Noah's Ark? How do you interpret that?

Good luck, the answers I've gotten have been evasive and irrelevant.

But for clarity here-you did not actually respond to what he said-
you dont think the bible is (just) a "collection of morality tales" do you?
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Good luck, the answers I've gotten have been evasive and irrelevant.

But for clarity here-you did not actually respond to what he said-
you dont think the bible is (just) a "collection of morality tales" do you?

I asked him:

"Do you think that it is a collection of morality tales or do you think that some of those events actually happened? "

And he responded:

"That depends upon the text. I don't think it is a collection of morality tales."

His answer was a bit vague and that is why I am trying to get him to flesh it out. I won't to know to what degree he thinks that the most obvious myths of the Bible occurred.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
I asked him:

"Do you think that it is a collection of morality tales or do you think that some of those events actually happened? "

And he responded:

"That depends upon the text. I don't think it is a collection of morality tales."

His answer was a bit vague and that is why I am trying to get him to flesh it out. I won't to know to what degree he thinks that the most obvious myths of the Bible occurred.

I was referring to the whatabout noahs ark bit.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Reading the bible helps one know their own faith. The Dharma has better insight and wisdom than then bible. The Dharma is very extensive. Over thousand "scripture" addressing everything and challenge every man has. There are a lot of analogies and they addresses solutional words for laymen, monks, and scholars in between. It talks about how to practice, why, motivation, and present, at the moment, living with success today not when we die. The Dharma teaches us how to live to die and explains the nature of our final death. The Dharma teaches us how to improve our spirituality by what we do not what we believe. It doesnt expect us to study. It expects us to practice. It teaches us how to die.

Not based on faith but based in action; what we can evaluate and experience now. The bible doesnt teach that.

But its good to study sacred scriptures nonetheless.
You are correct. Bible is extremely lacking in terms of spiritual and theological content.
 
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