How do you view the Bible?

by Fisherman 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • frankiespeakin
    frankiespeakin

    I view the Bible as a collection of books that early church fathers like Augustine, choose to include in our present Bible because these books mostly agreed with there own type of theology. Many books were not given the churches approval and so were eventually lost,(we today have found many books that early christians used before the church ruled on what was to be considered scripture).

    So I look at the OT as a collection of Jewish fables with some history thrown which was slanted by the religous thought of the time period in which they were written. And so back 3000 - 2200 years ago when ever they lost a battle it was God, that was angry with them, when ever they won it was God that caused the victory, to think otherwise was to make God jealous, The writters concepts of God show Him to be very much a production of the human mind which created Him in the Likeness of men, not the other way around, they thought him to be so much like them, giving him human qualities such as Rage, Jealousy, Needing to be Worshipped as the Most Important, Easily Offended by Slights and not following Formality in His Worship exactly, Cruelity toward those who Offend Him, and many other common human traits.

    I think if the OT is read with this in mind and not taken literally one can avoid a lot of conflict in ones mind, by trying to prove that whenever God in the OT lost his temper and wiped out thousands of human lives, he did so out of Love. By letting the God of the Bible rightly stand in the same catagory as Jupitor, Apollo, Zeus, Dagon, Baal, and others, namely Myths of ancient people that no longer are feared or worshipped, we free ourselves to take a fresher look at the world around us that is not filtered throught fear of displeasing this easily offended Diety.

    As far as the NT is concernded I find its 4 different gospels to be reflective of 4 different churches, which had a common origen but slightly different theology, accept for the gospel of John which seem to be quite different being heavily Gnostic in its story telling. The Letters seem to be contridictory to many of the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels, especially where Judging is concerned, and treating women as inferior to men. Paul's continually argueing about his qualifications to convince others to listen to him, and obey his council seems to contridict Jesus words about following leaders among his disciples. And Revelation is interesting but clearly about the future of early chrisitans and the Roman empire, and not as so many fundamentalist try to interpet as being fullfilled in our time.

    I view the Bible;s call for every one to live by "faith" and to never become unbelieving, or doubting the things written, with the dire consequences of loosing God's approval with its accompaning punishment, to be a clever device to induce beleif on hear say, and once becomeing a beleiver a further inducement to stay a beleiver, and not question the things written. Perhaps this has led to its survival as a book that influences people even today, dispite the fact that so many ancient myths about the gods have passed away.

  • What-A-Coincidence
    What-A-Coincidence

    I don't read it anymore, it's open to too much interpretation.

    Jaracz wishes you a merry christmas and a happy new year :-)

  • yaddayadda
    yaddayadda

    From my own research (ongoing), it seems clear that the New Testament has come down to us nearly 100% as it was written. But what about the oral tradition before anything was written? Did it all change during the oral period, like a game of chinese whispers? There is more research coming out now that is showing the role of orality/aurality in the Jesus tradition supports, not undermines, the realiability of the gospel materials (eg, James D G Dunn's "A New Perspective on Jesus - what the Quest for the Historical Jesus Missed" - and Richard Bauckham's new book "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses - The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony", which I'm working through now). The historical Jesus and the Jesus of faith are really the same thing, you cannot separate them. There is no missing 'historical Jesus' behind the gospels. What you read is what they saw and heard.

    The issue is whether you choose to believe what it says or not; whether you choose scepticism or faith. Scepticism about the supernatural is understandable, but scepticism is often the easy way out. I've never personally experienced the supernatural but millions of people claim to have had very real supernatural experiences and I'm not so arrogant to brush aside all that anecdotal evidence.

    Whether one believes in miracles and the resurrection of Jesus depends to a large degree on whether you believe in God or not, a God of revelation or not. I most certainly believe in God, so I have no problem with the idea that God has communicated with mankind and had those revelations transmitted through writing. Yes, that's somewhat circular logic I know.

    It all comes down to faith. It's very hard to have faith the 'post-modern' world where distrust, cynicism, scepticism, materalism, are the accepted norm. But I think there is good reason to have faith; there is a platform of evidence from various disciplines: historical, archaelogical, scientific, that on the balance means Christianity can be considered a viable worldview.

  • esw1966
    esw1966

    I LOVE the Bible!

    Although, with my new Christian Freedom, I have realized how differently things can be taken. I have heard and read some who believe in keeping a Saturday Sabbath and if you follow THEIR interpretation it can sound logical and beneficial. Yet, I do NOT believe we are under a Sabbath law. Yet, the Bible does seem to allow a person to see things BOTH ways if they so desire.

    Many other things are quite forth right - Love your neighbor as yourself. Love your God with your whole heart. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

    I think that the things that are important are clearly stated. LOVE, JESUS, LIFE.

    I LOVE listening to the Daily Audio Bible podcast on itunes by Brian Harding. He reads a different version each week and it is professionally done. I encourage any to check it out. I LOVE it! It is life. It is joy!

  • Wild_Thing
    Wild_Thing

    If you ever read the history of the bible and other ancient writings, you will learn that there use to many different 'holy' books and many different 'gospels' that circulated. It was one body of men who decided to get together and vote on which books were really holy and which ones were not. The ones that they liked and supported their current doctrines were the ones compiled into what we today know as the bible. They rest were forgotten or never heard from again. And the ones that do know of have been written and rewritten and retranslated so many times that we will never know if what we are reading is what was intended by the writer.

    So, because of that I don't think the bible has any more godly inspiration than my little pinky. I do think it probably has some good lessons about how to treat others and be a good person ... if you read the right parts. But I don't humans need any book to tell us how to be a good person. I think that message has to come from within.

  • 5go
    5go

    I see it like I see other self help books. It's way some guy several thousand years ago made his money and fame.

  • PrimateDave
    PrimateDave

    There is alot to like about the Bible.

    It teaches us to avoid talking snakes.

    It helps us understand why rainbows appear.

    It shows us that older men can have deep love for younger men (Jonathan and David) and not be gay.

    It shows us that God likes the smell of burnt flesh.

    It helps us to understand that God wants what is best for us so much that if we don't obey him, he'll kill us.

    It helps us know that being naked is bad, unless you are perfect.

    It teaches us that God is interested in what your penis looks like (sorry ladies).

    It teaches us that humans can be property, and God is okay with that.

    It teaches us that women should remember their place and be content with bearing lots of children.

    Most of all it shows us how God could not forgive anyone unless his own Son was tortured and killed.

    Is God unbelievable, or what?!?

    Dave

  • ICBehindtheCurtain
    ICBehindtheCurtain

    PrimateDave, right on target! I just thought of a few more:

    It teaches us that if we are virgins and our father is the only male around, we can mate with him, if we make him drunk first.

    It teaches us that if you have male guests, and the locals want to rape them, offer them your daughters instead.

    It teaches us that Disney movies are correct, sometimes animals can talk.(ie,talking donkey,snake)

    It teaches us that if our kids talk back to us we can stone them to death, and that's ok with God.

    I know there's more....

    IC

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