Why do you want to know?
Judge Dread
For those who still trust the bible as infallible....
by SweetBabyCheezits 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Deputy Dog
For those who believe some divine entity caused the bible to be written....at what age did you start accepting that concept?
I'm not sure what age I began accepting that concept, but, I didn't understand the concept until I was in my 20s.
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PSacramento
Psac and tec
I think most evangelicals would agree with this statement.
From: www.reformed.org
Article X
We affirm that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of Scripture, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from available manuscripts with great accuracy. We further affirm that copies and translations of Scripture are the Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the origina
DD, how can that statement be made without KNOWING what the originals said?
I mean, the oldest copy we have is the codex sinaticus and it is NOT complete, so typcially it is used in conjunction with the vaticanus and other manuscripts, but all are copies of copies of the orginals.
Maybe I am not understanding what is being said...
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Deputy Dog
SBC
When you talk about accepting that "concept", I believe you are referring to divine inspiration.
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Deputy Dog
PSac
DD, how can that statement be made without KNOWING what the originals said?
I can't speak for everyone, and I don't want to hijack the thread with a long theological discussion. I'm sure many would admit this is a faith issue, meaning faith in God's promise not to forsake his people.
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OnTheWayOut
The Bible was infallible and inerrant when men decreed what belonged in the Bible and got rid of the "apocrypha."
But once other men pointed out the remaining errors, then the errors were men's errors because the original, granted unavailable, scriptures from God were perfect in every way.
As men discover more and more that even the basic stories were not true, spiritual men are more and more willing to concede that the Bible is inerrant and infallible allegory.
I didn't believe the Bible was "the word of God" until I became a student with the JW's as a young adult in his 20's. By the time I faded, I knew it was not the word of God.
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PSacramento
Oh, Ok, I wasn;t sure if I had understood what was being said.
In a nutshell, the statement is that the original writings were inspired and accurate and that, they and they alone convey the word of God ( but are not the word of Gd since that is Jesus), correct?
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notverylikely
DD, how can that statement be made without KNOWING what the originals said?
Bingo.
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Deputy Dog
PSac
In a nutshell, the statement is that the original writings were inspired and accurate and that, they and they alone convey the word of God ( but are not the word of Gd since that is Jesus), correct?
Now now... I think the last part of your statement is gonna start a fight.
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SweetBabyCheezits
Okay, people, hold up. Dang.
I see the fish aren't biting today so I'll be transparent: I'm trying to begin a chain of logic without setting off faith-defense systems.
For clarity's sake, I'd like to define the group I addressed earlier ("... those who believe some divine entity caused the bible to be written...") as Group X.
I suspect many of us from Group X - not all, but many - would have to honestly answer that we started accepting this concept as a child, whether raised as JWs or other Christian denomination. I'd like to define this category of good people as Group X1. Whether those of us in Group X1 truly understood the concept at that age is not particularly relevant at this moment.
Group X1 adopted the presupposition that the bible was from god at an early age. Maybe our parents were also from Group X1. The bias was there before we could judge it impartially.
It's likely we left the organization, realizing that we were blinded by ignorance and our own foregone conclusions. Do we not, then, owe it to ourselves to put aside all faith-based bias that we inherited as kids (including but not limited to the bible) so that we can impartially reason on it? Why do some in Group X1 not return to ground zero to start over with a clean slate and seek truth from there?
I'm interested in hearing the answers to these questions. I'd like the input of folks in Group X1 who recognize themselves as such. (I am one.)
I've been sarcastic in the past but I promise to respect your position on this thread. I may follow up with questions that come across as questioning your faith but my goal is certainly not to offend here.