Having Faith in the Bible

by william draper 75 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  tim3l0rd

  I appreciate his posts even though they don't seem to be logically laid out sometimes. Many exjws are not ready to relinquish all faith in the bible after leaving the org. Many of the above objections to the bible can be explained by comparing other scriptures or the cultural attitudes of the time. While I do not wish to debate anyone, I think that if someone wants to express their faith they should be allowed to just as those who are atheists are allowed to express their ideas.

  The truth is that there is a lot that we don't know probably will never know about our universe.
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  freemindfade

  We are all born atheists, religion is what someone gives to us.

  You have prairie dogs that have evolved to be monogamous, others are not, their brains are wired differently, one the ocytocin receptors work differently. One is not reading the bible and the other isn't. In the case of one monogamy is part of their evolution and social structure. The other it has no baring.

  What I am getting at is who is to say the marriage is necessary for humans? Or even moral??? It is so deeply engrained in us its hard to imagine it otherwise, but that is not because of GOD its because of indoctrination. I am not preaching against marriage, but honestly I believe it is as man made as the bible itself. If two people want to be together forever and not with anyone else and can do it, more power to them. It they chose a different path I don't believe they deserve eternal destruction by god.

  The bible didn't even start as the "Holy Bible" it was a library of jewish writings and there was a lot more to it than just the Holy Bible you thump today. It's existence is a result of a need for a foundation myth and political social control reasons. That is as plain as day if you read it in the context of history with its lack of actual archeological backing.

  tim3l0rd everyone is allowed to express their faith. To say that the bible is all the things that Cofty mentioned because of cultural attitudes of the time would mean YHWH was relenting to the desires of these tribal sheepherders to follow their culture over TRUE morality. No thanks. I'll pass.

  Such a "wise" book

  
  
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  cappytan

  William.

  I cannot believe a book that starts off so poorly. Adam & Eve 6,000 years ago were the first humans? Science has proven this to be false. A great flood happening 4,000 years or so? No geological evidence whatsoever.

  Not to mention the fact that we have no evidence (other than conjecture, anecdotal and circumstantial) that certain prophecies that supposedly came true were actually written when they were supposedly written.

  If you don't mind, I'd like to base my life's morality on being good for the sake of being good and the happiness of my fellow human beings, not out of fear of some deity that may or may not exist. I think being a good person because it's the right thing to do is more honorable and righteous than being a good person because you might displease a God.
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  freemindfade

  The bible is a dangerous book with dangerous ideas and consequences, not divine enlightenment.
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  Terry

  The ultimate test of the Bible as the 'divine' gift of the living God to mankind comes down

  to this challenge.
  What one thing (if one can even be found) which is testable and provable, was written in Scripture which could not have been written by any mind other than the mind of God?

  Is there one piece of knowledge no man could have known?

  Now some might say: Prophecy! But, a prophetic pronouncement made after the fact is not really prophecy, is it? The Book of Daniel is suspiciously late making its way into print.

  The references to the fall of Jerusalem too cannot escape the likelihood of being post-destruction rather than Pre.

  All in all, it is the exasperating contortions of apologists turning thin air into substance which has maintained for the evangelical Fundamentalists of the world, an illusion of numinous transcendence for the Bible.

  The Bible had little importance for Christianity until the Protestant Reformation. The authority of the Pope had to be replaced by an inerrant guide of some sort.

  Thanks to Martin Luther, the theory of SOLA SCRIPTURA replaced Magisterium of Catholicism.

  The theory was this, a devout and pious seeker-after-Truth only needed a Bible and prayer for Holy Spirit to guide him to perfect understanding of God's will.

  What has transpired in the practical test of Sola Scriptura since the 16th Century?

  40+ thousand Denominations of Christianity!

  That's like 2+2= 40,000 different answers!

  

  Sola scriptura was one of the main theological beliefs that Martin Luther proclaimed against the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation.

  _____________________________

  The work of textual criticism, archeology, paleontologists, and modern science have put to rest the claims made for inerrancy, except for the most radically disposed apologists of today. The defense made by Fundamentalists for the integrity of the Bible is couched in rather carefully parsed terms:

  ___________________________

  Biblical inerrancy, as formulated in the "Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy", is the doctrine that the Bible "is without error or fault in all its teaching";[1] or, at least, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact".

  ______________________

  
  

  However, there exists NO ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT at all to prove this assertion!
  
  
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  freemindfade

  Beautifully put Terry. love it.
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  Village Idiot

  freemindfade,

  "To say that the bible is all the things that Cofty mentioned because of cultural attitudes of the time would mean YHWH was relenting to the desires of these tribal sheepherders to follow their culture over TRUE morality."

  Excellent point. This can be used as an answer to both Conservative and Liberal Christians who want to ignore the profanity of their Bible.

  As regards Deuteronomy 25:11-12 you quoted one of my favorite verses in the Bible.

  PS: You may want to correct your citation of that verse in your image. It's Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 11 and 12.
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  william draper

  I appreciate your comments , but really what is substantiated knowledge . It takes a lot of dedication to attain just a little bit of knowledge which can truly be substantiated . In regards to what is said in the scripture that couldn't have been just the intelligence of some wise men . I will have to agree that some things that we were taught do not pass the test , other things for the most part will pass the test , some things still to be seen . From all that VI gave regarding inconsistencies, shows how the Bible was not plagiarized , think about this , the way some scriptures read , you can find something that is contradicting within a single chapter of the Bible , like an idiot wrote it . This is surely nothing more than an error in translation , also , how one says something can completely change its meaning , just a missing comma , can change what is meant to be said . Interestingly the Bible tells us to use common sense .

  
  Is there a God ; probably nothing answers this question better than what is written in Romans chapter 1 (one ) .

  Most of you guys have responded in a genuine way , and I thank you for that , you definitely give me a little bit of challenge .

  There is a saying that familiarity breeds contempt , might this be true of the Bible , some people are just sick of it , and will jump to anything that is the latest fad ; condemning everything in it , because of some things that are not understood or appreciated . We know there are mistakes in the Bible , but what evidence is there truly of any other writings that give us the basics .

  Mankind will destroy this planet if left to our devices just as the scripture forewarned us .
  
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  Village Idiot

  William draper,

  "From all that VI gave regarding inconsistencies, shows how the Bible was not plagiarized , think about this , the way some scriptures read , you can find something that is contradicting within a single chapter of the Bible , like an idiot wrote it ."

  I gave more than just inconsistencies from the Bible. I provided scriptures which clearly indicate a morally torpid mentality.
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  paulmolark

  I was like you for a while after I left. I could not except the fact that the bible was not from GOD. Then I sat down one day and really read the book of Judges. It opened my eyes to the fact that the bible is really nothing more than a cool novel at best. After deeper research I realized that every so called moral lesson in the bible was pretty much borrowed from somewhere else.

  It takes time. Just keep reading with an opened mined and think of all those people that had no access to the bible for millennia and ask why god didn't care enough to let them have that same wonderful novel.