Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

by gumby 45 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Sentinel

  When I was a child, I used to think as a child. I used to listen to adults around me, as I thought they had all the answers to all my questions.

  I listened to my mom when she told me she "had found the truth". This "truth" was supposed to have come from the same bible that my friends and relatives used. But this "truth" was so different from everyone else. Suddenly I realized at age fourteen, that there are many beliefs that come from one book that is supposed to be THE BOOK for all mankind. I learned that this book had been translated into many different varieties to suit different religions. My mistake was getting baptized as a JW before I had studied and determined my path in life for myself.

  Now that I've studied it in depth as an adult, and moved out of the illogical beliefs of a cult, I realize that the bible is just a history book of religious philosophy-- just a nice combination of a variety of writings that lean toward the Christian concept of God and Jesus.

  Personally, I do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. It does not even include all the other missing "manuscripts". Someone in charge determined which books would be a part of the bible and which would be excluded. Somehow that just doesn't seem reasonable to me.

  Sentinel
• 

  gumby

  Everyone!!!!Thanks so much! I have a crapload of things I want to say about the comments and have no time. I don't want to see this run out without answering and I will post a thread called Is the Bible the word of God part two or something tomarrow if i can or I'll just continue this thread.

  Great stuff!
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  SpiderMonkey

  anyone that is chosen by God is as much a piece of crap as the next guy... God's will is to choose who HE wants out of all the pieces of crap out there in the world. Man has no say on who's picked nor can he do anything right to be picked. All a piece of crap can do is crappy things... The truth is: No one has a choice on being chosen. It's God's choice alone...He decides who's sheep and goat, He decides who's wheat and weed, He dictates who's right and wrong, He decides what pieces of poo shall be chosen, called, justified an then glorified. What's that mean? It's ALL OUT OF EVERY MAN'S CONTROL. ME, YOU...EVERYONE.

  Eeeeeeyucchhhh. Thank you, pomegranate, for so perfectly illustrating why organized religion makes me feel queasy. People choose to believe they have no control over who "gets saved," because they don't want control over their own lives. But they DO want to feel "special." So they convince themselves that the religion that they themselves chose is the one true religion approved by God (whether a specific religion like Catholicism, or a general religion like Christianity), and that God chose them - rather than the obvious truth that they simply chose a religion that made them feel good. You claim that everyone, even those "chosen by God," is a piece of poo, not elite at all. And yet you claim that it is God's choice, rather than man's decisions to believe and do certain things, that brings benefit to an individual. Sounds like an elite to me. An elite arbitrarily chosen by a tyrant. Gag me with a spoon. Predestination is now, and has always been, a rather stupid doctrine.
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  plmkrzy

  Oh crapomalley! I thought we decided that "inner circle" thing was just a figment of someones imagination
• 

  pomegranate

  It's God's choice alone...He decides sees who are sheep and who are goat's, He decides sees who's wheat and weed's, He dictates sees who's right and wrong, He decides sees what pieces of poo shall be chosen .

  One example to show that I believe the above is inaccurate:
  
  Did Christ SEE that Saul was doing something GOOD, that he was sheeplike, and was right in what he was doing? All Christ saw in Saul was this:

  Acts 9:1
  9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.
  
  Paul the nice guy eh? Christ wanted to choose him cause he was such a good guy?? Seems the glorified Christ saw Paul to be a BAD MURDEROUS PERSECUTING GOAT. Until the time came when he DECIDED to FORCE/CALL PAUL to change to the GOOD:

  Acts 9:3-6
  suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be TOLD what you must do."
  
  Paul was CHOSEN, RAILROADED, FORCED, RAMMED, CRAMMED, STUFFED and BUTTENDED into serving God. HE WAS LITERALLY BLINDED into God's service and put in chains to serve God, and NOT by his choice. Funny thing is, after it happened,HE LOVED IT. When was Paul CHOSEN for this operation of God?
  
  Gal 1:15-17
  15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was,

  Please note, no one preached to Paul, nor did he see any of the apostles...he was FORCIBLY changed chosen and set apart to be for God by Christ, from birth. He was predestined. If that's the way it is for Paul, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, David, Judas, Pharaoh, Esau, Jacob, so it is with all men. No one controls God, God controls what/who He wishes for His own will and purpose. Who can fight his will?
  
  If God knows EVERYTHING (which He does), then predestination is a given.

  By the way, the truth is, EVERY MAN is already predestined to die. So whoever says they are not already predestined would be wrong.

  Each man has ONE destiny which was predestined at birth, and that is death.

  Now, it's whoever God chooses to live. And God doesn't wait around for WORKS of SACRIFICE...because they are never enough.

  Sounds like an elite to me.

  Well If they are "elite" (whatever that means) it was not by their choice or doing. It was by God's will.

  That's what I believe.
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  plmkrzy

  Pom you sound very bitter still. Maybe if you just put up all the bible stuff for a while and pick it up some other time.

  Why torture youself?
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  pomegranate

  Bitter still? I never was. And you don't know me to make that evaluation now do you?

  Maybe if you just put up all the bible stuff for a while and pick it up some other time.

  What a very strangely dark comment. I believe that would be a mistake.

  Why torture youself?

  I'm not.
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  SpiderMonkey

  Paul was CHOSEN, RAILROADED, FORCED, RAMMED, CRAMMED, STUFFED and BUTTENDED into serving God. HE WAS LITERALLY BLINDED into God's service and put in chains to serve God, and NOT by his choice. Funny thing is, after it happened,HE LOVED IT. When was Paul CHOSEN for this operation of God?
  
  Gal 1:15-17
  15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace

  This is all so very sick. No other comment.
• 

  gumby

  Francois:

  Well said my man! If it were Gods message to us.....would he make it so unclear that there needs to be thousands of religious ideas on what is truth?

  GSX:

  Your whole post was great!

  Jan H:

  As ALWAYS....very well said. And thanks so much for your always considerate replies which are full of hard work and deep concern. You are a gem here.

  D.R.

  It's true Christians accept that the Catholics compiled what they felt should be Gods words to us.

  I suppose the argument could be used.."they started out GOOD, but as time went on....they got crazy". Some say the dubs "started out" good. Untill Russell went haywire.

  Just the fact of learning it was MEN who DECIDED what would be scripture, that there are no "original" copies, no proof things were not added, etc. make it hard to believe it is Gods word.

  Spider M. Nice comments also.

  My added thought:

  The Bible teaches only those in christ will be saved. Poor Poor muslims, hindu's, Buddist, Indians, uncivilized tribes, and all the others who know nothing of Christ. They will all perish as they haven't accepted him as their personal savior.

  According to most....he will come soon. Will he KILL all these that 'don't know him".... like he did in the old testement? I hardly think a loving God would! That goes for Dubs too.

  As was posted....all of this mess has caused hatred, murder, breakups, divisions.

  So....is the bible really the word of God?

  I feel RESEARCH on the material that has been posted would be a fair shot to give the bible.

  Much more could be said. Thanks again.Gumby
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  gumby

  Someone mentioned an ancient Babylonian flood story with a man named Noah. The story is older than the bibles account. Does anyone know where to find this?