Is the Bible from Men, NOT God?

by the-Question 64 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  David_Jay

  People don't need a degree or perform a "background" study in Scripture to either embrace or reject what it entails. It's contents and background have never been secret, as the JWs often teach it is.

  A person who makes an honest conscientious decision to reject the Scriptures are not viewed as morally flawed or evil by Jews or Catholics unlike Jehovah's Witnesses do. Freedom of conscience is even fought for and advocated by these religious groups, including not merely the right to reject religion but the right to being treated justly, with more than mere tolerance, and ensuring the dignity and fair treatment of all regardless of creed or rejection thereof. If a Catholic or Jew does not judge a person by their view of the Bible, of what significance can such judgment be from lesser, insignificant religious groups and their adherents?

  The problem with some of these questions is that they mistake rejection of the Bible with disrespect or failure to act with wisdom and insight. The important matter at hand is not the varied views among ex-JWs, whether some accept or reject Scripture now, but that despite these current views all are united in the stand that the Jehovah's Witnesses are not the teachers of religious truth that they claim to be. The Watchtower view of Scripture is so flawed that even when the Bible is merely viewed from a secular non-inspired point of view, the Jehovah's Witness interpretation of this Book can honestly be labeled as an axiom of disrespect and a poor excuse for scholarship.
• 

  the-Question

  Stillin: David Jay is referring to something that is also called "confirmation bias." Personal research is good but it's almost impossible to keep one's self neutral. Denial kicks in, cognitive dissonance kicks in. And results get skewed.

  Q: No. Sincerity and honesty prevent that.

  Stillin: The problem is that if the Bible is from God, He didn't really give us enough for us to be able to, without controversy, conclude that it is His Perfect Word.

  Q: He has, its clear you have NEVER studied its background.

  Stillin: Look at all of the flip-flops that just one Bible-believing Organization has had in only a few years.

  Q; Whose opinions never "flip-flop' from time to time?

  Stillin: And consider how many controversial subjects are discussed between the myriad of scholars and believers. Sincere, searching believers...It's sad.

  Q: What's sad is most will believe only what they WANT to believe- facts be damned....
• 

  stillin

  The-Question

  I stand by my statement, at least until some sort of evidence is presented.
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  the-Question

  Evidence of WHAT?
• 

  stillin

  Read the OP. Come back when you have something.
• 

  the-Question

  Sillian.
• 

  the-Question

  Example 1- the Genesis account is the ONLY sensible explanation (going along with science) of how we got here; other religions have comic-book fables, then science has blind chance (secret identity: 'Natural' Selection) making us, the ecosystems, the Earth and the Universe, denying a Maker. Yet they frantically copy what they see in creation, and refer to the Brain as "the Most Complex MECHANISM" in the Universe".

  
  
• 

  Finkelstein

  Of course the bible was written by men out of various reasons and intent.

  The ancients had to endure the ignorance of the world in which they lived in, from out of that ignorance much of their belief was centralized toward the spiritual agents in heaven who were in their belief controlled the activities here on earth such as lighting, earthquakes, floods etc.

  They also looked toward these heavenly agents to help out with their enduring plights, hardships and difficulties which they had to endure, such as sickness and death, warring outside attacking nations etc..
  

  Ancient civilizations grew out of distinct propagating myths to identify and perhaps empower a group of men for their appealing power and sustenance.

  ie. the ancient Hebrews (monotheistic) civilization came out the ancient Canaanite (polytheistic) civilization.

  These myths helped to create power and relevance toward their select gods, ie. the 7 days of creation, the flood of Noah are examples to this purpose and intent.
  

  So we can see that the bible writings or torah had those inherent intentions and what is also unique that there is indeed factual occurrences of events written in the bible.

  These civilizations also used the supposed power of their gods to structure socialized laws of behavior within their societies such as the Hebrew ten commandments .

  One could say the bible is a mix of non-fiction with a measure of fictional mythology. but is still a valuable reference toward human history in itself.
  
• 

  steve2

  No. Sincerity and honesty prevent that.
  

  Actually, confirmation bias is not a conscious process so "sincerity and honesty" have little, if anything to do with it.

  Yes, the individual can develop awareness of how confirmation bias works - but it requires personal insight and a ruthlessly non-invested outlook (i.e., people often have a vested interest in needing to find certain beliefs etc to be true. For example, if disbelief in Scripture has always been framed in the most negative terms, an individual will have a strong bias towards avoiding the discomfort of "disproving" the Bible is the Word of God).
  
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  dubstepped

  Lol, Genesis has a literal talking snake and figurative creative days. It also has a God so stupid that he can't see that man needs a companion. I believe that the plants were created before the sun, which we all know is needed for plant life. It is followed closely with a bunch of giant demon-babies, had never rained (which plants kind of need too), suddenly rained enough to flood the entire world without interruption of ecosystems needed for both plant and aquatic life, all in a boat with millions of animal species on board, some never indigenous to that area.

  Nah, no fables there like in other books, lmao.