by JH 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I believe it says, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we are to die."
Actually, virtually everything that the Bible says, it also contradicts. Because of its age, it is a fairly interesting anthropological study. There are even a few gems of wisdom in it. But, there's also a lot of myth, legend, bloodshed, and generally bad ideas, too.
"Résumer" in French means to sum up, very different from the main use of English "to resume". It's what translators call a "faux ami" (false friend)...
My opinion is that "summing up" the Bible is the worst thing you can do to it. There is no such thing as a "Bible message", rather hundreds of schools and ideas which often clash with one another. When you accept as "the Bible message" what seems to be the "main thread" (e.g. the Deuteronomistic History in the OT, or Luke-Acts in the NT) you are bound to miss the minority views which are most interesting. My guess is that you have to pick up the ideas you like where they are and forget about the rest, although what you once dropped as meaningless may well appeal to you later on. "Love your neighbour as yourself" comes from a very ritualistic text (Leviticus); "God is love" from a very sectarian form of Christianity (the johannine community, which also promotes the shunning of "apostates"). Nothing's simple.
One thing I have retained is there is a creator.
Another thing is that love and evil is real.
Have faith that God is good and always works for our good.
bebu
We should treat each other the way we want to be treated, and just be the best we can be.
That Christ died for us and those who trust in Him have eternal life. He commanded that we treat others the way we want to be treated, even our enemies.
Matthew 7 (The Message Bible) 12 "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
Blondie
This would be a kind condensed message of the teachings contributed to Christ. However it doesn't fit the theme of the entire bible especially not the OT. The OT could be summarized thus: The Jews are JHWH's favourite people. That's us punk! Therefore all others are inferiour and should yield to us or be utterly destroyed.
Greven
How would I summarize it?
God creates man and woman.
Man and woman eat fruit.
Mankind condemned to suffering for eating fruit.
To me it's a whole lot of shit over nothing.
Walter
Ecclesiastes 1:2That's the most Taoist-like book of the 66, and the most accurate.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 9
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
I took a look at the translation that Blondie used above. It says:
Ecclesiastes 1:2
2Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.]
There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke.
3What's there to show for a lifetime of work,Ecclesiastes 9
2It's one fate for everybody--righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. 3I find this outrageous--the worst thing about living on this earth--that everyone's lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That's it.Seize Life!
4Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, "A living dog is better than a dead lion."10Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed.
According to the bible:
God is really quite fixated on the penis.
