Is the Bible the Word of God?

[Zenister 0]

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Yes, the underlying message of Jesus -- do good, be good to others, and live in peace, are easy enough to determine --

and of course if everyone focused on ONLY the important points of this message, the world would be a better place all around...but then no one could claim 'One True Path' and feel superior to all others

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[AlexCrowley 0]

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I just don't see much difference within verses of different translations. Especially, anything important that would alter the message. I know some would disagree but I think the KJV is as good as the NIV is as good as the ASV, etc. I say whatever tool works for you, use it. Otherwise, get another tool. But use the tool. Know what I mean?...

But there ARE subtle differences between translations that have "ripple" effects. One interesting proposition can be found here:

http://www.truluck.com/html/the_bible_and_homosexuality.html

It deals greatly with the meaning of words in the greek and Hebrew and how they were altered upon translation. I do not know if it is ENTIRELY correct, but it makes some compelling points about a translator's influence on their work.

When one complex language is used to translate a text into another, choices made by the translators can often have drastic OR subtle effects.

Yes, the underlying message of Jesus -- do good, be good to others, and live in peace, are easy enough to determine -- but unfortunately, those with too much religious zeal insist that EVERY WORD has been translated correctly...this would be impossible for any work, let alone one so old and translated into so many languages

Yes Yes Yes! That's why I keep referring to Strong's, you can see where differences in context crop up, and why there are differences in the different translations. This is especially true of KJV where the editors talk about what they used for sources, how decisions were made etc etc.

It's also why more learned biblical scholars will talk about the Bible NOT being the be all and end all of the Christian canon.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Sopheavy 0]

I think sometimes, we need to surrender our doubts and just try the Lord for a change. Just try and see for yourself. It's like judging a book by it's cover without even first reading what's in it.
(And even though you have read the bible, your heart is too harden to want to understand it. There is a difference between reading and understanding).

At least it's better to believe in something rather than nothing? If I die tomorrow, I at least know the security of Heaven and "if" it does not exist, at least I am more safe than sorry.

It's like wearing a seatbelt in the car even, if I don't get in an accident, that's fine and dandy and if I get in one, at least it will or might save my life.

I have never seen God but I know He is as real as the wind. I can't see the wind but I can feel it. I can't see God but I can feel His love in my life. :)

Yes, the bible is the Word of God. But I am not going to spend all day trying to prove it because some have already made up in their mind what to believe and what not to believe.

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If you want to see the rainbow, you gotta put up with the storm. God bless! :)

[n23x 0]

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At least it's better to believe in something rather than nothing? If I die tomorrow, I at least know the security of Heaven and "if" it does not exist, at least I am more safe than sorry.

Yikes.

.jim

"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC

[Sopheavy 0]

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Yikes.

.jim

yikes...what's that? lol.

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If you want to see the rainbow, you gotta put up with the storm. God bless! :)

[n23x 0]

Just Yikes.

.jim

"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC

[Zenister 0]

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I have never seen God but I know He is as real as the wind.

i have seen God... she looks nothing like what the Xtians claim...

leave the dogma of mankind behind.. you'll get that much closer real divinity and that much farther from the control mechanisms of organized religion... you dont need either.... (the dogma or the structure)

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Gawain 0]

For those that believe, it can be summed up in one word: "Faith"

I know it seems simplistic, but that's what it boils down to.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[JoeyRamone 0]

I just left my neighbors house talking about some of these same topics or issues. I have no clue but thanks for posting this information.

Tim

[JoeyRamone 0]

Can someone please let me know where the bible talks about dinosaurs? Why are they not mentioned? They did rule the earth didn't they?

[AlexCrowley 0]

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Can someone please let me know where the bible talks about dinosaurs? Why are they not mentioned? They did rule the earth didn't they?

Yup, but they did it without thumbs, which made writing very difficult. There is a theory I just made up which explains that dinosaurs used a tonal language similar to very bad haiku, which - in a Jeff Goldblum inspired moment of chaos theory - led to both their extinction and the proliferation of really crappy english haiku in the late 1990s AD. You see, as humans evolve and gain greater refinement your genetics take a step back to your lizard cerebellum - and crappy haiku is released.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[madscape 0]

Mr. Cole:

With all due respect to your scholarship, I would point out that there have been a myriad of TEOTWAWKI predictions, and they have one thing in common-They were all wrong.

What gives you the hubris to state that you have the correct time? Smacks of arrogance.

Try this link: http://www.religioustolerance.org/end_wrld.htm#past

I was recently saved, so spare me any condescention.

Every person thought that they were correct as much as you do now. They have all been exposed as false prophets. What makes you different?

What will you do when we celebrate 1 Jan 08?

[pajarito 0]

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Yup, but they did it without thumbs, which made writing very difficult. There is a theory I just made up which explains that dinosaurs used a tonal language similar to very bad haiku, which - in a Jeff Goldblum inspired moment of chaos theory - led to both their extinction and the proliferation of really crappy english haiku in the late 1990s AD. You see, as humans evolve and gain greater refinement your genetics take a step back to your lizard cerebellum - and crappy haiku is released.

...thanks!

[pajarito 0]

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Can someone please let me know where the bible talks about dinosaurs? Why are they not mentioned? They did rule the earth didn't they?

I don't know much about this but here is an interesting (and short) article touching on that subject.

Did Men and Dinosaurs Live Together?

You're right. If they did co-exist, I would think it might be significant enough to write more about. However, back then, most everything was passed down by word of mouth. Recording events by writing them down was a relatively new thing. This article, however, does mention all the stone carvings/paintings which are much older than anything in the Bible and do make reference. In any case, it wasn't the Bible's purpose to record the existence of dinosaurs.

[chuteless 1]

London, England is the center of the world....12 hours in either direction will take one to the Intnl Dateline. God has known that for Billions of Billions of Billions years...the same in other worlds before this one.
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[gravitysucks 0]

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Can someone please let me know where the bible talks about dinosaurs? Why are they not mentioned? They did rule the earth didn't they?

Yup, but they did it without thumbs, which made writing very difficult. There is a theory I just made up which explains that dinosaurs used a tonal language similar to very bad haiku, which - in a Jeff Goldblum inspired moment of chaos theory - led to both their extinction and the proliferation of really crappy english haiku in the late 1990s AD. You see, as humans evolve and gain greater refinement your genetics take a step back to your lizard cerebellum - and crappy haiku is released.

Thats a great theory, man. One night a few months ago we all got totally blitzed and started calling corporate customer service lines (pretty much any 800 number we could find.) If we got somebody we would give them an impromptu haiku about our appreciation of the product, or ask to be forwarded to the voice mail of their marketing VP. It was absolutely ridiculous. Proof positive that our state of inebriation caused us to regress to our primitive reptilian cerebellar thought patterns.

In other news, I just wrote my own calendar. It gives me a three day work week so I can spend more time at the DZ. I'm placing the International Date Line on a longitudinal axis with my driveway, so I can actually have a two day work week, depending which side of the driveway I decide to call in sick from.

[WrongWay 0]

I think what he's asking here is this....if the Bible was written by MEN, be they holy men or not (and speaking of which, I can declare myself a holy man right now and 1000 years from now you wouldn't know any better), they were MEN. How are we to know that they weren't just 41 crazy yahoos that were talking to themselves?

I'll tell you one thing....I've met people who think they have spoken to God personally, or that God speaks to them through some sort of telepathy. In these modern times, these people are locked up because they're crazy, and nothing more. Just because you find people simple minded enough to believe you doesn't make you any less crazy.

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"No prophecy of scripture was written through the thoughts of any man, but by Holy men, as they were directed by the Holy Spirit ofGod."

So in a "meat and potatoes" version..."This book was actually written by men, but 'God told them what to say', so we can claim it wasn't really written by men.".

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay........

The truth is, the Bible was written by MEN that had questions about life and death that they couldn't answer, so they did what every other religious weirdo in history ever did.....find an answer, any answer, ANYWHERE AND ANYTHING, as long as they have an answer so they can sleep better at night. That's how all religion was born, some desperate men seeking answers and resolving to make them up and pass them on to future generations as fact to give comfort about death.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[SuperKat 0]

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Can someone please let me know where the bible talks about dinosaurs? Why are they not mentioned? They did rule the earth didn't they?

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Yup, but they did it without thumbs, which made writing very difficult. There is a theory I just made up which explains that dinosaurs used a tonal language similar to very bad haiku, which - in a Jeff Goldblum inspired moment of chaos theory - led to both their extinction and the proliferation of really crappy english haiku in the late 1990s AD. You see, as humans evolve and gain greater refinement your genetics take a step back to your lizard cerebellum - and crappy haiku is released.

Here's an interesting video for you to check out. It's called a "Question of Origins". It's freakin' awesome. Keep your mind open when watching this video. It may or may not dispell your myth about the theory or evolution and the theory of creation.

Click here to watch the video: A Question Of Origins

edit: try to watch the whole entire video if you can. It's about 60 minutes long.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[pajarito 0]

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I think what he's asking here is this....if the Bible was written by MEN, be they holy men or not (and speaking of which, I can declare myself a holy man right now and 1000 years from now you wouldn't know any better), they were MEN. How are we to know that they weren't just 41 crazy yahoos that were talking to themselves?

Because the evidence does not support the notion that the authors were insane. Especially “all of them.” Sure, you could declare yourself holy. I’d have to put what you say against your works, though, to determine whether they are “of God” or not. The actions & events that took place were recorded by the people who actually saw them happen. The actions of these authors in question very much demonstrate that they are “of God.” These actions were cross-checked against others who also witnessed what happened. I don’t find it logical to think that they were all insane. This is different from someone saying that they are God, for you to drink the purple cool-aid, and to spirit yourself onto a comet to meet up with the aliens. Talk it cheap and I wouldn’t bet my life on that. Jesus put into action and demonstrated who he was. He also endorsed the ones who preceded him.

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So in a "meat and potatoes" version..."This book was actually written by men, but 'God told them what to say', so we can claim it wasn't really written by men.".

The Bible was written by men who were “inspired” by God. That doesn’t mean God “told them exactly what to say.” I haven’t heard anyone here say that the Bible wasn’t “written” by men. The primary evidence for inspiration is through fulfilled prophesies (reference 1st page of posts).

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The truth is, the Bible was written by MEN that had questions about life and death that they couldn't answer, so they did what every other religious weirdo in history ever did.....find an answer, any answer, ANYWHERE AND ANYTHING, as long as they have an answer so they can sleep better at night. That's how all religion was born, some desperate men seeking answers and resolving to make them up and pass them on to future generations as fact to give comfort about death.

You’ve already made up your mind so why did you ask the question? I find the above a very “simplistic” view of a deep subject.

[SuperKat 0]

awesome thread dude. thanks for starting this up. I never realized how many skydivers were so well educated about the scriptures and how many of us actually have opinions about it. Be it positive or negative, we're all learning new things from eachother.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[SuperKat 0]

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In addition, you've said you consider the KJV the absolute word of god (at least, you said that jokingly at first and then said you do believe that), given that going through Strongs resources it is apparent that the translations created some oversimplifications within the texts (usage of the word 'Faith' has always troubled me and actually led me to researching with Strongs).

Also, the history of the KJV translation was a bit of a mish mash, and does include errors, non-believers had a hand in it's translation and disagreements were resolved by committee. Other than a 'the miracle of God', could you talk a little about how this fits in with your belief that the KJV is the definitive version?

Check out this site: Hank The Bible Answer Man

This dude is an expert on the scriptures and the many different versions of The Word. He also has a book titled The Bible Answer Book Feel free to go on his site and e-mail him with questions you may have or you can even call his broadcast and challenge him on the air. You guys have made up some pretty good points, questions and beliefs. I would love to know how Hank answers or challenges your questions and theories.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[crwtom 0]

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Because the evidence does not support the notion that the authors were insane.

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There are also tons of stories and written accounts from those times about roman and greek gods. Northern European tribes had a their tales (actually pretty cool ones) about their ghosts, demons and gods, and, of course, the different facetts of Hinduism have such a huge variety of gods from the the big encompassing ones to the domestic pet gods that you could a telephone directory with them.

You cannot prove that any of these story teller are insane. Therefore all they say is true and you have to believe in EVERY ONE of these gods.


Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

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[pajarito 0]

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You cannot prove that any of these story teller are insane. Therefore all they say is true and you have to believe in EVERY ONE of these gods.

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The notion that the authors were all insane is just one argument some people pose to reject the authenticity and reliability of some of the stories in the Bible. I was just addressing that one point. You can't reduce the entire argument to just that. There’s a lot more to it in the case for Jesus.

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[rasmack 0]

I turn my back from this thread for a second to go jumping. when I come back it seems I have created a monster.

Maybe the hard opening I had was God's punishment. Is there any other explanation for a Spectre 210 deciding to bitch slap me?

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But there ARE subtle differences between translations that have "ripple" effects. One interesting proposition can be found here:

http://www.truluck.com/html/the_bible_and_homosexuality.html

OK This link is hilarious:

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Why don't fundamentalists organize protests and picket seafood restaurants, oyster bars, church barbecue suppers, all grocery stores, barber shops, tattoo parlors, and stores that sell suits and dresses made of mixed wool, cotton, polyester, and other materials? All of these products and services are "abominations" in Leviticus. When have you heard a preacher condemn the demonic abomination of garments that are made of mixed fabrics?

But it is actually a valid question. Which parts of the old testament are no longer "valid"? I have heard it mentioned on occasion that the coming of Christ and the new testament should supersede the old testament. Then why is it still there?

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[philh 0]

Jesus was asked whther the old law is still valid and he said yes. So all the hateful bullshit in the OT like murdering homsexuals, sabbath breakers, disobedient children, blashpemers, witches etc still stands if you believe in the bible. Thankfullyt most people have a strong enough sense of morality to ignore its stupid teachings.