God is the Foundation of Faith, Not Texts.

[ChristineES]

Some people have said they believe that the Bible is the foundation of Christian beliefs. After thinking this over for a few days, I have decided to respond this way: The Bible is a guide book for my path, but it is not the foundation of my faith. The foundation of my faith is God.

Do any other faiths feel the same way about God and their various religious texts?

 

[Reverend Rick]

Absolutley.

 

[xkatz]

I absolutely 100% agree with this notion. The Tanakh (in my case) is a helpful book, but I realize it is essentially man-made, and that G-d is more important than my religion's scripture.

 

[Caladan]

Without the scriptures, none of us would have the knowledge of the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. the three biblical patriarchs. our faith stands on the biblical description of the times, events and people of the house of Israel.
who's god would we adhere to then? who will bring us the scriptural prophecies? the struggle and strife of faith stands on the scriptures.
thousands of years of debates and discussions stand on the scriptures.
the division of faiths is based on long disputes and disagreements on matters of scriptures.

 

[ChristineES]

Without the scriptures, none of us would have the knowledge of the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. the three biblical patriarchs. our faith stands on the biblical description of the times, events and characters of the house of Israel.
which god would we adhere to then? who will bring us the scriptural prophecies? the struggle and strife of faith stands on the scriptures.
thousands of years of debates and discussions stand on the scriptures.
the division of faiths is based on long disputes and disagreements on matters of scriptures.

The Bible tells us of believers before us, as you said. It is mostly about them and their own walks with God, God is mentioned, of course, but He is not the main thing talked about. And if we read the New Testament, particularly the Gospels, we read about Jesus' teachings. And the Qur'an would be Mohammad's teachings. But I, for one, don't worship the words themselves- I worship God. We could all use some sort of guide book to help us in our understanding.

 

[Caladan]

The Bible tells us of believers before us, as you said. It is mostly about them and their own walks with God, God is mentioned, of course, but He is not the main thing talked about.

This is a strange premise. to say that god is mentioned, and to leave it at that.
in the Hebrew scriptures, God is instrumental in the creation work, in guiding the Hebrew prophets, in guiding and restoring the house of Israel.

And if we read the New Testament, particularly the Gospels, we read about Jesus' teachings. And the Qur'an would be Mohammad's teachings. But I, for one, don't worship the words themselves- I worship God. We could all use some sort of guide book to help us in our understanding.

The New Testament is much more than the teachings of Jesus. it is the strife taking place in Jerusalem. it is the articles of faith of the Pharisees and the Sadduccees. the decline of the Sadduccees to adhere to the Pharisaic doctrine of the resurrection, which Jesus shared with the Phrisees. its all about disagreements of doctrines and faith.
if we do not share in the discourse of religion and faith, of which greater scholars of the scriptures did, of which the Temple's administrators themselves argued, how less can we talk about faith without understanding what it is that these classes and men were debating.

The Qur'an is much more than Muhammad's teachings. Muhammad is mentioned four times in the Qur'an. however, Moses and other Hebrew prophets are discussed throughout the Qur'an, the people of Israel are discussed as well, as are the monarchs of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, David and Solomon.
the struggle of faith, the disputes between Christians and Muslims are studied throughout the Qur'an.
we need to understand the basics of what it is that these great men of faith are debating.

 

[ChristineES]

This is a strange premise. to say that god is mentioned, and to leave it at that.
in the Hebrew scriptures, God is instrumental in the creation work, in guiding the Hebrew prophets, in guiding and restoring the house of Israel.

The New Testament is much more than the teachings of Jesus. it is the strife taking place in Jerusalem. it is the articles of faith of the Pharisees and the Sadduccees. the decline of the Sadduccees to adhere to the Pharisaic doctrine of the resurrection, which Jesus shared with the Phrisees. its all about disagreements of doctrines and faith.
if we do not share in the discourse of religion and faith, of which greater scholars of the scriptures did, of which the Temple's administrators themselves argued, how less can we talk about faith without understanding what it is that these classes and men were debating.

The Qur'an is much more than Muhammad's teachings. I am afraid to tell you that Muhammad is mentioned only four times in the Qur'an. however, Moses and other Hebrew prophets are discussed all throughout the Qur'an, the people of Israel are discussed as well, as are the most known monarchs of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, namely Dawud, David, and his son Sulayman, Solomon.
the struggle of faith, the disputes between Christians and Muslims are appearing throughout the Qur'an.
we need to understand the basics of what it is that these great men of faith are debating.

Certainly, what you say is true. But I am not a Bible scholar and I don't pretend to be.

In my opinion: These are stories about people's understanding of God. David loved God was called "a man after God's heart" and Abraham was called a "friend of God". I have read the Qur'an, and it appears to be about rules that Muslims should follow in order to better follow Allah (God). Jesus' teachings are about how to better follow God and the stories of Paul, Barnabas, Stephen, and the 11 Apostles- including Peter, James, John, Philip, etc. The OT is about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and their descendants and their relationship of God. That is what I see. There are the books of Moses, too (mostly Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers- they appear to be about many rules and regulations that I don't know how anyone could keep all of and a few stories about Moses, his sister and brother and others.

 

[Reptillian]

God may be the foundation of your faith, but how does your God choose to communicate with mankind? As humans we often pass on our information to future generations in written form or in oral "story" form. How would God choose to pass on his message to mankind if not in the form of sacred texts or stories? Prophecy? Divine revelation?

 

[Caladan]

That is exactly what I want to know.
The scriptures of men are essential to understand what it is that faith stands on.

 

[Oneatatime]

As Gods existance is the fundamental assumption which theists must make it's little suprise that it's generally considered the foundation of faith, otherwise known as believing something because you want it to be true rather than because there is compelling evidence supporting its existance.

 

[Revoltingest]

People are the foundation of faith.
They exercise it.
They wrote the books.
They invented the gods.
I give credit where credit is due.

 

[Orias]

The Bible is a guide book for my path, but it is not the foundation of my faith. The foundation of my faith is God.

Well how could that be if your "God' is different from mine?

Its safer to assume that man is responsible for the founding of your faith, the basis and objectional word behind the faith is "God", so "God" hired us to build the world around Him

 

[Levite]

Some people have said they believe that the Bible is the foundation of Christian beliefs. After thinking this over for a few days, I have decided to respond this way: The Bible is a guide book for my path, but it is not the foundation of my faith. The foundation of my faith is God.

Do any other faiths feel the same way about God and their various religious texts?

In a sense, of course I agree. I worship God, not Torah.

But Judaism is not a religion of pure internal experience. It is defined not merely by belief, faith, or personal relationship with God, but by communal responsibilities, personal duties to God, self, and others-- by our actions. And without Torah (in the widest sense of that term, including Oral Torah), how would we know what to do in the world in order to do right by God, to wrestle with our understandings of what we believe He wishes from us? It would be utter chaos, and Judaism would devolve into nothing but abstractions and vague generalities about God and humanity.

So while I certainly feel like, yes, what is truly at the core of Jewish belief is God, nonetheless, Judaism is about the covenant between God and Israel, which is embodied in Torah. That is why the Rabbis of the Talmud used to say Yisrael v'Oraita v'Kudsha Brich Hu chad hu ("Israel, the Torah, and God are One")-- obviously Israel is not God, nor is God Torah, but God, Israel, and Torah are inextricably bound up together in covenant. To remove even one from the equation is to collapse the entire structure of Judaism, which cannot survive without all three playing their roles.

 

[sojourner]

God may be the foundation of your faith, but how does your God choose to communicate with mankind? As humans we often pass on our information to future generations in written form or in oral "story" form. How would God choose to pass on his message to mankind if not in the form of sacred texts or stories? Prophecy? Divine revelation?

Does God have "a message?"

 

[sojourner]

That is exactly what I want to know.
The scriptures of men are essential to understand what it is that faith stands on.

Are they? Seems to me that Xy got along swimmingly for hundreds of years without scriptures...

 

[sojourner]

In a sense, of course I agree. I worship God, not Torah.

But Judaism is not a religion of pure internal experience. It is defined not merely by belief, faith, or personal relationship with God, but by communal responsibilities, personal duties to God, self, and others-- by our actions. And without Torah (in the widest sense of that term, including Oral Torah), how would we know what to do in the world in order to do right by God, to wrestle with our understandings of what we believe He wishes from us? It would be utter chaos, and Judaism would devolve into nothing but abstractions and vague generalities about God and humanity.

So while I certainly feel like, yes, what is truly at the core of Jewish belief is God, nonetheless, Judaism is about the covenant between God and Israel, which is embodied in Torah. That is why the Rabbis of the Talmud used to say Yisrael v'Oraita v'Kudsha Brich Hu chad hu ("Israel, the Torah, and God are One")-- obviously Israel is not God, nor is God Torah, but God, Israel, and Torah are inextricably bound up together in covenant. To remove even one from the equation is to collapse the entire structure of Judaism, which cannot survive without all three playing their roles.

I agree. But even that is a far cry from the religion being "based upon scripture."

 

[strikeviperMKII]

Some people have said they believe that the Bible is the foundation of Christian beliefs. After thinking this over for a few days, I have decided to respond this way: The Bible is a guide book for my path, but it is not the foundation of my faith. The foundation of my faith is God.

Do any other faiths feel the same way about God and their various religious texts?

I wholeheartedly agree. A guide, not a rulebook. Faith is created within you, not in front of you with words. But the words help to get you started, and direct you when you stumble.

 

[strikeviperMKII]

Well how could that be if your "God' is different from mine?

I believe this is where 'there is only one God' comes in. In this sense, saying that there is only one God is an incredible statement of unity, rather than division. It does not say 'my God is the one true God and your's isn't'. Instead, it says that despite what you think you see, your 'God' and my 'God' are the same.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Christine ES,

God is the Foundation of Faith, Not Texts.

Frubals for that!
However with that background; could you clarify who or what does the label/word *GOD* stands/signifies as the word/label *God* is a concept which like languages have been developed by humans for an understanding/purpose.

Love & rgds

 

[elmarna]

Absolutely! I agree! God is the foundation of all . While the source of inspiration to reflect on can come in many ways -God is always the basis of the beliefs. I LOVE GOD FIRST