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Is the Bible Credible?

LionDog1

LionDog1

Member
te_lanus said:
Hi LionDog

So Correct me if I'm wrong. If the number of people reading a book gives that book a certain merit. Can we say the same thing about Harry Potter:sarcastic.

For me Merit has more to do with the person reading it. I can read,for example, The Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Truth, and to me they have the same merit as any Christian Bible and Jewish Torah.
Click to expand...

I am sure it would, no differant than a cookbook, a dictionary, or even a TV guide. The question which derives what has merit, is does it have worth, and is it deserving to its reader. If so then it has merit.
 
McBell

McBell

Unbound
darkendless said:
For a divinely inspired book, most bibles i've seen are pretty barbaric and do not so much as promote equality between everyone.

I thought God would have also mentioned how to deal with those damn evolutionists/scientists as well as that pestilence on the church called homosexuality :p
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Credibility is a rather subjective thing, don't you think?

Much along the lines of pretty or evil or perverted.
 
darkendless

darkendless

Guardian of Asgaard
Mestemia said:
Credibility is a rather subjective thing, don't you think?

Much along the lines of pretty or evil or perverted.
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Yes of course, depending on how blind one is. For example, people still think the bible can be used as a science text book.... :confused: !@#$%^&*()
 
DadBurnett

DadBurnett

Instigator
Abstruse said:
Hello everyone, I've been slowly reading debates on here for some months now and am very interested in science/religion. This will be my first go at a post so bare with me.

My main question right now has to do with Christianity and the credibility of the Bible. Most of my family is Christian and believe the Bible is the real inspired word of God, yet there is (as i see it) absolutely no proof of any such thing.
I see the Bible no different than any other book (written by man).
I understand that it's more than one book and has many authors, written thousands of years ago, but my point is that we can compare it, side by side, to any other book or text of philosophy, history, psychology, fiction, non-fiction, etc.. and it's still
just a book.

So I suppose the point is how and/or why do believers claim that the Bible is inspired by "God" with no evidence?
Maybe this is where you need faith?

Please reply and post your opinions and excuse me if I'm running circles.
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It is interesting to see the number of threads and posts the speak of "the Bible." The first question that always comes to mind when I read questions like yours is Which Bible? The so-called Bible now comes in so many different variations - translations - each with significant contextual, doctronical differences, yes even theological differences. Making "judgments" about "the Bible" just does not seem to make any sense ....
 
V

Vile Atheist

Loud and Obnoxious
DadBurnett said:
It is interesting to see the number of threads and posts the speak of "the Bible." The first question that always comes to mind when I read questions like yours is Which Bible? The so-called Bible now comes in so many different variations - translations - each with significant contextual, doctronical differences, yes even theological differences. Making "judgments" about "the Bible" just does not seem to make any sense ....
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That's no problem, bucko. They're all equally invalid.
 
A

Abstruse

New Member
The first question that always comes to mind when I read questions like yours is Which Bible? The so-called Bible now comes in so many different variations - translations - each with significant contextual, doctronical differences, yes even theological differences. Making "judgments" about "the Bible" just does not seem to make any sense... - DadBurnett
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Yes, very true. That's another good point, which I believe shows how ambiguous the Bible really is.
However, I'm reading from and referring to the New Living Translation Bible, sometimes along with a Commentary, once radio-program made 5-part series book (that my father introduced me to) called Thru The Bible, by James Vernon McGee.
I've read many books from the Bible (NLT or King James Version) without ever using other-source commentary.

But I wonder at times how Biblical Scholars or Doctors like J.Vernon McGee have come to their own conclusions (of verses) without ruining the integrity of, or superimposing more into the message than there really is. Like for instance, I feel that his commentary (In Genesis) leads to assumptions of or imposes some scientific-findings into the message or scripture, that are not evident or are so ambiguous that almost anything could apply to the verse. I suppose this is why we have multiple versions or translations of the Bible and so many different levels of interpretation.
Kind of how Astrology works? Some messages can apply to anyone or anything.

- If anyone knows about J.Vernon McGee or has any interesting information regarding him, please drop a line. :)
 
DadBurnett

DadBurnett

Instigator
Abstruse said:
Yes, very true. That's another good point, which I believe shows how ambiguous the Bible really is.
However, I'm reading from and referring to the New Living Translation Bible, sometimes along with a Commentary, once radio-program made 5-part series book (that my father introduced me to) called Thru The Bible, by James Vernon McGee.
I've read many books from the Bible (NLT or King James Version) without ever using other-source commentary.

But I wonder at times how Biblical Scholars or Doctors like J.Vernon McGee have come to their own conclusions (of verses) without ruining the integrity of, or superimposing more into the message than there really is. Like for instance, I feel that his commentary (In Genesis) leads to assumptions of or imposes some scientific-findings into the message or scripture, that are not evident or are so ambiguous that almost anything could apply to the verse. I suppose this is why we have multiple versions or translations of the Bible and so many different levels of interpretation.
Kind of how Astrology works? Some messages can apply to anyone or anything.

- If anyone knows about J.Vernon McGee or has any interesting information regarding him, please drop a line. :)
Click to expand...

Kind of how Astrology works? Some messages can apply to anyone or anything???
Have you ever read Issac Asimov's views on Astrology? It is reputed to be an ancient "science" rooted in the relative positions of the planets, stars, etc. He notes that when these relationships were first "charted" the relative position of things were vastly different that they now are. Everything in the cosmos has shifted, galaxies (and stars) have moved, some have been destroyed ... relationships have changed. He asks, how can calculations based on ever changing relationships have any validity. Yes, I know that astrology strives to calculate positional relationships between planets and bodies in our solar system, but the relational assumnptions of the original astrologers are no longer valid ...
 
Autodidact

Autodidact

Intentionally Blank
Molly8 said:
Yes the bible is credible there is no doubting the fact because it is divine and inspirational to many.
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How do you know it's divine?

Do you think that everything the bible says is literally true, that it really happened as described?
 
Just_me_Mike

Just_me_Mike

Well-Known Member
Abstruse said:
Hello everyone, I've been slowly reading debates on here for some months now and am very interested in science/religion. This will be my first go at a post so bare with me.

My main question right now has to do with Christianity and the credibility of the Bible. Most of my family is Christian and believe the Bible is the real inspired word of God, yet there is (as i see it) absolutely no proof of any such thing.
I see the Bible no different than any other book (written by man).
I understand that it's more than one book and has many authors, written thousands of years ago, but my point is that we can compare it, side by side, to any other book or text of philosophy, history, psychology, fiction, non-fiction, etc.. and it's still
just a book.

So I suppose the point is how and/or why do believers claim that the Bible is inspired by "God" with no evidence?
Maybe this is where you need faith?

Please reply and post your opinions and excuse me if I'm running circles.
Click to expand...
The bible is only as authentic as your heart allows it to be. Really meditate on that for a while.
This is actually what the bible teaches. Where your treasure is, there you will find your heart as well.

So if the promises of the bible don't do it for you, than you will never feel right reading it.

Good luck!
 
A

Abstruse

New Member
Have you ever read Issac Asimov's views on Astrology? - DadBurnett
Click to expand...

Actually, Isaac Asimov is on my list of authors to read.
I've only watched some interviews of him, pretty interesting.
 
Just_me_Mike

Just_me_Mike

Well-Known Member
Mestemia said:
What exactly does this mean?
Originally Posted by itwillend
The bible is only as authentic as your heart allows it to be.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I guess it seems pretty self-evident. I will try to simplify it more, but it is already reduced about as small as it can go.

Ummm... The bible teaches that wherever your treasure in life is, or whatever you value the most, is also the place you will truly find your heart, or your most earnest desires.
So, if in your heart you feel the bible is not authentic, you will never be able to hang your life on what the bible teaches. Which goes back to the OP.
So when an individual can find that the words in the bible hold the key to sustaining ones life on into eternity, that one would not trade that for anything on Earth. Hence the bible is only as authentic as your heart allows it to be.


What do you mean by "never feel right reading it"?
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One can read the bible as literature and nothing more. Always skeptical of those that believe it to be holy. Yet, they may find something of worth in the bible, they will never feel right about many things in the bible, because they simply don't believe it.

Hope that answered your questions.
Later...
 
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