Not sure if you as a Christian agree with this, but, a lot of Christians I met say that the Bible is tainted severely by interpretation, translation, etc. and that any errors found in it are due to humans perverting it.
The Bible's a pretty old book, so it seems likely that throughout history it changed.
If you believe the Bible has gotten far off track from the originals, doesn't that mean it lost much of its value, even as the word of God?
Why not reboot the message? Why doesn't God influence another Bible to be written? If the Bible has been smeared by the ignorance of man, wouldn't it be much harder to seek the truth and understand God?
Can you really rely on the Bible for a path to salvation when this path revealed in the Bible could be way off?
I guess I'm a bit different from many of those who frequent this particular topic. I was brought up in a "Christian" home and also went to church as an adult. However, I began to do some very extensive research into early Christian history and when I discovered how the Bible became the Bible (i.e., who decided which books to keep and which to ban) I realized that the Bible was put together by humans. If you want to read up on this try Elaine Pagels books, they are excellent and there are many others too. While the Bible may have some accurate history it has been and continues to be interpreted in many different ways, depending on who is doing the interpreting and what brand of "Christianity" they follow, i.e., Catholic, Methodist, etc. etc. And yes, from my research I believe it has gotten off track.
Does that mean it has lost much of its value? Not totally. I think with all the archeological findings and the Nag Hammadi discoveries it has lost some of its clout. However, I do believe that the Bible contains some good concepts about how we might conduct our lives...namely treat others as you would like them to treat you.
Why not reboot the message? There are many books that have been written in current times that shed new light on the topics covered in the Bible. One set of books, Conversations with God is particularly good, in my opinion. There are others. The books I find most interesting on the topic, however, are those that provide scientific proof that there is a 'field' for lack of a better word, that surrounds and connects us all. Quantum physics is now proving that consciousness lives on after the body dies and those books too are available. I think they are providing the message that Jesus taught, that life is eternal. However, they are doing it in modern language, with modern tools. There is a ton of literature on these and other topics that can provide information on spiritual matters. Interestingly, some of this information comes from a couple of astronauts who went to the moon.
If the Bible has been smeared by the ignorance of man, wouldn't it be much harder to seek the truth and understand God? I think God can be known with or without the Bible. I actually find many paths to God that have nothing to do with the Bible. For example, contemplating how bees work and how we need them for our survival and what miracles they are...after all, they are not supposed to be able to fly, aerodynamically. I don't need a Bible to know that, just two eyes, a brain and an openness to see God in his creation. I connect with God through music, my grandkids, a beautiful mountain scene and a thousand other things. Sometimes just looking up at the beautiful blue sky makes me aware of a Source so powerful and loving that I am assured of a loving God.
Can you really rely on the Bible for a path to salvation when this path revealed in the Bible could be way off?
I don't rely on the Bible for a path to salvation. I rely on God, although I wouldn't consider salvation necessary. I happen to believe in a God of love who simply would not condemn people because they didn't believe the stories in a book. I think each person needs to find their own path and walk it without fear of a God who has been painted as a monster, throwing people into a lake of fire. I don't believe in that kind of God, although I once did. I am so thankful that I no longer have to live in that space. I much prefer my God, who loves us all and cares for us all.
And before anyone asks "Well, what about people like Hitler," here's my answer. Hitler was an evil man. He did terrible things. He has had to deal with God and I think he has put himself in a dark, dark place where God's light is very dim. I think he can eventually, with assistance, move slowly out of that place and become a more loving being. I guess that's my version of 'hell', 'a dark place away from God's light. But I don't believe you avoid that place by believing the Bible...or someone's interpretation of it.
