why a bible?

[sky cake]

God deosn't need to do that. But we seem to need to explain God to ourselves.
"Code" is the best we can come up with, using verbage that is inadequate to the task.

so you dont see the problem with all the branched off religions that happen because the bibles vageness? dont you find it funny that men cant seem to get that understanding from god alone, but thay have to have religion and some form of religious indocternation.

 

[sojourner]

so you dont see the problem with all the branched off religions that happen because the bibles vageness? dont you find it funny that men cant seem to get that understanding from god alone, but thay have to have religion and some form of religious indocternation.

No. It merely celebrates the great diversity with which we were created. It also shows that God is multi-faceted, and that the Bible is polyvalent. None of those things are bad things.

I don't think it's funny at all. God works through our relationships. Therefore, we gain our greatest understanding of God through relationship. Religion is a form of relationship.

 

[sky cake]

No. It merely celebrates the great diversity with which we were created. It also shows that God is multi-faceted, and that the Bible is polyvalent. None of those things are bad things.

I don't think it's funny at all. God works through our relationships. Therefore, we gain our greatest understanding of God through relationship. Religion is a form of relationship.

your wrong
your god has a lot to answer for his religion and bible.

 

[sojourner]

your wrong
your god has a lot to answer for his religion and bible.

Not "his" religion.
Not "his" Bible, either.
They're both products of human design.

Ina any case,
To whom would God answer?!

 

[sky cake]

sojouner ar you god?

 

[sky cake]

prove to me that your not really god.

 

[sky cake]

can you tell the diffrence from god and the devil? can you explain how?

 

[imaginaryme]

Show me any 2000+ year old written source of history that isn't "full of holes".

I think it's funny that the people who are least likely to think God had a hand in writting this thing are the most likely to insist it be perfect.

My former Penguin Classics Edition of Caesar's adventures in Gaul carried this imprint - fourth edition.

 

[imaginaryme]

can you tell the diffrence from god and the devil? can you explain how?

Can you tell the difference between spouting a personal Dogma and becoming involved in a meaningful debate? Do you perhaps understand that standing firm in your righteousness is the same flavor of sin you "accuse the other side" of committing? Bible says - fear God - I understand what that means. Do you?

How about this? You are absolutely correct - I am totally wrong, I am an ignorant sheeperson merely regurgitating the spoon-fed dogma of my minister. Let us suppose that the Bible is nothing more than "a modern encyclopedia of ancient superstitious beliefs," as some historians contend - and see if we can agree to an answer regarding the simple question forwarded by the title of this thread - why a bible?

Let us first agree to what we are actually debating. The book currently sitting next to me all silent and non-hostile like has engraved on its cover - Holy Bible. If such is the article of contention, and if such is nothing more than a thousand-year old work of straight fiction; if 2.4 billion of my fellow human beings call this the Actual Word of God, it just seems to me to be a matter of "common human decency" to try to understand their book - before "repeating the errors of history" and going on a crusade.

My Bible didn't kill nobody, didn't cause no trouble, is no more "inherently dangerous" than any other form of written word... but let us contend that again, I am wrong; you are right, and you said exactly what you mean by not capitalizing the letter b.

My bible then becomes Jane Austin's Emma - the single greatest book ever written - and to question that dogma is to question my faith... let us back away from that dangerous precipice before there is jihad and unnecessary bloodshed. Bible says - fear God. I understand what that means. Do you?

 

[sojourner]

Some have felt so pushed by those who thump the Bible, who hate sin more than they love God, who feel it is their religious duty to point out the errors of others, stand in judgment of them, and curl their lips with derision at the slightest doubt or question of the given dogma, that they feel all they can do is shove everyone who remotely looks like one of those folks under the wheels of the bus.

Some have gotten the wrong idea of what constitutes Xy from these zealots, and then hope to sweep all Xians under the rug and stomp on them, because, in their mind, Xy is an ugly, ugly thing that is not worthy of existence.

And there are some who wear those clothes and pretend those sentiments just to play with our heads.

 

[sky cake]

define "to fear god" please.

 

[sky cake]

Can you tell the difference between spouting a personal Dogma and becoming involved in a meaningful debate? Do you perhaps understand that standing firm in your righteousness is the same flavor of sin you "accuse the other side" of committing? Bible says - fear God - I understand what that means. Do you?

How about this? You are absolutely correct - I am totally wrong, I am an ignorant sheeperson merely regurgitating the spoon-fed dogma of my minister. Let us suppose that the Bible is nothing more than "a modern encyclopedia of ancient superstitious beliefs," as some historians contend - and see if we can agree to an answer regarding the simple question forwarded by the title of this thread - why a bible?

Let us first agree to what we are actually debating. The book currently sitting next to me all silent and non-hostile like has engraved on its cover - Holy Bible. If such is the article of contention, and if such is nothing more than a thousand-year old work of straight fiction; if 2.4 billion of my fellow human beings call this the Actual Word of God, it just seems to me to be a matter of "common human decency" to try to understand their book - before "repeating the errors of history" and going on a crusade.

My Bible didn't kill nobody, didn't cause no trouble, is no more "inherently dangerous" than any other form of written word... but let us contend that again, I am wrong; you are right, and you said exactly what you mean by not capitalizing the letter b.

My bible then becomes Jane Austin's Emma - the single greatest book ever written - and to question that dogma is to question my faith... let us back away from that dangerous precipice before there is jihad and unnecessary bloodshed. Bible says - fear God. I understand what that means. Do you?

please define what you think the fear of god means

 

[sky cake]

are you going t reply?

 

[Charity]

are you going t reply?

Can anyone play or is it a private game?......

 

[sky cake]

yes by all means play with it.

 

[sky cake]

come on play with it

 

[Charity]

Excuse me but I thought that you were waiting on the other person that was posting to answer your question and I was just wondering if I could join in.....

The answer I was going to give about the fear of God is a reverent fear.
As one would fear a father figure like respect or honor.....As an example as a child I respected my father so I was humbled by the fact that he was a person of authority and could chastise me as well as reward me. Unfortunately I wasn't always the recipient of a reward.....

 

[sky cake]

Excuse me but I thought that you were waiting on the other person that was posting to answer your question and I was just wondering if I could join in.....

The answer I was going to give about the fear of God is a reverent fear.
As one would fear a father figure like respect or honor.....As an example as a child I respected my father so I was humbled by the fact that he was a person of authority and could chastise me as well as reward me. Unfortunately I wasn't always the recipient of a reward.....

yes please join in

fear is an emotion, and emotions are subject to the cemistry in our bodys, no body no fear. there are types of fear, inate, that we are born with, and learned fears that we expearance. if god being real, be the creator of fear, should also be the supplyer. if god wants us to know him the bible is a poor way to express that love, it is a poor instructor, it is draged through translation and edit, and diped in dogma and denomanation. packaged and prepped and still the vast majority that read the bible dont understand it. man is to vested in to himself to love god. and god is to man some being that must be bowed to, and virgins sacroficed to. our interface with god is flawed, we dont even understand each other. and in the end fear makes us plad the odds, so we hope, and in our hope we offer up to hope/god what we think he wants, like cane. beliving that we could understand god. and when the reason in you says that god should love you as he made you, your cane kills you able reason. and you are doomed to were the mark of religion all the days of your life. fear will make you kill, and sacrofice others. we can offer god nothing, to him we are like snowflakes to a fire. religion creates intolerance, it seprated us to cause us to harm each other. it is the bringer of hate and death. it is the maker of pride, and high mindedness. it is the excuse for good people to do bad things. why would a father give his childrun such a painful and evil thing as religion. why a vage bible to be use as a wepon.

 

[Charity]

God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind
I don't want to be a bible thumper but I have to totally hold fast to this scripture.
Fear is not an emotion for me, it's not even a word in my vocabulary.....

 

[IF_u_knew]

define "to fear god" please.

Hello from another Texan

I actually am a bit nervous to answer publicly right now as I am going through my own questions and don't want to confuse anyone or even myself (though I still love to read the threads) ...

however, a while ago I came across some passages in Proverbs that I found interesting that define this question of yours rather clearly ... at least, I think so.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

(for me, I have to admit that this struck me personally ... not the pride and arrogancy of others, but that which might be in me as we all tend toward loving our own views and perhaps a bit too much .. then, if I don't pay attention because I am too focused on getting my own ideas "out there," I could miss out on something that someone else brings forth that could benefit me in life)

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

The latter part has yet to be seen for me ... and then that could, I suppose, be because I have yet to reach the state of true humililty ... again: (Could I blame it on being of the Irish bloodline, I wonder?)

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

This, I *can* testify to! I don't have time to dwell on the things I can't POSSIBLY know and besides, I am far too interested in Life to give too much thought or worry over to what will happen to me when I die and thus far, though I have indeed struggled in my "adult life," I have to say that I have yet to be visited with evil and have rather been blessed in life. I am satisfied ultimately having accepted each thing that comes to me, even the things hard to take (very hard as of lately), as a lesson.

That, thus far, is what I have found in regards to the Fear of God in the Bible. That it is awareness of Life which is truly an awesome thing, no? When I was in Christianity, the focus was "life after death" and that did nothing for me except to keep me in ignorance of Life. Then the lack of knowledge of/in death is actually testified of in the Tanach, Ecclesiastes 9:10 ... I rather agree. Anyway, that is what the Tanach says in regards to the fear of God (though it could certainly say more ... only that these are the places I have personally found).