Why the Bible?

[Beaudreaux]

Whenever I talk to Christians about....well, almost anything, they refer to the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. If you are a Christian reading this, I am curious why you selected the Bible to believe in? You were not born believing this, so there must have been a time in your life when you didn't believe the Bible was God's Word. What caused you to start believing in the Bible over other texts that claim to be holy?

 

[Scuba Pete]

The scriptures never claim to be "the authoritative Word of God". In fact, they never claim to be perfect either. Both of these extra-Biblical concepts come from men deifying the Scriptures into being something far more than God ever intended. In their haste to appear "pious" they have missed the point of the Gospels entirely, exchanging the FREEDOM we have in Christ for a man made legalism. It's sad and needless, really.

 

[Mister Emu]

The scriptures never claim to be "the authoritative Word of God".

They do claim to be "God-breathed" and good for doctrine, reproof, and instruction in righteousness...

As for the OP... I have little choice, as I have had experiences with the God of the Bible...

 

[Scuba Pete]

They do claim to be "God-breathed" and good for doctrine, reproof, and instruction in righteousness...

As for the OP... I have little choice, as I have had experiences with the God of the Bible...

God breathed is a fancy word for "inspired". You have not refuted my assertion, and I would suggest that there are no scriptures that do refute it.

For a GREAT Biblical synopsis on what (or rather who) the Word of God is... I suggest you read the first chapter of the Gospel of John. It's pretty clear.

 

[Mister Emu]

God breathed is a fancy word for "inspired". You have not refuted my assertion, and I would suggest that there are no scriptures that do refute it.

I never intended to refute that the Bible is not the Word of God... that is Jesus

 

[HoldemDB9]

To believe in the Bible you need to choose to have faith in it. Why would you choose to have faith in something for which there is no evidence? Because they want to, simple as that.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Why would you choose to have faith in something for which there is no evidence?

No evidence? You may reject the evidence, or simply ignore it, but it exists.

 

[Beaudreaux]

No evidence? You may reject the evidence, or simply ignore it, but it exists.

Well, you can't put that out there and leave us hanging. What is the evidence that the Bible is God's inspired Word?

 

[Scuba Pete]

Well, you can't put that out there and leave us hanging. What is the evidence that the Bible is God's inspired Word?

There are many evidences that the Bible is inspired by God. However, I don't believe the scriptures to be God's inspired Word. Jesus is the Word become Flesh. Again, reading the first chapter of the Gospel of John would clarify this for you.

 

[MEMNOCK]

Whenever I talk to Christians about....well, almost anything, they refer to the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. If you are a Christian reading this, I am curious why you selected the Bible to believe in? You were not born believing this, so there must have been a time in your life when you didn't believe the Bible was God's Word. What caused you to start believing in the Bible over other texts that claim to be holy?

Well Beaudreaux, I can give you some insight on this topic. Speaking from someone who use to be brainwashed by the biblical propaganda. It all stems from fear programmed in by their environment. It is the way our society is designed. First they help in the creation of your fears then they play on them. Then they offer you a way to make them all go away...The Bible. Most people who fall into this don't break away from it. They loss all ability to think for themselves. The only answers that they have anymore is what they learn from the book. It is actually very sad.

 

[Scuba Pete]

It is actually very sad.

What is sad is that you have ascribed YOUR sad situation to every person who believes in Scripture. While your experience may be far from unique, it is NOT universal and you should realize that. Not everyone believes out of some abject fear, and I find that notion preposterous.

 

[MEMNOCK]

What is sad is that you have ascribed YOUR sad situation to every person who believes in Scripture. While your experience may be far from unique, it is NOT universal and you should realize that. Not everyone believes out of some abject fear, and I find that notion preposterous.

Ok Scuba, the reason you follow the bible is do to the fact that you want to get into heaven and not burn in hell. It is the basic concept that we are taught as children...punishment/reward system...If you are good, the biblical "god" will reward you... If you are bad, the biblical "god" will punish you. It is quite simple for someone not controlled by simple religious constraints to understand. I am not saying that the bible doesn't have good moral concepts, you just have to realize that it is just that, a moral fable.

 

[Wandered Off]

To believe in the Bible you need to choose to have faith in it. Why would you choose to have faith in something for which there is no evidence? Because they want to, simple as that.

If it truly were as "simple as that," then you would be able to sincerely believe anything you 'know' to be absurd.

Suppose I claim that every movement I make is the result of being pushed around by invisible control-freak badgers. Can you "choose" to believe that? Even for a few minutes? You could claim to, but I don't think you could choose that sincere belief.

At best, we have influence over our beliefs by acting as gatekeepers of information we receive, but otherwise, beliefs are outside our direct, conscious control.

This is yet another reason the sola fide doctrine fails. Being punished for what is outside our control would be unjust.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

For the record, not everybody who believes in Christ and the Bible follows it!

I'm Baha'i, and although we recognize the Bible as scriptural, we follow our own scriptures (which amount to roughly 200 volumes) as newer, basically, more reliable Divine Guidance.

Muslims, of course, also recognize Christ, though unlike us they tend to disparage the Bible.

Regards,

Bruce

 

[Heneni]

Ok Scuba, the reason you follow the bible is do to the fact that you want to get into heaven and not burn in hell. It is the basic concept that we are taught as children...punishment/reward system...If you are good, the biblical "god" will reward you... If you are bad, the biblical "god" will punish you. It is quite simple for someone not controlled by simple religious constraints to understand. I am not saying that the bible doesn't have good moral concepts, you just have to realize that it is just that, a moral fable.

It was gods idea to get his children into heaven. So even if christians read the bible and do good deeds, the descision to award eternal life to them and to give them a heavenly home was not their idea. So you cant exactly say to them...'you read the bible because you want to get into heaven'....like that is what will get them there. What makes a christian go to heaven is god. That was HIS idea.

heneni

 

[Scuba Pete]

Ok Scuba, the reason you follow the bible is do to the fact that you want to get into heaven and not burn in hell.

Wow... you couldn't be MORE wrong. Again, while your situation is not unique, it's fallacious to think that everyone thinks like you. In fact, it's quite ego-centric and myopic to conclude that we all possess your failed image of God and the Scriptures.

 

[HoldemDB9]

If it truly were as "simple as that," then you would be able to sincerely believe anything you 'know' to be absurd.

Suppose I claim that every movement I make is the result of being pushed around by invisible control-freak badgers. Can you "choose" to believe that? Even for a few minutes? You could claim to, but I don't think you could choose that sincere belief.

At best, we have influence over our beliefs by acting as gatekeepers of information we receive, but otherwise, beliefs are outside our direct, conscious control.

This is yet another reason the sola fide doctrine fails. Being punished for what is outside our control would be unjust.

I know its not just as simple as what I said, I was being sarcastic because this is what Christians believe - and they have to believe it, otherwise they would be agreeing that non-Christians non-belief is involuntary. And obviously God cannot punish us for something that was involuntary.

You should talk to some Christians around here about this. Some of them (dawny, lindsey loo, mister emu) just cannot get it into their skulls that having a non-belief in Christianity is not voluntary. Of course they have to keep apparently believing this though, otherwise Christianity wouldn't make sense. But, even if we can choose which religion to truly believe in, whether or not we are right is still nothing but pure luck.

So Christians, do you believe that God punishes and rewards based on whether or not we got lucky?

 

[Charity]

I know its not just as simple as what I said, I was being sarcastic because this is what Christians believe - and they have to believe it, otherwise they would be agreeing that non-Christians non-belief is involuntary. And obviously God cannot punish us for something that was involuntary.

You should talk to some Christians around here about this. Some of them (dawny, lindsey loo, mister emu) just cannot get it into their skulls that having a non-belief in Christianity is not voluntary. Of course they have to keep apparently believing this though, otherwise Christianity wouldn't make sense. But, even if we can choose which religion to truly believe in, whether or not we are right is still nothing but pure luck.

So Christians, do you believe that God punishes and rewards based on whether or not we got lucky?

Sorry, but "luck" has nothing to do with punishment or rewards.

 

[HoldemDB9]

Sorry, but "luck" has nothing to do with punishment or rewards.

Not according to Christianity.

 

[lunamoth]

Hi Holdem,

Just to illustrate, you think that if you were to come to the illustrated fork in the road, you would have no choice which path to take?