The Bible: as it relates to you, me and everyone else
By cyntrow
@cyntrow (8523)
United States
May 20, 2008 12:20pm CST
I commented on an article at Associated Content and Found myself pouring my heart out. I wanted to share it with everyone and see your thoughts. For the record, I believe that all people are worthy regardless of their spiritual path and I believe that the God that I worship also feels this. Even if he didn't, I still would. Here was my response:
For my personal opinion on the Bible, it is a great guide to humanity. It contains everything that we should do in order to live our lives in a civil society. I also believe that It was inspired by God, but not kept in check by God. Every translation and interpretation says something different. The NIV, for instance, contains over 60,000 documented cases of omissions, deletions and alterations from the original script. The Book has been translated, re-translated, interpreted, re-interpreted, too many times to still be called God's word.
It has been scientifically proven that a flood never covered the entire earth. This is just one example of many. I believe that God gave us a brain with which to ask questions and find answers. We have an obligation to seek understanding. He does tell us, but not through the book. The Bible has been corrupted by man's hands. Generally, this corruption is not intentional. But it is still corrupted. Prayer and common sense are the only things to get us from the pages in the book, to God's true word.
That was the reply. THe fact and the problem is that none of us here in the 21st century lived in biblical times. Many things that were important then are not important today. Eating pork and shellfish were condemned because it was UNHEALTHY. No ancient man could cook a lobster and make certain that it was safe. There was not the capablility to cook shellfish to the point where parasites were not a probability. Same with pork. Just 2 examples.
Rules were made for a reason. With every law, modern man should seek a reason behind the laws. God doesn't condemn us for asking why. He gave us a brain. Let's use it.
7 people like this
12 responses
@TrinaD72 (47)
•
20 May 08
Im a catholic but im not very religious, i don't go to church, i rarely pray, i've nearly disobeyed every one of the ten camanments(i haven't killed anyone... yet lol) and i don't follow the bible. It's to old fashioned for me to follow, and going to church every single day takes to much time. I rather have no religion and follow no god.
2 people like this
@jillbeth (2705)
• United States
20 May 08
I can understand your point, nothing against Catholicism, but I think it is too full of man-made rituals. My former pastor, of a non-denominational church, was raised in a Catholic home, sent to Catholic school, but was never encouraged to read the Bible! He turned away from God but found him again years later. Too many people think they are saved by simply going to church, but it is a personal relationship with our Savior that matters! I believe there will be many people who spend every available minute in church who will find themselves in a very fiery place and wonder how they got there, and there will be many people in Heaven who never stepped foot inside a church.
1 person likes this
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
20 May 08
What most people do not know is that were three or more is gather constitute a church. What we are calling church is actual a building- A place for worship. Catholic worshipping is total against the rules of God. Remember that they were the ones pressuring the poor with more taxes. Pilate was a catholic remember this too.
2 people like this
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
20 May 08
Having fellowship is good. Yes there are persons who try to translate the bible and try to simplify it the best they can and make a mess of it. There are scientist who are trying to denied the existence of GOD and by doing this they tell us that the flood didn't happen. Christianity is faith and as long as you have faith and believe there is a God you will see the truth.
2 people like this
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
20 May 08
Yes God give us brain to use but not to use it foolishly. Scientist that are going around talking bullsh't will one day meet the maker. Satan is out there confusing people and alot of them are falling because of this.
1 person likes this
@jillbeth (2705)
• United States
20 May 08
I believe the Bible is the word of God, but I don't take a literal view. Perhaps the entire world was never flooded, but we know that much of it was underwater at one time. Many ancient cultures have legends of the flooding of the world, too, not just Christians.
I also have an issue with a literal seven-day creation. Time is a concept invented by man, and the bible says a thousand years is as a day to God, or something to that effect. I don't see why creation and evolution couldn't co-exist.
There is much archeological evidence that the Bible is historically true. For instance, when the remains of Jericho were uncovered, it was discovered that the walls had indeed fallen outward, just as the Bible describes. Normally, if walls are destroyed by an enemy, they would be in crumbled piles, not falling straight outward!
Too many Christians accept what they are taught, instead of reading the Bible for themselves and asking God to guide them to wisdom and knowledge. There are many misconceptions that even devout Christians believe and pass on to future generations just because they haven't read the Word for themselves.
I guess what really matters is not whether we agree the Bible is historically or literally true, whether the world was created in seven days or millions of years, but that it is the inspired word of God, and that Jesus Christ is Lord!
1 person likes this
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
20 May 08
Much of the bible has been shown to be historically accurate. Much has been shown otherwise. But that is only a part of my point. As a Christian woman, I do not base my faith on a book that is factually inaccurate. I base my faith on something that I believe in my heart. I feel God's presence. And I don't feel that He is a jerk, like the Bible makes him out to be.
I agree. People need to read for themselves and decide in their hearts what is right. They also need to use the brain that God gave them
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
21 May 08
Very well stated. God did give us a brain to reason with and to question. We were given free will in order to make up our own mind on things. We are not meant to follow blindly.
Many, many years ago it was not allowed for anyone but the priest to read the bible. The priests did not want people to read it and then to think about what was actually written. It was thought that they might not then blindly accept what the priests and the Pope stated. It was only after the bible was reproduced and society had access to it that we started to have the many divisions of Christianity. It is because we were now in control of our own beliefs, just as we always should have been.
1 person likes this
@mmiller26 (1930)
• Canada
20 May 08
This sort of corresponds to something I was just saying in one of my other discussions, so I'll repost what I said.
"Christ's message of peace was pretty clear. And people forget that the bible was written by man, supposedly under divine guidance. But it was written by man, who are biased and have their own agendas and tend to make laws that correspond to that particular society at that particular point in time."
As you say, the bible has been corrupted by man's hands. Five people can read the same passages and interpret it five different ways. And over time those interpretations have been revised and corrected until what the bible actually said back in the very beginning isn't what we read today. Furthermore, the bible was written initially by men who were supposedly given "divine guidance". Who were these people, and how was their divinity proven? I could say "God talks to me personally." And you couldn't refute that, because how do you know he doesn't? Although if I tried to say that God told me I should sacrifice my child in order to prove my love for God, I'd likely be locked up for a good long time.
The bible's messages, by and large, are good metaphors for how we should live our lives. But I don't feel they are historical fact. And I think a lot of things simply aren't relevant to our society because so many things have changed.
2 people like this
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
20 May 08
I agree, and I loved that statement. People who worship the bible tend to scare me. These are the people who are bombing abortion clinics and gay bars in the name of God.
Do people not realize that Charles Manson used the bible to justify what he did? He was convinced that he and his followers would be the 144,000 mentioned in revelations. His intent was to start armegeddon(sp) and then go into hiding until the world was gone.
God doesn't talk to me. But he gave me a brain to use. I do read the bible, but I also take it with a grain of common sense. I'm not a robot. Many Christians are not, but the robots have the louder voices.
3 people like this
@novataylor (6570)
• United States
20 May 08
I very much believe in god, whatever one might choose to call him/it. I feel that presence within myself and I see it in others, so I can't doubt its existence. I just know what I know. I don't call myself a christian and I didn't have much exposure to church when I was growing up. But I did have a spiritual/religious experience when I was 13 years old. I made a choice then to take the side of good and I've lived my life around that choice. But the bible? I see it pretty much the same way as you do, Cyntrow. I've never read it in total, but I've read bits and pieces and I've seen myriad quotes from it and heard its words. Some of those things are so right, so self-evident, but the majority of what I've heard just doesn't make any sense to me. All the writing and re-writing, and the fallibility of the people who did the writing pretty much nullify any truth that it might once have had. People use their bibles to justify evil. How can I revere those bibles or have any respect for the people who use them so? I'm a good person and I'm hugely blessed in this life. I do my very best to make my little corner of the world a better and more loving place, brighter, with more hope and generosity. I agree with the chrisitan bible's golden rule and its ten commandments, but not much else.
Your discussion is so well written and reasonable, Cyn. I don't normally go within a mile of discussions of this nature, but this one called me and didn't frighten me off. That's a real rarity. Thank you.
1 person likes this
Amen, sister.
@wayz12 (2059)
• United States
20 May 08
I have read the Bible, and I will be the first to agree that it has not reached our hands in its original form. Due to the many translations, many things have been taken away or mistranslated. Furthermore, because of the importance of the book, its different versions have been manipulated to support whatever political purposes the powers to be at that moment has.
As for whether you think it is the word of God, I leave that to you and your faith. Still, I think, that the book has plenty to offer. The teachings of Christ alone is powerful enough to propagate a better world if mankind will only apply them. The stories retold are exciting and fun, and the poetry of the psalms and the book of solomon is beautiful. Wise advice propagate in Proverbs.
So, believer or not, I think the Bible has plenty to offer.
1 person likes this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
20 May 08
Cyn, I believe you have stated this as heartfelt and as honest as I have ever read. I agree with ever point you make here. I wish more people would educate themselves and not take a religious leaders opinion as their own. We gain so much more enlightenment when we ask the questions I believe God wants us to ask. That is why we were given free will. Not to swallow organized political religion, but a simple walk and way of life.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
24 May 08
" G-d doesn't condemn us for asking why. he gave us a brain. Let's use it."I couldn't agree with you more.The freedom to ask why is one of the reasons I am Jewish. We are welcomed , even urged to question.I love that.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
21 May 08
Thanks so much, Cyn, for once again doing what you do so well and that's taking a touchy subject that can and does get rather thorny at times and inserting some common sense and logic into it! God certainly did give us a brain and I'm sure he intended for us to use it to its full potential but some people seem to think we're not supposed to think at all about spiritual and religious matters. I'm sure we've all heard that if God gives us a special talent or ability and we fail to use it and cultivate it he'll take it away; shouldn't that apply to our intelligence and ability to reason? To me one of the most frustrating things is when someone tells me I'm not supposed to ask why but to just accept whatever God has chosen to do to me or for me and/or my loved ones, but I DO question why and I won't stop questioning why and I think God knows that and understands it. Personally, I don't accept everything in the Bible literally; I don't criticize or disrespect those who do, I simply do not. I know what I believe in my own heart and I know I'm a good and caring person even though I'm no longer a faithful member of a church who attends every Sunday, in fact I haven't attended church in several decades. Thanks for a great post!
Annie
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
21 May 08
2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." That's the NIV that is supposedly so different than the "real" Bible - which some call the KJV. That says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." As you can see, there isn't really much difference there.
I believe both are correct. Scripture is God-breathed and Scripture is given by inspiration by God. Most of the historical things in the Bible can be shown in secular history. (Do not think the DaVinci Code is proof of anything. It's not. It's a fictional book.)
As a Christian who has been a writer since childhood, both for fun and for profit, I know how it feels to sit down and feel God's inspiration to write. I know that many times I have been merely the instrument and not the writer, and when I have finished and read the words, I was amazed. Having had that experience myself, I can never doubt that God provided the words for the writers in the Bible.
