I just read a really super post about questioning the Bible. In order to correctly examine this controversial book, we need to open it for ourselves. It is amazing to me that people can bash the Bible so very much, and yet when you ask if they have actually opened it they can't say that they have. I can speak very personally when I say, I have read the Bible and it has literally changed my life and rocked my world. I find it pretty incredible that the Bible has been attacked so very much and yet it remains at the top of the best sellers list....for the past 2,000 years! I also find it pretty amazing that it is the most complete ancient manuscript witht the most copies of the original manuscript in all of history. I find it pretty incredible that thousands, if not millions (including my grandfather by the way) have died for this Book and the One and True God it talks about....I have heard it said that many will die for the truth, but not too many will die for a lie. I find it amazing that people have tried to prove this Book wrong, and yet it is only a matter of time before the evidence presents itself.
If you are questioning the Bible, read it. Please pick it up for yourself, examine it, ask questions. Also, read a book called The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. He was a man who set out on a journey to prove the Bible wrong. After talking to the most advanced Bible scholars and researching every avenue for himself, he could no longer deny the truth of God's Word. This Book literally changed his life. He had questions, but he discovered the answers and it lead him to the truth. Question the Bible all you want, but don't stop there. Find out the answers for yourself. It's all there. Check it out!
FICTION!
"I have heard it said that many will die for the truth, but not too many will die for a lie."
People will die for what they beleive to be the truth. That doesn't mean it is. If it did, every religion would be true. It would mean that the Societ Union was right. It would mean that the Nazis were right,
Wow, it's succesful. Big deal. For an incredibly long time it was one of the few, if not the only, book available to most people.
The bible- original? That's a laugh. Much of the bible, OT and NT were stories pilfered from other religions. And the bible itself has changed through translation and mistranslation and different interpretations.
What evidence presents itself for the truth of the bible? Can you present me with some of that evidence because I am unaware of it?
One last thing. A common theme in the blog seems to be the argument from age. It's lasted for so long, therefore it is right. Admittedly you add succesful to this argument, but it's still foolish. Also, how do you balance age and success? There are more Christians than Jews, but the Jews are 3000 years older. What about Hinduism? Smaller, but older?
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
I cannot argue all of these points in a mere blog entry....I suppose all I can do is share with you how the Bible and the God it talks about has changed my own life because I assure you, He has. But if I may suggest a book to you? The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel will be able to answer many of your questions and more. Question it; please don't attack it.
Bekka Joy
You could argue all these points in a mere blog if you wanted to. It's not all that many points. I've seen more argued. Hmm, what was that about atheists being lazy? The fact that you choose not to is interesting to me.
Personally, I enjoy attacking books. My favorite attack is the Throw at the Wall in Fury.
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
I would never say that atheists are lazy; in fact, I give them a lot of props. An atheist's faith is so much stronger than mine! I have faith that a supreme being created the world with a purpose; who created the world of the atheist? It takes quite a bit of faith to believe all the amazing, intricate details of life without the aid of a Creator! The mind of an atheist is also so much more independant than my own. I believe in the faithfulness and the promises of a Sovereign God. An atheist is without this hope, depending on oneself for everything. No, I would never imply that an atheist is lazy. I do however think that even atheists need to examine the Bible for themselves. If you question me, I am sure to not have all the answers...but I do know of Someone who does so you would be much better off questioning Him.
Bekka Joy
My apologies about the lazy atheist. That was someone else. Once again, my sincereist apologies. I checked quickly and misread. (I guess I was a little lazy :( )
However:
I don't think it takes very much faith to beleive in things like evolution. There is evidence for it. Good evidence, despite what the average creationist seems to think. I understand that the Big Bang Theory isn't in perfectly working order, but I find it easier to beleive in that than "In the Begining, God".
I do not rely on myself for everything. I rely on my fellow human beings.
As for asking god, he doesn't answer me.
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
or else i would have had to.
AliciaBear
but I can back you up. Yes, I am just another Christian. It is true that many people have died for it and false causes, but I would not only put the religion on the believers; what about the God they serve? Read about how merciful and just he is. Think about him as how he is presented in what we say are the scriptures. I believe completely in it, and can see how God has been working since the beginning of time to bring about his purposes. People may say that their religion is older, but does a belief in something automatically make it the right religion? Yes, hinduism's Vedas date back very far, but does that prove that it is the right religion? I think that there are stories in the Bible dating back from the beginning of time, no matter when they were written. Read and see. Don't trust in my word; look for yourself.
BTW, hi, Bekka! Nice to "meet" you.
-Kelsey
I couldn't have said it better myself, especially the comment "don't trust my word; look for yourself." Thanks and nice to meet you too!
Bekka Joy
Somehow, I think you missed my point. I was talking about the argument empoyed by missionminded about the age and success of the Christian Church. I was refuting that. I was showing it to be a ridiculous argument.
"but does a belief in something automatically make it the right religion?" Certainly not. Once again, I'm not the one who used that argument. That is an argument used in supporting god or Christianity. But so many people beleive in it. How can they all be wrong?
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
He was a man who set out on a journey to prove the Bible wrong. After talking to the most advanced Bible scholars and researching every avenue for himself, he could no longer deny the truth of God's Word.
Personally, I think he was out looking to prove the Bible right. At least in his book (The Case for Christ), he didn't research every avenue, just looked at different aspects of the stories in the Bible. There isn't a mention of countering viewpoints in there, and everyone he talked to was a Christian (or might as well have been... if you're a Messianic Jew, you're a Christian).
~C
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If you would look into the personal life of Lee Strobel, you would discover that he was an atheist prior to composing The Case for Christ. In setting out to prove the Bible wrong, he found more evidence for proving the Bible to be accurate.
Bekka Joy
He CLAIMS he was an atheist. He may have been in a way, but from his book, it seems like he was over-eager to be proved wrong.
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
May I kindly ask if you have ever read the book, studied his life, or even heard of him before my mention of him?
Bekka Joy
I have read a Case for Christ (I think that was the one I read, anyway). It had some interesting information in it, but everything was in support of Jesus. There wasn't a mention, beyond Strobel's own discussion, of any opposing viewpoints. If you're really looking to prove Jesus wrong, why don't you take what you hear from a Messianic Jew, and go talk to an Orthodox rabbi about it? That's the one that stood out most in my mind, so I can't remember very well what other people he talked to, but DB demonstrated that one thing someone mentioned (concerning the census that took place) was blatantly false, and he didn't even try to back it up.
I honestly think that he was trying to prove the Bible (or at least the NT) correct, despite his claim of being a hard atheist.
~C
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Just out of curiosity, what evidence do you have the Bible is completely correct without error?
I see myself personally as my own religion, I tend to take bits and pieces from various religions I look at and adapt them into my own, though that is not uncommon.
Just about every religion takes bits and pieces from ones that came before hand, which certainly includes Christianity. Just because you have faith in it, does not make it exempt from falsehoods or adaptions of previous stories. I will admit I do believe it has some of God's word in it, but I do not believe it infallible, nor do I believe it to be complete or the whole story. Look inside yourself before looking into a book that you are blindly putting faith in.
Step in cautiously, because diving may cause head injuries ;)
-Dan
I think that the reason the Bible is so radical is because it was inspired by God and the mind of God is so much more vast than our own. In answer to your question, I don't have the evidence that the Bible is completley correct without error; I do however have faith that if God is the author, I am going to believe it. I have done an ample amount of study on the inerrancy of Scripture, but all the evidence in the world won't take away from the fact that faith must be a factor in any religion. Just like you have to have faith and trust in any human relationship, I must have faith and trust in my relationship with Christ. Somewhere there must be absolute truth because if not, what are we here for?
By the way, thanks for being so kind and posing honest questions, Dan. Hang in there. Discover, learn, and seek. =)
Bekka Joy
So you have faith that if god did something, it is right? Where is your evidence that god wrote or inspired the bible?
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
The evidence for me is in the changes He has made in my own life and how He has always been faithful. May I please ask you for the evidence in your belief that there is no God?
Bekka Joy
I don't know how link you to posts that I wrote. I wrote three posts called "Logical Fallacies and Arguments for God Part 1", "Logical Fallacies and Arguments for God part 2" and " Atheist Arguments". Just go to my page and click on: view recent blog entries. They're the top three.
"Every man makes a god of his own desire."
-Virgil
Thanks, I will check them out.
Bekka Joy
The Bible isn't the most ancient manuscript in history. The Hindu holy books are they date to BCE 1600, at least 100 years before the OT was written. The Egyptians holy books are old than the OT too.