Do you think the average person truly undestands the Bible?

Question

As you may already know, I've been asking several questions to see how mich about GOD, the Bible, and the religions that followed them the average person really understood. Twenty-Five questions later, I am convinced that Humanity, over the centuries, has drifted away from the true meaning behind the Bible and situated itself rather precariously, just outside of the protected area. The teachings of Christianity have become more of a control device (a rather petty one, no less) than a path to salvation. I find it sad that such a terrible fate could befall such a noble attempt to better Humanity.

Well, you know how I feel about the matter. How do you feel? Do you believe that the average person (be they Christian, Jew, Atheist, Wiccan, Agnostic, Anarchist, or person with no opinion) truly understands GOD and his Bible? Do you think the average person truly understands these things that they give their soul to or Damn relentlessly? Don't be bashful. This might be the last question...

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Answer 1

To answer the question is easy, No. Most people either Christians or others do not understand the bible. Both are arrogant enough to say one understands it more than the other, yet when they both talk it is apparent that neither do. My favorite is a self professing athiest who claims to know more than most Christians about the bible, and my least favorite is a Christian who believes they understand it yet when they open their mouth (or type their words) it is obvious they don't. The reason why this is my least favorite is because once they do this they become the spokesperson for the non-believer as the way all Christian's think and thus become our stereotype. As you may have guessed based on the last comment, yes I am a Christian, but I will readily admit that there are great many truths to the bible that I do not come close to having knowledge of. From a rational standpoint as opposed to an emotional one, the fact is to truely understand the bible a person would need to be able to with fluent knowledge draw upon a vast number of academic disciplines. To truley understand the bible a person needs a vast working knowledge in multiple scientific disciplines such as language, archeology, georgaphy, anthropology, physics, medicine, as well as law, theology, philosophy, etc. The problem is that most people are not experts in any of these and yet still claim complete knowledge of the bible, or the ones who are experts are only in one or two fields of discipline and percieve themselves to be educated enough to say they are experts on the bible as a whole.

Now I do believe that people do understand concepts of the bible or certain aspects of the bible, even to go as far as to say they understand them enough to minipulate them for their own purposes and deeds. So I agree that the teachings of Christianity, the bible, God, etc. is more of a control device for people, but let's not be mistaken....its a means of control for people on both sides of the fence.

Do not think you can merely read the bible and understand what it is saying in its entirety, but the bible is not so complex that a person cannot understand its basic and simple message. What is complex is the ability to understand all the truths contained with in.

Take for example the idea of an 'eye for an eye.' I am going to copy and paste this from Living Waters website so I do not have to regurgitate it all back nor do I want anyone accusing me of stealing someone's idea (see source for exact web address) :

"Matthew 5:38 is so often misquoted by the world. Many believe it is giving a license to take matters into our own hands and render evil for evil. In reality, it is referring to civil law concerning restitution. If someone steals your ox, he is to restore the ox. If someone steals and wrecks your car, he is to buy you another one...a car for a car, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The spirit of what Jesus is saying here is radically different from the "sue the shirt off the back of your neighbor" society in which we live."

The point being that the bible is often misquoted by both Christians and non-Christians either by accident, lack of knowledge, attempt to control others or blatant twisting of words to suit ones needs. To truely understand all of the truths in the bible in their entirety it would take knowledge in multiple academic disciplines and a life time of study.

Answer 2

The average person understands the true meaning of the bible because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. If a average person does look to the guidance of the Holy Spirit they will never understands the bible. A average person must be Born -Again to even understand God. A average person must have the Love of God to understand Humanity as a whole. An average person cannot be controlled by any religion unless they are looking for a crutch. A average person who knows God and the bible is given the gift of freewill therefore Loving God is submission to his will. . Mankind freely chooses his fate or downfall therefore God's hands are tied! If anyone look to religion for salvation they are sadly mistaken. Jesus is the answer to salvation.

Answer 3

I do not think that people (generally) truly understand the Bible mostly because they do not take the time to look carefully at what the Bible says. I believe that the KJV is the most accurate and I have looked at some other versions they are far off the mark. You can't prove much of anything from them. And Catholics believe that they need the intercession of the Vergin Mary to gain forgivness for their sins when in fact everything in the Bible says the opposite in 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". It's the same with a most people in most denominations. They take what they are told for absolute truth and they don't look at it for themselves. They don't investigate anything and if they do, they don't look beneath the surface. That's my take on the subject.

Answer 4

I sincerely believe that the Bible was not meant to be understood by lay people. The old Catholic Church knew this, which was why they kept the Bible out of the hands of lay people. Gutenberg sort of blew that, and the Protestant Reform was the result.

Lon Milo Duquette, a respected and accomplished Magus and Kabalist wrote in "The Chicken Kabala" that the Bible- especially the Old Testement- was written by sages for sages. It was never intended to get into lay peoples hands. They knew how dangerous it was. Unfortunately, it did, and we have to live with the result.

Answer 5

In many ways I think that you are right. People claim a faith in Christ without truly knowing or finding out what they claim to believe.

The more I read and study the teaching of Jesus them more I am intrigued with them. I find it interesting that Compassion for others, putting others before yourself selflessness, is the example, yet it is not what people do. Learning to put the concern of others before yourself, that is one of the big ideas behind the faith.

How can others believe when those who make the claim don't live the faith?

All I can do is continue to try on a daily basis, to live the example of Jesus. Everything else will fall into place.

Answer 6

I can answer you from my personal experience most don't.
There have been many times where missionaries came to my house to "show me light" but when I start questioning their Bible, they either labled me Athiest or said "there are few things in Bible that no human can understand".

None of them make any sense to me because if there are parts in Bible that human can not understand then why in the world would God send his word to the world?

Answer 7

I think that anybody can understand the Bible.

But my answer is that most people don't WANT to understand the Bible.

Those that do want to understand have to work to be better. None of us can truly understand everything about the Bible. But all of us can try.

Answer 8

Everything you read, are taught, or generally believe about religion is a leap of faith. That's what it all comes down to...having faith. There is no way to prove that any one religion is right, you've just got to trust what you gut tells you.

I say religion because in your statement you are asuming that the Bible is the absolute law which denotes that you are talking specifically about Christianity which IS one of the many religions.

Answer 9

Not at all. Think of it like this;The xtians worship God. Scholarly research has shown that some of his other names were Baal, or BaalZebub(Baal-Zebub. Baal means "Lord", Zebub means "of those of the sky" or "of those who fly", corrupted to Beelzebub/lord of the flies) you know, the one xtians like to worship due to their inability to research their own religion...
In the Psalms, Yahweh is depicted as Baal and his dwelling is on Mt. Zaphon (Zion), the locale of Baal in Canaanite(the Hebrew) mythology.
Don't believe me? Look it up.

So basically, ALL xtians really worship an evil, destructive, war obsessed God. The evidence for this is readily availiable throughout history for one. It would also explain why they have to willingly give their souls to this 'God' on *nothing* more than faith, in order to get to what they have been led to believe is heaven...with the wonderful ruse to keep them, being that anything that goes against this blind faith, MUST be from the 'devil'...hmmm...


:)

Answer 10

Well, I hate to judge people, but judging by the people on Yahoo, it seems like a majority do not. I wouldn't say that I do, but I do know Jesus as my Savior and I strive to understand the Bible more and more each day.