You dont have to believe the Bible, but can we atleast....?

Question

The Original books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek. They were translated into Latin Vulgate for the Cathiloc Church, who held a monolpoly on it. King James ordered a translation from the original text, so everyone could have a copy. They were to not add to, or take away it. They were to not include extra text, or margin writings. Scholars were hired for this work, from universities in the area. They were not paid, so that noone could claim the work to be tainted. 47 men translated, and there were 4 over seers to keep things in order. They worked in shifts on the same passages to make sure the translations were accurate. It was translated into 4 laungages, but just from the Single Original Manuscript. This took 7 years to complete.

Now tell me, can we get over the whole "translated so many times, over so many years, by unaccountable men" stuff? Believe the Bible or not, cant we agree the translation is accurate?

This is NOT a cut and paste, it is research I have done.

If you dont believe me, fine. But research it yourself.

The original text was the ACTUAL text from the individual books.

Answer 1

Hello friend,
You seem to have well reasoned answers. I apprieciate that.
In this forum, I suppose for those genuinely interested in learning you are a shining light.
Press on dear one and keep the faith. You've stated it well that God who wrote the Book, is more than able to preserve it.
Blessings to you and your family.
2 Tim 2:7

Answer 2

No, we can't.

We continue to find new manuscripts that predate the Vulgate or are comtemporaneous with it.

We also shouldn't trust a translation that occured four hundreds years ago (and has been fixed numerous times since). Scholarship of the context of the passages, the history and the ancient languages has tremendously improved. To claim that 1611 translation is superior because of 47 people is a ridiculous statement, given all we have learned (and discovered) since that time.

Regardless, they are all translations, some better than others.

However, even the "originals" are problematic. They may not have been "translated over and over" but they were certainly copied over and over. For examples, the earliest manuscripts (not translations) do not have the last chapter of Mark, yet all the bibles contain them. This is a problem of the source materials, which is much more important than any translation.

The translation debate is minute compared with the problems the various "originals" have. That is a mess enough in and of itself.

Answer 3

But, Let's look at the Catholic Church, and also King James.

\The Catholic Church is still sending Fathers who've committed molestation to other parishes and not giving the people there the background. It is corrupt now as it ever was. The Catholic church is what it is today because it has deep Pagan overtones. And this converted pagans to Catholicism. ( I am now a recovering Catholic, happily Wiccan 4 years and running.)

If I can find passages in the Bible that uplift me, that becomes part of me. So you believe in the Bible, and I believe in MOST of the Bible, but you'll still have to cast me to a hell I do not believe in, for my other beliefs. So, to answer your question with another-Can't we all just get along, and give no labels, but love one another for who they are, and not which religion(s) they hold dear? And it harm None, do what You will. Judge not, lest Ye be Judged! When will the Human race come to terms with the fact that we are all brothers, no matter what race or creed? I do have a problem with people who try to cram their ideology on me, but I respond (most usually) with a turn-the-cheek knowing that some people cannot understand as I do. In another life, they can maybe understand. I won't force my beliefs on anyone, and a lot of the 'pillars of society' religions are at war with one another. That says something to me. Killing in the name of God is wrong, under all Circumstances. And forever our Earth has been scourged with war over religion.
*Do unto others, as you would have done unto you*
Blessed Be.

Answer 4

regardless of your cut and paste...
the bible was still written by men, and not necessarily educated men. It is a collection of stories, passed down from whenever. And all of the bokks are not included... the had to be an agenda, otherwise, why leave any of it out?

Any translation can NOT be completely accurate enough to worship it like you do.

You should also consider that the original texts were missing piecfes... someone had to fill in the gaps...right?

Answer 5

the original OT came from the Torah, whose was wrote in the Second Temple but the version translated came from the Septuagint, many years after. The Gospels also were bind together many years after and just the parts whose interests the political power of Church was allowed to be considered as Canonical. There is many scripts considered Apocrypha. when a institution/religion was build upon a forgery, what you are still endorse it?

Answer 6

The King James Bible is the old stand by. There is nothing wrong with reading it at all. New translations can only bring about small interesting points like how come hearts and reins is there instead of hearts and minds? I am amazed at this difference but symbolically it means the same thing - God examines your will and your understanding.

http://www.mechanicsburgnewchurch.org

Answer 7

You still researched the translation of STORIES handed down for CENTURIES, before they were written into the first text at which point they were written by biased, sexist men who DID have an agenda, but I'm sure the translation of the original text is accurate, even if the origanl text isn't.

Answer 8

I'm really sure the KJV is from the Textus Receptus and the Sixtine Clementine Bibles.

The more accurate Bibles are made from the Vatican Codex 1209

Unless a recent discovery has been made, the Vatican Codex 1209 is the oldest complete Bible available.

But, available are older pieces and scrolls like the Alexandrine, and such that validate its accuracy.

Answer 9

I am not saying that anyone’s belief in God is nonsense. I'm just saying that most of the things that you find in the Christian bible are.

Any ideas of a judgmental punishing God are absurd.

These writings that we call the Old Testament are borrowed from ancient Jewish scripture. The Jewish faith does not see them as being the word of God at all. It is only the Christians that have this fantasy about them. Jews see them as more of an ancient history/mythology about the roots of Judaism.

One needs to wonder how it is that the Christians find these meanings in borrowed scripture. Meanings that are nowhere to be found in the faith that they were borrowed from.

The ancient Jews were judgmental and somewhat vindictive, and wanted revenge for some of the things that had happened to them. So they created a judgmental, vindictive punishing God who judged as they judged, hated as they hated, and sought revenge just as they did.

All of this makes for some interesting reading if these ideas of judgment, punishment and revenge appeal to you.

Still none of these things have anything to do with the real unconditionally loving God who I believe is a part of each and every one of us. You are better off if you stick to the truth and skip the judgmental fantasy called the Old Testament completely. Perhaps it is not God that so many find so unbelievable. Could be it is just all of the nonsense that they have heard about God that made you feel this way.

That is what it was for me. I have gone full circle with this idea. I was raised catholic, saw it as utter nonsense. Thought of myself as an atheist for a while and then suddenly realized that it was not the idea of God that I had a problem with, it was just the lies I had heard about her.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 10

its not so much the translation that has errors- its the intent--- whether u admit it or not-- you lose meaning thru translation- very slight errors CAN MEAN HUGE differences-- someone from france could technically translate a book written in quebec- but it would mean something completely different to each other- and that's just in this time-- now add a thousand yrs.. so no sorry the translation IS NOT ACCURATE- and you obviously have little knowledge of foreign languages- you should educate yourself