I am NOT bashing Christians, but please read...?

Question

First of, I AM an atheist for all you Christians out there, but the following question I'm going to ask is NOT to make fun of Christians in any way. I'm just really curious:
Why DO you belive in the Bible? It's just...a book. It could have been written by ANYONE. There is no evidence or even a clue that indicates God himself wrote it.
Please don't say something like "I pray to God that you will understand someday" or something like that, because I don't belive in God.
I'm looking for an answer that actually makes sense and makes me think, not the "God exists. You just have to belive" stuff.
Again, I'm just curious. I'm not here to make fun of any Christians, because my grandma is Christian herself and I respect and love her very much.

Answer 1

Thank you for a sincere question. As a side note, most Christians will definitely respect your right to your own opinion. While I don't agree with your viewpoint, I truly respect you because you are being respectful to others. This is a wonderful question from a person who is so tired of the constant bickering on this forum. Thank you for a nice change of pace.

Why do I believe in the Bible? Because I have found answers to life's questions in there. Not every answer for sure, but have seen a lot of solutions in there.

Take for instance, how we are to repay evil. We are to turn the other cheek. How to do it was listed in the book of Luke. It's not easy, but in the long run, it is more worthwhile to repay evil with good.

I've also learned how to forgive others by reading the Bible. I use Christ's example of how to forgive others, especially when I hear about forgiving 70x7 times. I know that I have a God who gives 2nd chances, and 3rd chance, and 4th chances, etc.

I also see from there how bragging is wrong. It just makes me look like I'm seeking attention.

It's also taught me how judging others is wrong. I want to leave that to God to take on that task. And when I let him take on that task, it frees me up from a lot of anger and stress in my life.

I've also learned a lot about love. And how to have a successful marriage based upon Christian principles (and no I am not a doormat for my husband. Just ask him sometime, lol).

You see, the BIble is the ultimate in pscyhology. It teaches me not to stay angry. It teaches me self-control. It has a LOT of information on how eating a foot sandwich is not healthy (Proverbs) because the strongest muscle (the tongue) can cause irreparable damage.

This 2,000 year old manual has taught me more about living today than any other training manual out there.

Thanks for a great question.

Answer 2

I honestly think you are sincere in asking these questions and I respect you for that. I asked the very same questions myself at one point in my life. But you must understand that the key to Christianity is FAITH. Without faith, it is impossible to even know or please God.

No other book which the world has ever known has such a history as the Bible. It is a collection composed of sixty-six separate books, written by about forty different writers, living centuries apart, speaking different languages, subjects of different governments, and brought up under different civilizations. Yet it is consistent, historically accurate, contains fulfilled prophecies, and most importantly, it changes lives. But like I said, without faith, all of these would still mean nothing to you.

It's like this. I can choose to be a Christian and believe and follow what the Bible says. If at the end of my life I discover that everything I believed in was not real, then all is still fine. I just disappear into nothing. But if I live my life as an atheist and reject the idea that there is a God and find out when I die that everything the Bible said about God is true, then I would have lost everything.

I won't pray for you if you don't want me to, but I will hope that you'll find your answers and what it is you are looking for.

Answer 3

Men wrote the Bible. That's true. About 40 of them had a part in it. But it is was "inspired by God". What does that mean? That God directed the writing, much as businessman uses a secretary to write letters for him. How can we be sure that what the Bible contains is really from God? It contains information that could not have possibly have come from a human source. What kind? Details about the future; and these have always proved to be completely accurate.

If you have time, you might want to check your grandmother's Bible, and read the Bible texts below:
Matthew 24:7
Matthew 24:11, 12
Matthew 24:9
Matthew 24:14
Luke 21:11
Luke 21:25,26
Luke 21:31, 32

Answer 4

well for me I do believe in god :D but I do not believe in Bible ! coz it has been altered many times coz bible is full of contradictions here are some


Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?

(a) God did (2 Samuel 24: 1)

(b) Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1)





In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?

(a) Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)

(b) One million, one hundred thousand (IChronicles 21:5)




How many fighting men were found in Judah?

(a) Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)

(b) Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)


Did Jesus allow his disciples to keep a staff on their journey?

(a) Yes(Mark6:8)

(b) No (Matthew 10:9; Luke 9:3)




Did Herod think that Jesus was John the Baptist?

(a) Yes (Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:16)

(b) No (Luke 9:9)




Did John the Baptist recognize Jesus before his baptism?

(a) Yes (Matthew 3:13-14)

(b) No (John 1:32,33)




Did John the Baptist recognize Jesus after his baptism?

(a) Yes (John 1:32, 33)

(b) No (Matthew 11:2)

well now I think god exists why ? >>>

coz

would u believe ?
that we have a printer in a work it happened it was working very accurately after we got an earthquake and in the last page for it's own I mean the printer wrote an "earthquake" by itself ...!

and would u believe ?

once I was walkin next to a river and wanted to cross a river suddenly the the trees had broken and turned into a bout for me to cross da river .... ? does it make sense ?

well
God exists! when a small stick can not move by itself, how can such a universe exist by itself? If you simply study the human body you must note that every thing is so ordered and balances and there is such an excellent system that could not have randomly been created by itslef. "does it make sense "yet" ?


well if it doesn't now

We don't have to see an artist to recognize a painting, correct? So, if we see paintings without seeing artists painting them, in the same way, we can believe that God "Allah" created everything without having to see Him

so I think God does exist ! and I do believe in Quran here it says it all it doesn't take too much just listen to those scientists and do not listen to some hypocrites ! :) coz the link I will give u it's about scientists and people who studied all religions it just says that Quran is the right book and the right way to heaven

well this is my opinion ! :)

Answer 5

The Bible is a book written by many different authors over several centuries. We do not believe it was "written" by God, but we do believe it was "inspired" by God. There is a difference.

Ok, why trust it? This is a historical document. The same text proofs that apply to, say, the "Iliad" or the "Oddesy" (written by Plato how long ago?) can be applied to the Bible, both as a whole and to each individual book within it.

A. How many original manuscripts are there?
B. Without original manuscripts, how many copies are there, and what are their relavant ages?
C. Do the copies agree, or are there substantial differences between them?
D. How close was the author to the events he was writing about? What is his ability to tell the truth?
E. What do you know of the author's character outside of this work?
F. Are there other works by other authors in the same place and time period, that mention any of these events?
G. Does Archeology support any of the historical events found in the manuscript?
H. What was the method used for preserving this particular work? Who did it, and how careful are they reputed to have been?
I. Are the historical events mentioned correct for time, place, etc.?
J. Are the people mentioned supported by history/archeaology?
K. Is there a negative witness against the events? If so, who are they, and what is their motive?

There are probably more criterion for judging a historical manuscript, but I am not a scholar. I'm remembering this from another work, and it is 1am. The point is, when judging ANY book claiming authenticity for times and events, the criterion for judging the Bible should be the EXACT SAME as the criterion for judging other works. Anything else is unprofessional and biased!

After looking at the Bible as a historical manuscript, you may want to look at it's interior claims. There are several prophecies about future events that came true. Who made these prophecies, what was their relation to the recievers, and how far away from the actual event were they? If you are into mathematical probability at all, try calculating the amount of prophecies related to Jesus Christ alone, and finding the one person that would fulfill all of those prophecies. You may be surprised at your results.

I hope this gave you something to think about. God bless your search.

Answer 6

First, the Bible was not written by God as you stated. It was written by men.

Second, there IS evidence that it's not just a book. Can I cite that evidence here? No, sorry. I can't recall it really. But if you do some research, what happens in the Bible DOES correspond with REAL history. Jesus DID exist. I believe there's proof of this if i remember correctly. And it corresponds with Roman history, and Jewish and Egyptian history. Also, if I'm not mistaken, because it's been awhile since I did all this research myself, I think there's evidence of the great flood.

So there you go. If faith isn't enough, there IS evidence/proof that this stuff REALLY happened and it's not just some novel somebody wrote to make people believe in something and act kinder to one another. I had the same thoughts as you at one time.

I hope this helps. God loves you even if you don't believe in Him.

Answer 7

The Bible is one book consisting of 66 different books and letters. It was written by many different people from very diverse backgrounds and education levels including: a doctor, fisherman, a roman soldier, shepherds, kings and many more. The Bible was also written over a period of about 6000 years, yet not once does it contradict itself, and trust me many people have tried to find an error in it. Different people, with different backgrounds, living in different countries at different time periods, yet not one single contradiction!?. That has got to tell you that there's something special about this book.
Historians and archeologist have also proven the facts written in the Bible to be extremely accurate. From the locations of all the cities and civilizations to the dates when the biblical events occoured. They are all on the mark. The Bible even answered questions about geography and astronamy way before makind ever got close to getting the right answer. For example the Bible says in the Book of Isaiah that " The Lord sitteth upon the cirlce of the Earth". The word that was used for "circle" in the Hebrew language is sphere. The Bible clearly states that the Earth is spherical and not flat. How could the prophet Isaiah ever come up with this answer in his day (hundreds of years before the birth of Christ)? The answer is simple, God. It took man almost a millennium later to come up with the same conclusion. Maybe they should have been reading their Bibles.
Well these are only a few examples. There are many more, but we would be here all night. I hope this helps.

Answer 8

First of all. Thanks for the way your question is written. It is respectful while stating your opinion.

Why I believe the Bible to be truth and inspired by God...

1) Prophecy...there are things predicted in the Bible precisely that came true after the books were written. I have studied the dating arguments from both sides and find the late dates to be simply unconvincing.

2) Personal experience...I don't know that this is a reason that you should believe the Bible to be true. All I know is that I prayed that if the Bible were true and someone was actually hearing my prayer, that the God would speak to me through the Bible. I believe he did and does. Will that prove it to you? Probably not. But you did not ask that.

There is more. but I do not like 20 page posts. Read the book "more than a carpenter" by Josh McDowell if you would like a credible case for belief.

Again, thanks for a thoughtful question.

Answer 9

Good question...

There may be no evidence that God wrote the Bible but there is also no evidence that God didn't write it...

We believe in the Bible by faith... That's why Christianity is called a Faith...

Both believing the Bible is true as well as Believing the Bible is false require faith to believe... there is no proof of either theory.

For me... I would rather error on the side of caution... If Atheists are right then we've lost very little and we just cease to exist anyway... but if Christians are right... then Atheists are screwed... I think I'll take my chances with Christianity

Answer 10

First of all sir, THANK YOU FOR SEEING IT HOW I SEE IT! I am, as well, a staunch athiest who has long wondered about why people have faith in the Bible. But you must understand a few facts about religion, human nature, and the Bible.

Fact One: The Bible WAS, as far as I know, written by people, who had no true connection to the Christian "GOD", and has no actual truth to it.

Fact Two: All religions, not just Christianity, are essentially this way. They all have a set of rules and regulations written around a fictional backstory. Thus, there is no one true religion, no religion is right, and no religion is wrong.

Fact Three: Religion makes people feel safe. Ever since the dawn of human civilization, from the Mesopotamians, to the Mayas and Incas, Greeks, Egyptians, Saxons, Indians, Africans, Native Americans, Europeans, and so on, have used God and his stories to explain the unexplainable. It makes them feel secure. So to a religious mind, God made the universe, put stars in the sky, put people on the planet, and gave us a comfortable paradise to go to when we die.

So, when you think about it, it's all about comfort. People created all religious texts, to feel safe and secure. When you think about it, it's all very comforting to know that there's a man in the sky, somewhere above the clouds, who put you on this planet, takes care of you, and then gives you paradise when you die. But just remember, it's HIS game, and if you don't follow HIS rules, he'll kick you out.

I don't practice any religion,but I do support whoever does. I hope this gives you something to this about buddy.

Cheers.