if its not right. What if like the story of Robin Hood etc the truth has become distorted ?
2006-08-16 05:12:42 · 32 answers · asked by John B 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You can try to excuse anything by asking "what if" until the cows come home. We have God's Word which does accurately teach what Jesus said, and the teachings of those closest to Him while He was on the earth. Now, you go and read them, and participate accordingly.
As far as whether or not the teachings have been distorted, I can assure you that the New Testament especially, is the best preserved document of antiquity. With over 24,000 manuscripts, in five different languages, we can compare all of them, and know what it says hasn't been changed over time.
Now, if your problem is not with Scripture, but the church in general, it has been said that the Church is a lot like Noah's Ark. The stench on the inside would be unbearable, except for the storm outside. So, whatever Christianity has become in your eyes is not a reason to excuse yourself from it. We are called to gather together and encourage one another, and to sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, giving praise to Him. (Cf. Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 5:19)
2006-08-16 05:25:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Indeed your doubt are legitimate and you have all rights to question it. Don't just follow blindly without understanding and educating your self. If you are searching for the truth I suggest you have a open mind and heart and God will guide you. Jesus's true nature has been distorted in the Bible. In fact he was a human being like all other prophets before him. He will return by the end of time. The Quran is last revealation of God and it pointed out a lot of the distoration that people have fabricated about his messenger including Jesus. The prophet Muhammad considered Jesus to be his brother. While it is true that he had miracalous birth from Mary without a father but he is not the son of God. Jesus is not God nor is he the son of God, God is One and there is none like him. Throughout man's history God has sent messenger to man kind to guide them starting from Adam and ending with the Prophet Muhammad. Jesus is one of those messenger. I suggest you reasearch on Islam and the Truth will set you free and you will find peace in your consience. Peace be with you
2006-08-16 05:40:27 · answer #2 · answered by enchanted1ca 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christianity is not an accurate portrayal of his teachings. First, you should realize that the books of the New Testament (the so-called "canonical" books) are not all of the books out there, there are several New Testament Gospels that have been deliberately left out of the Bible--the Secret Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene are two that come to mind....
Second, a lot of the ritual used in the protestant and catholic churches have no foundation in the life of Christ as told to us in the official bible. For example, there is nothing in the bible to support confession, vestments, bishops or even churches. Christ said in his sermon on the mount that wherever 3 of his followers gather will be a church. No need to for priest or bishop, no need for a building, robes, etc.... Also in the same part of the bible he said pray not as the heathens which means you don't pray in public, you don't make a big show of going to church and so forth. While he taught the Lord's Prayer at the Sermon on the Mount, I personally don't interpret what is attributed to him to be a prayer to be recited like a formula over and over. I think he meant to it to be a "heart to heart" communication directly with God.
Remember also that Christ in the Gospels seems to differ greatly from Saint Paul in the Epistles. A lot of the organization of the churches comes from the Epistles and St. Paul, not from Christ's own words....
So, rather than go through a dozen other things that Christianity follows and which are not supported by the scripture, I think you are right to doubt that the present-day churches accurately reflect what Christ had in mind.
I'm anti church, not anti-religion myself.
2006-08-16 05:26:55 · answer #3 · answered by William E 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The same dilemma with other religions. Every prophets were carrying out the same message from our Creator to the mankind. There is no such thing as religious rites or ritual prayers.
I believe Jesus was killed probably because he dismantled the idea of practicing religion among the Jews. The Rabbis could not accept this when someone is telling them that God does not need human to worship Him.
Too many dogmatic practices associated with God which invented by the Rabbis were told by Jesus as pure fabrications and this made the Rabbis unhappy. Just like telling the Muslim nowadays that there are no such thing like performing Hajj in Makkah or 5 time Ritual Prayers ordained by God. Imagine what will happen?
2006-08-16 05:45:21 · answer #4 · answered by Veyron 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus is the revelation, revealer and the reveald. Historical Jesus is the embodiment of the omnipotent,omniscent,eternal love that created this world and the unseen worlds. Everything is the extension of God's love. What Jesus taught about god and salvasion is true.Christianity taught by Jesus is accurate, but not necessarly perfect taught by all christian denominations due to human finality to explain an infinit reality.Yet the best portrayal of his teachings are in bible. christianity is the means to know jesus.
2006-08-16 05:36:40 · answer #5 · answered by Joshua S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Throughout my life, i've been bombarded by teachings of the catholic church and early on have read the bible myself.
A lot of us have come to the point where faith and knowledge collide. As free-thinkers, we weigh in facts, rationality, belief, history, culture, and tradition with everything.
Blind faith is not enough. I do want to believe--if just for the taste of heaven after i die, or out of fear of eternal damnation. But besides that, i ask myself "why isn't it enough to live well--as a good person and a decent human being?"
I've learned that God is just and righteous...if i learned anything from anything, and if my sanity is as intact as it seems to me--then I believe that it's enough to live life treating my fellow man/woman justly...extend my hand when someone is in need...not to be overindulgent...honor the people i am committed to...and give love back as love is given to me.
what is the need to invoke other entities (eg saints, prophets, etc)? God understands us well enough by Himself. If you think otherwise--then you have insulted Him.
why must there be a need to force my beliefs on others? There is not.
The example you set as a decent human being should be enough testimony that you are a child of God. Why is important to be labeled christian, catholic, prostestant, jew, muslim, buddhist?
Do you think that God, in all his wisdom and kindness, will throw you in the pits of hell because you never came across the Koran even though you've spent your life giving to the poor? or give you eternal damnation because you never read a passage of the bible even though you died saving a family from a burning building?
The Bible is a transcription of God's words by men, a compilation of history by men, translated and edited by men, read to you and interpreted by men.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that it contains important teachings that offer us a way out of what could be a chaotic, lawless and immoral world. But I believe that God meant for it as a guide...what does accuracy have to do with anything? Set the book down and know what is right and wrong. Live.
2006-08-16 06:54:52 · answer #6 · answered by endrshadow 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is not distorted or it would have been disproven years and years ago. The Bible is the truth about Jesus and everything else. Really u only have 3 choices regarding Jesus.1- u believe 2 u think he was crazy or 3 he was a liar. He cannot be "a good prophet or teacher" if u do not believe he was God because he claimed to be God. I dont know any one who claimed to be God and people decided he was a good prophet but not God. How could a "good prophet" claim to be God unless he was? So thats how I see it. Jesus is God or crazy or a liar. And obviously the answer is- He is GOD.
2006-08-16 05:26:12 · answer #7 · answered by miss_jennifer79 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
John B,
I'm not sure if you that Christianity is inaccurate, or the Bible is inaccurate.
If it's Christianity, then you might be talking about one denomination and not another. Perhaps asking questions here can help you determine which way you lean.
If it's the Bible you are having problems with, there are commentaries and Biblical histories that you can look into.
2006-08-16 05:19:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since christianity is about Jesus but is mostly a religion built by Paul about Jesus.... it makes sense that distortion or innacurancies have krept in.
Even non-religious histories (& religiious too) have become distorted or opposite of reality. While others are just 'magnified'.
2006-08-16 05:18:49 · answer #9 · answered by pcreamer2000 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Have you studied the religions that believe in Jesus? Mormons consider that this has happened and that a restoration of the original truth was required. You can check them out. The trick is that the Bible is most people's only source about Jesus and it was put together many years after he died. You're going to have to try to follow the Spirit on this one. Good luck.
2006-08-16 05:18:59 · answer #10 · answered by pelotahombre 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋