Thanks to JimDarwin "Same with anyone with their book. Thats the problem with persons who believe a book is the word of god, a critical analysis is lacking."
Can one actually be discerning of what they think is "God's opinion"? I see a lot of answers where the person seems to be sucking up to God. Christians are often unwilling to consider hypothetical situations. Maybe because they are afraid God is watching and their thoughts would displease him? Are believers "free" to think?
2006-08-25 04:46:41 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Man has free will and choice. Isn't that obvious from the state of the world?
2006-08-25 04:48:38 · answer #1 · answered by lilacslooklovely 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of God, and at the same time I can look at it critically. I have found many "errors" in accuracy, but they do not affect the intent of the author. Men were inspired by God to write the various books that make up the bible. Some times the message was more obscure than in other instances and some times there were blatant misunderstandings by the author, for example; [Mat 21:5] "Say to daughter Zion, 'Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ***, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
[Mat 21:6] The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
[Mat 21:7] They brought the *** and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them.
As you can see, Matthew misunderstood the scripture he quoted and has Jesus astride two animals which would be extremely awkward at best. But the main thrust of the passage, Jesus' triumphant arrival into Jerusalem, is still there.
I can't believe the word for a male donkey was bleeped??
2006-08-25 05:00:36 · answer #2 · answered by Robert L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian and I agree that I, myself, am not willing to consider hypothetical situations because there's no use for it. (eg. If there is no God,...why should I entertain such question when I strongly believe there is God. That would be foolishness)
You are right, believers are free to think but God disciplines us what are the bounds of our thinking. He said:
Proverbs 24:9
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
So, God wants us to think wisely not foolishly.
Answering hypothetical questions gives no profit since they will not happen after all.
But, you are right we are afraid God is watching and our thoughts would displease Him. Is there something wrong about that? In an ordinary proptings of man, whether believer or unbeliever, you do not want to make your father (in flesh), or you loved ones to be displeased. And because we love God, hypothetical question is not even a part of the mind for REAL CHRISTIANS.
2006-08-25 05:02:36 · answer #3 · answered by Neo_Apocalypse 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says it's the Word of God? Jesus called Himself the Word and John also called Him that. You can scrutinize what man has written but not what Christ (if you're a Christian) says. Anyone who thinks that the Bible (in my opinion) is infallable needs to step back and take a better look. It's funny when I hear some people say that the Bible is not wrong and they take literally what the Revelation of John says about taking away from or adding to the book and they say he meant the whole Bible then they're already wrong. When Martin Luther broke off from the Catholic Church, he took out five books of the Bible saying it's because they weren't inspired (so they've already taken away) and further Protestants took out two more... so if you are Lutheran you are missing 5 books of the Bible and if you're Baptist or other protestant besides Lutheran, you are missing 7.
2006-08-25 04:59:20 · answer #4 · answered by madbaldscotsman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you think critically of the Bible, then the glaring holes in it are quite visible, which will lead to a loss of faith for any rational person. Therefore, I don't believe you can be critical of the Bible and still believe it's the inerrant word of God, at least not in the fundamentalist sense.
2006-08-25 04:49:58 · answer #5 · answered by Zombie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can even state that a question is hypothetical and they will ignore that statement...I think some people find it impossible because they are sacred (freudian slip) I meant scared they might be punished for thinking critical thoughts and they just won't.
Maybe there is more to the scared /sacred thing than at first meets the eye.
2006-08-25 04:57:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hmmm..of course you can read the bible and think critical about it,and everybody should.I think it no good,when something is forced upon or feed without even a given chance to make up your own mind.and if i understand god correctly .. it no good,indeed..,otherwise we would not been born with free will,free choice..,we would be born as drones then,no will,no choice..,if one understands the message behind,it is out of unconditional love of god,we have free choice..
i can turn my back to god,and still i'm nurtered and loved..by god.
weither i beleive in the bible or not..that not the point..,even think that not possible,i cant read the original language its been written in.So i have to do with translations of it..,with translation flaws in it.
weither those translations are just a mistake or are they changed on purpose,i dunno,and dont care..for such..trivial.
i just know it a good way,to at least give you an idea about..!!!
the choice you make for yourself..
2006-08-25 05:05:40 · answer #7 · answered by byciclerabbit 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. I don't believe that every single thing in the bible is absolute fact. Some things were written in order to teach lessons about something. In reading the old testament especially the story of balaam i was quite convinced that God was bipolar.
2006-08-25 04:57:14 · answer #8 · answered by snail 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are all free to think for our self.As long as we listen when our conscience is telling us something.Some think that our conscience is Gods way of talking to us.And guiding us!I herd something recently, there are only 10 rules we need to follow the rest of the bible can be looked at as examples and guide lines for our lives. I really like looking at it. Like God knew our lives were going to be hard so he gave us some examples so we always have something to relate to. Dose that make since?
2006-08-25 04:57:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of couse they are. Don't confuse acceptance of a teaching with the inability for critical analysis. That would be a foolish and ignorant assumption on many levels.
2006-08-25 04:50:55 · answer #10 · answered by Open Heart Searchery 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can one think critically about scripture while thinking it's the word of God?
yes
2006-08-25 04:50:05 · answer #11 · answered by Bobby E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋