I MEAN EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE IN SHOULD BE BACKED UP WITH SCRIPTURE & NOT JUST ACCEPTED BLINDLY BECAUSE SOMEONE (I.E. YOUR PASTOR) TELLS YOU
2006-09-13 08:43:59 · 32 answers · asked by New ♥ System ♥ Lady 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
DON'T YOU THINK?
2006-09-13 08:44:40 · update #1
EVERYTHING I BELIEVE IS BACKED UP WITH SCRIPTURE
2006-09-13 08:46:58 · update #2
I am religious myself but there are many ideas & doctrines out there that just aren't in the Bible you know
2006-09-13 08:48:35 · update #3
I am a follower of the Scriptures, the Bible is indeed God's guidebook for us. But for instance haven't you noticed where he says not to have idols in worship (EXODUS 20:4,5) and yet how many of your churches have statues eh?
2006-09-13 08:51:25 · update #4
HELLO BROTHER!!
2006-09-13 08:53:33 · update #5
To JOYfilled :- You start your answer by saying that you would agree with me wholeheartedly. You seem very biased against the Truth and, it seems, your mother for accepting the Truth.
I do read the Bible daily and use many translations to discuss the Bible with people, it’s their choice which version they use, they all say the same thing. The scriptures give God’s thoughts on everything. When are you going to be humble enough to realize that maybe some things you hold dear and believe just might not be in the Scriptures.
After all – you yourself said that you agreed with my sentiments & question – then you change your mind and say “I do not get it” How biased is that?
I sense animosity and anger in your answers. Could this be the reason your mother doesn’t want to read with you? Your attitude is wrong.
If you asked her with the proper intentions you might have got a different answer.
If you are mature enough, please pass my Christian love onto your mother for me (JOHN 13:35)
2006-09-16 10:14:38 · update #6
michael k - it's just as easy to convert an atheist as it is a person from another religion (an intelligent humble rational-thinking atheist - that is)
2006-09-18 01:48:55 · update #7
in other words, if everyone researched their religious beliefs and customs, they would be witnesses...
i agree with that. for all the witnesses of Jehovah, john 13:34 35.
2006-09-13 09:29:30 · answer #1 · answered by iamalsotim 3 · 4⤊ 4⤋
Before I start, I am a Gnostic so you know where this is coming from. I think that the views of Christians (and the different denominations thereof) differ because of the interpretations of the Bible that are used. The King James 1 version is particularly bloody because of the culture of the time, also King James thought he had divine rights and so took it upon himself to change the Bible (previous versions said "thou shalt not suffer an evil-doer to live" but he changed evil-doer to witch because of the hysteria over witches and heresy at the time. The Catholic Church has been instrumental in brainwashing Christians worldwide because it has extensively changed the Bible and has even hid some books of the Bible from public view (a few occultists have gotten hold of this info over the years however) and there is actually some hint of teachings of ritualistic magic being imparted by God's Angels early in Humankind's history. If you watch the file "Stigmata", it tells you of some scriptures that were recently found in the Dead Sea or Red Sea believed by Scholars to be written by Jesus himself and in them he says that you do not only find him in Church as he is found in Rocks and Trees etc. The Catholic Church disregarded these as heresy and has once again hid them from public view. I believe this is only because Jesus' teachings in these scriptures would diminish further the power of the Church which has for centuries kept people faithful to it through fear if they did not do as they were told. If you study religion carefully there is a lot to suggest that it is a personal relationship with God that is the most important so individual interpretation is key and therefore opinions are likely to vary.
2006-09-18 02:56:38 · answer #2 · answered by Catherine B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was raised with Christianity strongly influencing me(grand-father was a vicar,went to church and sunday school), but as I grew older My scientific mind began to question it as I realised that it is a human invention designed to deal with things that cannot or couldn't be explained. Im now free of religion but keep the basic moral structure without the need for a god or afterlife. My moral structure is based around respect, understanding and trying to understand. I need no holy scriptures to tell me the difference between right and wrong.
The Bible is a collection of books that have been written over a period of 1500 years by many different people, some with their own personal biases, it has been heavly edited over the years espescially when the vatican was formed, has had some of the original books removed and despite the editing it still has many inconsistancies. I have my doubts that the words of the Christian god haven't been blured by the agendas of man.
I have read parts of the Bible despite being an Atheist as it is very interesting contains good moral values, Yet I find it disturbing that people actually take it as if its the absolute truth and there is no questioning of it. People should try to see beyond their own viewpoint.
Choosing to follow the Bible to the letter should be up to the individual to deside. Personally I think that if you are going to follow a religion founded by Jesus Christ - hence the name Christianity - you should only follow his teachings as they are the only ones you need to be a good person.
"Love thy neighbour"
"Turn the other cheek"
Blind faith in something you know nothing about is foolish. For me I decided that god is just a concept. For others that choose to believe, I urge you to do so out of your own free will not just because you where born into a Christian family.
2006-09-13 11:36:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would agree with you wholeheartedly IF I hadn't read your other questions and realized that you are a JW.
It has been my experience with what I call Watchtower Witnesses they very blindly accept what the Watchtower says. How is it that you are questioning "... just accepted blindly because someone (i.e. your pastor) tells you"??? I do not get it.
You say that everything you believe can be backed up by Scripture but for JWs it is what the Watchtower says Scripture says, NOT what God's Word actually says. There is a huge difference. What the Watchtower says is the cut-and-paste or the short-sheeted version of Scripture.
I cannot answer your question until I know whether you read the Bible from cover-to-cover on your own approximately once every year.
For the past couple of years I have made an offer to my JW mother - If she would read my Daily Walk Bible with me for 1 year, I will read the NWT from cover-to-cover with her the following year. She refuses.
NOTE: I guess you missed the "IF" at the beginning of my answer. As for the animosity of my response it was aimed at the animosity behind your question - not at you personally but the JW cult which greatly distorts the Word of the uncreated Creator.
When I studied with some very nice JWs more than 30 years ago I heard things which sounded nice or interesting but which proved to be completely untrue. I read the literature I was given and saw a number of specific dates regarding exactly when "this system of things" would end. However those dates came and went and the predictions did NOT come to pass. When I studied with some other very nice JWs about 15 years ago I asked about the predictions for Armageddon. I was told "Well, everybody makes mistakes." People make mistakes but God doesn't.
When I first read Deuteronomy 18:20-22 about 14 years ago I realized that JWs are exactly what Scripture is warning against - false prophets. Revelation 22:18-19 should bring repentance.
Christians are people who have been born again, people who accept Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior, therefore it is impossible to "pass Christian love" from a JW (non-Christian) to a JW (non-Christian). I do love my mother and pray that she will come to accept Jesus Christ as her LORD and Savior in this life. If she doesn't she will be held accountable not only for her own sins, but also for the sins of those who became JWs as a result of her false teachings and that horrifies me immensely!
2006-09-15 09:58:04 · answer #4 · answered by JOYfilled - Romans 8:28 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The Bible is not a book that can be simply understood, that's why theologians can spend years, even decades, writing a commentary on just one book of the Bible. My church many years ago used to take most scripture at face value, and as a result embraced serious errors.
It's the responsibility of those who preach and teach to make sure that what they teach is sound doctrine. God says that they will be judged more severely because of that.
And so, just because something can be backed up by scripture, doesn't mean it's correct. Even Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus; that's because he took it out of context and didn't understand God's plan.
The keys, I believe (as a preacher myself!) are to really get to know Jesus, have a close relationship with him, and to do lots of study from all different sources.
By the way, the example of physical "idols" or statues is part of the Old Covenant and as such does not apply to us Christians. Of course, for us there is a far deeper, spiritual meaning - do we have idols by by placing something else before God? Do we put our job or career before him, or cars, or houses, or wealth, or maybe it's something more subtle.
Personally, I don't like seeing statues in churches (I don't attend one of those kind of churches), nor do I burn candles or incense or practise any of these rituals - but who am I to judge others? Their heart might be much more dedicated to Jesus than mine...only God knows that.
2006-09-13 23:47:11 · answer #5 · answered by Rude 4 U 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you, but an idol is not necessary a statue. It is any thing that we value more than God. (It can be a person, job, idea etc.) I agree everything should be backed up by the Bible. Most people have never even read the Bible through. That goes for non Christians as well as Christians. How can people believe the Bible is a myth if they haven't even read it through.
Every preacher I know encourages Bible reading and thinking for ones selve.
2006-09-13 08:57:50 · answer #6 · answered by metamorphosisa 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everything I believe is backed up with scripture. i couldn't believe anything if it wasn't. Also you said, "But for instance haven't you noticed where he says not to have idols in worship (EXODUS 20:4,5) and yet how many of your churches have statues eh?"
I agree. Christian churches should not have statues or idols of any kind that people could use as idols. Idol worship is wrong, even if the image is of Christ. You don't put candles in front of a statue and pray to it. That is wrong. Read the 10 commandments, "Thou shalt not make any graven images of the Lord thy God." This commandment was probably given for this exact reason. Come on catholics, get with it.
2006-09-13 09:05:11 · answer #7 · answered by blizgamer333 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would have to agree. It sounds like you are dealing with some Christians who are passing people's doctrines off as God's. A lot of religions preach things that are not in the bible.
One example is my Baptist background. I was taught that drinking was a sin. When I actually read the bible it said "Do not get drunk with wine." It's OK to drink, just not to get drunk.
I also agree that there are a lot of religious leaders who make stuff up. They do it for their own personal gain. They also have a lot of money to gain from telling people what they want to hear, and not what the bible really says.
2006-09-13 08:51:49 · answer #8 · answered by Kelli 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I agree with you. My parents are not Christians and do not go to church. I came to Christianity through reading the Bible, and all my beliefs are backed up by scripture. Preachers and others can change their mind; God's word does not change. People need to be firmly rooted and grounded in scripture and think for themselves, not just brainlessly accept what someone else says.
2006-09-13 09:07:02 · answer #9 · answered by pennypincher 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is true. The interpretation of Scripture can be difficult. However, scripture teaches that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of our faith. Therefore, when studying scripture, we must keep in mind the Church's interpretation and not arrogantly follow our own.
This is how it was with the first Christians and in the Catholic Church today. You would be enormously hard pressed to find any Catholic doctrine that is not scriptural.
2006-09-13 08:54:05 · answer #10 · answered by ManOfPhysics 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry but your question is making massive assumptions about people who are 'religious' and that is no different to the people you're having a go at. If you asked why 'some' people don't examine what they are taught that would be a more reasonably question. Plenty of people to give their beliefs serious thought and consideration, do research. get involved in discussions and are willing to learn more about themselves and others throughout their lives. Others don't because maybe they are lazy, or they are scared or they simply have never realised it is ok to question their beliefs.
2006-09-13 08:47:16 · answer #11 · answered by seaside_girl_03 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋