Christians?

Question

Do you think it invalidates scripture when a non Christian can quote the bible and the scriptures are some you don't want to see?

I ask because I am a former Christian and preacher, lay preacher, but still preacher who studied the bible many years.

I left christianity and can only prove my point with Christians because you all are suppossed to beleive the bible. When I prove someone wrong with scripture. I am accused of being illogical because I being an unbeleiver quotes scripture. I get the feeling that if they hear the truth from an umbeleiver then the bible is wrong. This may soud related to my last question, but it is not different people different situations.


These people are not mental, or delusional just trying to discredit me.


I have been told that since I am pagan it is illogical to beleive the devil. I don't and that is not true, but when dealing with Christians I must talk the way they understand and the bible talks about the devil.

Answer 1

As a fellow pagan who came out of 20 years of Christianity, I feel compelled to ask what you hoped to gain from this question.
You haven't explained in what context you are using these quotations as an argument.

You must realize that it isn't your job to confront christians.. the path they've chosen is the one for them. You, like me, have found that this is not the path for you.

I can quote the bible better than most christians I've ever encountered (both when I was a christian and now). The ONLY time I will quote their scripture to them is when I see them beating up on someone who doesn't believe in their God, and using their bible to do it.

The answers you are receiving from them are the ones I would expect. They won't actually answer you, they'll insult you, tell you that you were never a christian if you left "the faith", and will continue to attempt to discredit you.

You aren't going to "convince" them of anything. They are not interested in hearing something that goes against what they believe. It's an exercise in futility, brother. My advice is 1) stop worrying about using their beliefs against them and 2) stop letting them get to you.

Blessings in abundance,
Kallan

Answer 2

This isn't a bad question, though I'm having trouble following some of your finer points. Let's recast your question.

You are an American. But you get turned off by Jim Crow in the 1960s or Bush's violations of civil rights in the 2000s, and you renounce your citizenship and leave. A few years later, you get into a debate with some American citizens still living in the USA. They just circulated an e-mail objecting to a US stamp which honors Eid, a Muslim holiday (or a few Muslim holidays), and say that every patriotic American should be outraged about this in the light of recent Muslim terrorist attacks. You take out the US Constitution and show them the first amendment about freedom of speech and freedom of religion. You take out the Declaration of Independence and show them the part that says all men are created equal. They tell you you don't know what you're taking about because you're no longer an American and no longer live here.

Who's right? Well, you're right because they have violated the inclusive spirit of their country (although they still have the right, legally, to their e-mail and their freedom of speech), and have failed to extend the legal rights of their country to others within the country that they don't like. However, they are right in one aspect: you are not an American anymore and you've lost some touch with what it's like to be one (whether you are angry at all Muslims or not).

Now, much of Christianity in America has gone crazy, and sometimes Christians may need an "outsider" to show them where they went wrong. It doesn't invalidate Scripture when a non-Christian can see something a Christian cannot. In fact, it validates Scripture.

However, possibly without the help of the Holy Spirit, you're misinterpreting something that seems to say one thing when it really says another.

The only way I can evaluate this is to know specifically which scripture you're dealing with, and how each party interpreted it.

While we're at it, why not give Jesus another chance, and stop judging him by his seemingly ignorant followers? Heck, we're all imperfect, and we all need a savior!

Answer 3

what specific scriptures would you be referring to? In my experience , when a nonchristian or former christian quotes scripture to make a point, I find that the scripture is either taken out of context - the scriptures above and below it are important also- or more likely the scriptures are interpreted using the weakened English language rather than looking at the original Hebrew meanings of the words in the scripture.
I don't claim to know and understand everything about the Bible- but I have a better understanding of a lot of scripture and especially some of the more common misused scriptures- but it takes a little more than a shallow study of the word to get a good understanding of what you are reading

Answer 4

I get what your saying, but remember, the chuch came before the Bible. The Orthodox Church, unlike many protestant churches, siftef through many documents aroun 300 A.D. and put them together to make the bible. So the bible doesn't (Shouldn't at least) make the church, the church makes the bible.

To answer your question, how do you quote the bible? I can't tell if you are being illogical because i don;t know what you are saying

Pagan? What made you switch? This isn;t a negative thing, i'm just curious.

Answer 5

I cant say I agree since Ive never seen any questions posted by non-believers that didnt have a simple answer through scripture or history. Mind you, there havent been any scriptural questions asked by non believers, that were answered properly by believers and then the non believer say "Oh... yeah I guess I was wrong."

For example, lots of times people claim the Bible says the Earth is flat. It doesnt, but no matter how you try to show a nonbeliever that it doesnt, they just laugh and say we dont know the Bible.

Im just guessing, correct me if Im wrong but you dont WANT to believe the Bible anyway so, does it matter if we can show you that any assumption you made was false? Wouldnt you just say we are decieved, or brainwashed or the ever popular straw "illogical"?

Answer 6

If you really were a preacher, you know that in the Greek NT it is said that once a christian, alwayes a christian: you CANNOT lose your salvation my friend. You may have become reversionistic to the core, but God is not going to let you go: He will discipline you like a good father should to get you back in line. And you'll be hurting more and more, until God decides to call you home. Meanwhile He'll use you as an example for others. Change your mind and come home, prodigal!! "Behold, I'm standing at your door, knocking!!"

Answer 7

There are many contradictions in the Bible. That might be your problem. Different interpretations of the Scriptures might be another reason. If you ARE pagan, you believe the DEVIL. Why don't you consider going back to Christianity? Life without FAITH is a real bummer!

HANK (Josh)

Answer 8

Christianity is illogical.

Love your enemy?

Pray for those who persecute you?

If somebody hit you in one cheek gave him the other?

I hardly think you spoke with a Christian, you talk to one of those who call himself a Christian.

You say what ever you want to say, I will not be the judge for your sins. I could tell you once about repenting from your evil ways if you don't listen then there is nothing I can do. I know is a lack of love to be in top of you trying to make you believe. "Show me your deeds and I shall tell you how much faith you have." I am call to be a Christian and is hard enough for me to be one, imagine to try to make others. Is impossible without His grace. Trying to make you believee is like trying to make a rock believe. Even a rock would listen and believ if God wanted to. And by the way the devil exists, and he will not touch those who do his will, what for, they are doing his will.

Answer 9

From you question I can see that you were not fully Christian. No offense but you never understood Christianity.
You interpreted the Bible within your constraints of understanding?

I could never say that I understand Scriptures completely as a Christian. My journey is still always progressing and flourishing with warts, doubts and all.

Answer 10

I hear you.-------the bible and Christianity are legitimate ways to know God, but not the only way, this is where I disagree with many Christians. But I also support them in many ways.