For you 'Christians' - Have you ever read anything other than the bible to ensure your beliefs are valid?

Question

It’s alarming that most Christians have read only the bible! What you are reading is only a small portion of writings. A pagan emperor canonized the bible you read today. Many other people before & after Jesus' time were witnessed performing miracles.

Have you asked similar questions? Have you done your homework, or you just believe because of your upbringing and 'blind faith'?

There are many cults who demand you to follow, not question - Heaven's Gate; Jonestown; the Branch Dividians

"But Christianity is a loving religion, unlike these groups, we harm no one"

Is that so? Gays are treated as second rate citizens, loving couples living together do so in sin (but being in a miserable marriage is Godly). Those who disagree with Christianity are unworthy of you OR need you to make them see your righteous path?

Life is too short to force religion on people–especially when you have not done the research. WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FOLLOW THIS RELIGION WITH SUCH LITTLE KNOWLEDGE?

By reading other books, I mean - reading books that provide evidence contrary to the bible. Reading a Christian magazine is NOT broadening your horizons.

The heart of the question is - HAVE YOU EXPLORED BOTH SIDES OF THE RELIGIOUS EQUATION, OR ARE YOU JUST FOLLOWING BLINDLY... and don't let the tone insult you so much... prove to me that I am wrong. Prove to me that you are open minded enough to fully explore both sides and you still chose religion!!!!

Thank you for your honesty... I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THE 'CHRISTIAN' WHO WISHED ME INTO HELL... GEE, I DON'T KNOW WHY I CAN'T FEEL THE JOY OF GOD IN ME?????

Answer 1

We tend to only accept what is taught to us in society. Only a few will rise above their indoctrination.

Free thinking is dangerous to any religion. I can understand why cultures before 1800 fell for religion. Today there is so much information and solid argument that disputes the validity of religion. Most people are mentally lazy and will not do the work to raise their own consciousness. You can find this truth in all areas of life.

An uneducated mind cannot understand what a critical thinking educated mind can. Ignorance is man's greatest nemesis.

Answer 2

The Bible of The True Christian Faith dose not prove God... God proves The Bible... I did not even own a Bible on the day of my
Salvation and I had not read in one in a very long time... and no one read one to me ... I had read in The Bible in the past and in other "religious" writings of other "religions"... not to seek to adopt them... as all "religions" are just man invented concepts... but to have some knowledge of what other societies were into....... it dose not matter if someone has The Bible memorized cover to cover... or has read it 100 times... The Bible can not make any one a Christian... being a Christian is a relationship between God and the individual... A Bible is not needed for Salvation.... If you would like to know about the basics of The True Christian Faith you may contact me... But do not expect me to "prove" God to you... I can not...and no one of The Faith can... the proof you need can only come from God... but I may be able to help you get started on coming to learn how to come to Him...I was 53 when I finaly came to God... that was 7 yrs ago... and I am absolutly certain of God and of the life of Jesus.... I now study, as best I can, from The Bible... and nothing I have read contradicts what God gave me in the instant of my Salvation...

The True Christian Faith can not be "forced" upon any one...that would be against the Word and Will of God...You have my invitation... One honest question will receive one honest answer to the best of my ability.

as you do not accept YA email you will have to give me a valid email address to respond to should you choose to email me.

Answer 3

(1) Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Bible is the only source of God's Word.

(2) The first Christians "were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles" (Acts 2:42; 2 Tim 1:14) long before the New Testament was written — and centuries before we knew with certainty which books were part of the New Testament.

(3) The Bible affirms that Christian teaching is "preached" (1 Pet. 1:25), that the Apostles' successors were to teach what they have "heard" (2 Tim. 2:2), and that Christian teaching is passed on both "by word of mouth [and] by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15; 1 Cor. 11:2).

(4) Not everything Christ did and said is recorded in Scripture (Jn. 21:25).

(5) New Testament authors availed themselves of sacred Tradition. For example, Acts 20:35 quotes a saying of Jesus that is not recorded in the Gospels.

(6) Scripture needs an authoritative interpreter (Acts 8:30-31; 2 Pet. 1:20-21, 3:15-16).

(7) Christ left His Church with divine authority to teach in His name (Mt. 16:13-20, 18:18; Lk. 10:16).

(8) The Church will last until the end of time, and the Holy Spirit protects the Church's teaching from corruption (Mt. 16:18, 28:19-20; Jn. 14:16).

(9) The Church — and not the Bible alone — is the "pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).

(10) The Bible refers to more sources of the Word of God than only Scripture. Jesus Himself is the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14), and in 1 Thess. 2:13, St. Paul's first epistle, he refers to "the Word of God which you heard from us." There St. Paul is clearly referring to oral apostolic teaching.

Answer 4

Wow, you really think you have every Christian person figured out, don't you? You really do think that this is what defines a Christian?

Hah. Hardly.

I attend an Episcopal church AND I also participate in Asatru rites. My partner is Asatru.

I've read the Dhammapada, the Hindu Upanishads and the Baghavad Gita and the Rig Veda, the Tao Te Ching, I have a copy of the Koran I'm about to dive into, I've also read several different translations of the Bible (with and without the deuterocanonical books)...just about every holy book of any tradition that even HAS a holy book.

And what I've found is this: it all leads back to the Light within yourself. I think this is the greatest teaching of Jesu of Nazareth - he wanted people to exceed even his wisdom, and he said "Is it not written: ye are Gods?"

There's a lot of very deep mystical stuff going on there that 99.999999999999999999999% of the Christians out there have COMPLETELY missed.

Answer 5

Yes, I have --- it sounds like what research you've done was just as biased and fueled by personal agenda as any other that I've seen, and, though I'm sure you won't admit it, I'm pretty sure you're leaving out a lot of important facts and figures that would change the tone of this loaded question. A lot of what you've pointed out was conjecture.

Really, every religion out there has its possible issues. To make the point, I can find a major fault in any belief system (and so could anyone else for that matter) if I tried hard enough, including and especially in yours.

Answer 6

Yes, I have read alot of other books, not just the Bible. Books from a lot of different beliefs and people. Athiest's book, satanist's books, some of the Koran...

I have studied other religions and beliefs, but am entirely convinced that being a Christian is the only way to get to heaven, and to have a personal relationship with Christ.

Answer 7

I assume you mean other than the newspaper, the text books at school, the plethora of scientific hogwash that passes as fact, even though its not even as flimsy as a bad theory? My faith is not "blind," I go into it eyes wide open. I've been both to college and Christian college, and I continually consider the possiblitiy that I'm wrong. If I'm ever able to convince myself I am wrong, then I'll reconsider. I do not accept responsbility for what any other Christian says they believe, nor the ways in which they treat people. Do you accept responsbility for how non-believers treat people? Shall we hold you accountable for the shootings this week at VT?

Answer 8

There is nothing more fanatical than a reformed smoker, or a reformed atheist, possibly.

I love it when you get people answering who normally claim to be highly educated, but at the slightest question of the bigger picture, go to ground and throw mud.

If you "asked me about God" and the christian knowledge of the Bible, then yes it is very scary they do not look outside.

I believe it would definately help their faith to read the Supreme Bible of God:
See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/bible_of_god.htm

Answer 9

I used to think about reading other books on religion but then I realized that they were just a waste of my time.. which is better spent studying the Book of Mormon and the Bible...

Having done less reading of what I refer to as "anti-truth" books does not make me less informed about my own religion.. it just means that I have not polluted my mind with Satans lies and caused massive amounts of doubt in my mind...

I read, I ponder, I pray to know if it is true.. if the Holy Ghost testifies to me that it is true.. then that is good enough for me not to question it...

BEFORE I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I had done quite a lot of reading about other religions and about how the Bible was written by men and modified and etc. etc.. but then when I read those books later in life.. pondered them.. and prayed about them.. I got NO testifying from the Holy Ghost as to their truth.. so I trashed them and stopped wasting my time.

Answer 10

Fiest off, you can call it whatever you want. The word of God tells me that I am saved by grace through faith. Call it blind, if you want. Who canonized the Bible matters not to me. God's power is not limited, as you so mistakenly seem to think. What he wanted in there for His church is in there.
Unlike you, I do not look for reasons to not follow God. I do not try to find falseness in the Bible. My faith in God is what saves me, not proof.

As for cults, I do not follow any cults, they do not interest me. Where I am in my walk with the Lord is what interests me.

Yes, Christianity is following a loving God. A fierce, vengeful God, but a loving God, nonetheless. God's word judges homosexuality and fornication (living together out of wedlock), and judges it rightly. If you do not like that, too bad. Take it up with God at the judgement.

I have a brother that is gay. I have a brother that lives with his girlfriend, out of wedlock. I love them. I treat them with love and kindness. But I will be the first to tell them that they are living in sin, and are not pleasing God, and are in danger of God's wrath.

Not all marriages are miserable. What makes you the authority on such things? My wife and I are still in love, and happy after 15 years, and as long as we live for God, and keep Him in our lives, that will never change.

I force religion on NOBODY. Jesus said to witness to people with love, and compassion. If they will not listen, or do not want to hear, then I should brush the dust from my shoes, and move on. They were told, and their blood is not on my hands, should they never repent and end up perishing.

The knowledge that I have concerning religion comes from the words of God, and that is all I need. You say differently, but who are you?