The Analects, Bhagavad Gita, Five Classics, Koran, Talmud, Tao-te-ching, Upanishads, Veda, Guru Granth Sahib, Zhuan Falun, Book of Mormon, Scientology, Buddhist works, Tanakh, all must be as well. Or were you just brought up to believe yours was the inspired one.
2007-11-13 02:38:17 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yeah, basically, if you believe that the Bible was "inspired by God," you probably believe that all the other great religious classics are mere works of man, or possibly demon-inspired.
And of course that gets me a thumbs down...lol. Why? Isn't that the truth? I hardly think most "Christians" are willing to admit the validity of other religious traditions - that would rather undercut their own.
2007-11-13 02:41:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
It is important to define what "inspired by god" means. The very idea is confined to your understanding of god.
In particular, when the bible was written, the following passage was perfectly acceptable:
"Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Yes, march against Babylon, the land of rebels, a land that I will judge! Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you," says the LORD. "Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction". (Jeremiah 50:21-22 NLT)
Today most Westerners understand that killing in the name of a deity is an absurd idea. Particularly when we've been victimized by a competing theology using the same justification.
Take this passage from the Koran for instance:
"Slay them wherever you find them...Idolatry is worse than carnage...Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme." (Surah 2:190-)
To believe a deity inspires words that inspires murder could only be justified in the minds of the willfully ignorant or the insane. The only possible explanation is the supposed holy books were written by men with an agenda. The books have been repeatedly twisted to fit modern agendas.
There are minor sections of each religious text that do display enduring wisdom. Then again, in hundreds of pages of ANY book, you could find words to live by. Even the autobiography of Lee Iacocca has some pearls of wisdom. That doesn't mean he was under the spell of supernatural forces when he wrote those parts.
2007-11-13 10:55:33 · answer #2 · answered by robert_w_gaines 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does even the most religious person actually belive god personally (is that the right term for a god?) wrote the Bible! Come on, even believers aren't (quite) that irrational.
It was cobbled together from the writings of a bunch of humans who might have believed they were inspired by god (but were more likely deluded). Who wrote it isn't the question, it's who inspired the selective collection that makes up the Bible and the self serving (to the clergy) purposes to which it was put.
2007-11-13 10:44:23 · answer #3 · answered by agb90spruce 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, it doesn't seem like a op out to me. It just seems to me that we use pens and paper for writing and God uses men as his tool for writing. What paper can contain the glorious touch of the living God, what writing device? I don't know about what a person get from other beliefs, but personal experience with the bible teachings and the ongoing proofs happening everyday in our lives attest to the knowledge of someone greater than mortal man. When you reach a personal relationship with God through prayer, fasting and walking the path or the way of Life given through the words in the written Word (bible), you experience and become aware that there is indeed no other God only one. It's funny that when people are in a situation that they see no way out of they usually call out the name Jesus (I've even seen/heard self proclaimed atheist call him).
2007-11-13 10:56:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
when it says that it has been inspired, it means that it just isn't a bunch of rules or stories that someone made up... The bible wasn't just inspired, it was witnessed... it was also interpreted and written for specific groups of people... for example, Paul talked and wrote to get the message through to the gentiles... Peter talked to Jews... Paul's message is softer and gentler, while Peter's writings are often harsher and the words are tougher... The book of revelations, was a dream, or prophecy, but it was seen by John... The old testament was accounts of things and sayings by people who actually talk to God or a messenger... so in saying that it was inspired, that may be the wrong way of putting it...
2007-11-13 10:47:41 · answer #5 · answered by d h 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a different between "inspired by" and "written by." So I don't think it is a cop out. Even I, an Atheist, realize that the Bible was inspired by God. I just don't believe it was written by him because I do not believe he exists.
The other works you mention, I imagine, were also "inspired by" God, or at least someone's idea of God.
2007-11-13 10:42:59 · answer #6 · answered by geniepiper 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible was written by many people over a period of hundreds of years, and has been edited many times to reflect the current beliefs of various Popes or other senior clergy in denominations other than Catholic.
There has been an extensive study of this written by Laura Knight-Jadzyk and accessible through the website
http://www.qfgpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=42
Here is her BLOG with comment on many other things:
http://laura-knight-jadczyk.blogspot.com/
2007-11-13 11:11:42 · answer #7 · answered by pstottmfc 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every country has a dominant religion and it seems that the dominant religion of any particular country conveniently shapes the hearts and minds of the people to fit right in line with the laws of that country. What people wont accept by force seems to be presented in the form of religion?, therefore laws need not so much be demanded by government but rather accepted through religion and consequences thereof. Being caged is one thing, but burning in a blazing hell with savage beasts for all eternity quite another.
The word government is taken from two words -
'govern' which means 'control'.
and 'ment' which is taken from the word 'mente' and means 'mind'.
Therefore the word 'government literally means 'mind control'.
The King James version of the holy bible clearly has a politicians name on it - we can all trust politicians eh? :)
Makes me wonder if people have ever researched the history of their religion, and in many cases if they have even read the book they claim to stand on, not to mention to kill other human beings for it.
"cop out", or maybe just pigs in the temple?
2007-11-13 11:18:57 · answer #8 · answered by Inflames 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WOW, very interesting question. Not only is the theory a cop-out but a loaded one as well, considering that we're offered an Either-Or choice. In fact, however, every religious work, including our ridiculous Bible, was neither written nor inspired by god. Trust me on this.
2007-11-13 10:55:09 · answer #9 · answered by FRANsuFU 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it's the only reasonable explanation for how the Bible could be anything but a pile of stories, advice, and wishful thinking. It also seems reasonable that if the Bible was inspired by God, other books could have been as well. However, it doesn't mean that any book claiming to be a holy text was necessarily inspired by God.
2007-11-13 10:46:29 · answer #10 · answered by Ambivalence 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋