why would we have a brain and the capacity to reason if all were are going to do is relinquish it so we can b sheep??
2007-11-14 16:24:20 · 16 answers · asked by Man of Ideas 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Question everything.
No idea is valuable without appraisal.
2007-11-14 16:31:05 · answer #1 · answered by Dalarus 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course we should question the Bible. Nothing that cannot stand up to scrutiny can be true. And the Bible's history points towards it being completely false.
In the mid-300's CE, the Vatican decided to do a revision of the Bible and make an "official" one. To do this, however, they had to decide on official teachings they wanted them to support, which they voted on. The main decision was the divinity of Christ. They couldn't agree whether they wanted Jesus to be God or just a man. The vote was close, but they decided to have him be a God. The next order of business was to get rid of all if the Scriptural writing that contradicted this decision. At the time, about 400 or so Biblical works, both Old and New Testament, were circulating around the Roman Empire. These were gathered by the Church and filtered through. Those that went along with the divine-Christ idea were kept, while the others were burned. This narrowed the number down to our modern Bible of 27 New Testament books and 45(I think) in the Old Testament. These remaining were revised and then translated from Hebrew or Greek or Coptic or whatever they were in to Latin. Unfortunately, a lot was lost in this revision. For example, the word that was translated into "virgin" that described Mary was really Hebrew for "young girl." That just means she was about 13 or 14 when she got married. Nothing to do with not having sex. Although the Immaculate Conception is the basis of Christian belief and apparently confirms that he was more than a man, the original Bible writings claimed no such thing. Another example of this is the condemnation of the homosexuality. In Leviticus, it says "you shall not bed with a man as you would a woman, for it is an abomination." There, the Bible says that gay people are abominations. Wrong. That is a complete mistranslation. The original Hebrew used the word meaning "marriage-bed," stating that the man it was speaking to was married (as almost all Jewish men were). The translators also took the liberty of replacing the word meaning "wife" with the word "woman." This was a continuation of the laws against adultery. It only really said that it was wrong to bed another man if you were married, with nothing against homosexuality in general. The word translated as "homosexual" in Paul's ministry was also incorrect. The word he used originally referred to a male prostitute or child molester, not homosexuals. Paul never really said anything against gay people at all, yet Christians today are using the Bible to take away these people's rights.
That is why today finding original Scriptures not included in the "official" Bible creates so much controversy. They contradict what the Church has attempted to teach for the last sixteen or seventeen hundred years.
Your argument is perfectly valid, although I believe the people who believe the Bible word for word are more like lemmings, not sheep.
2007-11-15 00:55:35 · answer #2 · answered by Duke Paul-Muad'Dib Atreides 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think your second question puts it exactly right. If were were given intelligence by God, why are we not supposed to think? And anyway though one can believe the Bible writings are inspired by God, it is also true that a Church meeting or whatever decided which religious writings got in the Bible and some were left out
2007-11-15 01:00:57 · answer #3 · answered by Keith B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The bible is just one guide. That's all. Do what you will but trying to get a muslim to read one makes you one very silly duffer. Personally I go for the more modern books on spiritual law. I can't understand a bloody word the bible says... gave up years ago. Not to mention that it's a bit scary. All this talk of enemies and hell etc. I don't want to become paranoid.
2007-11-15 00:33:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Dear man of ideas,
No where in the Bible does it say that we are not to ask questions about it? In fact, the Bible itself encourages us to study to show ourselves approved unto God a workman who does not need to be ashamed- rightly dividing the word of truth!
The purpose of studying the Bible is to know God. The Bible contains the answer to man's greatest obstacle to knowing God- which is sin and the Bible teaches us how to know God through Jesus Christ. It does not propose to answer every single one of man's questions: IE: What about dinosaurs, etc.
But when we examine the Bible we find that it is historically, archaeologically, scientifically, and divinely accurate!
It is a stereotype that Christians blindly accept everything without a brain. There are many many intelligent Christians who have a reason to their faith!
Kindly,
Nickster
2007-11-15 00:42:25 · answer #5 · answered by Nickster 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I want to know the name of syrup which was drunk while corrupting bibles as such I see the following in bible.
Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
(a) God did (2 Samuel 24: 1)
(b) Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1)
In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
(a) Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
(b) One million, one hundred thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)
How many fighting men were found in Judah?
(a) Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
(b) Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)
God sent his prophet to threaten David with how many years of famine?
(a) Seven (2 Samuel 24:13)
(b) Three (I Chronicles 21:12)
How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?
(a) Twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26)
(b) Forty-two (2 Chronicles 22:2)
How old was Jehoiachin when he became king of Jerusalem?
(a) Eighteen (2 Kings 24:8)
(b) Eight (2 Chronicles 36:9)
How long did he rule over Jerusalem?
(a) Three months (2 Kings 24:8)
(b) Three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9)
The chief of the mighty men of David lifted up his spear and killed how many men at one time?
(a) Eight hundred (2 Samuel 23:8)
(b) Three hundred (I Chronicles 11: 11)
When did David bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem? Before defeating the Philistines or after?
(a) After (2 Samuel 5 and 6)
(b) Before (I Chronicles 13 and 14)
How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
(a) Two (Genesis 6:19, 20)
(b) Seven (Genesis 7:2). But despite this last instruction only two pairs went into the ark (Genesis 7:8-9)
When David defeated the King of Zobah, how many horsemen did he capture?
(a) One thousand and seven hundred (2 Samuel 8:4)
(b) Seven thousand (I Chronicles 18:4)
How many stalls for horses did Solomon have?
(a) Forty thousand (I Kings 4:26)
(b) Four thousand (2 chronicles 9:25)
In what year of King Asa's reign did Baasha, King of Israel die?
(a) Twenty-sixth year (I Kings 15:33 - 16:8)
(b) Still alive in the thirty-sixth year (2 Chronicles 16:1)
How many overseers did Solomon appoint for the work of building the temple?
(a) Three thousand six hundred (2 Chronicles 2:2)
(b) Three thousand three hundred (I Kings 5:16)
Solomon built a facility containing how many baths?
(a) Two thousand (1 Kings 7:26)
(b) Over three thousand (2 Chronicles 4:5)
Of the Israelites who were freed from the Babylonian captivity, how many were the children of Pahrath-Moab?
(a) Two thousand eight hundred and twelve (Ezra 2:6)
(b) Two thousand eight hundred and eighteen (Nehemiah 7:11)
How many were the children of Zattu?
(a) Nine hundred and forty-five (Ezra 2:8)
(b) Eight hundred and forty-five (Nehemiah 7:13)
How many were the children of Azgad?
(a) One thousand two hundred and twenty-two (Ezra 2:12)
(b) Two thousand three hundred and twenty-two (Nehemiah 7:17)
How many were the children of Adin?
(a) Four hundred and fifty-four (Ezra 2:15)
(b) Six hundred and fifty-five (Nehemiah 7:20)
How many were the children of Hashum?
(a) Two hundred and twenty-three (Ezra 2:19)
(b) Three hundred and twenty-eight (Nehemiah 7:22)
How many were the children of Bethel and Ai?
(a) Two hundred and twenty-three (Ezra 2:28)
(b) One hundred and twenty-three (Nehemiah 7:32)
Ezra 2:64 and Nehemiah 7:66 agree that the total number of the whole assembly was 42,360. Yet the numbers do not add up to anything close. The totals obtained from each book is as follows:
(a) 29,818 (Ezra)
(b) 31,089 (Nehemiah)
2007-11-15 00:37:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
God's Word? Yes. That can be proved...
http://schnebin.blogspot.com/2007/04/proof-of-god.html
Questioned? Of course! I always question translations as well as interpretations and teachings all the time.
As for being a sheep. Guilty as charged...
John 10:4
"And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."
2007-11-15 00:30:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Its not a matter of being sheep
Work with me here...
If the Bible is the actual, perfect and complete Word of the one true living God.
A being that SPOKE everything into existence
If you knew it was all REAL
Not a game
Not a fantasy
Not something you did to make yourself feel better
You would match your (or my) limited intellect against His?
You would have to be a complete and utter idiot not to follow it and Him
That's just how I see it.
2007-11-15 00:33:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
God's Word (captial W) is the Logos (greek) the Word made flesh which is Jesus Christ.
The bible is inspired and you are suppose to use your brains to study it, question, find answers (through accurate historical and literary context application to the larger message) and reason on matters of faith and morals.
2007-11-15 00:28:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
Truthfully, the bible was written by ancient men seeking power, that's it.
2007-11-15 00:45:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋