If you are a christian shouldn't you believe that the bible is word for word true?

Question

If it is supposedly the 'word of god', you shouldn't be able to pick and choose the bits that you believe in, it should be all or nothing, it's not a sweet shop.
If you say the creation story isn't true, what's to say the accounts of Yeshua's life aren't true?
You can't pick and choose.

You don't get what I'm getting at? I don't know if you've noticed but a lot of you christian types seem to say things like 'this part isn't true, it's just a story' so by that logic, what's to say the rest of it isn't true?

Personally, I'm an atheist, I don't believe in the best selling work of fiction of all time.

If the parts about yeshua are the 'good bits' as some of you put it, why not just cut away the fat?

Comparing a religion to a political affiliation is a bad analogy.

I'd consider myself a UK conservative but I don't like the leader or a lot of their policies. But, unless you want to lose your vote, you have to take sides in politics, you don't in religion, it's completely personal.

so atheists worship a devil they don't believe exists? that's spurious logic.

and finally, for the record, I am perfect.

Oh, im sorry, i didn't realise the king james version was the word of god, i thought it was just an edit by a gay scottish king of england.

Answer 1

It isn't the word of God but ramblings of others.

Answer 2

Look, I'm not a Christian but I am Jewish and I think you are seeing the words of the Bible/Tanakh in a very literal way which is by no means the only way to understand it, respectfully.

Let's assume that the bible is the word of God (I'm taking that as an assumption, not saying I believe it). Since God is completely outside our realm, we always have great difficulty in understanding what God is. I don't think it's a great leap to feel that God might have some trouble explaining things to us. When people try to explain something unfamiliar to anyone, they try to start from where that person is, from the culture and practices that they know about. God did the same, using the cultural assumptions and understandings of the time in which messages were being given to humans.

If you then confuse these ways of explaining with the reality that God is trying to communicate, you are confusing the map with the territory. The only thing set in stone was the Ten Commandments.

The creation story (or rather stories, as there are two different versions at the start of Genesis) is a beautiful way of trying to explain some underlying truths. We may not completely understand the underlying truth, but poor old God has got stuck with people thinking there were two actual people called Adam and Eve, a fruit (no apples were used in this story) and a snake. Try letting the underlying messages get through to you and you might find the whole business rather more interesting.

EDIT: my apologies for having assumed you were coming at this from a "true believer" Christian perspective. Nonetheless, the same applies - I don't think the literal readings that talk about the whole thing having to be literally true, or the whole thing falls, really cut the mustard. The weird mishmash of stories, purported history, lineages, weird happenings etc that is the bible (OK, I'm talking Tanakh/"old" testament here) has lots of richness in it if you think it about more psychologically. As a statement of fact, of 'truth', it makes precious little sense, apart from anything else, which is why I find the literalists so hard to understand.

Answer 3

Think of many other religions where stories are used to teach. It's the same thing with the bible. Unfortunately, people have taken the 'fables' to be actual accounts and make the meaning of the story is shoved to the side and sometimes forgotten. And people pick and choose all the time. The best way for anyone to use the bible is to read it, attempt to understand the true meaning of the teachings and not get caught up trying to 'prove' that anything really happened.

Answer 4

This is something I often think about. I know a lot of really nice, and intelligent people, who describe themselves as Christians. They are keen to disassociate themselves from the horrible, blood thirsty Old testament god, they acknowledge that big chunks of the bible are just not true, and indeed are morally abhorrent, including some of the things attributed to Jesus. So I ask myself to what extent are they actually Xtian? They have essentially created their own faith by abstracting those elements of the scripture they consider a good moral guide and ignoring the rest. What they have come up with may be a much better, ethically Superior morality, but can they really say it is Christianity?

Answer 5

The be responsive to God is Jesus. And His words are real. anybody of all non secular backgrounds have been replaced with the help of the revelation of Christ. The previous testomony isn't the definitive occasion of what we could continually carry on with, the hot testomony (that's Christ) is our occasion. The previous testomony is greater of a witness to the failings and evils that have been performed with the help of the gentiles and the chosen of God. and additionally shows that even whilst God did tutor Himself many have been nevertheless disobedient and uncertain. Plus the hot testomony is a witness of people who have been on the ingredient of Christ. on a similar time as people who have been left out have been greater of a historic bills of Jesus which didn't emphasize His divinity. Raphel: No words have been replaced interior the bible it somewhat is in basic terms that some words in specific languages have different meaning in accordance to context and a few bibles use different adjustments. learn the bible to establish the unique textual content cloth and you will discover which you or whoever instructed you that load of crap are incorrect.

Answer 6

I've said it before and I'll say it again....

1) 'Christians' are not all the same. Some profess to be a Christian and are not true followers. Some are genuine followers and will strive to live each day by God's word.

2) The bible can be interpreted in different ways

3) We are all human and even the best 'Christian' will make mistakes. That's the whole reason why Jesus died for us - we sin. We are not God, we are not perfect

All the best

Answer 7

The Bible contains two different aspects. The moral messages and the detailed narratives "wrapping up" these messages.
The moral messages are the "word of God". The narrative wrappers are the words of men, that is, the human authors of the different chapters/verses of the Bible. You can't find fault with the moral messages but can have a grand time nitpicking on the wrappers -- the narrative details. Have a good day!

Answer 8

The Bible is actually a collection of books. The old testament basically reflects the understanding of God prior to Jesus coming along and giving us a much broader picture of the nature of god.
It's a thinking persons collection of books, compiled to help us explore ourselves and the nature of God.
It's for spiritual development.
Not all christians go around preaching to people, and those who do can seem very closed minded, but they mean well.
I think religion should be kept personal.

Answer 9

Actually, it depends on your faith.
Some Christians do feel the entire Book is the religious text. Some will only follow the New Testament, arguing that the Old Testament was obsolete - meant for the Jews, but over-rided by the New Testament.
Some will disregard any piece of it that they do not care for or do not chose to believe, yet defend any scrap that supports their views as sacred and entirely incontrovertible.

Answer 10

Of course - if any of it is untrue, it negates the whole thing, like a true/false question on a test at school. Some of the metaphors may seem unclear, but they were easily understood by the people who lived then. Metaphors are great, but they're limited to the culture where they originated.

Answer 11

A Mormon's perspective:

Latter-day Saints revere the Bible. They study it and believe it to be the word of God. However, they do not believe the Bible, as it is currently available, is without error.

Additional Information

Joseph Smith commented, "I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 327).

The Latter-day Saints have a great reverence and love for the Bible. They study it and try to live its teachings. They treasure its witness of the life and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith studied the Bible all his life, and he taught its precepts. He testified that a person who can "mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God's own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand [of the Lord] wherever he can see it" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 56).

As the Bible was compiled, organized, translated, and transcribed, many errors entered the text. The existence of such errors becomes apparent when one considers the numerous and often conflicting translations of the Bible in existence today. Careful students of the Bible are often puzzled by apparent contradictions and omissions. Many people have also been curious about references by biblical prophets to books or scriptural passages that are not currently in the Bible.

In addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints reverence and study the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the words of modern prophets and apostles. All these sources of eternal truth work together to establish, clarify, and testify of the plan of our Heavenly Father and to bring people unto Jesus Christ.