Your thoughts on The Bible?

[_Terminus24]

You think the Bible is trustworthy? Are the statements that it makes true? The New Testament versus the Old Testament? The Bible compared to other "religious" books? Are the instrucions in the Bible worth following? Is it the word of God? What do you think? I would like to know everyones opinion on the it.

 

Remember, discussions and debates are allowed as long as everyone follows the forum RULES. Feel free to share what you think 😏

[Astreya]

For me it's an interesting collection of ancient stories, some of which probably have a historical core.

 

I don't think any God had a hand in it (the same as I think about all other religious texts), they are just written down oral traditions of old that were likely embellished and expanded when told until they were codified by writing them down.

 

You need to remember that the Bible was only compiled in its current form around the year 400 (plus minus something) and the content was pretty much wantonly decided - which text to put in, which text to throw out. Additionally, many of the texts were translated various times from various source languages, and everybody who ever did translations will now what interesting changes to a source can happen that way (need I say "apple" and "virgin"?).

 

Some of the commandments and moral statement are sensible ("thou dost no kill", "thou dost no steal"), others are nowadays very much out of date and many outright dangerous (damning of homosexuals, the idea that a woman has to follow her man, some of the old practices like selling people into slavery, burning down cities of unbelievers, many other examples). If you read the Bible closely, you will find many parts in the Old Testament that call for violence, that IMO should not be read to children any more.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Astreya

[HeatherMarie]

My feelings are similar to @Astreya, I think. For the most part.

 

A large part of me believes in God or some sort of 'higher power', but I don't think the Bible is 'His Word' or would be at all accurate to what He/She would want for us now. I was part of a Bible study group for a few years and it was really fun and interesting to go through and talk about each little story and how it could be interpreted and such, and I think that experience just solidified the idea that the Bible should *never* be looked to as a 'life guide' or anything because of how differently people can interpret things. And that kind of sums up my feelings on religions in general, especially the ones that insist the Bible is True and Rules and should be followed regardless of anything else... People use it to 'justify' everything from bullying to legal oppression to outright violence and murder, as long as the Bible mentions something negative about some group of people others will use that as a reason to go after those people. And that's not okay, regardless of personal beliefs. 

edit: Also, it's one of my biggest 'pet peeves' that most people who point to the Bible as justification for discrimination and such, they themselves are cherry-pickers who only follow the parts of the Bible that confirm their own biases. Very few people who use the Bible that way actually follow all the 'rules' themselves, and that is one of the most frustrating things to me.

Edited December 11, 2021 by HeatherMarie

[Astreya]

One thing that people often overlook is how societies, ethic and morals change over time. Following some of the stuff of the Bible that is totally outdated is like using laws from medieval ages for modern situations.

 

@HeatherMarie

Have you ever seen the "Dear Dr.Laura" satire? I just have to repost it here as it shows a lot of the problems you get if you follow scripture by the letter

 

Quote

Dear Dr. Laura:

 

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … End of debate.

 

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations.
   A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15: 19-24.
   The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.
4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord – Lev.1:9.
   The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death.
   Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.

 

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

 

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia (It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian)

Here's a bit of background info about the above: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/godzooks/2018/11/dear-dr-laura-letter/

[Fuzzbucket]

I'm with HeatherMarie and Astrea. I also recommend the rather excellent book The Year of Living Biblically  (Jacobs.) It points out some priceless dilemmas.

 

Quote

Avoiding shellfish was easy. The stoning of adulterers proved a little more difficult - and potentially controversial. Was it enough to walk up to an adulterer and gently touch them with a stone? Even that could be grounds for accusations of assault, especially with female adulterers in Manhattan. So what's a good Bible-reading boy to do?

 

[_Terminus24]

Hmm... I have to say I agree with you all. I'm not that religious guy tbh... 🙏

[Dinosaurbean]

as a christain we are expected to know everything in the bible and to follow its word without doubt, and i believe that following some of the rules could lead to a happier life (depending on prefrences and rules) and the community of the church can really help you to know what is best!

 

 but sadly i think a lot of people dont understand why some rules are there, or just dont understand/ignore them, making a sorta toxic envoirment, like people who hate on lgbtq+ becuase the bible say's its bad, and people who will tell the lgbtq+ community that they will die in hell painfully. if you encounter one of these people, just remind them that the bible says "love your neighbor as yourself" and dont judge

 

smh they are the one following God but they break his rules becuase of other rules

 

btw im dyslexic and still learning some words, and im working on grammer, sorry for the occasinal word that i currently dont know how to spell, and sorry if its hard to follow

[Rosedamai]

Fun storybook. 

[sarrepta1]

I tried to read the bible once. I couldn't  get past genesis because there was a point where it started to just become a huge list of random people's names, it was incredibly boring. might try it again in the future, but i will skip the name diarrhea sections

[_Terminus24]

On 1/6/2022 at 8:42 PM, sarrepta1 said:

I tried to read the bible once. I couldn't  get past genesis because there was a point where it started to just become a huge list of random people's names, it was incredibly boring. might try it again in the future, but i will skip the name diarrhea sections

 

lol diarrhea section that got me xd

[purplehaze]

The overarching theme of the Bible is love. Love for God and your fellow humans and God's love for us.

Many Christians historically and currently seem to miss the point.

[Stripey]

It's a book, written by a bunch of men, retelling fables in the flavor of the era it was written, which has been completely mis-translated and had sections modified, removed, and added to.  Also, different versions don't even say the same things, and contradict each other horribly. Somehow, people believe it is the "word of the one true god"
 

So to me, it is bovine droppings and should be labeled as such (same with all other religious texts).  If someone wants to follow the people who believe it to be true, then it's their short coming.

[StormBirdRising]

The Bible is a good thing, especially in these hard times when many people are overwhelmed with everything that is happening, and they have less control of their lives.  It brings a great deal of comfort to people. 

I didn't know that much about it but it seems that it was written in a period of over 150 years, originally in Aramaic and Hebrew,  then translated to Old Greek, and finally into other languages including English.  One Rabbi explained to me that some things were lost in translation. He told me that one of the commandments, there are ten of them, was originally "Thou shalt not Murder" not "Thou Shalt not Kill" because God commands us to kill to save our own lives and to save the lives of our families. 

One Minister told me that there was a lot of misinterpretation of some of the passages. He also said that there were two separate and distinct books that make up the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also said that there are many different renditions of the New Testament but only one of the Old Testament. 

In any event, it is a good thing because it continues to bring comfort to people now,  even though it was written thousands of years ago.  

[saint-megatron]

I like to think that the Bible has roots in rich, ancient cultural stories and events, but the fact that it's trimmed down to only 66 books when thousands of literature pieces from across thousands of years exist has always frustrated me. And the fact that it is considered immutable when in fact so many pieces were purposely excluded during its compilation SUPER frustrates me.

[HeatherMarie]

On 2/28/2022 at 8:05 PM, StormBirdRising said:

One Minister told me that there was a lot of misinterpretation of some of the passages. He also said that there were two separate and distinct books that make up the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also said that there are many different renditions of the New Testament but only one of the Old Testament. 

 

This is part of what frustrates me, not with the Bible itself but with some people who try to push it's 'teachings'. There are too many people who take every word in the Bible personally, as something set in stone that they should act on, etc. Despite the fact that it's been translated many many times over so many years and even many religious authority figures (Pastors, Ministers, etc) admit there are misunderstandings, mistranslations, etc etc.  (Plus, yunno, it was written at least 2,000 years ago and a whole lot has changed in society since then but many people don't seem to take that into account.)

 

As a book itself, I think the Bible is a wonderful ancient text to study and learn how things can be interpreted and ponder how different stories may apply in today's world. It's very unfortunate that many people don't see it that way though. 

[StormBirdRising]

It seems like the main theme of the Bible and other Holy Books is "How you want to be treated, treat other people like that".   People who have studied the Bible and other Holy Books, like the Book of Mormon, the Koran, books like that, seem to be in agreement that they were written to encourage compassion, empathy, and civility, and to provide a written history of that period.  

[Awdz]

I do believe in the Bible as the Word of God, told to people in the context of their lives and passed down with lessons to be reapplied now. I do not think applying [what was told to a very different culture thousands of years ago] literally to the culture we live in today is appropriate. I think underlying concepts of loving/seeking God and loving/caring for each other are what we need to glean from the stories, with an understanding that the nature of people is similar today to what it was back then (e.g., when hit, we tend to hit back; we all need to eat to live; we can all be hurt).

 

As a Christian, I believe God is teaching us in this life about making choices and learning to live with one another, so that in the next life we can develop into something more beautiful. The Bible is full of examples, both good and bad, of choices and ramifications - and, of course, Jesus pointing out how much we missed the mark in following the structure instead of intent of the law of Moses. It is extremely important to understand the context in order to understand the lessons to be gleaned.

 

From my perspective, God created us good, to live together in harmony. We have a tendency to assume our limited perspectives are enough to make good choices, but often our best intentions backfire because of our lack of understanding. Everyone matters, and it takes the love and wisdom of God to know what truly works for all. The Bible is a great tool towards that.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Awdz Bodkins

[Laskuraska]

Humans wrote it and I don't trust them. 🤷‍♂️

[purplehaze]

On 3/24/2022 at 2:49 AM, Laskuraska said:

Humans wrote it and I don't trust them. 🤷‍♂️

Humans wrote all other books. Does that mean you trust no book?

[Laskuraska]

On 3/27/2022 at 5:23 PM, purplehaze said:

Humans wrote all other books. Does that mean you trust no book?

No, it means I don't trust these authors specifically, however many of them there were. I suspect they had ulterior motives based on how beneficial the rules laid out in the text were to people holding specific roles in their society, and I really don't trust how modern people are using it based on the fact that the rules intensely benefit exactly one type of person to the detriment of everyone else. I suspect that any truth within that book has been corrupted by these types of people; when I studied the bible as literature, there were several example passages we were shown that were known to be an insertion, likely to the inserter's benefit. I do not trust that any divine inspiration in this text has remained pure. I do not trust the authors, nor the  lips and hands it has passed through since it was first told as an oral tradition and written into a text. I do not trust it.

[AndromediaV]

"You think the Bible is trustworthy?"  - no.

[Starscream]

its an old book that was probably passed on by word of mouth, embellished through time, true meaning lost and then written down and then people stuck to it like it was a solid truth, when its no more real than the stories I write.  There may be some iota of truth in it, perhaps people who existed, but most certainly its all been exaggerated.

 

So no. I do not think it is any more true than my fan fictions are. At least my stories don't have people trying to kill each other over it.

[AngelsSin]

No.  Simply put any teaching or beliefs systems that can not stand up to scrutiny/in-depth examinations, etc, that need to be changed and altered to fit in with modern society/science/fact should never be held up as an ideal/belief/faith/truth.

Case in point - old testament or new testament! I would like to think that those who created the bible (people not god) had good intentions. But considering the dark bloody history of the religion I am more inclined to believe that it was created as a tool to manipulate/control/influence the people. I think people are very selective in what they take away from the bible. But I think people have their blinders on when it comes to this subject. IMO there is a lot of violence and hate and judgement in the bible. We all know from our history lessons from school how antiquated and often dead wrong the beliefs of previous generations have gotten things. Like the world being flat being a big one.

 

The church has been known to suppress information/knowledge that directly contradicts the words found in the bible.  They named people heretics, people who we know today were right like: Copernicus (earth revolves around the sun), William of Ockham (Ockham's Razor), etc.

 

There are so many inconsistencies in the bible that people willfully ignore or rationalize away. Many of the church's holidays are actual stolen and altered to fit their narrative, from other religions (mostly pagan ones) when they were hell bent on converting everyone on earth - willingly or not.

The Devil was a stolen/idea/myth/concept (badly corrupted) from the Celts based off of a Nature God.

Christianity is based off a Jewish man who may or may not have even existed IMO. Christianity for anyone who has done actual research on it will find was once a subsect of Judaica that became too radical for the Jews to accept or tolerate.  Jesus who was supposedly a Jew.  And as a Jew myself we Do Not Believe That Jesus Or Anyone Else is More Than Anyone Else. In other words if god exists we are ALL his children and No One is raised above the others INCLUDING JESUS.

 

I believe the bible and people who believe in it can embolden people to act badly towards others who don't subscribe to their belief system which in a lot of their eyes is the one and only right/true path to god. It allows for people to be marginalize and victimized and they use their religious beliefs to justify really horrible behavior.  They believe they can confess away their sins and wrong-doings. That god will forgive them anything as long as they say the words. And that is a dangerous belief to have. People have and will continue to do horrible evil things because in the end they think they can go before god and get absolution for their crimes and it can encourage them to continue to commit heinous acts because of god and religion and they will be forgiven everything under the sun, just for asking for forgiveness. Why would people like that stop bad behavior if there are no consequences during life or in a hypothetical afterlife.

 

Not to mention all the power that the church was given over the years. Their priests, etc are protected from even having to disclose information that a normal citizen would get in trouble for witholding. Not to mention they protect and move their priests to new locations when they have been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct no matter how many times they have been accused. And they continue to get away with these practices to this day because, well, it's the church.

Which brings me back to my earlier point. That just because a large portion of the world believes something is true and right and good- doesn't make it so. Which is why I believe more and more people are turning away from the bible and the church and organized religion because it is becoming harder and harder to put your faith (in this modern world of ours where many are dedicated to knowledge/education/science/fact/truth) in something that just doesn't pass the smell test.

 

How many more times in the future will they have to revise the bible just so it can be accepted and remain relevant?  And should anyone be putting their faith in something that has to be constantly changed as facts come out that disproves it's contents? Or to claim that it is a matter of interpretation? If something has the capacity to be interpreted so differently among it's believers, is it really something that could ever be claimed as true/fact/real? How much longer will people be able to twist themselves into pretzels so they can cling to an outdated belief that a lot of us no longer believe in or respect.

 

This religion and IMO most organized religion is actually detrimental to the advancement/health/well-being/betterment of humanity.  And I believe it is holding us back from better things.

Edited April 18, 2022 by AngelsSin

[TheScorpionKing]

The Bible is the greatest book that has ever been written.

Over the years it has become more and more relevant

and more and more important in our daily lives. 

 

[PrincessLucy]

I have had this discussion with several people over the years.

 

They say the bible was written by God.

 

Ummm...no.

 

Then they say, well, it was written by man inspired by God. God told him what to write.

 

Ummm...you mean like hearing voices?