How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

[KanadaHye]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

All religions are imposed on people. The example i gave of a young girl saying Obama should not be president because he kills babies was a great example of this. When people are born the religion of that society is always imposed on them at a young age they do not have a choice.

I find this funny. People who are born in America or Canada consider themselves Christian but most often they haven't a clue what Christianity is about. The only religion imposed on people in North America is Judaism.

I'm focusing on what the book says. Which limited reading of the bible has you walking away only with love and forgiveness? For every such message there are like 10 more of vengeance, hate, intolerance, etc.

You need a bible for dummies... you can't learn right without knowing wrong. Those messages are there as examples of what was done wrong in those times. There cannot be justice without punishment.

[Mos]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

All religions are imposed on people. The example i gave of a young girl saying Obama should not be president because he kills babies was a great example of this. When people are born the religion of that society is always imposed on them at a young age they do not have a choice.

I'm talking about the nature of Christianity in comparison with the other main religions of the world. The fact is in Christianity there's much more freedom to choice, while in Judaism/Islam it's all about following rules, customs, and being submissive as a result. That's a key difference. Everyone can twist and turn every religion, but it's the essence of that religion which remains constant.

[Haykakan]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

All religions are imposed on people. The example i gave of a young girl saying Obama should not be president because he kills babies was a great example of this. When people are born the religion of that society is always imposed on them at a young age they do not have a choice.

Christianity emphasizes the teachings of Jesus that come in the New Testament. This is at the core of Christianity. Hence, I emphasize these teachings. And Love being the fundamental concept of Christianity all together is something you really need to understand.



No. Christianity is not a religion that is imposed on a person, it's not a religion that's filled with strict rules/customs to follow like Judaism/Islam. Christianity professes a set of values and principles to live by and to make your own in bettering your mortal life, it grants a freedom that the other two religions don't grant. There's a freedom of choice that Judaism/Islam lack also, and it's important to understand this.

[Mos]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

I'm focusing on what the book says. Which limited reading of the bible has you walking away only with love and forgiveness? For every such message there are like 10 more of vengeance, hate, intolerance, etc.

Christianity emphasizes the teachings of Jesus that come in the New Testament. This is at the core of Christianity. Hence, I emphasize these teachings. And Love being the fundamental concept of Christianity all together is something you really need to understand.

This is typical of religious folks. Lets credit god and religion with all the good things and lets blame all the bad things on man and the devil. If you credit man for the bad things then why not credit him with the good things to. Religion makes man out to be a idiot that is incapable of anything on its own and that is what people who use religion want but that is far from the truth. Why use a doublestandard against your own kind? Just stand up and take credit for the bad and the good instead of making up bs stories.

No. Christianity is not a religion that is imposed on a person, it's not a religion that's filled with strict rules/customs to follow like Judaism/Islam. Christianity professes a set of values and principles to live by and to make your own in bettering your mortal life, it grants a freedom that the other two religions don't grant. There's a freedom of choice that Judaism/Islam lack also, and it's important to understand this.

[Haykakan]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

That is not what religion says. Many religions including chrystianity look at good and bad as absolutes.

Good and bad are objective judgements depending on point of view. What we generally view as "good" are things that benefit the majority while things that we consider "bad" are those that hurt the majority. In other words, good and bad aren't absolutes.

[KanadaHye]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

This is typical of religious folks. Lets credit god and religion with all the good things and lets blame all the bad things on man and the devil. If you credit man for the bad things then why not credit him with the good things to. Religion makes man out to be a idiot that is incapable of anything on its own and that is what people who use religion want but that is far from the truth. Why use a doublestandard against your own kind? Just stand up and take credit for the bad and the good instead of making up bs stories.

Good and bad are objective judgements depending on point of view. What we generally view as "good" are things that benefit the majority while things that we consider "bad" are those that hurt the majority. In other words, good and bad aren't absolutes.

[Haykakan]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

This is typical of religious folks. Lets credit god and religion with all the good things and lets blame all the bad things on man and the devil. If you credit man for the bad things then why not credit him with the good things to. Religion makes man out to be a idiot that is incapable of anything on its own and that is what people who use religion want but that is far from the truth. Why use a doublestandard against your own kind? Just stand up and take credit for the bad and the good instead of making up bs stories.

You do know that the most important and fundamental concept in the Bible and Christianity is Love. From that comes also the important concept of forgiveness. Humans are inherently flawed. And for this reason, many people have done bad things in the name of Christianity, but those acts should not dirty the fundamental concepts of Christianity that talk about love and forgiveness. Focus on the fundamental teaching of Jesus, not what some flawed individuals have done or not done in the name of Christianity.

[Siggie]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

You do know that the most important and fundamental concept in the Bible and Christianity is Love. From that comes also the important concept of forgiveness. Humans are inherently flawed. And for this reason, many people have done bad things in the name of Christianity, but those acts should not dirty the fundamental concepts of Christianity that talk about love and forgiveness. Focus on the fundamental teaching of Jesus, not what some flawed individuals have done or not done in the name of Christianity.

I'm focusing on what the book says. Which limited reading of the bible has you walking away only with love and forgiveness? For every such message there are like 10 more of vengeance, hate, intolerance, etc.

[Mos]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

Indeed. As I pointed out earlier, some of the highlights of that value system include prescriptions for how to treat rape victims, homosexuals, nonbelievers, and slaves.

You do know that the most important and fundamental concept in the Bible and Christianity is Love. From that comes also the important concept of forgiveness. Humans are inherently flawed. And for this reason, many people have done bad things in the name of Christianity, but those acts should not dirty the fundamental concepts of Christianity that talk about love and forgiveness. Focus on the fundamental teaching of Jesus, not what some flawed individuals have done or not done in the name of Christianity.

[KanadaHye]

Re: How Much of the Bible Must Be Historical to Believe?

Don't the other gospels that have turned up also show that the bible is an edited work?

E.g. The fragments found in Egypt a couple years ago...?

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2011/110726.html

I also know of the Flaying Spaghetti Monster. So what?

The Flying Spaghetti Monsters are mentioned in old Testament. They were one of the original races that got wiped out due to lack of faith in God.