[Ahimaaz Smith]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Based on the Bible itself, you see countless instances of the chosen people of God screwing up -- either through ill intent, weakness, recklessness, negligence, fits of passion, or simple momentary lapses.

Chapter and verse, please. If you're going to make scurrilous accusations about our religion, you'd better back them up with facts. Otherwise, you're no professor at all.

In that case, once again, how do YOU decide which verses are "accurate", and which are, as you say, "distortions"?

I'd like to hear the answer to that one, too.

However, that does not explain why you choose Christianity over, say, Wicca, when Wiccans certainly can show love. Several times a day, with whatever happens by.

Good point, Sister Jenny, though I don't know that I'd treat Wiccan love (which is, let's face it, pretty much exclusively lesbian love) as love in any Christian sense.

[JennyD]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Jenny,

You had asked how the Bible could contain error. Is it that God lacks omniscience or omnipotence or both? This, of course, is a false dichotomy. An omniscient and omnipotent God has chosen to act through weak and biased human beings.

Then, my dear Mrs. Brown, you also say that God has CHOSEN to deliberately mislead people by allowing His message to be distorted.

In that case, once again, how do YOU decide which verses are "accurate", and which are, as you say, "distortions"? Also, who gives YOU the authority to do so?

"Brother Temparence," you asked whether it wouldn't be simpler for the Holy Spirit to help us get it right the first time. God doesn't always choose the simplest path. It would have been simple for Him to create human beings immune to temptation, thereby avoiding the Fall and making salvation history a moot point. It seems that the struggle is part of what God wants for us, including the struggle with Scripture. So yes, He could have dropped the Bible down from the sky, in English, perfectly annotated, gone on Oprah to promote it, and set up a website to answer Frequently Asked Questions. Simpler, but He asks more of us than that.

Is it your opinion that God intentionally sets out to mislead the "stupid", and asks that only the "intelligent" like yourself figure out the truth, that only the "intelligent" like yourself might be Saved(c)?

Sorry, dear, that's not the God we believe in. Our God is no respecter of persons, and does not intentionally mislead people. Maybe yours does.

"Brother V," you asked why I would undercut the one book that supports my faith as a Christian. Every example of Christian love that exists in the world supports my faith as a Christian. My faith is a living thing, because my God is a living God. Some would say your faith is a museum piece, intricate, fragile, and of limited use in today's world.

Professor Brown

Then why would not every example of Muslim love in the world convince you to be a Muslim? Why would not every example of Buddhist love (and there are many, they're quite kind and gentle people generally) convince you to be a Buddhist?

People of other faiths are quite capable of showing love. They just happen to be condemned to Hell for denying Christ. However, that does not explain why you choose Christianity over, say, Wicca, when Wiccans certainly can show love. Several times a day, with whatever happens by.

[Professor Brown]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Jenny,

You had asked how the Bible could contain error. Is it that God lacks omniscience or omnipotence or both? This, of course, is a false dichotomy. An omniscient and omnipotent God has chosen to act through weak and biased human beings.

Those include the human beings who composed, transcribed, edited, selected, translated, and offered glosses upon the Holy Bible. Based on the Bible itself, you see countless instances of the chosen people of God screwing up -- either through ill intent, weakness, recklessness, negligence, fits of passion, or simple momentary lapses. Denying the humanity of the Bible's authors is itself highly un-Biblical.

"Brother Temparence," you asked whether it wouldn't be simpler for the Holy Spirit to help us get it right the first time. God doesn't always choose the simplest path. It would have been simple for Him to create human beings immune to temptation, thereby avoiding the Fall and making salvation history a moot point. It seems that the struggle is part of what God wants for us, including the struggle with Scripture. So yes, He could have dropped the Bible down from the sky, in English, perfectly annotated, gone on Oprah to promote it, and set up a website to answer Frequently Asked Questions. Simpler, but He asks more of us than that.

"Brother V," you asked why I would undercut the one book that supports my faith as a Christian. Every example of Christian love that exists in the world supports my faith as a Christian. My faith is a living thing, because my God is a living God. Some would say your faith is a museum piece, intricate, fragile, and of limited use in today's world.

Professor Brown

[Talitha]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

God didn't create me - my mom and dad did.

[Old Iron Crotch]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Good question. Hey, Dances, why do you think (if that's not too strong a word to use) God created you?

God didn't create me - my mom and dad did.

[Brother Temperance]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Obviously that's not for us to know. Why does he create retards that will eat their own poo?

Good question. Hey, Dances, why do you think (if that's not too strong a word to use) God created you?

[Deaner]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

If he's all that and a bag of omnipotent, omniscient chips, why didn't he create people with the ability to comprehend him?

Obviously that's not for us to know. Why does he create retards that will eat their own poo?

[Brother V]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

He said, "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is My body which will be given up for you."

Likewise, when he took the cup, he passed it to his disciples and said "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of My blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of Me."

If Jesus had his disciples eat human flesh and drink human blood (or any type of blood) then he would be having his disciples break some of the laws.

If Jesus broke the law, then Jesus sinned.

Friend, do you believe Jesus sinned? If Jesus sinned, then his sacrifice wasn't perfect.

(Of course, since you are catholic, you probably only think mary was sin free).

V

[Nobar King]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

I know the answer - he didn't because he couldn't, because he didn't create anything in the first place.

So you just come here to pepper us with your stupid rhetorical questions? I'm glad that I can't see the conversations that occur at your dinner table.

"Isn't undercooked food great?"
"You know I love anything you do, dear."

[Old Iron Crotch]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Why do you keep asking the same questions over and over again? The answer to your question can be found here and on 10,000 other religious websites, not to mention google and wikipedia. Go away and do some studying, and come back when you are ready to show your love for Jesus.

I know the answer - he didn't because he couldn't, because he didn't create anything in the first place.

[Nobar King]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Why do you keep asking the same questions over and over again? The answer to your question can be found here and on 10,000 other religious websites, not to mention google and wikipedia. Go away and do some studying, and come back when you are ready to show your love for Jesus.

[Old Iron Crotch]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Look is the one who doesn’t understand now; God is not a “rational” creature like we humans can understand. God is perfect, He exists out side of time, the natural world and exists everywhere. By definition He is confusing to us because He is beyond our comprehension.

Quit selfishly trying to limit God.



So you are saying the God is too incompetent or uncaring that He would let a mortal distort His message to His creation? That is not the God we Christians worship.

If he's all that and a bag of omnipotent, omniscient chips, why didn't he create people with the ability to comprehend him?

[Offcr. Albert Martin]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

Jesus said "this is my body" he didn't say "eat me".

V

He said, "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is My body which will be given up for you."

Likewise, when he took the cup, he passed it to his disciples and said "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of My blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of Me."

[Bobby-Joe]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

"Brother V," my husband and I are both Christians.

Jenny, the God presented in the Bible, taken literally, is incoherent and full of direct contradictions. I cannot reconcile all verses. Neither can you. So we can be honest and admit that, or we can play pretend that all the verses fit together. I choose to be honest.

Look is the one who doesn’t understand now; God is not a “rational” creature like we humans can understand. God is perfect, He exists out side of time, the natural world and exists everywhere. By definition He is confusing to us because He is beyond our comprehension.

Quit selfishly trying to limit God.

I look for a reading that makes the most sense of the text as a whole. That means there are verses I will chalk up to human error. That may mean the cognitive, social, historical, or psychological limitations of the author. Or it may mean mistakes made in the collecting, editing, translating, and teaching of the work from this day to now. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we as a faithful community can identify and correct those mistakes.

Professor Brown

So you are saying the God is too incompetent or uncaring that He would let a mortal distort His message to His creation? That is not the God we Christians worship.

[Brother V]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Biblical Audit Underway

I'll tell you at least FIVE parts of the Bible they don't take literally:

The four Last Supper accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & 1 Corinthians) and John 6 (For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink)

Jesus said "this is my body" he didn't say "eat me".

V