Bible Questions?

At one time I was skeptical that the Bible was the word of God.

If you'll notice I didn't say that, it was a quote from Time Magazine.

 

What reaffirmed your faith?

So you don't agree with it?

 

It could be a parallel between true worship and false worship.

 

I can't say I ever had a faith as a child, although I must admit I've always "known" there was a God.

I did go to the Methodist Church as a Child, my Mom said she wanted her children to have religious education but I don't think she cared if we had a religion but just wanted us to be exposed to all life had to offer.

I didn't really learn much from the Methodist Church, after fifteen years I had only learned the 23rd Psalm and the Golden Rule, I told my Mom I wasn't going back because I felt gypped that that was all I'd learned in fifteen years and she just said OK.

I had also wondered why kids where pretty much ignored when the Bible indicated Jesus loved children.

I pretty much respected the Bible but as of yet did not believe it was the word of God.

Then one day I had an epiphany, mostly drug induced, that all roads lead to God, I was at the time very interested in Zen but thought since I was raised "Christian" and lived in a pretty much "Christian" country and so was already "half way" to God on that road I might as well stick with it.

Then I thought that since the Bible is the yardstick that is used to measure "Christianity", I would read it all the way though from front to back and would then try to find the form of Christianity that most closely followed what I had read.

I have over the last 30 years studied the Bible extensively and still have only scratched the surface. But in that time I "tested" out what the Bible says to the point I now believe it is the Word of God.

Sorry if that is more than you were asking for. If you were asking for more all I can say is you sure a glutton for punishment.

I agree pretty much with the sense of it but not word for word.

 

Thanks for sharing this, man. It deepens our understanding of you and our amazing God. Namaste, brother.

 

What is original sin?

Who created it and how is it defined?

 

It's not really a Bible term.

Usually what is being talked about is the sin the Adam and Eve committed but also through that sin, like a contagious disease, sin has spread to all mankind.

Thus even if a person never personally committed any sin in their life, they would still be a sinner because of inherited or original sin.

It has been illustrated this way; if you had a mold that you used to make plastic parts each part would be the same but if you dropped the mold and cracked it each part after that would have that crack, likewise we all imperfect or sinners because of Adam and Eve's original sin.

PS Was my answer to your question about my faith what you had in mind?

 

You're welcome, I was happy to share.

 

That your reasoning for belief in Christianity was based mostly around the fact that you grew up predominantly exposed to that particular theology through your family and society?

No that's pretty much what my assumption was.

I don't understand how such trivial disobedience can be likened to a disease.

I would think the burden of proof would be on you to prove that sin exists at all.

As for it being inherited through birth it just seems depressing and cynical, I for one am glad there is not a shred of evidence to support the validity of your claim.

 

Actually, In my life, I've looked into or studied all the major religions and only after doing so, did I decide to go with Christianity and so your assumption was incorrect. My belief in Christianity stems from a search for the truth, which I eventually found in the Bible.

That "trivial disobedience" has resulted in all the terrible things you see around you in the world today and without that "trivial disobedience" those terrible things would not exist. Some how that doesn't seem so "trivial" to me.

Sin literally means missing the mark, so if there is no sin, that would mean that everyone is perfect, so next time you hear of some one being murdered ask yourself if you think that is a sign of perfection.

Depressing, perhaps. Cynical, no. Realistic, Yes. As for there not being a shred of evidence to support the validity of my claim, I'm sure there are many who would disagree with you. The sin is there, all we're doing is quibbling about how it got there.

 

If a missile was off course .01 of an inch per foot when it left Earth and had no course corrections, how far off course would it be by the time it got to the moon?

Absolutely none, because Eve was fooled but Adam knew full well what he was doing and ate anyway. Also there has been some discussion about, if Adam had not eaten, even if Eve had eaten, that their children may have still been perfect. So it would seem Adam bears more responsibility than Eve.

Air exists but very few ask what it looks like or what color it is.

Not a misinterpretation but the fact that they didn't bother to read the whole Bible and find out that Paul later in the Bible tells that the last creative day was much longer than 24 hours, seeing as he says that day is still going on in his day.

As for evolution, it's not a question of time for me but opportunity. I don't believe that there is anyway for life to start in the "natural" world without a lot of outside help and that's even giving it eternity to happen.

It's not too personal, I just don't think it's appropriate to be recommending a particular denomination in this forum; one, because it's Skip's website and he doesn't like proselytizing and two, it would to me, make every thing I've said so far sound like an advertisement for a particular denomination and three, I would prefer that what I've said stand on it's own, so people can decide for themselves if it truly comes from the Bible and whether what I say makes sense or not.

2388

 

It's interesting to me that no one has asked one of the more important questions.

 

one of my friends feels that its a matter of showing God that you would sacrafice one of the best things of your belonging to him you know and cain gave up some simple as grapes and fruits........but then again how do we know that it was the best fruuits cain had to offer?


another explaintion that i have read is that Abel gave a Lamb symbolizing something somewhat Jesus like and Cain sacraficing somethign that came form the dirt symbolizing something "damned" like how God tolled adam that he was made from dust and now he was damned to return to dust once they ate from the fruit.

 

Both answers could be true, like I said the Bible really doesn't say but I don't like to think that Cain's offering was bad so much as Abels offering was as you said, a lamb which would better represent Jesus as the Lamb of God and then Cain showed a bad attitude, because instead of trading with Abel for a lamb that would be pleasing to God, decided to kill Abel instead.

 

What does the judgment day entail? Is it going to be fire and brimstone kind of event or is it going to be more gentle as in Jesus letting people know their faults and praise them for their good qualities?

It says that judgment will be a day of conquest: is this literal? I saw it as people taking advantage of the gentle event that I described; comparing themselves to each other out of pride, mocking each other etc, and I saw conquest as to meaning that; comparing each other and making a conquest in that way. Because the Bible says that some will be silent on judgment day and I thought of this.

 

How did Jacob struggle with God? Was he wrestling one of His angels or... ? I forgot what sect it was but they believe that Jesus is a part of these many interactions that we see in the Bible. Some even say that the Archangel Michael is just another title for Jesus, for example.

Sorry for the loaded question, but I say this because I want a deeper understanding on how exactly God interacts with His children.

 

If single celled life that did not exist on Earth was to be found somewhere else in our solar system what ramifications would this have on Christianity?

 

I may have answered this before but none what so ever. The Bible does not comment on life on other planets, even if intelligent life was found on other planets, it still would not necessarily affect Christianity.