The Bible

Yes, I'm aware there are more gospels. There's one of Judas as well. And some other apocryphs. You have to keep in mind that old stuff always will change when a new religion is formed, it's normal. Old dogma's will be abandoned or assimilated to the suitings of those who shape what comes next. I also have my doubts with the decisions made in for instance the council of Nicaea but there wasn't a catholic church at that point. It formed out of those councils and developed later on to control the masses. So the leaving out of several books has not so much to do with that purpose at that point. It was mainly to create clarity I think.

A lot of the "lost gospels" we're dated long after the origonal bible was put together

"It was mainly to create clarity I think."
Clarity!? That's hilarious. Matthew 17:10-13 has Jesus speaking of reincarnation, and Christians don't even know it.

Because it didn't fit in the new christian religion. I didn't say it was objective clarity. You have always to take in account that the composers of the bible had lots of different insights than us. In lots of departments they had less insights then us, but in some other they may have stood closer to the original views. Overall they stood inbetween both the scriptures and us so they took it upon them to shape their new belief. Yes, it's easy to dismiss them all as radical controlfreaks in this day and to regard it all as hilarious.

I think they didn't like aliens, that's why the left out the book of Enoch, who like Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot. I've been within 100 feet of one, so I don't have to believe, I know.

Perhaps you can imagine then that they 'knew' different things.

Originally Posted by rjhangover

"It was mainly to create clarity I think."
Clarity!? That's hilarious. Matthew 17:10-13 has Jesus speaking of reincarnation, and Christians don't even know it.

Not really proof of reincarnation.

Elisha asked that a double portion of Elijah's spirit be given to him as he departed the Earth. Elijah said that this was a difficult request, but would be granted to him if a certain thing came to pass, a sign.

Elisha had a spirit of his own, but the spirit of Elijah came upon him as well.

In the same way, John the Baptist had a soul of his own, but was also indwelt with Elijah's spirit and ministry.

In the demonic world, multiple spirits can inhabit a single human being.

And He (Jesus) asked him (the man), "What is thy name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion: for we are many." Mark 5:9

Common estimates for a "legion", a term borrowed from the Roman army is 6,000, giving us an approximate idea of how many spirits lived in that one man.

Way to go garden. You blew clarity right out the window. The Jews, Muslims and Christians ALL worship the God of Abraham. IT'S THE SAME GOD! They all have the same first five books of the old testament. And they all DEMONIZE the other religions. The Catholics used to murder both the Muslims and Jews during the crusades. The Jews DEMONIZED Christ. And the Muslims DEMONIZE both Christians and Jews as infidels. As long as you hold on to your BELIEFS, you can't see the truth. i.e. the Catholics used to BELIEVE that the world was flat, and burned people at the stake as heretics for BELIEVING it wasn't flat. There are "so called" Christian republicans today that DEMONIZE Mormons as not being Christian, even though they worship Christ as the son of God. Those same "so called" Christians DEMONIZE Obama as not being a Christian because he has a Muslim name, even though he professes to be a Christian. So their BELIEFS condemn them. There are so many "so called" Christians that say "I BELIEVE in Jesus, so I'm saved." But Christ said, "There are many that will come to me on the last day and say, didn't I cast out demons in your name, and didn't I prophecy in your name?" And Christ will say, "I know you not, you are workers of iniquity." In the bible it says that God created ALL things. That means there is nothing that God did not create. God created EVIL! God created the Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Mayans and all the rest. The truth is in all, but it's human PERCEPTION that is lacking. That's why there is disagreement. The Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals all say, "My God is better than your God, and if you don't BELIEVE the way I do, you're going to hell." The Sunni and Shiite Muslims are the same way. There are divisions in the Jewish religion too. BUT IT'S ALL HUMAN PERCEPTION! So "Seek the truth and you will find it. And the truth will set you free." But to say, "I have my bible, and that's good enough for me." is refusing to learn the truth.

Happily they do not all say that, but a lot of them did. Refusing to learn the truth sounds a bit radical, I think that only counts for radical stupidity like proclaiming Obama to be a muslim because of his name and such. Proclaiming your god is better than someone elses is pretty lame as well, I agree. But some might just beg to differ with your truth. And righteously so. Where it comes to God not much seems absolute true to me.

Originally Posted by rjhangover

But to say, "I have my bible, and that's good enough for me." is refusing to learn the truth.

Maybe my choice of words was not clear, but saying that I follow the Bible's teachings to the best of my ability does not mean that I accuse others of not doing the same.