Bible Questions?

Quoting? You want to post quotes from a booklet on Islam, that you've already posted in another thread and that I've ready dealt with there, into a thread on Bible questions?

If you did I would only re-post all the answers that I've already given you for them.

Like I said before, it is interesting that you keep bringing up fear, do you really think the fear of Islam would influence someone who already knows the love of God?

 

Except all the people who you claim interpret it wrong.

So in other words, just as I said, you claim to know the mind of god, why argue the point?

I have not personally attacked you and no one with a fully funtional brain who reads these posts would say that I have, you mistake critical questioning of the bible as an attack on it (and on you?), as I've said before it would seem that your religion holds hostility towards free inquiry.

 

I can't help that but even then they have the same opportunity to know God.

As I said God has provided the Bible so anyone can know the mind of God but if you want to say the means I cliam to know the mind of God that is up to you.

This whole train of posts is a personal attack. Implying that I have some sort of personal connection to God that no one else has and that I some how know something about the mind of God that no one else does. Be honest now, you're not saying those things because you think they are true or that you think they are compliments.

All I've said is that this is not the place for "critical questioning of the bible" and it isn't, although I have but up with it and you in this thread, because once in a while you ask a question that actually is a Bible question.

I do not "mistake critical questioning of the bible as an attack on it" and "my" religion holds no hostility towards free inquiry and in fact recommends it.

It is you that can't seem to understand the difference between a thread that has been established for the simple inquiry about what the Bible says so one can better understand the Bible and a thread that has been established for critical questioning of the Bible.

For some reason you seem to believe any discussion of the Bible, no matter what it's original purpose, should be turned into a chance for you to ridicule God, the Bible and any one that has the temerity to disagree with you. Well, seeing that is the case perhaps you should remove yourself from this discussion, seeing as you can't control yourself.

 

Why did Jesus compare himself with the bronze snake? How did the bronze snake heal the Jews in the wilderness?

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:14-17)

Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers 21:6)

 

How generous of you.

Come on now...

Well you did start a thread to answer Biblical questions. (although not critical ones apparently)

Why is critical thinking frowned upon when asking questions about the bible, after all according to you the bible is open to free inquiry?

Read above.

What is your definition of critical thinking out of curiosity?

If your still mad about me asking what Abraham did with all his slaves foreskins and how he was able to convince 133 men to let him saw the tips of there penis's off all in the course of one day, well, I'm sorry but it just seems as though the question was pertient.

I'm still waiting for an answer to that one too.

Can't control myself?

Your taking this to seriously me thinks.

 

Well, the Bible isn't real specific about how the bronze snake healed the Israelites but I would say that it was when a person showed faith in God's provision of salvation, the bronze snake, by looking at it, then God would heal that person. The bronze snake was also a prophetic picture that Jesus also would be lifted up on a stake and that those that looked to Jesus in faith would also be saved.

 

"....shall look at it and live", what other specifics did you expect ?

you know whats really beyond me on this one ..God asked Moses to create a bronze-idol in the shape of a serpent supposedly to 'heal' people who are bitten by the serpents He sent, wow

 

Has nothing to do with me.

It is. why else would you ignore the question I asked?

Yes, I did but I did not say I had all the answers and have always said that any one is free to answer them.

And yes, not for questions that are critical of God and the Bible, because if you haven't checked lately this thread is in Sanctuary and is for Christians only.

Critical thinking is not frowned upon when asking questions about the bible, but this thread is for discussing what Christians want to know about the Bible maybe things they never understood. Not for people like you that just want to derail the discussions and seem to have nothing else to contribute.

You read it, I wrote it and already know what it says.

what is your definition since you are the one that brought it up?

Mad? No. Pertinent, no. Impertinent, yes.

Try holding your breath, perhaps an answer will come to you.

Well, can you? I couldn't help but notice you didn't say whether you could or not.

Like I said if you don't like the rules of the game perhaps you should find another game.

 

Oh, thanks, I didn't see that, well of course that answers all the question anyone would ever have about that.

Yep, I kind of figured that it would be beyond you.

 

Faith certainly played a part. I've been thinking about this for a while and I had an idea today. Jesus said that everything that is hidden will be revealed and that our secrets should be shouted from the roof tops. Paul said that everything should be brought into the light.

Both the Numbers and John texts talk about sin and death. So by looking at our sin and death (darkness) and holding it up to the light of day we can be healed and gain eternal life.

I think most people go through life pretending they won't die instead of confronting it and holding it up to the light.

Just a thought.

 

What does being Christian have to do with critical thinking, are you implying that Christians cannot be critical thinkers?

"Critical thinking is the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making. A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately."

That is one, there are others...http://www.criticalthinking.com/company/articles/critical-thinking-definition.jsp

Maybe I'll have a vision!

 

I think most people probably don't want to think about death - not the most joyous of topics!

Does faith really stop you worrying about dying?

 

I think true joy and peace is found by confronting death head on. I lost a couple loved ones recently and their loss woke me up the reality of my mortality.

Not completely, but it gives hope.

 

Ezra

9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished.


When Ezra hears of the intermarriages, he tears up his clothes, plucks out his hair and beard, and sits down astonished, is this to be taken literally?

 

dodge

 

Interesting.

 

I guess that when you said Critical thinking, I was thinking that you were using the word Critical in the sense of: not approving: tending to find fault with somebody or something, or with people and things in general, which seems to be more the way you have approached the discussion in this thread, rather than the sense of crucial: extremely important because of being or happening at a time of special difficulty, trouble, or danger, when matters could quickly get either worse or better or essential: absolutely necessary for the success of something. So if you use the definition that "Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do." There is nothing wrong with that but in this thread please try to avoid the not approving: tending to find fault with somebody or something, or with people and things in general type of Critical thinking.

You'll never know unless you try.

 

Dodge? You said it was beyond you, I merely agreed.

 

It can, when my mother died of cancer she was not worried about dying.

 

Yes.