Official USMB Bible Poll

[manifold]

Is the Bible fact or fiction?

 

[del]

Is the Bible fact or fiction?

yes

 

[Ravi]

I agree, it's both.

 

[manifold]

I agree, it's both.

Then you should vote fiction.

 

[manifold]

btw: It's impossible for any work of literature to be both fact AND fiction. If any part is fiction, it is by definition, fiction. All Quiet on the Western Front contained a lot of facts about WWI, but it is still a work of fiction.

 

[Ravi]

Then you should vote fiction.

Why?

 

[Silence]

it is man's interpretation of God's word... it is impossible to know how much is based on fact and how much is based on man's idea of those facts.

It's like an unauthorized autobiography of sorts. Most is based on accurate retelling of the history but some might be embellished for the purpose of "selling" the story.

 

[KittenKoder]

btw: It's impossible for any work of literature to be both fact AND fiction. If any part is fiction, it is by definition, fiction. All Quiet on the Western Front contained a lot of facts about WWI, but it is still a work of fiction.

Or Asimov's Opus series. Many scientific facts in them, but scattered with a lot of fictional works.

 

[Ravi]

btw: It's impossible for any work of literature to be both fact AND fiction. If any part is fiction, it is by definition, fiction. All Quiet on the Western Front contained a lot of facts about WWI, but it is still a work of fiction.

No, that would be historical fiction, or something. No work of non-fiction is ever totally fact, btw.

 

[manifold]

No, that would be historical fiction, or something. No work of non-fiction is ever totally fact, btw.

Fair enough. I guess you'll just need to break out of your black & white comfort zone and pick which one you think the Bible is more of. Or abstain, it's up to you.

 

[Ravi]

mmm, but you didn't ask more. For someone that chooses his words so carefully...

 

[Mr. President]

Fact

 

[Anguille]

Sometimes you have to wonder if manifold himself is act or friction.

 

[jillian]

Is the Bible fact or fiction?

Allegory mixed with some historical fact.

 

[KittenKoder]

Allegory mixed with some historical fact.

I still have yet to see any fact from it, not one bit. If they could at least come up with more fact than 'Rome existed' it would be nice.

 

[jillian]

I still have yet to see any fact from it, not one bit. If they could at least come up with more fact than 'Rome existed' it would be nice.

I'd say we know certain people existed...and certain historical circumstances.

 

[KittenKoder]

I'd say we know certain people existed...and certain historical circumstances.

That's the same thing as saying 'Rome existed so it must be truth'. Just by using the names of those who were in existance does not make it fact. Lovecraft wrote about a Mad Arab, Abzul, who DID exist, does that mean Cthulhu is real as well and that the mad god will rise and devour all our souls? Same logic different myth.

 

[CA95380]

Then you should vote fiction.

Why?

 

[ABikerSailor]

it is man's interpretation of God's word... it is impossible to know how much is based on fact and how much is based on man's idea of those facts.

It's like an unauthorized autobiography of sorts. Most is based on accurate retelling of the history but some might be embellished for the purpose of "selling" the story.

You said it rather well Silence.

I believe the Bible as it was ORIGINALLY WRITTEN is fact. The Greek, Latin and English translation have twisted it around from the original Hebrew to suit their own needs. And, there is an awful lot that was lost in the translation by the way.

As far as the fact? Well, did you know that 3,500 years ago (when the Torah was given to the Jews), the Torah contained stuff that we're just NOW discovering? There is a direct reference to DNA strands, as well as quite a bit of math, science, physics, astronomy, and other things in it also. One of the other interesting things about it is that you can read it over and over, same passage, and there is always a new concept to be found, that builds on the ones you've already learned.

Additionally, when Rome sacked Jerusalem and took almost all their holy relics (the Crown of the High Priest is still at the Vatican incidentally), they decided to incorporate the religion they'd found (Christianity), with all the pagan practices they currently had then. They also devised ways to get the population to follow what they taught, and changed some of the original things in the Torah. Hell (contrary to popular belief), is NOT hot. It's actually cold. Why? Because Hell (Gehinome) is far removed from the Light of God, which means there is nothing to keep it warm. The fire was devised by the Catholic church, because, at the time, burning to death was the worst way to die. And fear, is the best way to control the masses.

Is the New Testament fact? Nope, because there were too many people trying to say what they wanted, rather than recording facts. Most of the stories of Jesus (Yeshua) are embellished or they left out facts.

 

[KittenKoder]

You said it rather well Silence.

I believe the Bible as it was ORIGINALLY WRITTEN is fact. The Greek, Latin and English translation have twisted it around from the original Hebrew to suit their own needs. And, there is an awful lot that was lost in the translation by the way.

As far as the fact? Well, did you know that 3,500 years ago (when the Torah was given to the Jews), the Torah contained stuff that we're just NOW discovering? There is a direct reference to DNA strands, as well as quite a bit of math, science, physics, astronomy, and other things in it also. One of the other interesting things about it is that you can read it over and over, same passage, and there is always a new concept to be found, that builds on the ones you've already learned.

Additionally, when Rome sacked Jerusalem and took almost all their holy relics (the Crown of the High Priest is still at the Vatican incidentally), they decided to incorporate the religion they'd found (Christianity), with all the pagan practices they currently had then. They also devised ways to get the population to follow what they taught, and changed some of the original things in the Torah. Hell (contrary to popular belief), is NOT hot. It's actually cold. Why? Because Hell (Gehinome) is far removed from the Light of God, which means there is nothing to keep it warm. The fire was devised by the Catholic church, because, at the time, burning to death was the worst way to die. And fear, is the best way to control the masses.

Is the New Testament fact? Nope, because there were too many people trying to say what they wanted, rather than recording facts. Most of the stories of Jesus (Yeshua) are embellished or they left out facts.

Not to mention there was more than one Jesus at the time preaching.