Zone1 Have we lost The Bible Story?

[alang1216]

It's not Christian theology

You mean is is not YOUR theology. Woodznutz is a Christian and it is his(?) theology so you must think he is a heretic. Wars have been fought between Christians for less.

 

[alang1216]

That sounds like a wonderful philosophy.

It's a wonderful theology.

 

[alang1216]

External locus of control much?

'External' as in the God who judges us and then rewards or punishes us? As an atheist I don't recognize His controls, do you?

 

[alang1216]

You sure do throw up a lot of roadblocks in your walk.

The roadblocks were already there, I'm just trying to navigate around and through them.

 

[alang1216]

Rabbi Hillel: What is hateful to you, do not do to others. That is the whole Torah, the rest is just commentary. Go and Study. Torah is Jewish laws and teachings.

I've heard it said that the entire Bible can be summed up similarly. Love God, love your neighbor. That is the whole Bible, the rest is just commentary. Go and study. Love of God and love of neighbor is the one truth God wants and the foundation on which the different religions/sects stand.

According to the Christian New Testament, Jesus's most important commandment was to love God with all of one's heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus said, "There is no other commandment greater than these". Since we should be cherry-picking what we want from scripture, I'll take the later part.

 

[Woodznutz]

No.

Hebrews 9:27--you are appointed once to die, then the judgment

The Wood guy thinks he has all the answers, and the answers are always HIS interpretation. That is dangerous and unbiblical. A Christian, man or woman, put themselves under the authority of others in the church, always.

So, personal Bible study is just an endless rehearsal of what is taught from the pulpit? Sounds like "vain repetition" to me.

 

[Woodznutz]

According to the Christian New Testament, Jesus's most important commandment was to love God with all of one's heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus said, "There is no other commandment greater than these". Since we should be cherry-picking what we want from scripture, I'll take the later part.

We show love to God by loving our fellow man. That's the catch. Many profess love for God but hate fellow man. The "love" mentioned isn't affection or heart love. Agape involves four elements that one can build on: Assent of will, judgment, duty, and propriety. This is called "head love" as opposed to "heart love". In other words, you don't have to like someone in order to "love" them. Some people just aren't likeable.

 

[alang1216]

Didn't you note the sarcasm in his reply?

Sarcasm? Me? Never!

What the Bible plainly says isn't a private interpretation.

While that is true, it is also true that the Bible says a lot of, often contradictory, things.

 

[Donald H]

1. Look through the Old Testament and the many ways the Hebrew language uses the word 'day'.

I'm not suggesting that a day can't be anything from a millisecond to a million years, in the bibles.

2. Look through the New Testament for the number of times Christ and the Apostles addressed evolution.

Can you giive us two or three examples?

Neither has anything to do with redemption and/or salvation. Why do you want the Church to address something outside its authority? Would you ask a crochet teacher how to build a rocket ship to Mars?

The Catholic church has stated the qualification necessary for the flock to believe in evolution over creation.

 

[Woodznutz]

Sarcasm? Me? Never!


While that is true, it is also true that the Bible says a lot of, often contradictory, things.

By contradictory don't you mean "OTOH"? Often both are true.

 

[Donald H]

This answer applies to the lost bible story too.

The Pope demands that Catholics say that God created everything first and then they are free to believe in Darwinian evolution and the big bang!

So where's the contradiction in that?

Can anybody tackle that question? I think that Ding has tried in the past? He's certainly been asked enough times!

note: beware of the big bang theory now being on shaky grounds.

 

[alang1216]

By contradictory don't you mean "OTOH"? Often both are true.

No, I meant contradictory since there are plenty of obvious contradictions in the Bible and to reconcile them requires writing your own scripture.

 

[Woodznutz]

This answer applies to the lost bible story too.

The Pope demands that Catholics say that God created everything first and then they are free to believe in Darwinian evolution and the big bang!

So where's the contradiction in that?

Irreducible complexity.

 

[Woodznutz]

No, I meant contradictory since there are plenty of obvious contradictions in the Bible and to reconcile them requires writing your own scripture.

Many such contradictions have been explained. Others might be the result of 'tweaking' scripture by unscrupulous scribes and editors. John issued a warning against such in Revelation.

As a Bible student I have problems with some translations that are flying under the radar.

 

[BreezeWood]

There is only one way to achieve perfection. It is to "confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead."--Romans 10:19

such will never exist the limitation of perfection - to be admitted to the heavens requires purity - the religion of antiquity, the triumph of good vs evil - to accomplish for a free spirit to be judged and admission to the everlasting.

 

[hadit]

Yes, there is hate when you falsely accuse a person of even thinking salvation can be earned. No one believes that, yet Catholics are wrongfully, hatefully accused of this. It is a wicked, ignorant thing to accuse someone of--especially a person who has spent over ten years here explaining Catholic belief. TEN YEARS

Studying one's conscience is not improving on salvation. It is about improving one's behavior, one's interactions with others. It's, "How can I improve? How can I be more loving?" not how can I "earn" or "have more" salvation!

Yes, I'm still frosted! Something I will be studying my conscience about before bedtime and tomorrow morning as well.

You have to realize that, while it may not be official Catholic doctrine, there ARE Catholics who DO believe they have to work their way into salvation. You can find posts on here that reflect that. There are some outside of Catholicism who believe that as well, but to be angry that Catholics are accused of such a belief is cautionary.

 

[BreezeWood]

Christian, man or woman, put themselves under the authority of others in the church, always.

so sad - is that what jesus and those who gave their lives with him were willing to do for judaism - good luck.

 

[SweetSue92]

I like the theology of Woodznutz and, since there are an almost infinite number of theologies to choose from, it is my pick.

A great chasm has been fixed. Lazarus and the rich man. Jesus told that story. But you're not the first by far, nor will you be the last, to choose your stomach over God. It's all too common.

Woodznutz is much more culpable than you are

 

[alang1216]

Irreducible complexity.

No such thing

 

[SweetSue92]

What you describe as 'punishments', I describe as 'consequences'. In the end, the two words amount to the same thing. However, punishment has the connotation of someone else doing something to another. Consequences are what one brings down upon himself. Another way the two words amount to the same thing, is that consequences are God's design.

Touch a hot stove, burn a finger. Consequence, not punishment. Choose to live without God and his love and goodness, then live without love and with evil. Consequence, not punishment. Jesus describes what this does to a soul. It burns like the fires of Gehenna (the city dump) burn.

Also, Jesus counsels not to fear the one that can kill the body but the one who can kill both body and soul (Matthew 10:28). Notice that here Jesus does not say 'God', but 'one'. Follow a human into a life of crime and murder, that human we follow on such a path is the one who kills both the body and soul of his followers. In the end, it still comes down to personal choice, but final judgment belongs to God, where the sheep are lined up on one side, the goats on the other. Goats go to eternal doom, sheep to eternal reward.

Yes, in teaching we call them "natural consequences"--they are punishments that flow from your own decisions/actions. If you choose not to study at all for the test, or do your homework, the natural consequence is that you do not get a passing grade. Etc.

There is a relationship between God's choice and our choices that is "through the mirror darkly"....I hold it loosely. Because I can't fully understand it, and it has not been given to us to fully understand (yet).