The bible...my thoughts

[Captain_Steel]

I realize this won't be a popular opinion, but before getting angry just remember I'm not trying to encroach on anyone elses beliefs, I'm just expressing mine.

I never believed in God until I was 16. Noone in my family ever expressed any opinions about the subject, and I was never taken to church. Once, when I was 16, I went with a girlfriend to her church. The people were singing and reading from the bible and stuff, and I didn't like the words but I felt a power, and a presence, like that of a spiritual presence. I have always tried to keep an open mind about spirits, and yes, I do believe in ghosts. But anyways, that's when I finally realized what God was, TO ME that is. He is a spirit. The great spirit. You could also think of him as the collective consciousness, and all of the unseen energy in our universe. And, when I refer to God as "him" that's just because that is the easiest way. In truth, to me God is more of an spiritually extant entity, not a thinking being, therefore mor of an "it" than a "him" but I still say him just because it's easier to use. That is my spirituality. I believe in God. But, I have not gone to church again, and even though I own a bible and agree with and appreciate alot of the moral lessons within it, I don't buy into the idea that it is the "Word of God".

In my opinion, the bible was written by men, not God. And it is the intelligence of the writers to come up with the stories, that I respect, not some idea like what they wrote was dictated to them by God himself and therefore I am supposed to fear them, whether or not I identify with the morals of the story. This is a major fault of religions IMO the fear they instill in there own followers in the bible. It is rare that I come across many people like myself who believe in God but not religion, nor that the bible is the word of God.

I just don't see why so many people believe this though. Doesn't seem silly when you look at it objectively? If I were to write something equally as profound (If I could) would you believe me if I told you it was God's word? Wouldn't it be more intelligent to assume I am a spiritual man who possesses great intelligence, yet wrote the words myself, not copyed what God told me to say?

Does anyone else here share my views? Just curious.

 

[dilloduck]

Anywhere or anyway a person can find spiritual solace has gotta be a plus. It can be a starting pointing for new spiritual experiances and learning or something that you can hang your hat on for the rest of your life.
While I agree that many good things are found in "holy scriptures" in many religions, I see them merely as suggestions and stories made by people who have had an experience that led them to the spiritual side of themselves. Some of these ideas are profound in the fact that they were "discovered" by people of different faiths and culture.
IMHO by examining the text of any religion with a microscope
shows one's lack of understanding or belief in the original concept of spirituality as experienced by the writer but if it helps them in thier quest for solace, Godspeed to them.

 

[5stringJeff]

Steel, I have met many people who believe the way that you do. I would only say that many, if not most Christians believe in the Bible not because it is profound, but because they believe it to be true.

 

[Hobbit]

I just don't see why so many people believe this though. Doesn't seem silly when you look at it objectively? If I were to write something equally as profound (If I could) would you believe me if I told you it was God's word? Wouldn't it be more intelligent to assume I am a spiritual man who possesses great intelligence, yet wrote the words myself, not copyed what God told me to say?

In my experience, most people who tried something like this wrote things that contradicted the Bible, then told people it was scripture to get them to accept it. In the thousands of years that the Bible was written over, nobody contradicted each other, and most of them didn't have access to the previously written scriptures. There's too much stuff in there to all be coincidence.

 

[Zhukov]

He is a spirit. The great spirit. You could also think of him as the collective consciousness, and all of the unseen energy in our universe.

It is the energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us. It binds the universe together.

-Yoda, describing the Force to Luke

 

[Jesus_freak]

You say you believe in the spirit, but not that the Bible is the word of God.

the Bible was, infasct, written by people who had faith in God and possessed the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enabled these people to write the Bible, according to what God wanted to write. God told these people what to write THROUGH the Holy Spirit.

This is an example of the Trinity - when you have the Holy Spirit, you know God, and are inspired to do (and write) what he wills for you to do.

 

[Arabian]

asalomo 3alikom or peace on u

dear captain steel
1st i wanna say that i admir u coz u said what u feel without fear ,, and lots of people passed through this stage and it was the begining to start the right road.

1st u said that dont believe in god right,, and u wanna say it not him right
lets discuss this 1st .
about u dont believe in god , sure u asked ur self who creat me i know that evenn child ask so
but did u ask can it creat something , for example can ur dog or cat make a human being or even can a person creat a human being can u creat even a cell ,, ofcourse no and im challengin any one who could say so , so u cant say to allah it ,, write
dear brother even if u dont believe in allah (god) HE exist whether u agreed or dissagreed
dear brother ur believe in allah won't add something to allah coz there are lots of people do, but if u knew the right way to believe in him this will ADD to U ,, think in this well
then we agree that there are allah
but part of ur words is right and if u wanna know what is it u could contact me at the MSN messenger
and if u wanna know something about the right road i said previousley u could also contact me
dear brother plz think about my words well and i hope u contact me coz there are alot we should speak about my mail is [email protected]

 

[Bern80]

Off subject:

Read a piece of useless knowledge. There is vicious rumor that Shakespeare wrote the King James version of the bible. There is no proof but it was supposedly written in when Shakespeare was 46 and the 46th word of the 46th Psalm is shake and the 46th word from the end is spear.

Course I read that in a Stuff magazine, and i haven't verified it for myself yet.

 

[musicman]

Captain Steel:

I don't think you have to worry about any reasonable person getting angry with you for expressing the sincere questions of your heart. I wish you the best.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Captain Steel...

I wish you the best on your journey! To critically examine the tenets of one's faith is the beginning of wisdom. All the world's religions have something to offer us all, and to eliminate them from the picture in search of "One True Path" is limiting and self-defeating. Good luck, and may you find what you seek.

 

[JOKER96BRAVO]

I realize this won't be a popular opinion, but before getting angry just remember I'm not trying to encroach on anyone elses beliefs, I'm just expressing mine.

I never believed in God until I was 16. Noone in my family ever expressed any opinions about the subject, and I was never taken to church. Once, when I was 16, I went with a girlfriend to her church. The people were singing and reading from the bible and stuff, and I didn't like the words but I felt a power, and a presence, like that of a spiritual presence. I have always tried to keep an open mind about spirits, and yes, I do believe in ghosts. But anyways, that's when I finally realized what God was, TO ME that is. He is a spirit. The great spirit. You could also think of him as the collective consciousness, and all of the unseen energy in our universe. And, when I refer to God as "him" that's just because that is the easiest way. In truth, to me God is more of an spiritually extant entity, not a thinking being, therefore mor of an "it" than a "him" but I still say him just because it's easier to use. That is my spirituality. I believe in God. But, I have not gone to church again, and even though I own a bible and agree with and appreciate alot of the moral lessons within it, I don't buy into the idea that it is the "Word of God".

In my opinion, the bible was written by men, not God. And it is the intelligence of the writers to come up with the stories, that I respect, not some idea like what they wrote was dictated to them by God himself and therefore I am supposed to fear them, whether or not I identify with the morals of the story. This is a major fault of religions IMO the fear they instill in there own followers in the bible. It is rare that I come across many people like myself who believe in God but not religion, nor that the bible is the word of God.

I just don't see why so many people believe this though. Doesn't seem silly when you look at it objectively? If I were to write something equally as profound (If I could) would you believe me if I told you it was God's word? Wouldn't it be more intelligent to assume I am a spiritual man who possesses great intelligence, yet wrote the words myself, not copyed what God told me to say?

Does anyone else here share my views? Just curious.

I almost feel the same way with one exception.
You keep saying GOD, when in fact this name was given in the book
written by man, which is fallible. So why not say THE CREATOR???

Still would like to know one thing, Do you believe in God in the traditional sense,
or that something created us??? I mean even the name God was given by man,
and if you don't believe in the bible then you can't believe in that name, right???
OBTW, This theory is commonly known as "The Santa Clause Theory"

 

[dmp]

Bible was, infasct, written by people who had faith in God and possessed the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enabled these people to write the Bible, according to what God wanted to write. God told these people what to write THROUGH the Holy Spirit.

Not exactly - nobody 'set out' to write the Bible. In fact, most of the New Testiment consists of correspondence between Paul and several Churches in the region. What we hold sacred is not Paul's 'words' - but the teaches and lessons Paul was sending to those churches. The bible isn't a storybook insomuch as a collection of historic and (then) Current-event papers. What we have as 'The Bible' stems from a collection of texts held by the early Church as containing true accounts of God and Christ.

Rest assured God is MUCH bigger than the Bible - there are areas of live/existance/spirituality which the Bible may not reference.

I believe the Bible is a credible source for us to get small insights on the mind of God, and provide examples of relavent situations for us to draw from.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Captain Steel...

I wish you the best on your journey! To critically examine the tenets of one's faith is the beginning of wisdom. All the world's religions have something to offer us all, and to eliminate them from the picture in search of "One True Path" is limiting and self-defeating. Good luck, and may you find what you seek.

What they all have in common are fixed moral codes, notions of right and wrong, yet ironically, the syncretic new agey freaks only advocate moral relativism. Isn't that strange?

 

[Bullypulpit]

What they all have in common are fixed moral codes, notions of right and wrong, yet ironically, the syncretic new agey freaks only advocate moral relativism. Isn't that strange?

The moral codes are not "fixed" however consistent they might be. For the concepts of right and wrong to have any genuine meaning, they must be rooted in their real consequences to this life, in this world. Anything else constitutes the moral realtivism you find so offensive.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

The moral codes are not "fixed" however consistent they might be. For the concepts of right and wrong to have any genuine meaning, they must be rooted in their real consequences to this life, in this world. Anything else constitutes the moral realtivism you find so offensive.

Moral Relativism provides no civilizing influence to society. A society with no rules descends into barbarity, and animalistic behavior. But I understand, stupid people fear a society where intelligence is promoted over dumb strength or empty mindless class warfare inciting rhetoric. Don't be scared Bully, I'll help you with your homework.