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My first religion thread....

E

Electric Amish

Elite Member
I was pondering this the other day....

Why do people actually trust anything in the bible?

After what happed through the dark ages, when the Catholic church was ruling people more than any monarch, I can't say that even if I thought religion was important that I could trust what is written in the bible. Isn't it logical and, IMO, highly probable that the text was edited by the church (especially since the church was the literary powerhouse of the times) to manipulate the masses and mold them into what would be most profitable to the church?

amish
 
Most of the Christians I know are not literalists, that is to say that they believe that the Bible is largely allegorical and that it's a book of moral guidance rather than the absolute truth. I can't speak for everyone though.

ZV
 
I've had this question posed before (Old Relationship) and it's just something you have to believe in, have faith in.

Yes It could have been changed even with the translation from Hebrew to English. (There are no degrees of love in the English language like there are in Hebrew. Aggape?)

It boils down to Faith me thinks.
 
Originally posted by: Electric Amish
I was pondering this the other day....

Why do people actually trust anything in the bible?

After what happed through the dark ages, when the Catholic church was ruling people more than any monarch, I can't say that even if I thought religion was important that I could trust what is written in the bible. Isn't it logical and, IMO, highly probable that the text was edited by the church (especially since the church was the literary powerhouse of the times) to manipulate the masses and mold them into what would be most profitable to the church?

amish
Click to expand...

Take what makes sense to you, take note of what doesn't. A lot of it was politically charged thousands of years ago and hasn't got much of a place in your daily life, but some things are universal and just make sense. I.E. "Do unto others" etc. Even if you are against organized religion of any kind you can find wisdom in much of the bible, and the rest should at least be intriguing to you. Hope this helps a little.
 
Because the old texts they found (such as the dead sea scrolls) say the same things that the new ones do, and there are a lot of old texts. The Bible is considered by many historians to be the best preserved text there is because there were so many copies made of the epistles and such - you could do a little study on how they developed the NIV or NASB to see how it compares to anything else of that age. The fact that they have copies of books of the Bible dating from before the Bible was collected into a single text really limits the amount of editing that can be done - it would have to have been done in a large number of places before there was an authority in place who would have been capable of doing it. Interpretation of what it says is an entirely different matter.
 
Originally posted by: ryzmah
Because the old texts they found (such as the dead sea scrolls) say the same things that the new ones do, and there are a lot of old texts. The Bible is considered by many historians to be the best preserved text there is because there were so many copies made of the epistles and such - you could do a little study on how they developed the NIV or NASB to see how it compares to anything else of that age. The fact that they have copies of books of the Bible dating from before the Bible was collected into a single text really limits the amount of editing that can be done - it would have to have been done in a large number of places before there was an authority in place who would have been capable of doing it. Interpretation of what it says is an entirely different matter.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but who does this "checking"?? The Vatican? Yeah, I'm sure they're going to come out and say they made a mistake.

amish
 
Originally posted by: Electric Amish
I was pondering this the other day....

Why do people actually trust anything in the bible?

After what happed through the dark ages, when the Catholic church was ruling people more than any monarch, I can't say that even if I thought religion was important that I could trust what is written in the bible. Isn't it logical and, IMO, highly probable that the text was edited by the church (especially since the church was the literary powerhouse of the times) to manipulate the masses and mold them into what would be most profitable to the church?

amish
Click to expand...

Link? Pics?

J/K Church is the creation of man while the bible is the word of God. Hence, I would generally trust the message of the Bible more than a church.

 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: Electric Amish
I was pondering this the other day....

Why do people actually trust anything in the bible?

After what happed through the dark ages, when the Catholic church was ruling people more than any monarch, I can't say that even if I thought religion was important that I could trust what is written in the bible. Isn't it logical and, IMO, highly probable that the text was edited by the church (especially since the church was the literary powerhouse of the times) to manipulate the masses and mold them into what would be most profitable to the church?

amish
Click to expand...

Link? Pics?

J/K Church is the creation of man while the bible is the word of God. Hence, I would generally trust the message of the Bible more than a church.
Click to expand...

Word of "god" as written and translated my man......

amish
 
EA, I think if you want a good answer, you'll have to do some research on your own, instead of listening to the OPINIONS that most people are sure to be posting in this thread. I call 5 minutes before someone replies with, "Religion is the opiate of the people - Karl Marx", which of course has nothing to do with this thread, but that's how these things go.
 
Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Originally posted by: ryzmah
Because the old texts they found (such as the dead sea scrolls) say the same things that the new ones do, and there are a lot of old texts. The Bible is considered by many historians to be the best preserved text there is because there were so many copies made of the epistles and such - you could do a little study on how they developed the NIV or NASB to see how it compares to anything else of that age. The fact that they have copies of books of the Bible dating from before the Bible was collected into a single text really limits the amount of editing that can be done - it would have to have been done in a large number of places before there was an authority in place who would have been capable of doing it. Interpretation of what it says is an entirely different matter.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but who does this "checking"?? The Vatican? Yeah, I'm sure they're going to come out and say they made a mistake.

amish
Click to expand...
..
There are quite a few groups that check them, and recheck them, and recheck them.... all turns out the same way....
 
It is unlikely that the Church would have changed the texts. Literacy was at an extremely low level during that time. It was much easier for them to tell the people what they wanted it to say, because they weren't able to read it for themselves. Come to think of it, things are much the same today, except that people just DON'T read for themselves.
 
What checking? Mueseums fund the archaeological studies,and they make copies of what the old texts say (still in Greek), date them, preserve them, etc. Take that text to someone in a classics department and ask them to translate it - there are many Greek profs who aren't christians. Then take that translation to the library and compare it to a bible - It's pretty easy to independently verify they say the same thing. Whether that is truth is a different question, and requires a lot more faith.
 
Originally posted by: Triumph
EA, I think if you want a good answer, you'll have to do some research on your own, instead of listening to the OPINIONS that most people are sure to be posting in this thread. I call 5 minutes before someone replies with, "Religion is the opiate of the people - Karl Marx", which of course has nothing to do with this thread, but that's how these things go.
Click to expand...

Good point. Its kind of one of those things you have to chase on your own. Religion is one of those things you get out what you put in, and it should be a deeply personal journey whatever it is.
 
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