"flip2trip, Not even going to try that. Zero me in on a direct refute to what I said or don't waste my time. I am NOT reading that whole website looking for whatever you think corrected me."This is why I don't try. Because I'll offer an explanation that shows how the Biblical explanation corresponds to the scientific record, and then you'll just pull some other part from the Bible, and I'll offer explanation and so on and on and on. It's a never-ending game of ring around the rosie and neither one of us gets anywhere. Sigh.
To answer your initial question, the Bible is not just an ancient book; it is God's word. I believe this because I have faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. BTW, My faith is not something intangible, but it is rather a personal relationship with my Lord. Because of my faith, I have an understanding of God's word in a way I couldn't before I accepted Christ as my Savior. It would indeed be quite illogical for me not to trust in the word of God, for it is by the word I learned of my need for salvation - it has truly changed my life. The fact that you may not believe the Bible, doesn't mean that it is not the word of God.You've touch on a critical issue with your question, "why does it matter?" It is of the utmost importance, because it determines where you will spend eternity. If you go through life without admitting that you are a sinner who deserves the judgment of a holy God - you may be a "good" person - but you will die in your sins and spend eternity in hell. It matters because sin (missing the mark of God's holiness) is the reason Christ died for all mankind. If you believe this and accept Him you too will see the Bible in a new light. Without accepting His free gift of salvation, it will remain just a collection of ancient fables to you. The "evidence" you must "see" is to place your faith in Christ as your Savior (Heb 11:1, 6).I admit that it would be an exercise in futility for me to continue to use the Bible to convince you that God makes the rules if you have rejected Christ. That being said, I will use one more passage that is particularly appropriate to the topic of the picture that started all this. Romans 1 says that "the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." You don't need the Bible to tell you there's a God that created you. Be careful what you do with the knowledge of God, for one day you will stand before God without excuse. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom 1:22).Please accept this in the spirit in which it is intended. I truly would pray that you would accept Christ, and grow in grace through God's word - the Bible.
@PeeEqualsNPActually, Allah is the same deity as the Christian god, and the Jewish god, Yahweh.In any case, I am very familiar with how constituent parts of a theory can nullify the entire argument. What you described when defining this principle of truth and non-truth is the basis of science. In fact, acknowledging the myriads of possibilities is crucial to understanding our reality.However, I believe it's in 2 Timothy 3:16 where Paul wrote that all scriptures are inspired by God, and beneficial for teaching, reproving, etc. etc. It is by this logic that Christians justify using the Mosaic Law in Leviticus to call for the banning of gays. It is also due to certain passages in 1st or 2nd Corinthians, but I digress. By the principles set forth in 2 Timothy, one gains new understanding of John 3:18. God wrote that verse, through inspiration, and is drawing a line in the sand. The Bible itself CLEARLY states that if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. This verse is where the Christian attitude I spoke of comes from.The facts of the matter are: the Bible condemns gays right along with non-believers, murderers, thieves, etc. It also predicts a cataclysmic end to our current world order. Christianity is a very dangerous religion, socially and politically, when taken too seriously. It encourages humans to dominate this world and rape its natural resources. Don't worry, everything in all of creation was made just for us, and God will set everything right soon. The end is near and the faithful will be rewarded, while the wicked (any non-believer is automatically condemned, thus of the wicked world) perish for all time, so we don't have to worry about their feelings at all.However, if being a Christian follows the literal meaning of the word, which means to be Christ-like, they would love and accept everyone no matter what. The lessons Jesus taught and the laws of the Bible, are two very different, and sometimes contradictory, things.On a final note, most Christians have absolutely no understanding of the intricaces of their own faith or even the basis for it. They simply believe what they're told. They also lack the understanding of the natural universe to objectively and rationally consider the facts for themselves, but they're blissfully unaware. They don't want to know, they're content with life as it is, ignorant to the fact that they are part of a machine that threatens civilization. Get out of the machine! It's just a fairy-tale! It's the Santa Claus for adults! Be good, get a reward, be bad, get punished. Adults use the fantasy to scare kids into behaving while governments and priests use the fantasy to scare adults into behaving.P.S. I'm not atheist; I think there's something, god or gods, I just don't quite know what it is, yet... but mainstream religions got it all wrong, I do know this.P.P.S. John 3:18 is also the money-maker. Believe, or else. Come to church, or else. Donate money, or else. Teaching people about Jesus is saving lives! We must increase our numbers, we need more donations, for the good of humanity! ...It's all a scam, my friend.
Also, the particular word in this case was not "abomination," but something more akin to "disgusting." Abomination doesn't just mean disgusting, it means more along the lines of evil. But the correctly translated term in reference to homosexuality in the Bible is more along the lines of disgusting, and it's certainly ok to think of things that don't agree with your sexual taste as "disgusting," like old people having sex, your parents having sex, obese people, ridiculously ugly people or two people of your gender. Nothing wrong with thinking that. But it's not banned by God.
More famous quotes of his:A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.If religion was based on real truth, there only would be one.
Um, I am only giving a cultural/historical look at the book of Leviticus and its purpose (or intended audience), not preaching a sermon or imposing religious views on anyone. Sounds like you have a gripe with religion(s). Please do not take it out on me.
nosecohnOct 27, 2009
Well, I'll defend your right to "free speech."
flip2tripOct 29, 2009
"flip2trip, Not even going to try that. Zero me in on a direct refute to what I said or don't waste my time. I am NOT reading that whole website looking for whatever you think corrected me."This is why I don't try. Because I'll offer an explanation that shows how the Biblical explanation corresponds to the scientific record, and then you'll just pull some other part from the Bible, and I'll offer explanation and so on and on and on. It's a never-ending game of ring around the rosie and neither one of us gets anywhere. Sigh.
twhowardOct 30, 2009
To answer your initial question, the Bible is not just an ancient book; it is God's word. I believe this because I have faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. BTW, My faith is not something intangible, but it is rather a personal relationship with my Lord. Because of my faith, I have an understanding of God's word in a way I couldn't before I accepted Christ as my Savior. It would indeed be quite illogical for me not to trust in the word of God, for it is by the word I learned of my need for salvation - it has truly changed my life. The fact that you may not believe the Bible, doesn't mean that it is not the word of God.You've touch on a critical issue with your question, "why does it matter?" It is of the utmost importance, because it determines where you will spend eternity. If you go through life without admitting that you are a sinner who deserves the judgment of a holy God - you may be a "good" person - but you will die in your sins and spend eternity in hell. It matters because sin (missing the mark of God's holiness) is the reason Christ died for all mankind. If you believe this and accept Him you too will see the Bible in a new light. Without accepting His free gift of salvation, it will remain just a collection of ancient fables to you. The "evidence" you must "see" is to place your faith in Christ as your Savior (Heb 11:1, 6).I admit that it would be an exercise in futility for me to continue to use the Bible to convince you that God makes the rules if you have rejected Christ. That being said, I will use one more passage that is particularly appropriate to the topic of the picture that started all this. Romans 1 says that "the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." You don't need the Bible to tell you there's a God that created you. Be careful what you do with the knowledge of God, for one day you will stand before God without excuse. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom 1:22).Please accept this in the spirit in which it is intended. I truly would pray that you would accept Christ, and grow in grace through God's word - the Bible.
secrityOct 31, 2009
You don't have to be religious to be a bigot -- but it sure helps.
antithesisviNov 2, 2009
@PeeEqualsNPActually, Allah is the same deity as the Christian god, and the Jewish god, Yahweh.In any case, I am very familiar with how constituent parts of a theory can nullify the entire argument. What you described when defining this principle of truth and non-truth is the basis of science. In fact, acknowledging the myriads of possibilities is crucial to understanding our reality.However, I believe it's in 2 Timothy 3:16 where Paul wrote that all scriptures are inspired by God, and beneficial for teaching, reproving, etc. etc. It is by this logic that Christians justify using the Mosaic Law in Leviticus to call for the banning of gays. It is also due to certain passages in 1st or 2nd Corinthians, but I digress. By the principles set forth in 2 Timothy, one gains new understanding of John 3:18. God wrote that verse, through inspiration, and is drawing a line in the sand. The Bible itself CLEARLY states that if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. This verse is where the Christian attitude I spoke of comes from.The facts of the matter are: the Bible condemns gays right along with non-believers, murderers, thieves, etc. It also predicts a cataclysmic end to our current world order. Christianity is a very dangerous religion, socially and politically, when taken too seriously. It encourages humans to dominate this world and rape its natural resources. Don't worry, everything in all of creation was made just for us, and God will set everything right soon. The end is near and the faithful will be rewarded, while the wicked (any non-believer is automatically condemned, thus of the wicked world) perish for all time, so we don't have to worry about their feelings at all.However, if being a Christian follows the literal meaning of the word, which means to be Christ-like, they would love and accept everyone no matter what. The lessons Jesus taught and the laws of the Bible, are two very different, and sometimes contradictory, things.On a final note, most Christians have absolutely no understanding of the intricaces of their own faith or even the basis for it. They simply believe what they're told. They also lack the understanding of the natural universe to objectively and rationally consider the facts for themselves, but they're blissfully unaware. They don't want to know, they're content with life as it is, ignorant to the fact that they are part of a machine that threatens civilization. Get out of the machine! It's just a fairy-tale! It's the Santa Claus for adults! Be good, get a reward, be bad, get punished. Adults use the fantasy to scare kids into behaving while governments and priests use the fantasy to scare adults into behaving.P.S. I'm not atheist; I think there's something, god or gods, I just don't quite know what it is, yet... but mainstream religions got it all wrong, I do know this.P.P.S. John 3:18 is also the money-maker. Believe, or else. Come to church, or else. Donate money, or else. Teaching people about Jesus is saving lives! We must increase our numbers, we need more donations, for the good of humanity! ...It's all a scam, my friend.
vbullingerNov 2, 2009
Also, the particular word in this case was not "abomination," but something more akin to "disgusting." Abomination doesn't just mean disgusting, it means more along the lines of evil. But the correctly translated term in reference to homosexuality in the Bible is more along the lines of disgusting, and it's certainly ok to think of things that don't agree with your sexual taste as "disgusting," like old people having sex, your parents having sex, obese people, ridiculously ugly people or two people of your gender. Nothing wrong with thinking that. But it's not banned by God.
earthforce1Nov 3, 2009
More famous quotes of his:A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.If religion was based on real truth, there only would be one.
rpgmakrNov 9, 2009
Better version: <a class="user" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaVUjjH3EI&amp;feature=related" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaVUjjH3EI&amp;fea ...</a>
mehediNov 10, 2009
Give me an example please if you have time, I will try to clear it out.
goatface1Nov 10, 2009
Conservatives are editing the Bible because it "has a liberal bias"l:<a class="user" href="http://conservapedia.com/Conservative_Bible_Project" rel="nofollow">http://conservapedia.com/Conservative_Bible_Projec ...</a>That's true, unfortunately.
vertinoxNov 13, 2009
Even monkeys appear to know right from wrong.
castrobluesNov 20, 2009
Um, I am only giving a cultural/historical look at the book of Leviticus and its purpose (or intended audience), not preaching a sermon or imposing religious views on anyone. Sounds like you have a gripe with religion(s). Please do not take it out on me.