Have difficulty believing the Bible.

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
I’ve heard one of the main objections regarding homosexuality is same-sex relationship do not procreate the species. If this is true, the same law should apply planned parenthood, birth control and contraception.

Why is God so angry in the Old Testament. God ruled as a dictator, opposing God meant suffering and death sometimes in great numbers. God caused all kinds hardships to Job and his family on wager with the devil. However, to be fair, God limited the things the devil could do to Job.

The Old Testament is about God‘s sovereign authority and demand for respect. The Old Testament is based on male dominance and Patriarchal Rule. The Old Testament reflected the life and fears of the people living during that time.

Living BC must have been hard compared to life today.

Introduction of the New Testament changed God’s demeanor to lovey-dovey giving direct access to God through Jesus Christ. God becomes love, a far cry from Old Testament God. Why?
 

Mr. Ed said:
I’ve heard one of the main objections regarding homosexuality is same-sex relationship do not procreate the species. If this is true, the same law should apply planned parenthood, birth control and contraception.

Why is God so angry in the Old Testament. God ruled as a dictator, opposing God meant suffering and death sometimes in great numbers. God caused all kinds hardships to Job and his family on wager with the devil. However, to be fair, God limited the things the devil could do to Job.

The Old Testament is about God‘s sovereign authority and demand for respect. The Old Testament is based on male dominance and Patriarchal Rule. The Old Testament reflected the life and fears of the people living during that time.

Living BC must have been hard compared to life today.

Introduction of the New Testament changed God’s demeanor to lovey-dovey giving direct access to God through Jesus Christ. God becomes love, a far cry from Old Testament God. Why?
Click to expand...
People define God by their own perceptions. Jesus' re-defined God's position, taking pretty much a 180 deg. turn about in attitude.
Jesus was a renegade, some modern so-called Christians profess to "love Jesus" but they don't love his teachings.
 
Mr. Ed said:
Why is God so angry in the Old Testament? God ruled as a dictator, opposing God meant suffering and death sometimes in great numbers. God caused all kinds hardships to Job and his family on wager with the devil. However, to be fair, God limited the things the devil could do to Job.
The Old Testament is about God‘s sovereign authority and demand for respect. The Old Testament is based on male dominance and Patriarchal Rule. The Old Testament reflected the life and fears of the people living during that time.
Introduction of the New Testament changed God’s demeanor to lovey-dovey giving direct access to God through Jesus Christ. God becomes love, a far cry from Old Testament God. Why?
Click to expand...

You asked so here is my faith based response:

Why was God so angry in the Old Testament? God is angry in the OT because, just like our earthly fathers have rules and expect obedience from their children so does God. His punishment was more harsh for disobedience because he holds quite a bit more weight than an earthly father does.

He created us to have the ability to choose right or wrong. So, our Creator, deserves dominance, the right to set rules as He sees fit, reverence, and respect. He's not on our level...BIG time.

Why did God change His demeanor in the New Testament? Because He loved man despite their sins and wanted to show us His love and offer His forgiveness of our wrongs, a gift for the taking, by sending a Savior (Jesus) to save us from our sins and pay our punishment.

Don't forget...God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but if He wants to modify a rule...He can. Our Creator can move mountains...and has. So, we can't sell Him short with our finite minds.
`
 

Last edited:
You, and billions of others. My take on it is like most things. Take the best it has to offer, and there is a lot, and disregard the rest. The bible was written by men of an era, and we all know how fallible men can be.

Mr. Ed said:
I’ve heard one of the main objections regarding homosexuality is same-sex relationship do not procreate the species. If this is true, the same law should apply planned parenthood, birth control and contraception.

Why is God so angry in the Old Testament. God ruled as a dictator, opposing God meant suffering and death sometimes in great numbers. God caused all kinds hardships to Job and his family on wager with the devil. However, to be fair, God limited the things the devil could do to Job.
Click to expand...
 
I think that there is no way you can believe the literal truth of the bible. At best, you can regard it as a collection of ancient writings by people who interpreted things according to beliefs, acceptability and knowledge of the times.
When people talk about "God creating man" - which iteration of hominoids do they mean from the millions of years before the emergence of Homo Sapiens? I doubt if the ancient scribes had much knowledge of evolution, so they made up "Adam & Eve" to explain the origins of modern man. Understandable, but pure fantasy.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I think that there is no way you can believe the literal truth of the bible...
Click to expand...
Regarding literal truth in the Bible...there are figures of speech in the Bible and there Parables in the Bible that aren't literal. They are meant to be taken as a simple story to be used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson as told by Jesus in the New Testament.

Other than the obvious I just mentioned, when we make ourselves the final arbiters of which parts of the Bible are to be interpreted literally, we elevate ourselves above God. Who is to say, then, that one person’s interpretation of a biblical event or truth is any more or less valid than another’s? The confusion and distortions that would inevitably result from such a system would essentially render the Scriptures null and void. The Bible is God’s Word to us and He meant it to be believed—literally and completely.

Not only can we take the Bible literally, but we must take the Bible literally. This is the only way to determine what God really is trying to communicate to us. When we read any piece of literature, but especially the Bible, we must determine what the author intended to communicate.

Many today will read a verse or passage of Scripture and then give their own definitions to the words, phrases, or paragraphs, ignoring the context and author’s intent. But this is not what God intended, which is why God tells us to correctly handle the Word of truth.

You also mentioned evolution but that's a whole other thread and we've had many evolution threads here over the years...too many
 
Last edited:
Capt Lightning said:
I think that there is no way you can believe the literal truth of the bible. At best, you can regard it as a collection of ancient writings by people who interpreted things according to beliefs, acceptability and knowledge of the times.
When people talk about "God creating man" - which iteration of hominoids do they mean from the millions of years before the emergence of Homo Sapiens? I doubt if the ancient scribes had much knowledge of evolution, so they made up "Adam & Eve" to explain the origins of modern man. Understandable, but pure fantasy.
Click to expand...
That's been my take as well. The bible is a work of fiction that became a tool used to control others.
 
C50 said^ The bible is a work of fiction that became a tool used to control others.

What's wrong with our Creator controlling what He created? He's our heavenly Father, we are His children.
What's wrong with an earthly father controlling his children?

Both leave open the ability for them to also make their own choices as well. Some right, some wrong. Some good, some evil. But the love of these two fathers want their children not to have to suffer the natural consequences of the wrong choices. So a foundation is laid as the children grow and learn.
 
Last edited:
Mr. Ed said:
Have difficulty believing the Bible.
Click to expand...
I can give you my take as a non-believer.

I think the Bible is a very interesting historical document, many authors and many points of view, written over a period of about 1,000 years, about 2,000+ years ago. Truly amazing it has survived. I believe it does contain many words of wisdom relevant today. Also some interesting stories, probably some with a truthful basis, probably some pure fiction.

Given its origin its no surprise that it contains some inconsistencies, seems to me people can take from it the parts they want and not others.
Mr. Ed said:
Living BC must have been hard compared to life today.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, harder than most of us can imagine. It is impressive that anything written back then survived and still has any relevance today.
 
Last edited:
I went from a skeptic to a born again Christian years ago, but I can remember how it happened. A Christian asked me if I prayed to God. I said I do so inwardly sometimes. He said try praying out loud. It was really weird at first. It was like talking to the whole universe, and it was little ol' me. But, after a couple weeks, and being taught by a born again Christian, I fell totally in love with GOD, through Jesus. That's right, he said pray out loud to Jesus. I feel like @Lara is a born again Christian. Perhaps you two could PM so she could help you get in touch with some others in your area,
It truely IS a very real experience, I am very glad the whole thing happened to me. No one can tell you the temperature of the water, you have to put your hand in it.
 
Man created God in his own image. The Bible has some historical significance, because it was written in historical times, but this is mixed with too much fantasy to be worthy of serious consideration. I'm not as knowledgeable about other religious texts, but those I am somewhat familiar with, there is a similar preoccupation with fantasy and mystery.

I don't believe being a good person requires a Bible, and we know from first hand observations that believing in the Bible does not make a person good. It just makes a person a believer, which is far less important than being ethical.
 
Em in Ohio said:
In my opinion, everyone should take courses in the history of religious beliefs and comparative religion.
Read other books.
Click to expand...
I took a course in college called "Philosophy of Religion." It was an enjoyable study. It was the typical Introductory to Comparative Religion 101. None of it changed my life much, I don't think. It did help me put Christianity in a realistic perspective, and I enjoyed learning about other religions without being preached at.
 
Lara said:
What's wrong with our Creator controlling what He created? He's our heavenly Father, we are His children.
What's wrong with an earthly father controlling his children?

Both leave open the ability for them to also make their own choices as well. Some right, some wrong. Some good, some evil. But the love of these two fathers want their children not to have to suffer the natural consequences of the wrong choices. So a foundation is laid as the children grow and learn.
Click to expand...
What kind of all-powerful god (the father) allows an eighteen year old child to brutally slaughter 19 young children? It isn't a god that deserves my respect - or anyone else's devotion - in my opinion.
 
Em in Ohio said:
The god of when? The god of where? What god? Whose god? Who's god?
In my opinion, everyone should take courses in the history of religious beliefs and comparative religion.
Read other books.
Click to expand...
See that's part of the problem with religion, many people are afraid to do their own work and form their own beliefs. Many never gain a wider perspective, and that is exactly the philosophy pushed by whatever religious affiliation you belong to. "Ours is right, ours is good, ours is the one and only way". The second you question the narrative you began to lose faith, and the church doesn't want to lose any of its flock.

Simply by reading old Testament vs new, or different versions as written and rewritten, or attending other churches, it's hard to believe people don't question the authenticity of the Bible. I guess it's because they don't want to know, people are afraid to admit we are simply a bug on the earth and the end of our earthly life is just that, the end.
 
I've just been watching a most fantastic programme presented by the scientist Prof. Jim Al-Khalili about the vastness of the universe. Using the latest technology, looking back into the universe, revealed an unimaginably violent environment. Stars being born, stars exploding - even whole galaxies with billions of stars colliding. Not exactly "On the first day God created the heaven and the Earth" . The Universe as we know it was about 9 billion years old when the Earth was 'created'.

Why would this God who mysteriously always existed, decide to create this vast violent universe with trillions of stars and probably as many planets? Why would he/she/ it create creatures who were wiped out and replaced by other creatures, eventually coming up with hominoids leading to modern man? My mother would say, "that's just God's way", and that saved her from having to actually think about it.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I've just been watching a most fantastic programme presented by the scientist Prof. Jim Al-Khalili about the vastness of the universe. Using the latest technology, looking back into the universe, revealed an unimaginably violent environment. Stars being born, stars exploding - even whole galaxies with billions of stars colliding. Not exactly "On the first day God created the heaven and the Earth" . The Universe as we know it was about 9 billion years old when the Earth was 'created'.

Why would this God who mysteriously always existed, decide to create this vast violent universe with trillions of stars and probably as many planets? Why would he/she/ it create creatures who were wiped out and replaced by other creatures, eventually coming up with hominoids leading to modern man? My mother would say, "that's just God's way", and that saved her from having to actually think about it.
Click to expand...
Just a few weeks ago I had a religious friend tell me the earth/universe is only 6000 years old. We debated for a few minutes and I asked him if there was nothing until God created everything where did God come from? Where is God's place? His reply was god is transadental and humans don't have the intellectual intelligence to understand all that he is.

There's nothing like a good factual explanation to answer my question, and that was nothing like a good factual explanation. lol
 
I could answer all these excellent questions and posts but I won't...
Do I hear a thunderous applause from the rafters? :giggle: I will answer them later though.
I'm the only one in this thread so far representing "the other side" so I have to come back...or do I?

I don't think it will matter here. I don't think anyone here cares to read my posts.
Not because I haven't changed anyone's mind. That's not my goal. But because I'm a bit of an irritant.
That's why there aren't any faith based believers in this thread...yet. That's unfortunate.
The state of the world is a mess because we are becoming less and less on the same page.
If we all had a little faith and a "rule book" we all could agree on, our world would prosper from it.

But the Bible predicted long ago that this would happen.

Today is an important busy day for me.
This is phase one of moving day for me as I get closer to my final home being built on the island.
It's been a year and a half of construction due to delays in the industry.
 
Last edited:
C50 said:
His reply was god is transadental and humans don't have the intellectual intelligence to understand all that he is.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's what they told me in Sunday School too. Starting at a young age, much of my life was spend searching for God. I wanted to know whether he existed or not. I didn't require a full understanding. I just wanted to know if he existed. Without that knowledge, none of the rest of his alleged qualities makes much difference.
 
Mr. Ed said:
Why is God so angry in the Old Testament. God ruled as a dictator, opposing God meant suffering and death sometimes in great numbers.
Click to expand...
Just to get man's attention
We would've annihilated ourselves

Gensis 6
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.


One might read about the Amalekites
They were pretty dastardly
They'd attack the Israelites from behind
Killing the women and children
Yes, God slew them


The specific context of the old testament time period is crucial.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, triumph in warfare was commonly associated with the strength of a nation’s god.
Consequently, the annihilation of Israel’s enemies conveyed that the one true God of Israel had asserted his power and rule over the false gods of other groups.

Nothing's changed
Salvation is from the beginning to the end of the Bible

One must study......prayerfully
 
Lara said:
I could answer all these excellent questions and posts but I won't...
Do I hear a thunderous applause from the rafters? :giggle: I will answer them later though.
I'm the only one here so far representing "the other side" so I have to come back...or do I?

I don't think it will matter here. I don't think anyone here cares to read my posts.
That's why there aren't any faith based believers here. That's unfortunate.
Click to expand...
hang on, your posts (like everyone else's ) are interesting. Don't let anyone crush your beliefs. I represent no particular "side" and I keep an open mind
 
Lara said:
I don't think it will matter here. I don't think anyone here cares to read my posts.
That's why there aren't any faith based believers here.
Click to expand...
There's more than you think, dear sister.

We all choose topics with which to respond.

As far as God's word (old and new);

Like the Samaritan woman at the well, God reaches out to us where we are

It was that way in the old testament....and the new

'Seek and you will find'
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top