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Questions from a former Christian

Sketcher

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Anyone who uses these verses to make these claims either doesn't know metaphor, or ignores it on purpose.
 
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CShephard53

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Allow me to jump in here. [1] is not a Bible problem, it's a church (or, as you so honestly point out, LACKTHEREOF church) problem. We do need to get off our butts.
[2] is not an issue either, as most contradictions are not contradictions at all but an inadequate translation job or explainable cultural thing of the day. If you would like to PM me with more questions, feel free. And feel free to use specifics if/when you do.
[3] if Christians are the ones excluding, it is not God's fault. But as you point out...
Anyway, the thing is we are sinners. We know we sin. We lie. We steal. We cheat. We hate. Most humans do at least one of these things sometime in their lives.

They are not told for one of two reasons: They do not want the Truth, and don't care. Or, they are in rebellion. Either way, it's their fault.

If you want futher explanation and have more specific questions, PM me.
 
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ebia

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That depends on whether God's purpose was to correct people's facts about history, or to communicate knowledge about himself, creation, people and their purpose in creation, etc, within their existing knowledge of (relative unimportant stuff) like historical facts.

Note that the bible wasn't written by God, it was written by people inspired by God.
 
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ebia

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Anyone who uses these verses to make these claims either doesn't know metaphor, or ignores it on purpose.
Absolutely - whether one is twisting the metaphore to prove the bible says something that isn't true and is therefore wrong, or whether one is twisting a metaphore to prove the bible says something scientific and unknown to the time it was written and the bible is therefore inspired, as per several other posts in this thread. Both sides are using the same invalid trick. Apologists who pull out verses like Job 26:7 are doing the exact equivalant, and encouraging sceptics to pull out these kinds of verses in response, not to mention giving credance to Muslims who can pull exactly the same trick to "prove" the Koran.
 
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AformerChristian

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I was in a hurry and gave those 2 links. There are many more. I have read and studied the Bible myself and found many problems for myself.


 
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heron

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When I hear of other civilizations having the same practices or beliefs, it increases my conviction that a supreme Being interacts with mankind. He is just as able to communicate within other religious systems as He does with Christians.

There were times that isolated tribes who had never heard of Christianity, had visions and communications with supernatural beings, instructing them to trust the people (missionaries) who were coming to their lands.Whether we believe these stories or not, they are part of recorded history.

The Bible is recorded history, just as verifiable the Code of Hammurabi, the Mayan calendar, or the Egyptian heiroglyphics.


Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers.
Circle

Chuwg khoog
Strong's Number: 02329
  1. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva]
    [*] circle, circuit, compass
    [*] (BDB) vault (of the heavens)
    [/FONT]
Sits also meant dwell, abide.


Remember this was a vision. We all have crazy dreams with symbolism.

height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the wholeearth.

Strong's Number: 08065
heaven, heavens, sky
  1. visible sky
  2. Heaven (as abode of God)
Remember that people knew of Enoch's visions at that time, which presented the earth as round, rotating and revolving around the sun.

Job 38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
This is such figurative statement!

It is referring more to the shaking out than the earth's structure. He is wishing that dangerous people could be shaken out just like a tablecloth can be rid of dirt by shaking.

It is like any of using the terms scoop up, dispose of, wash away, blown up, fried, carried off with the wind. We know that people are not removed by these methods, but we say it anyway when we're mad.

Job 11:9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

"Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.

The word longer is temporal, not spatial.

Deuteronomy 14:7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth.
Actually in 13..
13:7
of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end )The word earth (0776) has over twenty definitions -- among them being Canaan, soil, Sheol, the inhabitants, city, tribal territory... space or distance of country (in measurements of distance).

They used it similarly to the way we use the word land.




Psalms 93:1 ...the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
The message of the writer, is that the world is so immense that one person cannot shake it. We have all had that sense before. He is just in awe of how small he is in the context of the universe.

As for the wording, it is unclear.

The psalms were written as songs. They were expressions of gratefulness and frustration, and pleas for God's assistance. The author's intent was poetic and inspirational, not scientific.

world = world. There is no other description of what that means, but it can mean so many things in our language: genre (NASCAR world), earth, universe, regional group (western world, third world), cultural group (Muslim world)... you get the idea.

1 Samuel 2:8 ...for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he has set the world upon them.
A pillar is a structural element that holds up other structures. Consider electromagnetic fields, gravity, centrifugal force -- these are all pillars that we rely on.

Notice that the first part of the verse refers to human societal systems, then it moves into established pillars in the land.
(Again, the broad possible use of land.)


Isaiah 24:18 ...for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
windows above * are opened

Above seems randomly translated, for lack of a better word.

1 Chronicles 16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
I certainly don't see this as evidence of their scientific theory.
It can simply be read as comparison between the uncertainties of life and the certainty of the ground beneath our feet.

Ironically, the first half of the verse is
Tremble before * Him, all the earth
and it uses the same word for tremble as it does for not be moved.

([FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva] to totter, shake, slip )[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva] [/FONT]
I know that there are more verses that bother people, but I am just pointing out that before objecting to them or making conclusive statements about them, we need to see what they really said.
 
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AformerChristian

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ebia, you already told me abot this, and I know about such thinking. it doesn't work for me. I can't accept an erroneous book of a supposedly perfect God.
 
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AformerChristian

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I'll take that as a compliment - it would put me in very good company.


Someone once said that to every question there is an answer that is simple, ... straightforward, .... and wrong.
It is a compliment. However, you did not answer my simple question about your correct interpretation of John 3. Maybe you really don't have one?
 
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AformerChristian

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I know that there are more verses that bother people, but I am just pointing out that before objecting to them or making conclusive statements about them, we need to see what they really said.
Thank you for such comprehensive analysis of those OT verses. I've read it thorpughly. As you could have guessed, I borrowed those quotations and comments from a website. I didn't come here to argue, but to hear opinions and to ask questions. I mentioned other problems and other verses.

Please understand that I did believe in the Bible and did try to convince others it's infallible. I have many more problems with the Bible, the first and most of which is it's inconsistency of its theology/moral teaching etc. I can understand metaphor etc. but I can't understand the thing with 'don't kill' - 'kill to retaliate', 'do cruel genocide', 'don't hate it's equal to murder'. No constant, ever changing...

There is so much debate on this website and others, and it's been going on for centuries. I do appreciate your and other's attempts to disprove some of my statements, but please, I would like to talk about more general things, and not to spend time on picking on small details. I do hope you understand.
 
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AformerChristian

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Hi intricatic!

I understand this. To understand my frustration, just think of the following. Let's imagine that a powerful bomb is scheduled to blast in 24hours under a house and you happened to find out about it. Wouldn't you want to do everything you can and can't to inform and convince the people living in that house to get out and save their lives? Well, Christians claim they have similar knowledge about non-Christians and now look at them... They care about today's life, not tomorrow's...

Do you consider hermeneutics and exegesis to be something that one should judge based on modern science?
Modern science is one thing. The Bible is inconsistent in its theology and moral teaching as well.

Salvation is no man's to give but Christ. Ultimately God will save whom He will save, and give mercy to whom He gives mercy.
How do you believe about salvation? Who will be saved and who not?

Why not? What's caused you to change your view?
1. Put off opinions of other people. 2. Opened my eyes. 3. Started looking at the Bible, Christianity, Christians honestly.

Any time, and thank you for posting here. I hope you don't take my post here in a bad way, it was meant in all honesty as an inquiry to you. I am curious as to what brought this change about.
Thanks for your response. I tried to answer your q's and explain.
 
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AformerChristian

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Hi RN4CHRIST! Thank you for your testimony. I am happy that you have such good experience with your faith. My experience is somewhat different, though...
 
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AformerChristian

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Judging Christianity by the actions of imperfect people may not be the best idea!
Look at Christ and His teachings!
Many Christians do not obey His teachings - but surely that does not mean that He was wrong - simply that we are fallible!
Hi Criada, please understand this. I was a Christian. I beleived in the Bible. I got disillusioned because I found very little if any TRUE faith and TRUE love. Why be a part of somthing like that? I didn't want to.
 
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AformerChristian

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Interesting questions there
Hi MedicMan, thse questions are really bothering me.

There ARE muslim and other outreaches, maybe not so much where you live. Yes, those missionaries did come and shared the gospel, printed literature, and so on. But when you come to know them better, it is one big one disappointment. They lie, misrepresent local situation to their home churches to get more money. I feel sick when I think about this big deception. They have no heart for the people. They spend some time in a 'foreign land', where they live a super-comfortable life of the western 'middle-class' and they basically preach american values (talking about the US missionaries), they create churches exactly according to their US traditions, they teach locals to forsake their traditions and to accept American ways. Some of them make huge money by investing into real estate, then go back home and continue to lead a life of an average person. They are very, very far from the local people. One missionary who led me to faith recently denounced Christ. I really don't understand why those 'missionaries' do what they do, for what reasons. To me, it's like some strange game of ambitions or self-importance or selfishness. I really don't know. NO faith, NO love near them. I would rather them NOT preach in my country than preach. They only corrupt others. They are a disgrace...

And if you think, it's only a few of them like that? No. To my experience, virtually all of them. I haven't met any one who was genuine. NOT ONE.

To 2), the Bible is only inconsistent if you take its words out of context. Perhaps if you gave me/us some specific examples of these 'inconsistencies' we could explore how they are not in fact inconsistent at all
I already gave several examples. Let me repeat, why the Bible says 'kill', 'do not kill', 'kill to retaliate', 'commit genocide', 'do not hate it's like murder', etc. I am all too much confused by such incredibly inconsistent teaching. Changing from page to page.

The Muslims may know about Isa Paighambar (prophet Jesus), but they do not know the 'saving gospel'. So, they go to hell?
 
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AformerChristian

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Dear MrDave,

I found 2 links only as an example of what other people have found in the Bible. I wouldn't agree with everything there, too. I have mentioned my own problems with the Bible.

I do not deny God exists. Maybe he does. Or maybe he doesn't. I don't know.

Clear inconsistency - "kil", "don't kill", "do cruel genocide and kill animals", "". And many many others.

Thank you for trying to convince or even to frighten me. This doesn't work with me anymore... You explain about originals and authographs of the biblical books. Well, I do not have access to those originals/authographs and I don't speak Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek or whatever other language they were written in. Does this imply this faith is not for me, then? Because each time there is something I don't understand, don't agree or there is an error/exaggaration, they say it's from the corrupt manuscripts or from incorrect translation... So, I'm inferior to the original audience of the books in the Middle East? I don't think so. I just think maybe this faith is indeed not for me, then.
 
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ebia

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ebia, you already told me abot this, and I know about such thinking. it doesn't work for me. I can't accept an erroneous book of a supposedly perfect God.
What you call errors aren't errors in a meaningful sense. They are limitiations in the medium - just as the imperfections in the paper it's written on are. It's the message that is carried about God, his creation, us, etc that God is trying to transmit - complaining about the paper quality would be silly.

The bible could no more be "perfect" in the sense you are demanding and still achieve it's purpose than God could have demanded it be printed in perfect letters on perfect paper (both theretically unachievable). Such a demand is ridiculous. God chooses to work through fallible people and their limited structures and abilities; in that context it is absurd to demand that God (say) should require the author(s) of Genesis 1 & 2 to write their accounts in a scientifically accurate way than for him to require them to do so on truely perfect piece of paper (or parchment).

If you choose to demand that God should have done something he did not, and could not (because it would be paradoxical) do, I guess that's your look-out though.

Reading the bible as a manual of laws to obay is missing the point, just as reading it as a textbook on science or a recipe for fruit-cake. The truth about right and wrong is something one is expected to learn about by reading the whole, reflecting on it and praying about it, seeing how it fits in the bigger picture and the Great Commandments, etc. Right and wrong cannot be properly encompased by any finite set of rules. Yes some of it is rules, but different bits are different sorts of rules - some are big picture stuff. Some are specifics for specific contexts. Much is case-law, from which drawing direct inference must be done carefully. And so forth.
If you sit down and look for inconsistances you will find it, because keeping the thing literally consistant would drown out the message.
 
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ebia

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Hi Criada, please understand this. I was a Christian. I beleived in the Bible. I got disillusioned because I found very little if any TRUE faith and TRUE love. Why be a part of somthing like that? I didn't want to.
So why are you debating irrevelent "errors" in the bible, when your real objection with Christianity is the much more valid one that Christians don't show the fruit promised? Now that is a legitimate reason for rejecting the faith, and cries by the church that "we can't be expected to live up the promise" are a cop-out. The early church grew very quickly precisely because they did live up the promise and cause people to think "I need to be part of that", as does the rapidly growing church in much of the persecuted and 3rd world.
 
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Criada

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Hi Criada, please understand this. I was a Christian. I beleived in the Bible. I got disillusioned because I found very little if any TRUE faith and TRUE love. Why be a part of somthing like that? I didn't want to.
I am truly sorry that this has been your experience!

I too have been let down by Christians in the past - and I have let down others by my lack of true love for them.

But - Jesus has never, and will never , let me down, or stop loving me.
And that is what my faith depends on - not on other Christians.

I have been a Christian for over twenty years, and am only just beginning to realize what it really means to love God and to love my neighbour.

Please, please, do not reject Christ because His people have failed you.
He will never fail.

God bless you.
 
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