To Bible readers

Suppose you are a Christian, and your Church gave you authority for deciding what religious texts in the Bible are inspired by God: which of them will you choose and why?

You should avoid:

  • Texts containing errors
  • Texts containing contradictions
  • Texts containing horrors

You should choose:

  • Enough texts to have the answers to the main questions of the life (where am I from, where am I going, who am I, what must I do, what can I hope, etc.)

Actually this is how a lot of experts destroy sacred texts.

Take for example the extraordinary account of Jesus anointed at Bethany recorded in Matthew Mark and John.

Matthew and Mark claim that the woman (Mary) poured the ointment on his head while John claims it was poured on the feet of Jesus.

An expert would say that feet and head is an obvious contradiction and interpret which is the correct version if any.

Yet there is no contradiction and the distinction is necessary in order to understand the inner meaning of the event.

But the contradiction is minor. Authors agree in the most important part. I think they are reliable this time.

Are various visual witnesses expected to provide records without the least contraction in all details?

Fancy must have filled in gaps in memory.

It would be more serious if one claims that Jesus died on the cross whereas the other claims that Jesus died naturally.

If you by default label Christians as retards, why are you so curious what
are they going to do.
You posted a question? and then two options, something to avoid and something to choose. And you want people to do what ??
My choice is not to avoid your posts, because you infact need atention.
I have communicated with many people, they all have state of mind,
but yours is Unique, that is what this forum need to cherish.

Let it all hang out Bro’ !! :wink:

Why would a good text not contain horrors? It seems like book supposing to be a reliable account of the history of man would contain them in abundance.

If , in 2000 years, the most brilliant minds have failed to avoid: errors, contradictions and horrors, what makes you think it is possible now?

JT

I mean: horrors made by God.

WEll, I guess I could ask the same question, only a little different: Would accurate text depicting the actions of the One True Eternal God only depict him doing things that humans approve of, or would that be likely to be a work of human fiction?

Surely errors, contradictions and horrors are a matter of perception? If it is a matter of perception how can one make any judgements whatsoever?

A

If you say elsewhere that God is good, and you keep all the same texts on horrors, your whole system crumbles due to an internal contradiction.

Hello F(r)iends,

Samkhya, could you give an example of “horrors made by God.”?

-Thirst4metal

Well, that problem goes way beyond any text. Anybody positing a good God has to deal with the horrors that exist in real life, not just the ones they talk about in their book. Is a holy text that doesn't attribute any horrors to God really any better off than one that does, if the reader lives in New Orleans, for example?

Sure.

Hi Sâmkhya,

I find that Holy Scripture has differing grades of inspiration, differing in its effect on my situation, mood, frame of mind, but also differing in its actuality. Certain statements are clearly up to date, whereas others become up to date at a later time, just as they were at an earlier time. I think that this is only normal; after all, inspiration is not something that words or letters alone can bring about. It is a question of the connection with our source of inspiration – with the Spirit, the Ultimate Reality, the Ineffable, God, the Way – however we want to name it.

I think too, that it is counterproductive to rule out horrors and assume errors or contradictions. These texts are not meant to be a factual report on historical occurrences, but they are accounts of the inspiration that was gained by encounters with the Mystery. The encounters took place in time and space, but intuitive inspiration is timeless. The horrors are a part of our reality, as others have said, and to blend them out would mean to blend out horror as a means of spiritual confrontation. After all, inspiration can also arise from negative experiences – at least that is my experience.

If you like, the sacred texts hover above the historical account, giving a view from above, interpreting, hinting, and indicating where mankind has missed the mark. Anyone who takes the text literally and thinks they can use it as an authority for their own horrors, errors and contradictions is, bluntly said, off his rocker. On the other hand, those who approach the texts in the same way with the intent to criticise are not mature enough to do so.

Shalom

I agree…

I think though… that the “holy scriptures” we have today are only a case of surviving religion… Surely had Zoraster’s religion survived over the jewish religion, we would have their holy books, and same with the greek ‘illiad and odyssey’ and viking myth and legend.

i believe the first man and woman where dropped off here as test subjects
and ufo’s are replacement ships from the main beacon ship that created us
they acknowledged “adam & eve” to the point of fighting over “the god”
or in my case the universe they have their little sex time grow up with their children and pass on lies & beliefs in two diffrent roads of life so here we are on that very same road all related to the first man and woman 0_0.