BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Bible Basics Bible and the basis of authenticity

My Friend in love,
First let me say that I like your signature quote. HOW TRUE!

I also have great admiration for Turkish people, whom I find to be very kind people. My father was with the 1st AIF in WW1 and spoke very highly of 'The Turks' - as honorable men whom he admired. (My father was a very discerning and wise man.)

Your question is a very relavant one to me. I have always believed that the Bible is only 'authentic' in the sense that it was written by men who believed that God had spoken to them and directed them in their writings, BUT, it has been 'changed' so many times in not only translation, but by some people who, at the time, wanted to place emphasis on certain personal beliefs, that I do not consider it to be authentic.

It is not, in my opinion, the WORD OF GOD, but is a collection of experiences of God in the lives of those who wrote it, and there were many.

As I said in another thread, I value the writings of all prophets and sages, but for me, it is all about LOVE, and when one truly LOVES - everything else falls into place.

It is not so much about WHAT we believe, but how we LIVE what we believe, and how we express those golden values in our every day lives. And we don't need to believe in the authenticity of the Bible to do that.

I has just curisous be cause i have never seen any one ask a religous question to some one out side of there religion unless they saw that the other relgous person had something that there religoin did not have. except me, well sorta... I have been talking to a lot of people from differnt religians and i am amaze not one has tried to convert me. i love that!!! and the more people i talk to seem to more about the bible and understand it better (weather or not i agree or not with them) then i do or for that matter the churches i have been too latly...

"I have been talking to a lot of people from differnt religians and i am amaze not one has tried to convert me. i love that!!! "

Freebubbles, that is how it should be. If we truly love one another, we value what each other holds dear, and respect their beliefs. Each individual is precious, and unique, and worthy of love and respect.

Every path is the 'right' path for the one who is following it, and if it leads to LOVE, then it is GOOD.

I have allwas wanted to be amissonary. all though i had a Mother Terisa image in my head(im not catholic) feed the hungary help the poor, show love compassion and when some one ask you about your walk with God you tell them why you believe on a personal level (scentific proof and scalorly theroy are meaningless because every religian has one or more of each so let them fight it out not me with everyone else) and when they ask how to be a Christian on there own terms tell them how and then you can get them a bible and tell them about churches they can go to or invite them to go with you!!! isnt that how Jesus did it? no forcing no give me you $$ and i will save your soul and no killing anyone who does not believe the way you do!!! boy was i disalosioned. I went to az and worked with the Navajo and Hopi kids at a boarding school and they did nt kill anyone physicaly but thats all i can say that was is good... my story is in christian living> why do you believe. if you want the whole story.

Wow. I wish I could answer everyone at once... (Ill try <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />)

1. Free spirit - You can look into the authenticity of all religions. If you can trace a religion to its roots you have a good chance of actually proving its authenticity.
Also the teachings in the scriptures will not contradict itself from one verse to another.

2. Patience - :-) I agree with everything you say. Yes life is all about love and how you live your life. But I believe religion is the best rule book in how to live your life with love and peace.
Im happy to know your dad has such an opinion of my country. Would I be right in guessing he went over as an ally in WW1?
Not that I agree with Turkey's involvment in WW1.

3. Freebubbles - i ask the question because frankly, I want people to ask themselves. I question my own religion often and compare it with others. The first lines ever revealed to the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in the Quran is,

"read in the name of your Lord who has created,
Created mankind from a clot of congealed blood,
Read and your Lord is most bountifull, Who has taught man by the pen, taught that which he knew not"

Since the first word from God here is read, my duty is to do just that and to delve into anything and everything.
I constantly weigh up all aspects of faith to make sure im not misguided. We only have one chance on this earth, I gotta be sure.
I just want everyone to think about it too. Im not trying to convert anyone. I can lay bare the message of my religion (Islam) and you can take it up if you wish.

Concerning your understanding of the bible and your belief that everyone understands the bible better than you... they dont. The truth is no one understands why 3=1! They pretend to make sense of it.
No one knows why the whole old testament says worship 1 God and do not associate idols, but the new testament has an idol and God becomes 3.
No one thinks that God would not show himself to Moses a great prophet (Peace be upon him), but they believe he would show himself to the corrupted Jews who were not by any means worthy.
No one thinks that Jesus (Peace be upon him), confirmed he wouldnt not be changing the laws of the old testament but he was to fulfil them (Ie bring them back into law from the deviated jews),but the letters of St Paul have eliminated every law of the old testament.

Do you see what I mean? Im not trying to decieve you. I have faith... But I have to apply some logic to my faith. God is not the author of confusion. So lets not be confused before we have faith.

You people are great people. Im enjoying writing here. Im sure most people here would like to help feed the poor and rid the world of evil. Although this discusion isnt about to do that, its nice to spead to like minded people :-)

Blessing and peace to you kibrisli7!

Yes. Certainly the teachings of the Bible gave me my start in life and set me on the right path.

You are correct. My Dad went to the First World War with the Australian Forces.

I think poor Turkey had little choice but to enter WW1. Both sides wanted Turkey as an ally, or a 'step off' point to other targets and apparently it all started over one of your battleships that was berthed in an English port and would not be released. Wars are such tragic things, and that is one which should never have happened, and it was perhaps the worst of all, casualty wise.

I am so glad that Australia and Turkey are such good friends. The ANZAC services there are a wonderful example of the loving spirit of the Turkish people. They say our 'sons' are their 'sons', because they are now joined with yours, and blend in Turkish soil.

Another example of how we are all brothers and sisters on this planet is the way, early in WW1, German soldiers came from their trenches on Christmas Day and shared their precious food and drink, and exchanged gifts with Allied soldiers. They even had a friendly game of soccer together!

What is wrong with our leaders? It is not the people who make war, is it?!

With love,

Patience.

wow i have been out for a long time!!! i cound not long in and had to start over. anyways...i think war is what God must use to keep the population undercontrol...lol ok so its not funny..anyways. i think we must use logic in anything we do!!! plotics, religian, rasing family all of it. i dont think God ment for the church to brain wash people. we are not ment to follow blindly into an unknown abyse just because the leader of the group wares the RIGHT LABLE of religion or what ever!!! i use to say i believed EVERY WORD of the bible and i ment it until i realize that some of what i believed was up for debate. like the story of sodom and gomora...i was taught that it was a story about GOD HATES HOMOSEXUALS well i started reading it for my self and i mean REALY reading it and i did not get that at all. lot suves his own blood and felsh daughter to a mop of men and says do what ever make you happy!!! where is that supost to make me believe that God hates any one and the church holds lot as a great and rightous man??? hello he got his daughters pregent!!!! anyways it make me realize that you can use the bible to say what ever you have a mind to use it to say its not called THE SWORD for nothing its to sided and cuts both ways. if you dont apply logic and common sence you cut yourself and or others. and to take everything literal and say nothing is a parable is wrong because if thats true then we would still have slaves and women would be silence and less then human with little or no rights... and to say its all a parable then its like calling the whole faith a lie... but i think the worst is to let church and plotics make the choice of picking whats what and not really taking the time to study and read for your self!!!

I think you make a great point here.
I can see we have slightly deviated from the subject in some posts but if you dont mind me coming back to it...
If we cant figure out what should be taken as a parable and what should be taken as literal at which point do we consider that it might not actually be the word of God?
We all admit that it was written by men and most of the people I speak to admit that it has been changed several times in history to suite certain beliefs, yet no one considers it is not the word of God.

2 weeks ago I went to the house of some people that were Jehova's witnesses. What struck me was there great character and vision that was very similar to mine but as soon as I pointed out something that was not so clear they cut it all short.
What surprised me was that we discussed many beliefs of the 2 faiths which were very similar yet they refused to see what my book had to say because they thought their own book was the word of God literally.

I showed them the verses in Genesis in which God makes a covenent with Abraham that every man must be circumsised and that the covenent between them must be everlasting. Meaning that for the rest of time God wanted everyone of us to be snipped! (Just the men guys <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />)
Than I showed them the lines in pauls books that abolish the practice.
They didnt even try to clear the contradiction!

OK, i'm not coming back in for the debate...

But, glad to see you back Kibrilis! It's been quite a while!

To correct you, they did not break his legs because he was already dead. Instead they just pierced his side. This is to fulfill old testament prophecy that not a single bone was broken.