Why do we treat the Bible as a book?

Quahom1

Quahom1

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Before Constatine, there were writs of scriptures, and the Jewish Pentatuch...but there was no Bible persee.

Bible "Biblia", means "library". So when some learned folk got together circa 352 AD/ACE, they decided what was going to go into that "library". But that left out a whole lot of writs of "scriputure" popular with the common folk at the time...

What of them? And why do we look at the Bible as a Book of God? Isn't it in reality a library of references pertaining to man's relationship with God?

Ready, set, duck....in coming!!!
 
To me, its like a set of guidelines. And like a lot of guidelines, some are really difficult to understand, but the basics are there. ie: ten commandments. Mostly we (I) try to follow them, sometimes, i pass other times i fail. that is ,I guess the "human" factor.
 
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Quahom1 said:
What of them? And why do we look at the Bible as a Book of God? Isn't it in reality a library of references pertaining to man's relationship with God?

Ready, set, duck....in coming!!!
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Well, I think so. I think it's a library of very different types of literature that documents some peoples' relationship with God over time. I still think it is "inspired by God" in the sense that God's inspiration in human beings is precisely what caused people to write all this stuff (well, first to tell the stories through oral tradition and later to write the stuff down).

And yes, I agree with the Grey- part of this was provision of guidelines for living. Some of the guidelines were spiritual, some physical- some for reasons of distinguishing the Jews from other groups of people, some with practical reasons for anyone. Some of it is just good advice (Proverbs).

I believe the Bible contains all that is necessary for spiritual instruction, if someone wishes to limit themselves to it. That is, nothing further is needed, if one approaches the scriptures with openness of heart and seeking of the soul. However, that does not mean (to me) that only the Bible contains God-inspired writings. It is the library of the Jews and early Christians, but it is not the only library out there.
 
path_of_one said:
Well, I think so. I think it's a library of very different types of literature that documents some peoples' relationship with God over time. I still think it is "inspired by God" in the sense that God's inspiration in human beings is precisely what caused people to write all this stuff (well, first to tell the stories through oral tradition and later to write the stuff down).

And yes, I agree with the Grey- part of this was provision of guidelines for living. Some of the guidelines were spiritual, some physical- some for reasons of distinguishing the Jews from other groups of people, some with practical reasons for anyone. Some of it is just good advice (Proverbs).

I believe the Bible contains all that is necessary for spiritual instruction, if someone wishes to limit themselves to it. That is, nothing further is needed, if one approaches the scriptures with openness of heart and seeking of the soul. However, that does not mean (to me) that only the Bible contains God-inspired writings. It is the library of the Jews and early Christians, but it is not the only library out there.
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Someone else had to say the obvious...I'm glad it was you two...:D
 
tis an interesting collection of 66 books selected out of hundreds all of which were written hundreds of years apart.

Who is it that treats it as otherwise?
 
wil said:
tis an interesting collection of 66 books selected out of hundreds all of which were written hundreds of years apart.



Who is it that treats it as otherwise?
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Oh, I don't know...how about:
See, it's all called the Bible, and is rarely questioned as a "book of God". I am asking what the Bible really is...to folks.
 
Quahom1 said:
Before Constatine, there were writs of scriptures, and the Jewish Pentatuch...but there was no Bible persee.

Bible "Biblia", means "library". So when some learned folk got together circa 352 AD/ACE, they decided what was going to go into that "library". But that left out a whole lot of writs of "scriputure" popular with the common folk at the time...

What of them? And why do we look at the Bible as a Book of God? Isn't it in reality a library of references pertaining to man's relationship with God?

Ready, set, duck....in coming!!!
Click to expand...

No. It is a book of references pertaining to man's relationship to man. It was assembled as a political reference that suited a small group of Germanic Italians. A Mafiosi if you like. Or if you don't :p

As for how the billions of Christians that have viewed it you have a billion different answers. Each one draws significance where they want to, its easier than thinking up metaphor for yourself after all. Whether it be love, hope, charity and human compassion or guilt, greed, lust and human selfishness. Christians are ordinary people, they love the bad bits. Are obsessed by them. There is plenty of violent porn for a fevered imagination. As you can note by the fall by fall of American evangelists who spent their efforts yelling from the pulpit how evil they felt their desires to be. The flock demands that they fail of course. Always need a new martyr to nail to the pail for that style of firebranding. Who wants to listen to sermon after sermon full of prosaic porn after all?

The best Christians, as I see it, are the ones that find it hard to define their Christianity through any church. The ones that remember what the story of Jesus was really about, human love and compassion. The only time Jesus was ever violent was within a temple. I think this says something about churches. In that sense a bible is better than a church. But its still just an old book assembled by corrupt and controlling schemers.
 
Tao_Equus said:
No. It is a book of references pertaining to man's relationship to man. It was assembled as a political reference that suited a small group of Germanic Italians. A Mafiosi if you like. Or if you don't :p

As for how the billions of Christians that have viewed it you have a billion different answers. Each one draws significance where they want to, its easier than thinking up metaphor for yourself after all. Whether it be love, hope, charity and human compassion or guilt, greed, lust and human selfishness. Christians are ordinary people, they love the bad bits. Are obsessed by them. There is plenty of violent porn for a fevered imagination. As you can note by the fall by fall of American evangelists who spent their efforts yelling from the pulpit how evil they felt their desires to be. The flock demands that they fail of course. Always need a new martyr to nail to the pail for that style of firebranding. Who wants to listen to sermon after sermon full of prosaic porn after all?

The best Christians, as I see it, are the ones that find it hard to define their Christianity through any church. The ones that remember what the story of Jesus was really about, human love and compassion. The only time Jesus was ever violent was within a temple. I think this says something about churches. In that sense a bible is better than a church. But its still just an old book assembled by corrupt and controlling schemers.
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You forget, that before all to officionado, these were books the locals used to teach their clergy, and that varied from place to place.

That had nothing to do with the body politic Majora, Tao....
 
greymare said:
To me, its like a set of guidelines. And like a lot of guidelines, some are really difficult to understand, but the basics are there. ie: ten commandments. Mostly we (I) try to follow them, sometimes, i pass other times i fail. that is ,I guess the "human" factor.
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As long as you have fun and learn a lesson, and you can never be to old to learn new lessons, then surely all is not lost!!? Was there not originally some 70+ commandments anyway?:D
 
Tao_Equus said:
As long as you have fun and learn a lesson, and you can never be to old to learn new lessons, then surely all is not lost!!? Was there not originally some 70+ commandments anyway?:D
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613...called Mizhvat...
 
Quahom1 said:
You forget, that before all to officionado, these were books the locals used to teach their clergy, and that varied from place to place.

That had nothing to do with the body politic Majora, Tao....
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No idea what you are on about?
When did the masses first start reading bibles? Think you will find that for most of history the "book" has been read at the people to justify taxing and drafting them.
 
To me, it is a series of books and writings documenting the history of a culture. A culture that for the most part was very God-centric and so most events written therein have to do with and are influenced in almost every way by their God.

Also among the works are laws to live life by, some just good sense things, some specific to and defining the culture of that group.

There are some words of just plain Good advice, and ways to think and treat others fairly. This could have been used in conjunction with but not holding the same authority as the laws, and could have been an aid in interpretation of those laws as time went by, and an aid in judgment. After all, the priest was the judge. Their people's laws were God's laws. And they and the laws not only had to help people find spiritual peace, but also were the only means of keeping societal peace.

So to me it was many books, history books and books guiding not only how to live your life as part of that people but also how to interpret and deal out effectively the law.

They were like a handbook for a culture. And that's pretty awesome.

Now what happened that I didn't particularly like...

Cherry picking what a small group of people found relevant, putting it into a book that could be read by anyone without any perspective to interpret it by, (scripture was to be taught by scholars of the text, not blindly stumbled upon and self interpreted) and throwing it out in armloads to the masses to do with and interpret as they willed, calling it penned by God, completely ignoring all but the barest reference to how it's original people lived, thought, or would have understood the words on the page is all bad. Very bad indeed.

Good works have come out of it. But it all just kind of leaves a fishy taste in my mouth. Ah, well, God's will be done in all cases, why not this...

See ya...
 
wil said:
Rarely questioned? You must have me on ignore.
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I just tried that

Sorry wil is a moderator/admin and you are not allowed to ignore him or her.
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this is one of the worst thing about this site :(

Wil is consistently negative and critical of Christianity yet you proclaim to be a Christian :eek: and unfortunately you have immunity from the ignore list :mad:
 
GlorytoGod said:
Wil is consistently negative and critical of Christianity yet you proclaim to be a Christian :eek: and unfortunately you have immunity from the ignore list :mad:
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Namaste G2G,

Consistently negative and critical of Christianity.

I may be perceived as such but I don't see it that way. When I buy an automobile I prefer to know all of its good points and its problem areas. I don't mind looking under rocks in my own life or personality or my religion.

I am yet to understand those that will deny truth or the issues with the bible and become apologetics trying to justify this or that to make it so when it is clear that it isn't.

The fact that my holy book contains myth, allegory, an op ed piece like Jonah and inaccurate 'history' does not bother me. The fact that it contains tons of stories that have a practical nature in my physical and spiritual life is the reason I am a Christian. It is all I need to follow Jesus what it does for me and the potential it has for my fellow man.

For instance, I have a friend that wants to buy my car...I'm gonna make sure they know it needs tie rod and a front end alignment, and it was in a wreck once.

Oh and the ignore feature, sorry about the system, I didn't design it, but I do understand the merit of it. I've got this mouse and scroll key that I use for ignore....but as a moderator I really can't use it, for as much as I'd like I've got to be aware of what is being written to moderate. Darn blade is sharpened on both sides and swings both ways.
 
wil said:
Oh and the ignore feature, sorry about the system, I didn't design it, but I do understand the merit of it. I've got this mouse and scroll key that I use for ignore....but as a moderator I really can't use it, for as much as I'd like I've got to be aware of what is being written to moderate. Darn blade is sharpened on both sides and swings both ways.
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its an abuse of power :eek: that what it is :mad:
 
The Bible is still a mystery to me, a lot of people have a lot of different things to say about and a lot of people listen to them without really understanding for themselves.

and a lot of people are very negative and critical of the Bible and Christianity in general,

Read, Think, Pray, Live.
 
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