For me, I didn't read the bible first. I didn't really think there was just one way either. Like I've said before, my life events brought me to this place. I always had a place in my heart for Jesus though. I had people in my life claim to be full of "love and light" and are full of pain and judgement. These people have also abandoned Jesus just by what they know of the churches. The moment I accepted Jesus as "Truth", my world has been turned around and I realize he is the truth. You can't study Jesus in the bible, that is not what he asked of us. He wanted us to have faith in him and love him. If I had never had gone to the bible after that, that would've been o.k., but I did go to the bible and it is truly God's word.

You can't believe everything that's in the Bible...there are so many contradictions. You'd have to stone adulterers and love them at the same time...to name but one. Not to mention all kinds of animals you can't eat if you'd take it all seriously...

I believe the Holy Bible is God's Word. I believe that God is a big enough, all encompassing, soverign God who can make sure the Bible stays intact so that we would know for sure how he felt and thinks about things other than what we experience and even that can't be trusted since we have sinful natures. Is. 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord."

FYI

The Holy Bible was completed in its entirety nearly 2,000 years ago and stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with over 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts discovered so far (compare this with the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, Homer's Iliad, with only 643 preserved manuscripts discovered thus far). The printing press wasn't invented until the 1450's, but we have hand-written copies of the Old Testament dating back to the 200's BC. These ancient manuscripts are nearly identical to the Bible we read today.

Regarding the New Testament, the Bodmer Papyrus II contains most of the Gospel of John and dates from around 150-200 AD. The Chester Beatty Papyri contains major portions of the New Testament and dates back to about 200 AD. The Codex Vaticanus, the oldest complete New Testament manuscript discovered so far, dates from 325-350 AD. The apostle John, who lived with Jesus and learned from Jesus, penned five New Testament books and died in 100 AD. We have fragments of John's Gospel that date from 110-130 AD, within 30 years of his death. When compared to other ancient works such as Plato, Homer or Tacitus, that short time period between the original and the most recent copy is dramatic!

Clement of Rome was martyred in 100 AD. In his writings, he quoted from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, Hebrews, and Titus. Clement's quotes totally correspond with the Bible we read today. In fact, even if we lost all of the 5,300 early Greek manuscripts, all of the 10,000 Latin vulgates, and all of the 9,300 other ancient manuscripts, we would be able to reconstruct all but 11 verses of the New Testament from the writings of the early Church leaders who quoted from them extensively. We have over 36,000 preserved quotes from the New Testament. In a nutshell, the Bible stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, and it's overall reliability is without question!

Many people argue that the early Church deliberately corrupted the Bible's text for its own agenda. As for this argument, ask yourself one question: would a group of men who were willing to suffer terrible persecution and die horrible deaths in defense of the Scriptures be guilty of corrupting those very same Scriptures? Hardly! If they corrupted the Scriptures, or knowingly allowed them to be corrupted, that would mean they knowingly suffered and died for what!

The New Testament's martyrs either saw what they claimed to see or they didn't. Either they interacted with the resurrected Christ or they didn't. They certainly knew whether or not their testimony was true! Nevertheless, these men clung to their testimonies, even be willing to die at the hands of their persecutors, and despite being given every chance to recant, knowing full well whether their testimony was true or false. Why would so many men knowingly die for a lie? They had nothing to gain for lying and obviously everything to lose.

georgina

I hear you and I understand where you are coming from. I use to think like that also.

I have found that if you study the scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit that you will find no contradictions. YEP! some seem like contradictions if you don't find the whole story or piece that fits with it. Man is the one who has caused so much controversy not GOD or those he inspired to write the scrolls.

When I found contradictions, I started a search to find out the truth. I never doubted God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In my search 30 years ago, I ended finding more then I wanted to, yet I wanted to know the truth if there was such a thing. I found what I was looking for and at the end of fasting, praying and searching what I found and heard there was no way to save my family or anyone from HELL.

Because of it I ended up taking my own life, and giving it up as a sacrifice to the GOD of Love because I couldn't believe that God would want me to take there lives to save them a place in heaven. Now I know you don't know my whole story. As I come to an end of my findings I also believed it was the end of my life when I looked into the mirror and saw the most evil being looking back at me. I told him that I could not take my families lives and I couldn't believe a God of LOVE would ask me to do so.

That day I told that being that he would have to take my life and I would go to live in hell for eternity to save my family and others from going there. I took an overdose of downers and went into my room, knelt beside my bed and this was the prayer I prayed.

Father God (tears running down my face) I can't believe you would ask me to do this. But not my will, but yours be done.

I laid down believing I would die and burn in hell forever.

Now I had two little girls, and two friends at the house that day. 3 hours after I had laid down. at that time (I thought my 3 year old daughter had come in)she said to me, "mommy get up its time to get up" I was getting up, when the door opened and Mark was headed my way, they had just found the empty bottle in my room and was coming to check on me. Long story short. There were many persons that knew something was going on because I had been seeking truth for a couple of months. Even my 9 year old at the time knew something was wrong and she was scared.

My baby was only 6 months old(it has only been a year ago that I realized I didn't have a 3 year old) It was and angel and that has been verified by persons who never have met me, they new it was an angel before I even told them about being awakened by my 3 year old. They even saw the angel and describe her, it was real. Anyhow I am alive today. And only since these forums have I been able to put this in writing. I have feared for 30 years what I saw but no longer. I am ready to shout it to the world, even the religious world.

Ok back to contradictions, when you find one it will fit if you know where to look or have help from the Spirit or someone who has studied and knows there bible or just how to find things. NOW man has created a lot of mysteries and mistakes and they are being brought out today. If you are really seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness you will find the TRUTH.

As far as all the kinds of animals you can't eat. God in the NT has said that you can eat the animals.

You have to understand that in the OT and some of the NT that God told them to not eat certain animals because they carried disease's. Or they had to be caught and killed a certain time of year to be safe.

Rabbits for one, you can't just eat a rabbit any time, because of what they carry in different types of weather.

Pigs well you should know the controversy over them even yet today.

They didn't know they needed to cook things with a high temperature to kill certian bacteria and such.

So instead God told them don't eat it. God knew what his kids needed. They didn't it was there choice to obey. Still today we should listen to what he said, we wouldn't be sick with disease and all this death that comes on us.

One of the big things that effected me is milk allergies. The bible says don't mix milk and meat or something like that. Now if I continue to eat milk products then I am disobeying and I will reap the consequents of what milk does to my body. I can't lose weight. DUH I think I better listen or die from disobeying what I know to be true for me and my body. ouch!!!

When I went to LA weight lose they told me that it had been proven that you should not eat milk the same day you eat meat. I was like what. When I was taken off all milk for one month I lost 18 lbs without dieting. So this was interesting to me, because I also knew what the OT said about it.

They said it has been proven that it takes a different enzyme to digest milk and a different one to digest meat. Therefore causing people to not be able to lose weight or to have problems with there digestive systems.

Now that has to be GOD knowing what he is doing.

No where do you have to stone adulators. That was the culture of the people not GODS WAY.

Blessings. Jeanie.

Hope that helps some.

Here is a real good example of picking and choosing what you want to totally different scriptures.

Judas went out and hung himself.

Go out and do like wise.

Jeanie

I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, The bible was written by God using men as the holy spirit moved them. Many say the Bible is contradictory but most that say that haven't read it or misunderstand.

I believe that there some people (a topic we could very easily get heated on, but try not to) who came across the Bible, noticed how spiritually alive and beautiful it was, and decided to have their way with it, so to speak. I believe parts were added and subtracted to the original pieces in order to fit the agenda of the people who wanted absolute power. Really?..The new testament is basically letters written by the Apostles for the churches...They knew the people would openly embrace such beautiful texts, Are you kidding?..These people you are talking about paid with their lives and were persecuted and hunted and decided to slip some extra stuff in there hoping it would get by. Does anybody on here who is Christian ever look at some parts of the Bible and say, "What? GOD would say that???" No I do not...

I believe that certain things like, "this is the ONLY way" were added in order to shut out the widespread spiritualities of the time, and bring some into an absolute power through control and widespread fear. The witchhunts, the inquisition, etc. Actually during the inquisition the Christians were martyrs by the Catholic Church who had set itself up as a pompous dictatorship, nothing close to what is called christianity and people were not allowed to have a bible. Within the recent past you can find a good example also during Hitler's reign of death, he said he was a christian, but we know this was just lip service. Just because someone claims Christ and Christianity does not make them Christians.

I'm a pick-and-chooser, because so many parts are so spiritually moving, and then there are others that seem so rigid, only man with fears, doubts, and angers could have said it. This doesn't bother me in the least because I think the parts that say you must accept it all were put in there in order to let the other stuff slide through as well Well many people felt different because they paid with their lives. They believed in the Bible and in Jesus Christ and paid a high price. If it is not God's word then what's the point in believing in any of it?..It's all God's word or not his word at all...You can't have it both ways.

Did it not work? Did certain powers-that-be not become all powerful as a result? Who?..who became all powerful?Christianity has brought blessing and freedom and the lack of it brings dictators and tyranny..America has in the past been the most blessed nation on the face of the earth, Christians have went to the four corners of the earth to preach the good news and feed the poor. Millions have been blessed because of Christ's commission . Nations that have other religions other than Christianity are impoverished, so much for their gods who aren't god at all. Unfortunately we know have many Evangelists that have become filthy rich from the gospel and lead exceedingly abundant lives thats it is shameful to the true christian and many are preaching a false gospel and doctrines that are not christian. Does that not make you scratch your head? I know there are many people who will disagree, and I welcome your thoughts. Try to view it from the stand-point of someone without biblical bias and let me know what you think.

I appreciate your thoughts, When I have a question with the Bible I just decide that I am human and don't understand everything about everything, But God does and when he tells me something in his word I believe it. Because I know its true, I may not like everything I read in the Bible, but that does not make it untrue.

Are you telling her to kill herself? I hope i just read your post wrong. Deb

So insightful, my dear. You express my own spirituality so well. As a historian, I can tell you not only did it not work, it plunged Europe into the Dark Ages! Love you, sister Mysticj

Egads, you are so right! I'm not giving up my bacon. I believe anything is moderation is OK. That goes for natural food not the pre-packaged, chemicals added kind.

The bible says "thou shalt not permit a witch to live" if you believe every word in teh Bible as literal an should be followed literally... then i guess i should had you a gun and tell you to shot me..... would you do it?

Of course teh answer to that is "that was teh old testament, jesus died for our sins and thus we go by the new testament and the new testament made the old testament null and void" (i was a Chrisian once, and i was trained to give that answer)

Then i would have to say "well, then that means the ten commandments are null and void as well cause they are in the old testament".

I could go on forever.... i think the Bible, just like the Koran and othe religous texts were ment as guidlines, a series of parables and myth's that were ment to teach a lesson to learn from. Were they inspired by God... maybe, maybe not... i'm not to judge that.... but i see value in both texts... i see the beauty in each one... and some truth in both..... and i follow a completely different path than either one of those (which is condemned by both as well).

My father on the other hand, if he knew i was a witch, probably would aim that gun at my head.... but then again he's got serious mental issues and think's he's Moses (i'm not exagerating).

So i really hope people can understand that not everything in the Bible is ment to be taken literally.... if thats the case why woman created twice (in genesis before God created Eve adam's wife was mentioned) but that goes to whether or not you believe the Bible is ment to be cronological or not.. (It obviously isnt cause the story of jesus' birth is in there like 5 times).

If you are a true historian then the evidence must be quite bothersome,. Christians were martyred and people were not allowed to read a bible much less have one. So this thread against Christianity and the bible controlling the masses has to really put a damper on the facts This makes no sense..It's not based in historical fact. The men in the New Testament died if I recall they gave their lives for Jesus Christ so I don't thing jekkavans thread has much historical accuracy. Sadly it just shows how biblically illiterate a lot of people are.

The catholic church killed CHRISTIANS

If you do not believe the Bible, and if you consider your self a witch, than you would not be a follower of God/s Word.

So, why do you bother to read and argue over it with those who do believe in God's word, the Holy Bible.?

Down, Lioness. Unless you were there, the holder of all knowledge, you are not. It is all up to personal interpretation. Everyone was trying to control everyone at that time- and a LOT of people died.

Ilene, she is a follower of God, she just sees God a little differently than you do. The bases of love and respect is all the same

Hopefully it was just poorly chosen wording!

Ladynoogs, You have my respect and my love love Deb