Religion - I can understand someone believing in god/jesus, but why do they believe in the bible?

SkScotchegg

SkScotchegg

SkScotchegg

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Hi there, the title says it all really, I've watched many documentaries over the years on religion and I've read articles etc, I'm an atheist myself which is probably obvious from the title of the thread.

But what I've always thought is, howcome religious people believe in the bible? because wasn't that wrote by man? its just a book isn't it, so howcome they read it and then follow it word for word, I know not all religious people do this, but millions do.

I've never seen anyone ask this question or seen religion challenged in this way in the documentaries I've watched with Richard Dawkins.

And because I've always wondered about this question, in the back of my mind I think to myself, can't we have a world where people believe in god but without the religion. So like I could be brought up by my parents to believe in god and jesus christ but not to believe in the bible.

I hope you get what am trying to say, I've tried to explain it the best I can. Am hoping this enters a good talk and get good feedback but am thinking some people might not like what am saying because allot of religious people don't like to be challenged. But like I said before, I'm not talking about their faith in god, I'm just talking about the bible and the religious side of it all.

I look forward to hearing your views on this.
 
Well, why god and jesus christ? He was just a man.
How about just a pantheistic deity?
I do agree though, it baffles the mind how anyone can think any religion conceived on earth is worth its salt. Though I have no problem with people beleiving in an abstract being (or other entity) that created the universe.
 
Well according to Christians the bible is the word of God in that restricted sense you can't have one without the other.

Personally I believe that religion and faith should be a personal thing, between yourself and God, not restricted by whats set out in the bible a lot of which I believe is distorted by man's interpretation (and possibly agendas specific to certain versions of the bible).

Not something I can easily explain but Christianity (and many religions) tend to be driven by a taboo of questioning conventional wisdom as to do so would make you look like a heretic and be ostracized from that particular branch of religion. A lot of dos and don't don't actually make any particular sense or the reasons are long lost in time but people still abide by them out of that fear of not appearing to be pious.
 
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Christians don't believe in the bible like they believe in God, the bible is a tool for teaching the message that Jesus Christ told. It is also full of OT allegories on moral laws and consequencies related to those laws, or morals if you prefer. Like Rroff said, many of the lessons and allegories have little resonance in the modern world and religions perpetrate them regardless, people don't like change, despite humanity being very good at it collectively.

Christians don't believe that the bible is the word of God like Muslims believe the Qu'ran is for example.

There are also many religious texts that have nothing to do with specific religion and religions that have no specific texts. We have religions such as buddhism that teach a philosophy and others that are more esoteric than that.

Belief is a personal thing, even within organised religion.
 
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Castiel said:
Christians don't believe that the bible is the word of God like Muslims believe the Qu'ran is for example.
Click to expand...

I would pop a "Most" in front of Christians there, the KJV lot and several others do seem to believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. :D
 
Rroff said:
Well according to Christians the bible is the word of God in that restricted sense you can't have one without the other.

Personally I believe that religion and faith should be a personal thing, between yourself and God, not restricted by whats set out in the bible a lot of which I believe is distorted by man's interpretation (and possibly agendas specific to certain versions of the bible).
Click to expand...

The Bible is not the Word of God, it's not even one book but many books with different authors. The Gospels, the most important books in the Bible, are an eye-witness testimony from four different people. The rest of the New Testament is mostly letters from St. Paul to different groups of people - how can that be the Word of God?

The Bible is not an easy read, the books were written a long time ago and have been translated at least twice into English. A lot of people read it on their own and don't properly understand the context or what it means (I include Dawkins in this group of people). Which is why most Christians are encouraged to join Bible Study groups to discuss parts of the Bible with other people and a theologian (usually the vicar).

Rroff said:
Not something I can easily explain but Christianity (and many religions) tend to be driven by a taboo of questioning conventional wisdom as to do so would make you look like a heretic and be ostracized from that particular branch of religion. A lot of dos and don't don't actually make any particular sense or the reasons are long lost in time but people still abide by them out of that fear of not appearing to be pious.
Click to expand...

LOL what?
 
if you tell people from an early age that this or that book is the truth, and you do it everyday, then eventually people will believe it totally, and even kill to defend its 'truth'.
 
Izi said:
GOD: If you are real kill me now!
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Why would a deity do what you say,
even the Christian God does not have to answer prayers.

I think it is some sort of evolutionary trait to belief in something bigger be it spiritual/supernatural.
I don't see it any different than people who push science in a way that it was never designed to do.
At the end of the day if it does not affect other people then what's the problem.
As has been said the bible and other texts are very hard to understand, which is why you need bible studies to get other peoples opinions and see different sides, although I also agree it should between them and God, not what a specific church says.
 
Has the bible been proven to be legit? What's to say it isn't a work of fiction?
 
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