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

LiE said:
Has the bible been proven to be legit? What's to say it isn't a work of fiction?
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The vast majority of The Bible is about Jewish people doing Jewish things.
It's about laws, illness, wars and sex.
I always remember a Vicar telling me to forget the words The Bible and instead call it the history book of the Jewish people.
Those laws were for real, those wars were for real, those plagues were for real but us Atheists have a problem with the religious bits that actually take up a very small portion of the history book.
Take away those bits and what you have is just a basic history book that a 1000% atheist like me can get along with.
The Bible is not a book of fiction however some bits are and only because they are a simple people.
Even our own history books are full of Kings, Queens and Prime Ministers going into battle with Gods help - does that mean all the wars didn't exist?
 
Captain_Slick said:
I don't need to define God. Most of the world's religions have already done so in some form or another. As for them being similar, I thought that was obvious? We spent about 4 lessons in RE in secondary school looking at the similarities between all major religions and most were like for like generally. Change a face here, a name there. They're all the same when you boil down to the basics. I know you're playing Devil's Advocate, but I can't really be bothered. You're not gonna change anyone's mind and neither am I.

Religion/Spirituality/Belief system is/are a personal thing and should be kept that way. Secularism forever.

Personally I don't believe in a God. I believe in something. Destiny, fate, whatever. I don't believe in a God telling me not to eat pork, or not to sleep with someone I love, though. It's fairly obvious that those parts are human invention for reasons that existed back when these things were written, added to, manipulated and proclaimed as the word of the Almighty/Allah/Jesus/FATE.
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See what I did there.

You don't believe in an anthropomorphic God, not the concept of God. Correct?
 
Captain_Slick said:
That's a different question all together, see my edited post.
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Not at all, it is the same question, just with thousands of years of man made stuff added to the basic idea. Which is now known as religion. it all boils down to the same thing. An all powerful being that can control the entire universe.
 
The best way i can put it is that the bible is a handbook which those who are saved can refer to. It isn't the 'word' per se. That comes to you directly. You can't choose to be saved, it is via the sovereign grace of the God of Israel. You can't simply be born into Christianity through family or choose to be a Christian through works or worldly things.

For the record, i'm an atheist/ agnostic.
 
Castiel said:
See what I did there.

You don't believe in an anthropomorphic God, not the concept of God. Correct?
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Correct. They are, however, two very different things and shouldn't confused. I'm sceptical of mixing fate/destiny in with the overall concept of God. I think fate and destiny and whatever else you want to call it are on an entirely different level if they do exist.

An anthropomorphic fate/destiny/energy/intelligence would probably be insulted to be thought of in the same breath as our human God(s). ;)
 
AcidHell2 said:
Not at all, it is the same question, just with thousands of years of man made stuff added to the basic idea. Which is now known as religion. it all boils down to the same thing. An all powerful being that can control the entire universe.
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Maybe that entire Universe is the all powerful being.....;)
 
AcidHell2 said:
Not at all, it is the same question, just with thousands of years of man made stuff added to the basic idea. Which is now known as religion. it all boils down to the same thing. An all powerful being that can control the entire universe.
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Nope. You went wrong there as soon as you used the word being.

I don't believe in an all powerful being that controls the entire universe. That is what this question is about.

An all powerful being that controls the universe is spiritually a million miles apart from destiny/fate/intelligence/energy. Being suggests self-awareness and I don't think such a universal force would be self-aware.
 
Captain_Slick said:
Correct. They are, however, two very different things and shouldn't confused. I'm sceptical of mixing fate/destiny in with the overall concept of God. I think fate and destiny and whatever else you want to call it are on an entirely different level if they do exist.

An anthropomorphic fate/destiny/energy/intelligence would probably be insulted to be thought of in the same breath as our human God(s). ;)
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I am not confusing the two, only purporting that religions are based on an inherent misunderstanding of the nature of God to begin with and may indeed have some kernel of truth albeit misinterpreted from the primitive perspective of Man at that time.

We cannot dismiss God so easily, regardless of evidence or science as we have yet to sufficiently define what we are attempting to prove.

I have posted this on numerous occasions recently, but again it seems apt:

Buddha said:
"Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it.

Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held.

Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books.

Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin.

Believe nothing just because someone else believes it.

Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true."
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This is a philosophy to live your life to in my humble opinion. Not all religions are the same.
 
SkScotchegg said:
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.
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Simple answer..

Because all the sheep will follow. ;)
 
Captain_Slick said:
Nope. You went wrong there as soon as you used the word being.

I don't believe in an all powerful being that controls the entire universe. That is what this question is about.

An all powerful being that controls the universe is spiritually a million miles apart from destiny/fate/intelligence/energy. Being suggests self-awareness and I don't think such a universal force would be self-aware.
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Maybe we are that Forces self awareness.
 
Castiel said:
I am not confusing the two, only purporting that religions are based on an inherent misunderstanding of the nature of God to begin with and may indeed have some kernel of truth albeit misinterpreted from the primitive perspective of Man at that time.

We cannot dismiss God so easily, regardless of evidence or science as we have yet to sufficiently define what we are attempting to prove.

I have posted this on numerous occasions recently, but again it seems apt:



This is a philosophy to live your life to in my humble opinion. Not all religions are the same.
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I didn't say you were confusing the two. Based on an inherent misunderstanding of the nature of 'something', you mean? ;)

I can dismiss God so easily. It makes no sense for this 'something' to be of a human anthropomorphic nature. That's just humans self-assumed status at the top of the food chain taking place. I know sense and spirituality/religion don't go hand in hand, but still.
 
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