What ever happened to RESPECT

[Green_Manelishi]

The truth that there are 18 years of Jesus' life that the bible does not account for; the truth that "Moses" wrote of his own death; the truth that if God created Adam and Eve, and Eve had Cain and Abel, and then Cain killed Abel, and there is no record that anyone else inhabited the earth, who did Cain married? The truth that the Bible did not condemn Lot's incest, and both Abraham and Jacob's adultery. Are we to believe that the God who said to Moses "thou shalt not commit adultery" changed its mind?...What is your answer to that? Or do you have a presumption, or a statement like the one I once heard from an extremist right line christian....."where the bible is silent, we must be silent[?]"

What is the relevancy of those "missing" 18 years?

Nowhere in the Bible does it state that Adam and Eve had only Cain and Able as children. And if you're interested I can expound a bit on anti-deluvian (?) theory .. that is the difference between the world PRE-flood and POST-flood.

Lot's incest as well as Abraham and Jacob's multiple wives and children born of each did in fact cause multiple problems which we see the end results of to this day in the Middle East conflicts. God does not need to specifically rain down fire and brimstone in order for us to be judged. Sometimes our actions bring the judgement in the method of "earthly" repurcussions.

So why don't you tell us whether Adam was white or black, or whether we do things the same we did 100 years ago. Isn't that a sample of evolution? If it happens in our time, what's to say it didn't happen then?

It's likely Adam was neither black nor white. A lot has changed since those days and adaptation is (dare I say it?) fundamentally different from macroevolution.

IOW, the Bible is open to interpretation, and not two christians, or for that matter, not two religious figures of the same beliefs will interpret it the same way.

That is absurd. Many Christians interpret the Bible the same way as many others.

 

[bwerb]

DP...I sent you a PM.

 

[Scubaguy62]

TDP and Green Manelishi...I don't know enough to either like or dislike either of you, so I must remain neutral. It's obvious you both "know" your bible (in quotes because your knowledge of the bible is driven solely by your faith and by the facts only your faith can support, so the only other resort is to characterize what you don't agree with as wrong). But both of you have engaged in a "pi***g contest" with the rest of us, and I must know, for what purpose? I believe you both are defending your beliefs, and that's fine. But please don't defend your beliefs by undermining others. TDP you believe the King James Bible as the complete, preserved, and inerrant word of God, and you quote Bible verses as your proof. Personally, I don't believe that's exactly good sense, because you're defending one subject without the benefit of that subject being endorsed equally by another source.

It is said that only the sheets know whether there has been adultery or infidelity in a relationship. Well let's make a transfer of knowledge, drawing on that, and say that only those who lived during the time the Bible was preserved and translated know for sure, to the exclusion of any and all doubt, whether the Bible is, or has been preserved completely and inerrant. Until then, we all benefit by accepting the fact that what we believe is just that. Example, I don't believe my wife loves me; I know she does, but someone else, 100 years from now, may "believe" otherwise.

 

[The Chairman]

Back to respect... and religion.

I feel that when man decides what is to be believed that we have atrocities like that of Middle ages and even some current ones as well.

The issue is usually not really WHAT is right, but WHO is right. The "My God is bigger than your God" syndrome has fueled so many devisive and bloody confrontations that it might confuse the casual onlooker as to why this MUST happen.

Intolerance is not God's fault.

Jesus welcomed the scum of the earth... the tax collectors, the prostitutes, those who were "unclean". He did it without judgement or reservation. He did it with no condescension and complete respect. Jesus also LOVED the intolerant, the "religious" and those who thought they knew God. They bound traditions on men as if God had decreed it. They pushed their philosophy and their way of living as superior to all else.

In their quest to be "right" they were completely wrong. They showed no mercy, love or compassion. They did not love their neighbors as they loved themselves. They were open graves full of rotting bodies. They put their religion above their desire to reach out and connect to another human being. Although he called to them, they could not respond for they were in love with their own learning.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The translation does not matter... God will work through anyone who lets his heart be touched. The spirit reveals the truths within... it has nothing to do with any man's "understanding".

True disciples... those who want to be like the Christ... will also love. That's the only way the world will know who they are.

 

[H2Andy]

i think that the greatest teachings in the Bible are non-literal.

for me, the wisdom of Jesus is amazing, even though i don't think he was God
(since i don't think there's a God to begin with)

the Kingdon of God is at hand, indeed, and how you treat these little ones, thus
you have treated me

...and let him without sin cast the first stone

 

[Scubaguy62]

Amen Pete!!!!!

 

[The Chairman]

You better duck Andy...

 

[Scubaguy62]

...and let him without sin cast the first stone

Andy, would you be surprised to know that this parabole does not exist in the 10 original greek manuscripts of the Bible? The ones in Hebrew and Aramaic have been lost for all times, so we'll never know if that parabole existed in them.

 

[Scubaguy62]

Well my friends, I love an argument just as much as the next legal professional, but it's time to go and make sure my home is prepared to meet my fly-by-night girlfriend, Frances. I understand she's as tough as a hurricane! (no offense to the Gators )

No, really I just wanted my 900th post

 

[Potapko]

Well, Eloi is of chaldee origin and the Hebrew "elee", stated with the pronoun suffix, "My God"
Lama is of Hebrew origin, lammah, and sabachthani is of Chaldee origin, in Hebrew "shebaq"

The use of a few phrases even though they are from a given root, does not imply the use of a language in general. That should be clear enough.
You will also notice that I said I have no problem with Jesus knowing Aramaic or not. It is not pertinent to the basic discussion.