How literally do you actually take the bible?

reply to post by moocowman


Did you not read anything else I wrote in that post? I at one point questioned the validity of it also. How do you know that birds didn't have four feet or that snakes couldn't talk? How "government-verified" scientific data? Or think about this, try to make yourself think in as much of a primitive mindset as you can...and then look at a car! WHAT IS IT?! Exactly! Maybe it's four legged bird? Who knows? I don't know what they thought back then when they saw the alien spacecraft. And the war in the heavens that is mentioned in the Bible...why of course, a real life star wars! And the fallen angels and demons...the enemies of our actual Creator - other aliens! Maybe you should go back and read the rest of my post though, and not pick and choose pieces you want to argue. I don't like it when people try to manipulate what I'm saying.

Originally posted by Doc Velocity

Originally posted by Annee
I mean if you just look at it as if it is a novel - a story - what do you have? I doubt any critic would give it a rave review.

You haven't read it.

It's a book of Faith, yes, and it doesn't appeal very much to the strictly rational, left-brained readers; however, as a literary work on its own, the Bible is a major work — a masterpiece, even. You may not realize how much of our modern-day vernacular is couched in terms taken straight out of the Bible. Particularly the words of Christ himself.

It's high poetry, a very good read to the open-minded. Inspired Shakespeare and many other of our most revered writers.

— Doc Velocity

I have actually read it in full a couple times and been in bible studies.

I think it takes a left brain to understand the perspective you just put forth.

I simply do not believe the story - faith or faithless. (actual history excepted).

I am probably far more open-minded then those who take it seriously - - in its man interpretation.



[edit on 13-9-2009 by Annee]

Let me tell you what i have found......Nothing much has been added to the Bible in the last 1600 years or so, yet they put into writing that we humans were not alone. They wrote that there exists an "invisible" universe and that we will interact with them. I took this as fact. I searched and found those "invisble" beings and their principalities too. When you accept that the ancients were aware that two or more realities were intertwining, the Bible makes a lot more sense. It is a history written by half-blind men that often reached their conclusions by guesswork. Even with that drawback it is the Book that molded the west. Eph. 6: 12
12 For we awrestle not bagainst cflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the drulers of the edarkness of this world, against spiritual fwickedness in high places.
Col. 1: 16
16 For by him were all athings bcreated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or cprincipalities, or powers: all things were dcreated by him, and for him: till

[edit on 123030p://am3002 by debris765nju]

reply to post by DarknessFollows



What made you change your mind?

Originally posted by ANNED



As a Deist i take the bible as a guideline as to there belief in the days that its was written.

What guideline can we take from the book of Genesis? When I read it, it reads like a vague and ambiguous tale. When I hear people speak of if,like religious zealots, they make it sound the the unassailable truth.

I guess God must have taken an anger management class before the kid was born.

i dont take anything in the bible literally. in fact, to me it sounds like a great fantasy story.. but not reality.

A mix of truths,half truths and outright lies.Just like every other fable man has written.

[edit on 13-9-2009 by Solomons]

Originally posted by Eight
reply to post by DarknessFollows

 

What made you change your mind?

First of all the fact, that the communication was one way. It was like talking into a dead phone, or talking to yourself. As a child/teenager, it took me a while to figure out why there seemed to be no response. Of course, I was told many things. "god only responds in his own time", "he wants you to learn to be patient", "you must pay attention in little things, this is how god speaks", and the award winning: "god moves in mysterious ways."
This, together with all the unanswered questions I had and the inconsistencies in the bible, made it clear to me that the being presenting himself in the bible, is by no means omnipotent, but more probably one of many deities. He just uses a very good maketing strategy. (I know, I know, blasphemy, jadajadajada...)

Originally posted by DarknessFollows

"god only responds in his own time", "he wants you to learn to be patient",

He responds on his own time yet he wants me to show up on time for Sunday masses?

Whatta jerk.

"you must pay attention in little things, this is how god speaks",

I saw a crow eat a another bird once.

"god moves in mysterious ways."

So does a meth-head.


And I agree Darkness, there's a lot of question that they cannot answer, why? Because nobody at that time thought that this story would last long enough to need an educated explanation.



[edit on 13-9-2009 by Tomis_Nexis]

reply to post by DarknessFollows


Great insight and nice post! I have come to many of the same conclusions that you have which have helped my form my views about religion. Man has created these phrases to answer all the things they aren't able to.

For example, Noah's flood. The question I like to ask is how did the animals that weren't indigenous to that region,make it there. Like the tree sloth, a animal not made for land travel or swimming.

reply to post by Tomis_Nexis

Originally posted by sr_robert1
reply to post by moocowman

 

Did you not read anything else I wrote in that post? I at one point questioned the validity of it also. How do you know that birds didn't have four feet or that snakes couldn't talk? How "government-verified" scientific data? Or think about this, try to make yourself think in as much of a primitive mindset as you can...and then look at a car! WHAT IS IT?! Exactly! Maybe it's four legged bird? Who knows? I don't know what they thought back then when they saw the alien spacecraft. And the war in the heavens that is mentioned in the Bible...why of course, a real life star wars! And the fallen angels and demons...the enemies of our actual Creator - other aliens! Maybe you should go back and read the rest of my post though, and not pick and choose pieces you want to argue. I don't like it when people try to manipulate what I'm saying.

Dude calm down the stress will kill you, yes I did read your entire post and you did not appear from the way you wrote , to be alluding to intervention.

However, polishing off corner your like this -

So all you religion haters can suck one, cause there's more to it than you think. I would recommend you try reading some of it instead of trying to be cool.

does say a great deal of the totally conflicting and often times repugnant moral example of the bibles.

Before you go ranting on about my cherry picking your post and not reading it all the way through. Pleas extend me the courtesy of reading it through yourself and ask yourself why you deem it necessary to tell so called "religion haters" to go and suck one !

To be quite honest yours is not an isolated incident of xtian/religious abusive hysteria but in fact is quite common. I don't doubt however that many xtians will note that you are not a real xtian and perhaps maybe possessed by a demon to be conducting yourself in such a hateful manner.

I feel it is simply a representation for Christians/Catholics...nothing more. Its not meant to be taken literally but each story/passage has a moral behind it. However, like you I left that religion a long time ago as it was doing nothing for me and am much happier in doing so.

The problem is its been tainted by different versions and man throughout the years. Theres just no way you can take it literally in a "Ned Flanders" type way. Assuming it was an original writing, translating would have changed things around...Many people already know things have been added after the fact as well...Its just contradictory on itself to have different versions of a bible.

I don't believe in staging your life around a book centuries old...no matter the book. Especially a book written centuries ago when man wasn't exactly thinking clearly or as intelligent as we are now...I'd like to believe we are smarter than we were 2000 years ago.

Sorry if I have offended anyone...just giving my 2 cents.


[edit on 9/13/2009 by AceOfAces]

Originally posted by moocowman

Originally posted by sr_robert1
reply to post by moocowman

 

Did you not read anything else I wrote in that post? I at one point questioned the validity of it also. How do you know that birds didn't have four feet or that snakes couldn't talk? How "government-verified" scientific data? Or think about this, try to make yourself think in as much of a primitive mindset as you can...and then look at a car! WHAT IS IT?! Exactly! Maybe it's four legged bird? Who knows? I don't know what they thought back then when they saw the alien spacecraft. And the war in the heavens that is mentioned in the Bible...why of course, a real life star wars! And the fallen angels and demons...the enemies of our actual Creator - other aliens! Maybe you should go back and read the rest of my post though, and not pick and choose pieces you want to argue. I don't like it when people try to manipulate what I'm saying.

Dude calm down the stress will kill you, yes I did read your entire post and you did not appear from the way you wrote , to be alluding to intervention.

However, polishing off corner your like this -

So all you religion haters can suck one, cause there's more to it than you think. I would recommend you try reading some of it instead of trying to be cool.

does say a great deal of the totally conflicting and often times repugnant moral example of the bibles.

Before you go ranting on about my cherry picking your post and not reading it all the way through. Pleas extend me the courtesy of reading it through yourself and ask yourself why you deem it necessary to tell so called "religion haters" to go and suck one !

To be quite honest yours is not an isolated incident of xtian/religious abusive hysteria but in fact is quite common. I don't doubt however that many xtians will note that you are not a real xtian and perhaps maybe possessed by a demon to be conducting yourself in such a hateful manner.

I never said that I was an "xtian" or a CHRISTIAN some might say. I flat out just said that I believe aliens freaking made us as an expirement, kinda. I didn't say it in those exact words, but I alluded to it. I can almost guarantee that NO Christian would even think like that. And yes, I will call people "religion haters" and tell them to go suck one, because, like I said, there are worse things to believe in - like ABORTION! Get a clue.

Let me enlighten you with something very unique and explicit…
According to Luci-ferians, Christianity is a purely pagan and of the luci-ferians doctrines. It is the worship of the SUN or “THE SON IN HEAVEN”, look at the symbolism the LUCE in French means fish which connotes LUCIFER, Christians use the fish as stickers on their cars and other merchandises.
Albert Pike a high degree freemason said this “CHRISTIANITY IS HIDDEN FREEMASONERY”.
Look at the solar motif of the whole Christian movement example the Vatican (FATE OF THE SNAKE) the popes staff SOLAR symbols or the Moon symbols for Islam or Judaism. It’s called Astro-theology.
“SIN” there is none; the SINNER’s are the coterie of Pharaoh of Akhenaton (PROTO-TYPE of Moses according to Sigmund Freud, and a self acclaimed god) of the Hyksos dynasty the original Jews they were not some slaves and wondered about the desert doing swat, they in fact pillaged, murder and completely obliterated knowledge of the ancient world of Egypt. Pharaoh Akhenaton was the first one to preach monotheism, but religion itself was HENOTHEISTIC meaning they chose one lower level god out of a pantheon of gods. The whole idea of sinning was literally introduced by these guys because they know all about it because they have done it. On top of that JEWS go on and on about ZION or in its original tongue “SION” well not too long ago archeologist dug up the place just across the river Nile of the pyramid, shockingly enough they have found “DEATH, FAMIN, MURDER” so much for Zionism .This is just a snippet of the true and untold history of Egypt and the established religions.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism and all the other established religion is NOTHING BUT SCRAPBOOK to truly enlightened people because we understood that what the normal people read is the EXOTERIC VERSION, but we understood it that it has an ESOTORIC foundation and history because it is from the esoteric.
If you truly wish to unlock the secrets within these religious texts then you must study SPIRITUALITY, PSYCHOLOGY (To determine the many personalities within these texts to point out what is real spiritualism, what is manmade), Quantum Theories, Astrology, Astronomy, Alchemy, UFOlogy, Shamanism. Get a very very old dictionary.
Word of wisdom
“GNOSTIC- GOSPEL OF THOMAS” Verse 48
Jesus said, “If two make peace with each other in this house, they will say to the mountain, ‘Move away,’ and it will move away”
I’ll let you figure out what it means, hint: it has nothing to do with the external world

post by Elmocall911
...
Christianity, Islam, Judaism and all the other established religion is NOTHING BUT SCRAPBOOK to truly enlightened people because we understood that what the normal people read is the EXOTERIC VERSION, but we understood it that it has an ESOTORIC foundation and history because it is from the esoteric.

If you truly wish to unlock the secrets within these religious texts then you must study SPIRITUALITY, PSYCHOLOGY (To determine the many personalities within these texts to point out what is real spiritualism, what is manmade), Quantum Theories, Astrology, Astronomy, Alchemy, UFOlogy, Shamanism. Get a very very old dictionary.

...

Yes, how very true. Exoteric and orthodox Christianity are still having a problem seeing the forest through the trees. On one hand they say that things like astrology and psychism are pagan and are "of the devil", yet on the other hand the religion bases all of their holidays on the Sun's passage through the Zodiac, and not just in random places in the year because they have to hang their holidays somewhere, but in very well thought and specific places in the year. Christmas and Easter are two prime examples of this. And the bible is full of accounts of god speaking through "chosen ones" or saints and these same having prophetic dreams of the future. Ezekiel or St. John's revelation in the New Testament are prime examples. Imagine if someone was to have that vision today and approach the Church with it, what do you think their response would be? Or if Christ was to return to this world but not necessarily through the Church, what do you think their response would be?

Christians use the fish as stickers on their cars and many still eat fish on Fridays (Venus Day) and they don't even know why! Both Christ and Lucifer are known as the Morning Star, see Morning Star in the Bible, yet millions of ordinary Christians either don't realize this or refuse to think about what this apparent conflict could really mean.

Both the New and Old Testaments are stock full of psychic experiences, solar worshipping, spiritual overshadowing, UFO sightings, etc. Yet dogma and doctrine are, in my humble opinion, holding this religion hostage. If the "forces of evil" have succeeded in anything in this world I believe it's managed to keep millions "doped on religion". But hopefully not for long, the day of enlightenment is quickly approaching.


[edit on 13-9-2009 by Neo__]

reply to post by DarknessFollows

So, how literally do you take the bible?

I take the Bible completely literally (save for things like Jesus' parables) because not taking the Bible literally makes it very easy to distort what the Bible really says, and that's dangerous. It allows fallible men to replace sound Biblical doctrine (written by an infallible God) with their own doctrine.

When he wrote Genesis, I don't think that Moses, who was schooled in all the ancient mysteries, intended for it to be read literally. Even the Gospels were written as Apocrypha, and are a mixture of history and allegory.

Either way, to take the Bible literally on the one hand, or throw it all out as invalid because it's not, on the other, are equally foolish.

The Bible is a rich treasure trove of deep wisdom, which ought to be mined as such.

P.S. Just think for a moment, however, what a truly fascinating book it really is though, and you can go out and buy one at your local bookstore! Yet, how many trash it to no end, without ever having even really read or studied it..? Now THAT is foolish and very ignorant, and so utterly presumptuous it's both rude and arrogant. I don't know about some of you, but I am sick and frick'n TIRED of all the ignorant and uneducated plebes, people who can't even compose a sentence, speaking from high and lofty positions of judgement about the Bible and Religion, yet who don't know the first thing about it. That is just absurd! Religion btw, means "to rejoin" or "re link". And Jesus was all about re-presenting a return path.

It is so deep and rich, for someone who knows nothing, to trash it, is just a disgrace imho.

[edit on 14-9-2009 by OmegaPoint]

reply to post by sr_robert1

I never said that I was an "xtian" or a CHRISTIAN some might say. I flat out just said that I believe aliens freaking made us as an expirement, kinda. I didn't say it in those exact words, but I alluded to it.

Perhaps you would have been better understood if you'd said what you believed and then why to begin with, rather than alluding to it. Alluding to something is not exactly "flat out saying something" obviously that's where the wires are crossing.

I can almost guarantee that NO Christian would even think like that.

I would agree, can't see why though, Elohim alien xtianity would seem to be splitting hairs.

And yes, I will call people "religion haters" and tell them to go suck one, because, like I said, there are worse things to believe in -

Still can't see why your so angry with people that deride religion when you appear to be saying your not religious yourself. Unless of course you are alluding to your alien intervention belief being a religion .

there are worse things to believe in like ABORTION! Get a clue.

The abortion issue is hardly a belief system but a conflict over whether it is right or wrong. I fail to see how this issue is relevant to the discussion when atheists agnostics etc are in equal disagreement over their views on the matter.

In many ways I would agree with you that many ancient text do give the appearance of an alien intervention and in some cases I would find it a plausible explanation for what the ancients were describing.

As far as the bibles go, Enoch seems to fit neatly into this category and so does genesis 1 and 2 in a way. When Yahwhe is introduced things pretty much go downhill then where the discussion appears to be alluding to the inception of a dogmatic cult inherited from Egypt.