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I question whether ANY part of scripture is divinely inspired.
Maybe part of the Beatitudes.
Aw, c'mon. There's more than that ... What about the admonition to cultivate a positive thought life? Like:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
and
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
And the hallmarks of what is of a "divine" spirit so that people can determine for themselves when something supposedly from God is, or is not, worthy of even being considered: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Do you find any of that inspired by a good spirit?
Aw, c'mon. There's more than that ... What about the admonition to cultivate a positive thought life? Like:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
and
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
And the hallmarks of what is of a "divine" spirit so that people can determine for themselves when something supposedly from God is, or is not, worthy of even being considered: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Do you find any of that inspired by a good spirit?
Sure. But if nice, fluffy, feel-good thoughts are divinely inspired then millions of books, stories, essays etc. are thus inspired.
And certainly Hallmark Inc. should be granted sainthood, don'tcha think?
Sure. But if nice, fluffy, feel-good thoughts are divinely inspired then millions of books, stories, essays etc. are thus inspired.
And certainly Hallmark Inc. should be granted sainthood, don'tcha think?
I don't think of those things as fluffy, actually. Some of us really needed to be taught to cultivate a positive mindset ... it didn't come naturally, and for some of us the warped dogma of religion made it even worse.
At any rate, of course I agree that there's lots of inspired stuff out there.
I don't think of those things as fluffy, actually. Some of us really needed to be taught to cultivate a positive mindset ... it didn't come naturally, and for some of us the warped dogma of religion made it even worse.
At any rate, of course I agree that there's lots of inspired stuff out there.
Absolutely, there is. The world is full of wise, insightful people who have loaned us their thoughts.
And I realize there's some good stuff in the bible too but in my opinion, the bad far outweighs it. It has most often been used to bludgeon and browbeat, not inspire.
Absolutely, there is. The world is full of wise, insightful people who have loaned us their thoughts.
And I realize there's some good stuff in the bible too but in my opinion, the bad far outweighs it. It has most often been used to bludgeon and browbeat, not inspire.
I understand your viewpoint. It's just that for someone who cut their teeth on the bible and bought into all of it hook, line and sinker for the majority of my life, I'm just grateful that the good stuff is there. The positive inspirations within the pages of the bible were powerful enough to play a part in eventually freeing me from the massive amounts of negative.
I understand your viewpoint. It's just that for someone who cut their teeth on the bible and bought into all of it hook, line and sinker for the majority of my life, I'm just grateful that the good stuff is there. The positive inspirations within the pages of the bible were powerful enough to play a part in eventually freeing me from the massive amounts of negative.
Count me among those who are pleased you escaped. You have too fine a soul to be kept trapped within the pages of a book.
There is nothing immoral about the commands of God in the Mosaic Law. God is just.
RESPONSE:
God never gave the commands in Mosaic Law. The first seven books of the Bible are now recognized as being folklore.
But if you want to argue that killing unbelievers is the will of God, do you really believe that it is morally justifiable? (Some Isis folks might think so. But I doubt you'll find any Jews or Christians that do).
Do you think God was being just when he directed the killing of the Medianite children?
Numbers 31: 17-18 "17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man". (The soldiers got to keep the virgins and enslave them).
And, what can the soldiers do with the female captives?
"And if you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife, ....you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 And it shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall set her free, but you certainly shall not sell her for money; you shall not treat her brutally, because you have humbled her."
So much for consensual sex! Do you really think this is a command of a just God?
Or is it possible that this was really written by men for men and not God at all?
Last edited by Aristotle's Child; 09-23-2014 at 01:22 PM..
I believe all scripture is divinely inspired. That does not mean it is all divinely preserved, transcribed, translated and interpreted.
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There's more than that ... What about the admonition to cultivate a positive thought life? Like:
