Why do you believe in God and why do you believe the Bible is his word? (gnostic, scriptures)
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Trying to figure out what part of my last post indicated a hiatus? The "take care?" That refers in no way to a hiatus, it just means I'm done speaking with you on this subject. Pay attention.
Can't say that I blame you, though avoiding defending your faith is contrary to the teachings in the NT.
I believe in God because of an experience I had alone when I was a toddler. I believe Jesus was the Messiah because of prophecies fulfilled. I do not believe all of the bible is the word of God, but it does contain many truths.
Have you ever heard of the Gabriel Inscriptions? These were written in the 1st century BCE, just before the birth of Jesus, explaining how the Messiah, at the time likely Simon from Perea, died and rose again after three days. It's likely, or at least possible, that the Gospel writers took this story and recreated it to pertain to Jesus.
I'm wondering how a toddler can discern that an experience was supernatural verses a dream or a hallucination. Can you expand on that experience a bit more? I believe the OP would benefit from your explanation.
I believe in God because of an experience I had alone when I was a toddler. I believe Jesus was the Messiah because of prophecies fulfilled. I do not believe all of the bible is the word of God, but it does contain many truths.
This is one of the problems am having... If we can't believe the whole Bible how we accept any of it? I says that "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God". If this is true shouldn't we accept all of it? But if people are willing to discard the parts they don't like and only hold on to the parts they do like, this is inconsistent and IMO pointless.
This is one of the problems am having... If we can't believe the whole Bible how we accept any of it? I says that "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God". If this is true shouldn't we accept all of it? But if people are willing to discard the parts they don't like and only hold on to the parts they do like, this is inconsistent and IMO pointless.
Yakfish, are you saying if a person doesn't believe some of the descriptions of God (as vengeful, wrathful, capricious, etc.) found in the OT, then it is pointless for them to believe things like God is love, God isn't holding the sins of the world against them, forgive as you have been forgiven, love your enemies, do unto others, etc.?
Yakfish, are you saying if a person doesn't believe some of the descriptions of God (as vengeful, wrathful, capricious, etc.) found in the OT, then it is pointless for them to believe things like God is love, God isn't holding the sins of the world against them, forgive as you have been forgiven, love your enemies, do unto others, etc.?
Why would it be pointless?
Yes
If all scripture is given by inspiration of God and the OT is scripture, then how can you discount what is written in the OT while accepting what is written in the NT? How can that be viewed any other way besides hypocritical?
If all scripture is given by inspiration of God and the OT is scripture, then how can you discount what is written in the OT while accepting what is written in the NT? How can that be viewed any other way besides hypocritical?
But yakfish, you didn't answer the question? WHAT is pointless about believing that God is love, and is not holding our sins against us, and that forgiving and loving others is how we are called to live? How is ANY of that pointless? Do you think that none of that is worthwhile unless you also believe that God is wrathful and vengeful and capricious? Why?
But yakfish, you didn't answer the question? WHAT is pointless about believing that God is love, and is not holding our sins against us, and that forgiving and loving others is how we are called to live? How is ANY of that pointless? Do you think that none of that is worthwhile unless you also believe that God is wrathful and vengeful and capricious? Why?
I don't think believing that God is loving is pointless. But picking and choosing which parts of the Bible you want to believe is pointless. How can one believe part of it but not all of it when it claims to all be inspired by God.
This little side discussion is getting slightly off topic. This original question in this thread is WHY do people believe in God and WHY do they believe the Bible is his Word?
I don't think believing that God is loving is pointless. But picking and choosing which parts of the Bible you want to believe is pointless. How can one believe part of it but not all of it when it claims to all be inspired by God.
First, the bible does not claim that all of it is true. One verse in one book of the bible says that all scripture is valuable for teaching, reproof and correction. So, first you have to decide if that book, much less that verse, is true. How do you determine that? And, even if it is, now you are left to determine what exactly did that particular author recognize as "scripture". And then, if you could determine that, what changes have occurred in that scripture over time due to the "lying pen of the scribes"?
More importantly, this isn't about what people want to believe or don't want to believe. It's about what makes sense. Does it make sense that the God who IS love is also vengeful, wrathful and capricious? Of course not, so it's quite easy to determine that those views of God contradict and cannot both be true.
First, the bible does not claim that all of it is true. One verse in one book of the bible says that all scripture is valuable for teaching, reproof and correction. So, first you have to decide if that book, much less that verse, is true. How do you determine that? And, even if it is, now you are left to determine what exactly did that particular author recognize as "scripture". And then, if you could determine that, what changes have occurred in that scripture over time due to the "lying pen of the scribes"?
More importantly, this isn't about what people want to believe or don't want to believe. It's about what makes sense. Does it make sense that the God who IS love is also vengeful, wrathful and capricious? Of course not, so it's quite easy to determine that those views of God contradict and cannot both be true.
That " one verse" was written by the apostle Paul to Timothy. Paul was raised a Jew and most certainly viewed to OT as scripture. The OT is where you find the vengeance and wrath of God more than anywhere else.
That " one verse" was written by the apostle Paul to Timothy. Paul was raised a Jew and most certainly viewed to OT as scripture. The OT is where you find the vengeance and wrath of God more than anywhere else.
You've avoided the rest of the points I made in the first paragraph, which all flow together, yakfish. Maybe you could address them as a whole?
And, you also avoided the second paragraph altogether ... do you have any response to that?
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