Atheists and Skeptics Have the Truth. Christians Do NOT. (translation, Muslim, believer)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The part I bolded -- I have 2 observational experiences regarding that. By no means conclusive of anything.
But when I was living in Colorado Springs I was part of a group that played Mex Train Dominoes/Hand Foot Canasta every Wednesday evening for 3 years. Immediately adjacent to where our group sat was a table of 4 men who were doing bible study. It appeared that they pored over bible verses over and over and over. You could actually see them following along with (only) their bibles, and then talking. The only book ever at their table was bibles. If that's what they want to do, that's fine. But would you call that a broad-based bible study? It didn't appear to be to me. It appeared to be repetitively repeating only things from just one source.
I wouldn't call it a "broad-based bible study"at that moment. But it could still be a bible study, nonetheless. Doesn't mean that they don't go their separate ways, and don't do more research, using other sources. I mean, they might. And many of them probably do just that.
Others probably just open the book...read a verse...discuss the verse...close the book...until next meeting.
Quote:
I also had a close friend who did bible study, often at her house. I asked her how they studied the bible. She said they would read a section and talk about it. Okay, if that's what they want, that's fine. I asked, "How to hear and consider other viewpoints?" "Why would we want to do that?"
I understand. But by the same token, not ALL Christians are like that.
Quote:
Now, compare those two bible study groups with what I had to do in college in my geology major. We had to read various journals that discussed different viewpoints about things like evolution. It wasn't just accept what Chuck Darwin said. And exams often included sections where we had to present different viewpoints on topics, and then discuss them. And if you could only present one side of a topic, you tended to get a D or F.
The question isn't that you study. The question is what and how you study?
I've mentioned before phet, that I was a paralegal for a number of years. So I understand the painstaking hours of research...tracking down a source...using a multitude of other sources in order to 'prove your point'. Plus, you couldn't only use law that was in favor of your case. You had to look at both sides, because you know darn well that the other side is lookin' at all of *your* possible arguments.
To give you an example of how and what I study when it comes to the Bible...
Last night I was flipping through my Bible 'just because.' I already finished my daily reading, and decided that my next project was to read the Bible along with reading the commentaries, footnotes and cross references. I read a commentary that mentioned the "Q source." Now, I had read other commentaries that mentioned this 'source', along with the "D", "J" and "P" sources. I remembered that the prologue/introduction mentioned these sources, but I couldn't remember what was said about them. So I re-read what I had previously read. And while the information was brief, it set me on the beginning of a new journey...starting with Wikipedia.
One thing I DO believe, is that if we HAD the original documents, we just might have a competely different Bible than what we have today!
The thought of that actually 'tickles' my Christian (ahem) 'intellect'.
Let's assume for arguement sake, that Jesus Christ never exisited.
But we have red letter bibles today that attribute the letters in red to Jesus Christ.
These letters in red, were not written by Jesus. As far as we know, He never wrote anything.
But there they are.
Written by different men, none of who claim to be the author. Nevertheless, they all appear to agree on some ( not all ) events and lectures attributed to this man Jesus.
There are even historical figures who have met some of the men who wrote the letters in red.
The letters in red exist. The words exist.
And these writers claim that another name for this Jesus is "The Word "
Even if there is no history that will satisfy, one cannot deny that the letters in red exist. That the Word(s) exist
Let's assume for arguement sake, that Jesus Christ never exisited.
But we have red letter bibles today that attribute the letters in red to Jesus Christ.
These letters in red, were not written by Jesus. As far as we know, He never wrote anything.
But there they are.
Written by different men, none of who claim to be the author. Nevertheless, they all appear to agree on some ( not all ) events and lectures attributed to this man Jesus.
There are even historical figures who have met some of the men who wrote the letters in red.
The letters in red exist. The words exist.
And these writers claim that another name for this Jesus is "The Word "
Even if there is no history that will satisfy, one cannot deny that the letters in red exist. That the Word(s) exist
This is a good example of why christians would be much better off discussing principles, rather than trying to prove what they cannot prove.
I think atheists have a problem sometimes separating spiritual from religious.
You can believe in and even experience God/a higher power and not be religious or associated with
any particular religion.
It seems on this forum that atheists always lump everyone not an atheist into the “religious” category. Maybe I’m wrong….
Let's assume for arguement sake, that Jesus Christ never exisited.
But we have red letter bibles today that attribute the letters in red to Jesus Christ.
These letters in red, were not written by Jesus. As far as we know, He never wrote anything.
But there they are.
Written by different men, none of who claim to be the author. Nevertheless, they all appear to agree on some ( not all ) events and lectures attributed to this man Jesus.
There are even historical figures who have met some of the men who wrote the letters in red.
The letters in red exist. The words exist.
And these writers claim that another name for this Jesus is "The Word "
Even if there is no history that will satisfy, one cannot deny that the letters in red exist. That the Word(s) exist
How would that be any different than putting all of Harry Potter's expressions in red letter. Harry said some pretty wise stuff. I found the red letter not to mean any particular holiness was attached to Jesus' words, just easier see what parts were Jesus talking and what parts were others.
Check out the Bible Seminar's conclusions on an extensive study done on Jesus' words.
The provocative Jesus Seminar on Sunday concluded six years of voting on what the Jesus of history most likely said, ruling out about 80% of words attributed to him
If clergymen were not shy about being blatantly dishonest with their congregations about Jesus they were even less shy expressing to each other what they thought about Jesus existing.
“The sums of money which the fable of Christ has produced the priests are incalculable.”
— Boniface VIII (c.1290)
“How well we know what a profitable superstition this fable of Christ has been for us and our predecessors.”
— Pope Leo X at a lavish Good Friday banquet, raising his glass into the air
It appears to have been an inner circle joke among the higher-ups in the RCC hierarchy that Jesus Christ was nothing but a fable that the Catholic corporation had cashed in on him to their extreme advantage living a lavish lifestyle in opulent palaces by pushing the fable of the Christ on the starvings masses under threats of death if they didn't believe and contribute. Televangeists today carry on this great tradition of fleecing the gullible Christians out of their money to live the same lavish lifestyles as the Pope's Cardinals and Bishops did over the last 2000 years.
It was a corrupt and dirty 2000 years of superstitions, myths, power and privilege under Christianity. But atheists have discovered the truth about it all courtesy of the Internet and all the literature that exposes the Church's lies and corruption.
Atheists and Skeptics Have the Truth, and the freedoms it brings from the Church's tyrannical rule. Sadly, Christians Do NOT.
How would that be any different than putting all of Harry Potter's expressions in red letter. Harry said some pretty wise stuff. I found the red letter not to mean any particular holiness was attached to Jesus' words, just easier see what parts were Jesus talking and what parts were others.
Check out the Bible Seminar's conclusions on an extensive study done on Jesus' words.
The provocative Jesus Seminar on Sunday concluded six years of voting on what the Jesus of history most likely said, ruling out about 80% of words attributed to him
We'll see if billions are reading about Harry 2000 years from now.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
