Why Read the Bible?

[goodlife]

Do you, read the Bible solely as a religious duty?

Or do you occasionally read the Bible out of curiosity?

Then there are those who read the Bible merely so that they can say that they have read it through.

[goodlife]

Thank you Elderman.
Good to see that there is someone else on here who doesnt believe in a trinity. I was beginning to think I was the only one.
I definitely dont feel so alone now.
Have to admit it was nice confusing them thinking I was more than one.

[Ankou]

goodlife. i ask you a question and elderman answers!
did you forget who you were signed in as!

good recovery though, almost convincing.

[naomi24]

//Do you, read the Bible solely as a religious duty?

Or do you occasionally read the Bible out of curiosity? //

There are other reasons to read the bible, you know. Or perhaps you don't.

[goodlife]

Ankou , Yes and 7 million believe the same

[Ankou]

odd then that you thought you were the only one and felt alone.

[jake-the-peg]

7 million and there are 7 million JWs

But Naomi tells me that you're not a JW despite quoting from their Bible calling yourself elder, not believing in the trinity and now quoting 7 million fellow members.

Well there are over a billion Catholics who say you're wrong.

That brings me back to why won't you accept the Pope's authority?

A leadership personally sanctioned by Jesus on Earth!

who sanctioned Charles Taze Russell ?

Er he did.

You study the bible for truth but you're too late - where did it come from - not from God - Flesh and blood men stood there and decided what should be in and what should be out.

Went a bit like this:

"Gospel of Mathew" - "In"
"Gospel of Thomas" - "Out"
"Gospell of Mary" -"out"
"Revellations" -"in"

"Revellations - in? really? are you kidding? -it's barking!"
"Yup - but wasn't written by a women"
"OK good point it's in then"

[sandyRoe]

Apart from anything else it's great literature.

[RATTER15]

I read in an attempt to try to understand why people actually believe in any of it!!
It amazes me that people are sucked in and brainwashed by this nonsense.

[naomi24]

Jake, some of the links he's posted have referred to this bible:

http://www.blueletter...org/about/about02.cfm

He belongs to a US fundie cult.

[goodlife]

jake-the-peg, Well thats a change of tune.
One of the most respected religious teachers in history, say on this subject? “Enter through the narrow gate,” he told his disciples. Why? “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7:13-14)
Do you get the point of this illustration?

[RATTER15]

//One of the most respected religious teachers in history//

I have no respect for liars!!!!

[jake-the-peg]

Why is it a change of tune ?

I'm not saying they're right - merely pointing out that an organisation of a mere 7 million shouldn't try to play the numbers game.

I'm right because 7 million people agree with me is a patently absurd argument.

As for your religious teacher let's consider his analogy


The road of religion is not a difficult one, it is not stoney and hard.

It is full of a sense of community, like minded people, it has tempting promises of eternal life

The road of atheism is the narrow gate - it is hard, it involves facing the stark reality of your own decay and eventual non-existance.

It does however have a singular consolation, it is visibly the road of truth - no self deceit is needed and for those brave enough to take it, it offers the sort of clear unobstructed view of reality that cannot even be imagined by those who cling to their supstitous security blankets.

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a religious man to lay down his superstition

[jake-the-peg]

And you *still* haven't answered the question of why you won't respect the authority of the world's largest, oldest Christian church - preferring instead (some would say arrogantly) to trust your own interpretation of a set of books written by men.

You were lecturing us on respecting authority and yet your little sect thinks it knows best

[naomi24]

Very well said, Jake.

[joko]

well the rather silly over-reaction to being asked who else he was, and the silly attempts to bluster and bluff through it rather gives the game away... i think its safe to say that goodlife is not a trinity but whatver you would called a 5-way

for goodlife is clearly all those mentioned - as well as spreading and butterflies

[boxtops]

To go back to the OP - yes, I have read the Bible, all of it, yes, I have read the Koran, all of it. I have both on my shelves, and I use them as reference material, not as any sort of obligation or duty.

[beso]

Ankou //goodlife, are you like the trinity ?
are you elderman, truthabounds and goodlife, all in one ?//

I immediately had a similar thought but without the trinity.

[beso]

Until I read the Bible I had the attitude that believers were largely harmless.

Upon reading it I soon realised it is more like a manual for bigotry and prejudice than something to be respected.

Since then I have become an active atheist.

[starone]

They've made some good films out of the stories in the Bible, with a bit of tarting up of course.

[Truthabounds]

I am me and no one else.