Without using it for a reference, can anyone explain their belief in The Bible as an unaltered product of God?
439895
God is all-powerful; he can turn water into wine and cure the blind. Heck, he created the whole universe. So what makes you think he can't change the text of the bible written by the misguided kings, warlords and other misguided beings who wrote the bible? \n\nAnd I love a God who punished people for the slightest sin as depicted in the infallible bible. So much for the all-forgiving God. \n\nThank you God for making us kill the very people who discovered that the glorious earth You created is not flat.\n\nThank you God for condemning me and 20 billions of soul into hell for being misguided by satan you created. I would rather sit in hell then to be in heaven thinking about all the people suffering in hell, esp my loved ones and the people in the jungles of the third world who has not even heard of You or people who were brought up being a jew, muslim, hindu etc. For that reason, even if He does exist and offers me a place in heaven, i'd say no thanks because it wouldn't be much better in heaven either.
425024
I quote the bible because my opinion means very little. I consider the bible the true word of God.
846912
I don't think your mind is made up and I don't see this an attack on Christianity. You are perfectly entitled to ask this question and I see it as a serious one - well done, and thumbs up from me. Why are Christians soooooo insecure about their faith that they can't have it questionned? I'm agnostic and the reason for that is that I don't dismiss the idea of God entirely, I just think that too much dependency is on the Bible. But the Bible was written by a Man! and Man has a habit if distorting the Truth, sometimes unintentionally. Think of it this way: The Bible was written ina  different Age and different Language - neither of which we can fully comprehend. Supposing that the translations of the Bible got some words wrong and totally changed the Meaning of it? Think of the consequences - or look around you. Don't forget that doctrines are created by Man and not God ... and doctrines are Power. The Church has had that for a very long time ... but perhaps not for much longer.\n\nThanks for asking the question.
249155
I 100% agree. God has authority over all creation and the bible is God's word written by man inspired by God the father and sent to us as a gift of love (just like his son Jesus) to help us understand what he asks of us and as an instruction on how to live. Read it, meditate on it and do not allow the skeptics and unbelief of the world tear you from it. Whether the world wants to accept it or not does not mean it does'nt apply to them. God Bless praying for you Yohanna ramirez
682832
I believe in God and I believe in Jesus and his works...the bible was written by man and had hidden agendas of the age. I believe there are many many many religions and theyre all "right" for the person choosing to believe them. The answers lie within your heart. Every person has the right to believe what they feel is best for them. People who try to change others beliefs are often insecure about thier own.
875595
Before I became a born again Christian, I was in your shoes. The bible made zero sense to me. I would read it, and could not remember what I read, nor see the importance of the "dusty old book" However, the only way you will be able to understand it is if you accept Christ into your heart. To do this you must be convinced that God exists, then you must have Him dealing with your heart (which I think He is given your concern about not understanding the bible) Then when this comes to light you will see your need of a Savior due to your lacking in the eyes of God.\n\nBleesed be unto you to harken unto this call.
334493
I am not really sure what exactly you mean, but I suppose you mean.....Why do we continue to believe the things we were taught growing up even if now we know better? \n\nIf that is what you mean, I don't think this is true. Once you know better you do not believe anymore. I for one, was taught to be a Baptist Christian. I really do not believe in God or Jesus anymore because there are to many contridictions in everything I was taught. I am intellegent enough to know that the bible was written by men. I also know that what we are shown as the bible is not complete. Many books of the bible were removed by other men, later, because they felt they did not serve their own purposes...So the bible for me is an uncomplete document. I don't think anyone has the complete version. I have traveled the world and seeing what I have seen makes me not believe in God. So for me, I was taught to believe, I believed as long as I didn't know better, now that I do, I do not believe.....sure I like the rituals, the organization, the social aspects of church, but real belief, no. \n\nOr maybe how about Christmas....we are taught to think there is a Santa Claus...when it is our parents. Eventually you know it is them and you no longer believe....\n\nSo I am not sure what you mean, and I am stabbing at this topic...hopefully I am right.
1166845
HAHA I can see what your getting at. This isnt a battle that you can win. Neither can I. I'm christian but a relaxed one. People have their opinions and who am i to tell them different. I dont beleive everything I hear. I beleive things that i know however. And I dont know for sure that a god even exist. I guess thats the whole concept to a religious faith alone. People tend to take the bible TOO literal. Then things begin getting mixed up. I am a scientist as well, some things in the bible just dont make sense. But if you read a book that offered a way for you to live in a sunny nice beach, and youve lived in the projects all of your life...and all you had to do has follow the books teaching...would you take it? I'm sure you see what i'm getting at as well.
372332
The Bible is a collection of stories, that may or may not be true, that are intended not only to recollect historical accounts that were hard to understand, but to provide roll models and insight into your own decisions and their consequences. It is rather too much to base your ENTIRE life upon these stories; they should be not only taken with a grain of salt, but followed for their moral insight. Whether or not they were true are henceforth irrelevent.\n\nI already know that Creationists are going to attack this response and call me an atheist because I have Darwinist viewpoints. This is what I say to them: you are hypocrites to question the motives of God, or anything of the sort. If God is going to put a bunch of lies in a book, NOBODY can stop him. Not that I think they are lies, at least, not all of them, but any scientific arguments should carried out without any discourse over religious beliefs of ANY kind.
393361
How long do you think it will be before a person or group successfully reassembles the bible to include recently discovered religious texts that they feel better suit modern times?\n\nNever.  For all practical purposes, the Bible as now been “set in stone.”\n\nWhat do you think about this?\n\nI believe that those who tend to be the loudest on this topic have either done the least amount of study or have very extensive time invested in their current belief.  Most claim as articles of fact pieces of information which are not true.  Less than one in one billion (if any) could give me that actual names of the men who met to determine which books and works were included in either Testament.  Yet they propose that these men were inspired by G-d to make these choices for all time.  They are seem to ignore that most works which were not included were systematically searched for and burned as heretical.  The mere fact that any remain after 2000 years is a miracle.\n\nWhat will the cultural/spiritual ramifications of this be?\n\nA continuation of our current position.  As beautiful as the KJV is to read, it is flawed.  This fact has been shown over and over again by scholars who do know the languages involved.  Yet look at the number of supporters that it has.  The sad part of this is that many who claim to understand the meaning of the KJV of the Bible (which is a very serious and metaphysical work) do not understand and cannot follow a simple Shakespearean play (which is light entertainment) that was written at about the same time.  What does this yell you about the ignorance of humans?  And ignorance is bliss.\n\nIf God is really solely responsible for the bible's contents why does he have hundreds of millions of Christians using different versions?  And how would a new version be any worse?\n\nThose humans who claim to be privileged to the plans or purposes of Divinity are deluded.  No human has that capability.  Only Divinity is perfect.  Humanity is arrogant, not understanding that the message is important, not the delivery of the message.  Those that must quote scripture for every answer (especially those claiming that it is the Word of G-d) are probably idolaters.  They have worshipped the written word instead of Divinity.  Each believing that they are right and all others wrong.  They are the cause of the fragmentation of the Church and people like them are usually too stubborn to see their own sins.\n\nA new version of the Bible is not needed.  These recently discovered and translated works should be made available to the widest reading audience for study and debate.  At least by those who are capable of understanding that Humanity did not have the message right then and still is lacking in understanding.  This is human nature.  Divinity is the only proper judge; and Divine Judgment, unlike human opinion and understanding, IS perfect.
1021695
I too am an atheist for want of a better word - but I suppose most religious types would answer your question by saying that you don't understand what it is to be Omnipotent, your thinking about god in the same way you are man, he doesn't have or need eyes, he is that all encompassing everything, that ethereal shroud engulfing humanity with his loving arms. or some other BS along those lines. Sometimes you really have to give it up to those christian folk, they have a way of weaseling their way out of every argument just by referring to the bible, it's a completely circular logic.
660143
If you believe in God, then you believe also that the Bible\nis IS the true word of God. Well, this is one of those things apparently, that God especially dislikes, for he\nsays (get A CONCORDANCE to look up where exactly this is\nstated, that way you'll know how to use a concordance too)\n-and I believe in more than one place- "that this is an abomination (ABOMINATION is pretty serious business), for\na man to lie with a man"... Similarly, women, animals, etc.\nSo draw your own conclusions, just not on the wall.
527645
I dislike it very much when people presume all christians are alike and act and believe the same way. I was sent a lovely email by someone on this site who thinks I shouldn't call myself a christian because I don't believe in the trinity. Should I let either of you define me or my beliefs? Now, about your question, I think the Bible is proof of aliens as we define the term. And the Bible is a guide to live by, but why do you have to use the word 'just', as though to deliberately lessen the importance of the word of God? We all have free will, so do as you think best.
375977
Don't you have that backwards? I've met many people who believe every word in the bible even if you can prove that it is a miss translation, or against known facts. The bible can be used to "prove" anything you like if you take it out of context and add your own spin.
994244
The Bible is not the silver bullet, of course. I do believe in God and in Jesus's ressurection, however, there are parts of the Bible that sound like pure nonsense to me while other parts contain great, true wisdoms everyone should live by.
556319
No, different peoples beliefs on how to worship God. The bible was written by other people, not God...its like a folktale being told...thru the many times it is retold the story changes...The only CLEAR CUT message is that God wants you to believe in him.
749380
Wow!! you sound sincere, so I think I am going to answer this, even though I prefer not to go into the religious section. I also studied the bible and continue to do so. The concept of the trinity is not scriptural, and its origin is based in false worship. If you would like further in depth explanations as to it origin, feel free to email me.