[catlover321]

I have been reading the Bible cover to cover and find nothing of value within it's pages. Where is the good part? The part does not involvle killing people? All I see is murder and torment. What page do I have to go to where the love kicks in?

[tickle]

Yes, I tend to agree with you. Gloom and doom. Worded to put fear into the hearts of men (and women) much older then us, so they wouldn't transgress\, stray from the path of righteousness and keep on paying taxes to the church.

[450donn]

Reading and understanding the word of God can be two totally different things. You are reading the bible without understanding. Get into a small group study of the bible and it will be revealed to you what it says.

[inthebox]

You must of missed 1 John

Here is a sample

3:

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.


God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

The Book of Galatians

5:

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Have you read Song of Soloman

2:

2 Like a lily among thorns
Is my darling among the maidens

Psalm 103

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
Nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
Or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
So far has he removed our transgressions from us.

g&p

[RickJ]

I have been reading the Bible cover to cover...

Obviously not true. Or you skipped a lot.

[Moparbyfar]

Rickj: A greenie for you. Agreed!

[Credendovidis]

I have been reading the Bible cover to cover and find nothing of value within it's pages. Where is the good part? The part does not involvle killing people? All I see is murder and torment. What page do I have to go to where the love kicks in?

As a general line of approach you should read the Old Testament for murder, violence, slavery, rape, war, genocide, women and child abuse, etc. etc. etc. (all supported and often incited by the Christian "God".

And when you like to read about love you should read the New Testament, in which the same Christian "God" - but now disguised as his own son - is spreading love around.

Not so strange than that many Christians - specially the fundamentalist Christians - seem to have huge problems following the New Testamentical line of love, but feel much more inspired by - and "at home" with - the violence of the Old Testament.

Although I am a staunch Secular Humanist, I disagree with your view that the Bible has nothing of value in it's pages. There surely is a lot of good advice also to be read.
But than, a book on general cooking and etiquette has also a lot of value in it's pages !

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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[inthebox]

Cred:

Read, Revelations [ NT ] and Song of Soloman [ OT ], then report here what your impression was.

Not so strange than that many Christians - specially the fundamentalist Christians - seem to have huge problems following the New Testamentical line of love, but feel much more inspired by - and "at home" with - the violence of the Old Testament

Typical of your posts: generalizing, uninformed, and backed by no OSE. Just your biased anti-Christian belief. ;):rolleyes:




g&p

[Tj3]

Cred:
Read, Revelations [ NT ] and Song of Soloman [ OT ], then report here what your impression was.

I have yet to find anyone to makes the claims that God in the OT was different than the NT who has actually read the Bible. When you get into it, you find that they have heard about it, read something from an anti-Christian site on internet, but never have I found one who actually knows what the Bible says, or, I might add, is willing to discuss it with a view to understanding what it actually says.

[tickle]

I have yet to find anyone to makes the claims that God in the OT was different than the NT who has actually read the Bible. When you get into it, you find that they have heard about it, read something from an anti-Christian site on internet, but never have I found one who actually knows what the Bible says, or, I might add, is willing to discuss it with a view to understanding what it actually says.

The problem is, no two or three people can discuss the bible per se, without arguing after about an hour because we all read into it differently for some reason. Maybe that's the point, we only get out of it what we put into it and isn't that true about a lot of things.

[Tj3]

The problem is, no two or three people can discuss the bible per se, without arguing after about an hour because we all read into it differently for some reason. Maybe thats the point, we only get out of it what we put into it and isnt that true about a lot of things.

That is a symptom of the problem. The problem is that too many people put things into scripture which are not there and bend it to fit their own pre-conceived theologies and ideas, rather than letting it speak for itself. Or in the case of those who hold to these anti-Christian views, usually they do not even crack open the cover.

[Credendovidis]

The problem is, no two or three people can discuss the bible per se, without arguing after about an hour because we all read into it differently for some reason. Maybe thats the point, we only get out of it what we put into it and isnt that true about a lot of things.

And why would that be? So much confusion in the "instruction manual for humanity"?

Because the texts - that are claimed to be written by "God" or by people guided by "God" (whereby "God" is the acclaimed deity that is supernatural, omniscient and omnipotent) are so extremely unclear that no single clear opinion can be derived upon, something rather strange for texts written or edited by such a powerful entity that is claimed to be able to "create" an entire universe in a 6 day period, but clearly turns out to be incapable of producing a single book that is clear and to the point, so that every human being knows the conditions...

The conclusion one can draw from this all may be that such an entity does not exist.
At least personally I have never seen even a single iota of evidence that supports the existence of such entity.

My view on the Bible is that the OT is a historical and social review of the Jewish people - written by humans without any supernatural guidance - while the NT is the revised and addapted version that is based on the "God" of the OT, specially written - also without any supernatural guidance - to support the new off-spring religion called Christianity.

The many different scribents of both Testaments in a period of limited communication caused all the mistakes and contradictions that is a major characteristic of the Bible.

:)

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[Tj3]

And why would that be? So much confusion in the "instruction manual for humanity"?

Just because some people are confused does not mean that the material is confused.

[KBC]

Wow,all this explanation and the op has never even posted a response.

Who's post is this anyway?

[N0help4u]

Well they will have a good bit of reading if they come back.
I agree with donn that you can find a good bible study or even look up bible topics on the internet if you really want to know.

Here are some links that cover some Bible topics that aren't what you have been reading

GODSAIDMANSAID.COM - WELCOME TO THE TRUTH

The Bible Topics Page

Some Bible References for Today

Concentrate on the New Testament for now.

[Galveston1]

Go to the thread "God and the Bible" post #36 where I answer the question in this OP.

Please show me where there is any scripture that shows God approving rape or child abuse. That is a false claim.

Another false claim is the worn-out one that says the Bible is self-contridictory. Show us some conflicting scriptures of any substance. ANY scriptures.

[KBC]

Wow,all this explanation and the op has never even posted a response.

Who's post is this anyway?

Again,I'll quote this seemingly 'dead' thread.:rolleyes:

[Capuchin]

"If the triangles made a god, they would give him three sides." — Montesquieu

God's personality is simply a reflection of that of those who created him.