What's your view on the accuracy of the Bible? - FREEP THIS POLL!!!

MSNBC.Com ^ | 12/24/2001 | MSNBC.Com

[Bobby777]

what ever your views are FReep this poll!!! let's keep this thing bumped ... the score is terrible ... c'mon Christians ... it's on the left ... a little bit down ...

[StolarStorm]

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific Bible laws and how to follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? She's 18 and starting University. Will the slave buyer continue to pay for her education by law ?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? ....Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should this be a neighborhood improvement project ?

f) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here? Would contact lenses help ?

g) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

h) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

i) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

:)

Are you REALLY sure you're a literalist? If so, how many people did you kill last Sunday....

[reboot]

A Translation of the Lord's Prayer directly from the original Aramaic into English rather than from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English

O cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration! Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your Presence can abide...

Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission...

Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire...

Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish...

Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes...

Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment...

For you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth-power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again.
So which translation is correct?

[Jerry_M]

I suppose you are referring to Genesis 2:19. However, where in that verse does it say that God created the animals after He created Adam? The statement And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; does not presuppose that this activity took place after the creation of Adam. You only assume this from the remainder of the verse: and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

[RnMomof7]

Luke 17
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

[Jerry_M]

What is the source of your (spurious) Aramaic version of the "Lord's Prayer"? Can you authenticate its validity?

Source documentation please.

[a contender]

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two different kingdoms. One way to tell the difference is that they are SPELLED different. Another, God is not heaven and heaven is not God. God is a Spirit, a Spirit hath not flesh and bone. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is a litural, physical, earthly kingdom where The King of Kings and Lord of Lords will reign with a rod of Iron. Its capitol is JERUSALEM, the city of the GREAT KING.

[StolarStorm]

Sir, that sounds eerily like an ...."interpretation"... which is the point to all of this... Some things you just have to interpret... and there are as many interpretations as ministers. You just can't be literal all the time. Its not possible.

[reboot]

Here's a link to a very good study of Genesis.

[a contender]

If you are not under the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ to save your soul from hell then you ARE under the law! And no man can keep the whole law. So, if you are rejecting Gods perfect sacrafice for payment of your sins then you'd better get to Jerusalem and start working as hard as you can to keep the law. I suggest you trust in our Saviours offering instead of a bulls. The WADGES of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The only sin that will send you to hell is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. You won't get to heaven without Him...

[reboot]

I am glad Christ freed me from your laws and literalism many years ago. I now live free of the condemnation that Christian literalism brings. Christ brings Love and Peace not condemnation.

[StolarStorm]

Yes.... I know, but what about my questions? Should I really put to death those that work on Sunday as the Bible literally says. Well? Can you answer that without your faith crumbling and your world view being destroyed?

You see, I KNOW that the intent of the Bible is more important than the literal words.... the spirit is more important than the ink. That being the case facing those questions causes me no discomfort...and doesn't make me lose my faith... and that my friend is why you really aren't a literalist. If you were, your faith would be very fragile indeed.

[StolarStorm]

These literalists will be shocked when Christ returns and he throws them out of the Temple for their foul deeds done in his name. He is love and peace, not fanaticism and elitism.

[Jerry_M]

OK, let's get a few things "out on the table" before we continue. My background? I am a Southern Baptist seminary educated conservative pastor who holds to the innerancy and inspiration of the Bible. Additionally, I am a Calvinistic baptist, and hold to the doctrines of grace.

How about your background? I can only guess, since you provided us with a "new agey" bastardization of the Lord's Prayer and also think that a gnostic view of Genesis is "good".

Possibly you could confirm your background in order to give us some idea of where you are coming from.

BTW, you didn't answer my question at the end of my # 180.

[mymanbush]

It is literally true. It was written by men,but inspired by GOD. I believe you have to take it all as truth. God is true to His word.

[StolarStorm]

If you're a Calvinist then you aren't a literalist either. The Bible literally says that all who believe in him shall have eternal life.... not an elite few.

[reboot]

OK, let's get a few things "out on the table" before we continue. My background? I am a Southern Baptist seminary educated conservative pastor who holds to the innerancy and inspiration of the Bible. Additionally, I am a Calvinistic baptist, and hold to the doctrines of grace.

How about your background? I can only guess, since you provided us with a "new agey" bastardization of the Lord's Prayer and also think that a gnostic view of Genesis is "good".

Possibly you could confirm your background in order to give us some idea of where you are coming from.

 

Now we see your true colors. Only Southern Baptist seminary educated conservatives have the keys to the Word of God.

My background is from the church of Christ, being born and raised in that literalist church. I grew up knowing I would never get to heaven because I could not live a perfect enough life. They did more to discourage me than to encourage me. I consider what they and other literalist churches do is spread confusion and devisiveness. God is unity, sanity, order, and truth. Having a degree in theology in my opinion is nothing more than a license to distort the truth. Truth is found in many places other than the Bible. Is the truth God's Word.

I am just a pilgrim in this world like you, searching for the truth, and having a good time doing it. You can condemn me as being new age if you like. That does seem to be the easy way out for literalists. Because I do not take the Bible literally I am condemned to a life in eternal damnation by most of you.

Christ freed me from the power of sin many years ago. You may not agree, or like that, but I now live in total freedom knowing that Chist has freed me from all your legal mumbo jumbo.

[RnMomof7]

I have always taken that when Jesus dwells in you, you carry the kingdom of God within you...is that incorrect?

[StolarStorm]

Its odd... but almost all of the extreme literalists on FR that routinely doom everyone but themselves to Hell, are Southern Baptists. Are they some kind of freaky cult or something? It seems they do a great job of driving people from religion. Just who's unwitting tool are they?

[Jerry_M]

"If you're a Calvinist then you aren't a literalist either. The Bible literally says that all who believe in him shall have eternal life.... not an elite few."

I guess that I could argue that you don't seem to have a good grasp of the tenets of Calvinism, but I will choose to answer you with a simple question: Who will believe? (See Romans 3 for the state of man, and recognize that it is only by the divine intervention of God that any of us are saved.)

[reboot]

Its odd... but almost all of the extreme literalists on FR that routinely doom everyone but themselves to Hell, are Southern Baptists. Are they some kind of freaky cult or something? It seems they do a great job of driving people from religion. Just who's unwitting tool are they?

They are not far removed from the church I grew up in. All the kids in school would always ask me if we (the church of Christ) were the only ones going to heaven. Well, that's what we were taught, but, by my own churches standards I was already condemned, so what's the point in being a christian then?

It took me many years to discover the truth, that Christ set me free from all that garbage. I don't let them dump their refuse on me any more. It's a big waist of time though, they are convinced they hold the keys to heaven, when in fact Christ holds the key. They remind me of the Pharisees in the Bible who had to follow the letter of the law. Even Jesus said the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Most Christians today think the New Testament is a new law, when in fact it sets us free.