Yes |
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76.3% (171) |
No |
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23.7% (53) |
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1079 Joined: 23 Oct 2008     | |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2586 Joined: 27 Sep 2008    | Depends. It's a book, but to say 'only' a book is like saying 1984 is 'only' a book, which for many literature aficionados would be heresy in itself. Yes it is only a book, typed in whatever language but what that book contains is very valuable to many people. Doesn't make it any more than a book though. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 925 Joined: 3 Oct 2007    | Most stories in the bible descended from ancient mesopotamian myths. The stories were simply changed around to suit monotheistic beliefs. Thats why I find it hard to let this book run my life, like it does so many others. I mean frankly I'd rather pray to Marduk than God. (Marduk is from the Enuma Elish, which also happens to be where the creaton of heaven and earth from the bible comes from :D ) |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 947 Joined: 7 Aug 2008   | No its not just a book, its a book that symbolizes control over panicy masses, he who holds the keys to heaven is in control. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 907 Joined: 15 Jun 2008     | It's just a book. The earlier books especially show it's disparate authors and it's outright barbarism. Some people say we should ignore the genocides and undeserved punishments and focus on the overreaching message of love. Unfortunately there is no overreaching message of love. Perhaps in the few chapters where Jesus is speaking, but the rest of it is a collection of overreactions to petty slights and the ignorant fearmongering of bronze age goatherds. Also you have to take into account that the entire religion, even today, is all stolen from other religions. The common depiction of God? Zeus. Jesus' resurrection and miracles? Appolonius of Tyriana. The Trinity? Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva. Even many Pagan religions had a trinity. All the holidays are stolen from other religion as well. Christmas is Yule, or the Winter Solstice. Easter is the celebration of a fertility goddess. Nothing in Christianity is original. It stole it's myths from other myths who stole them from other myths. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 603 Joined: 18 Nov 2008    | No, the bible is more than just a book. It's also an excellent source of hilarity through ignorance, and a pretty effective doorstop! |
Pulitzer Laureate Posts: 907 Joined: 15 Jun 2008 |
It also makes wonderful tinder for starting a campfire and by cutting out the center it makes a handy hiding place. |
Red Guard  Posts: 3515 Joined: 18 Sep 2008  | As a Christian, I would say yes. But I'd also like to say this: Since I authored the 'Why all the hate on Christianity?' thread (A thread which lasted WAY longer then I ever thought), I came to the following conclusion: very few people can have an actual, respectful, conversation about religion...especially on an internet forum...even on this internet forum. To the evangelicals: To the 'just curious' Christians: And finally, to the atheists and non-theists: What I am saying (At the risk of sounding like an after school special) is this: This world is beautifully diverse, let's enjoy it. And while we're at it, let's respect each other please. We may not agree, and that's fine! But we can disagree with respect for one another. I know it's possible, I have with people on this forum. I'm Baby Tea. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1394 Joined: 31 Aug 2008    | Historically a man named Jesus did exist...he just wasn't as great as the Bible says so. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 919 Joined: 22 Oct 2008    |
exactly what I was thinking. it's extremely important to understand how important to the world "God" is as a concept, let alone if if were true. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1151 Joined: 7 Dec 2008   | Yeah, it's a book, it has lots of influence, for so does that vampire book Twilight (correct book right?) that doesn't mean I would like to base a lot of my moral belief's on its contents. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 712 Joined: 27 Jun 2008    |
Yeah, the Bible is real. I can go buy it at my nearest book store, along with The Lord of the Rings, Dune, Ender's Game, and other, much better fiction books. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 357 Joined: 8 Sep 2008   | The bible is a good of storys on how we should live our lives. In short it is just a book, but one of the most succesful works of fiction ever made! |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 717 Joined: 4 Feb 2008 | Yes, it is just a book And while I agree that it is of historical value, unfortunately far too many men have taken it literally in our history |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1412 Joined: 19 Nov 2008  |
Yeah, and I'm sure you'd know a lot about that, The Joker. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 1412 Joined: 19 Nov 2008 | Okay, I am not religious nor am I an atheist. The two things are not diametrically opposed. I'm spiritual. The Bible is another pretentious book telling us how to live our lives. The thing is there are several books like this. As soon as one of them says "I'm the word of God. Suck it!" all it takes is another one to say "Cha right!" |
Muckraker  Posts: 239 Joined: 12 Dec 2007   | The bible is a collection of stories, histories, guidelines, reports, songs, advice letters and apocalyptic literature. The Koine Greek we get the phrase 'The Bible' would be better translated 'The Books'. It's more of a compilation than a book. However, your view on this book will be subjective. Myself, I'm in the 'It's a book, but divinely inspired somehow' crowd. Oh, and nice post Baby Tea. I'm Redlac, also a Christian, signing off. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1181 Joined: 11 Sep 2008   | Fun book to read but I wouldn't live my life by it. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2248 Joined: 5 Jan 2008  |
Exactly this. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1611 Joined: 13 Oct 2008   | Yes, and it's a great work of mostly fiction. Human skeletal remains have been found and dated up to 100,000 years old. You're telling me that it took 98,000 years (approx) to find the correct religion? You're telling me that the many books written before the Bible are all wrong? You're telling me that people who lived thousands and thousands of miles away from where Christianity and the Bible were created are supposed to drop everything they grew up believing because you say that your book is "more" than a book? C'mon, think about it... |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 428 Joined: 20 Oct 2008  | It's just a book. It was written by people, for people. Just because it talks about god doesn't give it any authority. I'm not saying that means it doesn't have good ideals about life, but it's still just a book. That's all it ever has or will be. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 369 Joined: 3 Sep 2008  | Let me find the Penn and Teller Bullshit on the bible. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 97 Joined: 16 Jun 2008   | WHY? |
Press Junketeer Posts: 369 Joined: 3 Sep 2008 | |
Muckraker  Posts: 317 Joined: 30 Oct 2008    | What more can it be than a book. I mean, its a very old, very long, very difficult to understand book that has historical significance, but what else could it be other than another book? Name one function the Bible does that other books can't. And if you say let you ascend to heaven, you would be sitting there enjoying your heavenly lifestyle instead of rabidly trying to convert me. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1830 Joined: 20 Mar 2008 | Well, technically all books are only a book. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 606 Joined: 17 Oct 2007    | Is it only a book? Only 23.4% are Christians. Those numbers are pretty different what you get people to say in public surveys. Anonimity brings out honesty. And like many have said before. STOP MAKING RELIGIOUS THREADS! They lead to flame and insults |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2263 Joined: 24 Nov 2008  | It a book. From it are derived several religions. Also, religion threads only cause flame wars. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 652 Joined: 6 Feb 2008   | The Bible, the greatest story ever accepted as fact. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 89 Joined: 29 Oct 2008    | I once read a description of Christianity, it went "The belief that a cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so that he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree..." To my mind the above description is more rational a proposal than what the Bible suggests. And did you notice just a smattering of misogyny back there, what with all the rape & murder of women? Just to add insult to injury though, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 says "[...] it is a shame for women to speak in the church." Why doesn't that surprise me? Carrying swiftly on to the next stop of our Tour de Force of Arabian Bronze Age ethics & enlightenment we have slavery. Not accounts of being enslaved, these are Biblical accounts of how to enslave. They just couldn't get enough! They loved it so much, they had it written into their adopted combination of Egyptian & Mesopotamian mythology (Genesis 9:25-27; Leviticus 25:44-46; Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Exodus 21:2-6 & again in 7-11, & 20-21; Ephesians 6:5 & 9; Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Luke 12:47-48). Then there's the stuff about don't eat shellfish, rabbit, pork, meat & cheese together, fish with something or something, because if you do you'll go to Hell to be tortured forever, and it might also be a capital offence like working on a Sabbath is. The Bible is a book. It's not well written, & it commands the most psychopathic atrocities in the name of fear; 'obey this book or not only might you be murdered, but you'll definitely spend eternity being tortured.' I wonder why it's supposed to be 'The Good Book'... |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2924 Joined: 30 Jun 2008 |
Funny you bring a topic like this up, seeing as how we've been learning more about western religions for the past couple of weeks(In a public high school, thank god.). Jesus did exist, but how he truly died is a mystery. Catholics claim he died on the cross, was buried, then was resurrected and ascended into heaven, while Muslims believe that he was whisked away by Allah right there and then. As for the bible, it's not just a book, seeing as how it's the holy text for an entire religion, but I'll have to agree that bits and pieces of it aren't exactly historically accurate. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 1437 Joined: 18 Sep 2008  |
seconded |
On the Record  Posts: 7331 Joined: 23 Dec 2007   |
I agree. I am a strong believer in the faith and the only people who post on Religious threads of Atheism vs. [Open Slot, waiting for Player to join] seem to be die-hard Atheists willing to spout their misinformation or unrelenting waves of stupidity, or people of the selected faith of various strengths in their respective religions, an evident minority completely slaughtered by the most abundant people which pejoratives fail to describe.
That is due to the fact that according to Christianity, Muslim is a different religion. It describes Jesus as simply a prophet and that Mohamed is greater than he. This is the point at which the Bible strictly dictates that such a deviation is not Christianity anymore. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 911 Joined: 20 Jun 2008  |
It also says that disobedient children should be stoned to death, in the very next chapter after it says that gay love is bad. |
Pulitzer Laureate Posts: 911 Joined: 20 Jun 2008 |
Wow, real original. Do you come up with that all by yourself? (Sarcastic intension) |
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Good lord, another religion post? Ugh....
I think the Bible is what you make it. If it helps someone live his or her life and gives them a guideline to follow, great. If someone doesn't believe in it, that's great, too.