Bible Questions

[Damien]

First oof all these are not meant to be an attack or anything and i understand that to believe in something does not require 100% proof as its a belif. Sorry about not using the right lanuage but my spelling bads

1. Generally (in the chistian church) do you see the bible as a complete truth or symbolic? i.e do you think adam and eve is true or a good way to make a point?

2. Do you belive mary did get jesus though the angel, if so how did her husband react? Did he belive her?

3. Do you like the vaticans policys?

[Chris]

Oh God ... here we go again

[Nugget]

At risk of appearing dumb (or more so anyway), which Vatican policy ?

[Jon M]

1. I'd have to say complete truth, although I doubt the majoriity in the christian community would agree unfortunatly.
2. Devine conception, yes.. and Joseph stood by her, which was enough to show that he believed her.
3. The catholic and protestant church are very much at odds, I'd largely ignore what the Vatican says unless it's a step in the right direction.

[Damien]

thanks, did Joseph get any messeges? I mean it would have been a hard thing to take really..

as for the vatican i mean there more extreame policys like claiming condoms dont stop aids and the whole women thing

[Jon M]

There's too many differences for me to list ... the majority being fairly "extreme" .. I think one of the most important is the deity status of mary within the catholic church .
Joseph and Mary had plenty of warning, after an angel appeared to Mary and told them what was going to happen.

[philip.j.fry]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Oh God ... here we go again

Blasphemer

[Chris]

Originally Posted by philip.j.fry

Blasphemer

I was praying fervently, actually

I'll have a proper go at this later, but for now:

1. I believe that the Bible, as given in its original languages (Aramaic and Hebrew in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament) is the inerrant word of God. That is not the same as saying either that it is completely 'true' (I presume by 'true' that you mean actual historical events) or that it is completely symbolic - certain parts of the Bible purport to be history, others are poetry, philosophy and prophecy.

2. Mary didn't 'get Jesus through the angel'; the angel merely told Mary what God intended to do. I do believe that Mary was a virgin and that she conceived Jesus by the power of God and not through the usual means.

3. I reject the claims of the Roman church to be the natural successor to the original 12 Apostles. I reject the claim of the Pope as the highest repersentative of Jesus Christ on Earth, and I reject various parts of Roman teaching as profoundly unBiblical. That said, I know plenty of nice Roman Catholic people and some who I would consider to be Christians according to my understanding, gained from the Bible and no external source, of what a Christian actually is.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Damien

1. Generally (in the chistian church) do you see the bible as a complete truth or symbolic? i.e do you think adam and eve is true or a good way to make a point?

I believe the Bible to be the unfalable word of God, however whether we have translated its meaning correctly could be open to doubt.

Originally Posted by Damien

2. Do you belive mary did get jesus though the angel, if so how did her husband react? Did he belive her?

I believe the Holy Spirit put the seed of Jesus in to Mary. At the time she was not married but Joseph was a kind, good, Godly man and although the custom at the time would have been for him to abandon her for this, he stuck with her.

Originally Posted by Damien

3. Do you like the vaticans policys?

I do not accept or acknowledge the authority of the Pope, the Vatican, Catholicsim or any of its teachings. However I respect the good work many Catholics do in the name of God.

Originally Posted by Chris T

I do believe that Mary was a virgin and that she conceived Jesus by the power of God and not through the usual means.

In Austria by Teleportation?

sorry i shouldnt mock others beliefs but i thought it was funny

[greencreeper]

Well if I was foolish enough to discuss religion I would say...

The Bible has been rewritten a huge number of times and there's bound to be inaccuracies as a result. The fact that there are different versions just proves my point.

I think Mary told him the kid was his. Think of her as a sort of chav mum - no idea how she got pregnant, best blame the husband. No doubt he would have pointed out that they hadn't slept together, and she will have no doubt blamed one of the many occasions he came home drunk having spent the evening at the Carpenter's Arms.

I've always viewed Catholicism as a cult, particularly because it advocates practices that are harmful to its followers.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Well if I was foolish enough to discuss religion I would say...

The Bible has been rewritten a huge number of times

No it hasn't ... it has been re-copied a huge number of times. There is a difference.

and there's bound to be inaccuracies as a result.

There are minor copying errors. The various manuscripts in existence demonstrate that. However they also demonstrate that none of the copying errors bring Christian doctrine into question. You won't find a manuscript of Matthew's gospel that claims Mary wasn't a virgin, for example. The large number of manuscripts available also make it pretty easy to spot the errors and allow for them.

The fact that there are different versions just proves my point.

No there aren't, except for the original manuscripts I just mentioned, but I don't think you meant that.

There is one single version of the Bible, agreed and accepted almost universally. That version exists in three languages - Aramaic and Hebrew for the Old Testament, and Greek for the New Testament. This version is the true authority. Any translation into English, Spanish, Arabic or whatever, is just that, a translation. Some languages have more than one translation. The 'Authorized Version' (1611) is a good English translation but the English is so old fashioned it is now difficult to understand. The 'New English Bible' (1960s) is an awful translation. But these are translations of the Bible, not the Bible itself.

I think Mary told him the kid was his. Think of her as a sort of chav mum - no idea how she got pregnant, best blame the husband. No doubt he would have pointed out that they hadn't slept together, and she will have no doubt blamed one of the many occasions he came home drunk having spent the evening at the Carpenter's Arms.

A quaint theory, but unlike the virgin birth, there is no historical evidence for it. The Bible, on the other hand, provides written historical accounts.

I've always viewed Catholicism as a cult, particularly because it advocates practices that are harmful to its followers.

Well, we agree on something then.

[greencreeper]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Well, we agree on something then.

Must be a first for a discussion on religion

Has anyone read/seen "Bed Among the Lentils"? Very funny and very, very accurate IME

[Kneebs]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I think Mary told him the kid was his. Think of her as a sort of chav mum - no idea how she got pregnant, best blame the husband. No doubt he would have pointed out that they hadn't slept together, and she will have no doubt blamed one of the many occasions he came home drunk having spent the evening at the Carpenter's Arms.

Now thats funny !

ok frankly can't be bothered reading everythign else in the thread, however I have my own religious questions to ask (don't get all SENSITIVE on me and think it's an attack, I'm not attacking you. It's a question!)

I was reading exodus and it says that the egyptians used their arts to change their staffs into snakes as moses did. I can understand moses being able to do it because he supposedly has the power of God but the egyptians with their 'magical arts' ? Wait, I'll get the passage number...

Ok it's Exodus 7:11

Originally Posted by Exodus 7:11

Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts. Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake

Can anybody well versed in the bible explain what this verse means? I can't understand what they did via their 'magicl arts'.