I'm wondering...

[2ndAmendment]

Why, then, so many versions? :shrug: Shouldn't they all be identical? Or is it man's attempt at keeping the Gideon's from cornering the religious market?

There are different translations in different languages. Even English has changed in usage and form since the King Jame's version was written. Some versions are paraphrases, The Living Bible, The Good News, etc. The meaning compared side by side is consistent.

Gideon never wrote a Bible but he is a person in the Bible. The Gideons is a group that distributes Bibles for free.

 

[Tonio]

I find it hard to believe that a "loving/forgiving God" would allow such atrocities to occur to innocent people ... to let one who commits such horrendous acts upon others to walk free and enjoy the remainder of their living days.

I find it hard to believe that a "loving/forgiving God" would create Hell, or even allow Hell to be created by Satan or whoever.

 

[mAlice]

Scripture, please. Know you're a busy man, but when you get time, I would very much like to read it.

Thank you 2A.

It's there, I've read it.

 

[crabcake]

Did you miss the part where the earth is satan's kingdom until Jesus returns? I think you may be blaming the wrong supernatural being.

I thought I was on ignore.

For me to believe that, I'd have to believe in the existence of God, which I do not. Nor do I discount the existence of God. I'm humble and have enough integrity to just say, "I really don't know" which is why I ask the questions I ask ... but never get answers to, except, "God/the bible said so".

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Why did your Daddy whip your azz when you were little? Did he love you?

He did it BC I did something I wasn't supposed to. Doesn't answer my question. My dad wasn't your God. He didn't create the universe. He wasn't perfect. God supposedly is. So I'm still answerless. None of you can answer it. Goofing Off is the only one who admitted it.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

I find it hard to believe that a "loving/forgiving God" would create Hell, or even allow Hell to be created by Satan or whoever.

My point ed zachary!!!

 

[dems4me]

There are different translations in different languages. Even English has changed in usage and form since the King Jame's version was written. Some versions are paraphrases, The Living Bible, The Good News, etc. The meaning compared side by side is consistent.

Gideon never wrote a Bible but he is a person in the Bible. The Gideons is a group that distributes Bibles for free.

that is correct and the words that have altered some through the history of language (greek to hebrew, etc...) and if there is question, it has been carefully referenced with footnotes/reference notes in the Bible... the bible may say -- feet 1/ and then if you read where 1/ is it'll say -- (hebrew)foot.... it means vertually the identical same thing it doesn't say -- feet 1/ and then say -- 1/ (hebrew) stones or spaceships...

 

[2ndAmendment]

Yes it was, at Constantinople.

The ecumenical councils of 381, 553, 681, and 869; the Trullan Council (692), very important for the history of canonical legislation; the councils of 712 and 878 which ratified, respectively, Monothelism and the revolt of Photius against Rome.

Maybe you are saying that yes, the early "unreal" Bible was chopped but not the new one.

If you read about those councils you will find that they chose to add things (the Apocrypha) in response to a Roman emperor that was trying to make Christianity all things to all people of the Roman Empire (polytheism [trinity] and female deity [deification of Mary]) and later remove those things (even the word trinity is not found in the Bible) that had been added by Rome that had not been accepted by the first century Christians.

 

[Kain99]

He did it BC I did something I wasn't supposed to. Doesn't answer my question. My dad wasn't your God. He didn't create the universe. He wasn't perfect. God supposedly is. So I'm still answerless. None of you can answer it. Goofing Off is the only one who admitted it.

Your father was created in God's image geez!

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Your father was created in God's image geez!

YOUR beliefs....not mine.

 

[Kain99]

If you read about those councils you will find that they chose to add things (the Apocrypha) in response to a Roman emperor that was trying to make Christianity all things to all people of the Roman Empire (polytheism [trinity] and female deity [deification of Mary]) and later remove those things (even the word trinity is not found in the Bible) that had been added by Rome that had not been accepted by the first century Christians.

Ok.... but really, The Bible is basically hundreds of scrolls all rolled into one. Who decided which ones were appropriate and which were not?

I truly believe in God 2A. You and I just see things differently.

 

[Kain99]

YOUR beliefs....not mine.

I'm sorry I just couldn't resist.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Scripture, please. Know you're a busy man, but when you get time, I would very much like to read it.

Thank you 2A.

Here.

Job 1:7
<sup id="en-NASB-12877">7</sup>The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."

Revelation 12:9

<sup id="en-NASB-30902">9</sup>And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Why would a being so great and powerful, so loving and caring, so wonderful say to a small fraction of the planet;

God did not give His word to a small fraction of the planet. He instructed those He gave it directly to to

Matthew 28:19-20

<sup id="en-NASB-24215">19</sup>"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

<sup id="en-NASB-24216">20</sup>teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

"Follow me, preach my teachings, worship me and if you do, when you die I will bring you to "my house" (heaven) the most glorius place you've ever seen. Now, I'm going to put you on this planet, I'm going to create pain, suffering, torture, sickness, some humans will never even hear of me, yet if you do not believe, you cannot get into heaven." Why would a being do this??

We were created perfect to live forever with no pain, suffering, or even work. Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden and talked directly with Y'howah, God. Pain, suffering, work and every human affliction is the result of the deception of Eve by satan and Adam by Eve and the original sin of disobedience of God.

Why wouldn't he do this instead;

"Ok humans, I am God!!! I am great, powerful, loving and caring. I created the universe and I can take you out!! I'm going to put you on earth with wonderful living conditions, love, peace and friendship amongst all mankind. I will be visible in the sky to everyone!!! I will walk this planet with you. If you need something, just ask and you shall have it!! And guess what!! I saved the best part for last. You're going to enjoy this AWESOME life here for about 80 years at which time I am going to take you to an even better place....heaven!!!" All I ask for in return is that you worship me, pray to me and love me. Spread my word to your offspring and you will know euphoria!!

"Now humans there is a catch!! I have these 10 rules here. If any of you breaks them, you will go to one of two other places I created. Purgatory or hell!! I will decide based on the severity of your crime. You will experience the horrors and pain of fire for a duration that I will decide!! The choice is yours.

That's MY interpretation of a God. And remember, I'm not argueing that there is no God, only that I require proof.

He basically did that. He originally walked and talked with Adam and Eve. He allowed Moses to see His glory as He passed by. He declares that He is loving, awesome, powerful, forgiving of those that believe Him and a destroyer of those that refuse to believe Him.

He gave us His prophets, scribes, and the apostles of Jesus to present the account of creation and His works of the Old Testament and His plan of salvation in the New Testament.

He has given us the choice to believe or not believe. Our choice. Our consequences.

 

[crabcake]

He basically did that. He originally walked and talked with Adam and Eve. He allowed Moses to see His glory as He passed by. He declares that He is loving, awesome, powerful, forgiving of those that believe Him and a destroyer of those that refuse to believe Him.

k, so why doesn't he do that nowadays? :shrug: Is he on hiatus? Did he toss his hands up in the air and just say "screw it; I give up"? What was so special about those people vs. people today?

And as sarcastic as that sounds, yes, I'm serious.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Ok.... but really, The Bible is basically hundreds of scrolls all rolled into one. Who decided which ones were appropriate and which were not?

I truly believe in God 2A. You and I just see things differently.

I believe you do. I also believe you believe in Jesus as your Savior.

The matter of belief in God is not the question. As I have posted before, satan believes in God. Satan has been in God's presence. Satan has seen God face to face. Satan with a third of the angels chose to rebel against God. The were cast down on earth and live among us.

The question is "Do you have Jesus as Savior and Lord?". (Not you Kain. You have said you believe in Jesus as your Savior before and I take that at face value.) God has presented His plan for every person of the world. It is up to Christians to accept the job of proclaiming the plan of salvation. It is not a Christian's job to convince anyone to believe. It is a Christian's job to proclaim and if someone believes, to help in the growth of that person to the point where they too proclaim God's plan of salvation. One becomes two and two become four and four become eight and ... That is the way it has been and should be since Jesus ascended into heaven.

 

[mAlice]

You mean that stuff that I never experienced when I was all caught up in "the truth"? I guess I wasn't good enough.

I'd still like a response to this. Why was I not good enough to experience whatever it is that christians are supposed to experience. The thing that convinces them that there's something to believe, an enlightenment, if you will.

 

[dustin]

k, so why doesn't he do that nowadays? :shrug: Is he on hiatus? Did he toss his hands up in the air and just say "screw it; I give up"? What was so special about those people vs. people today?

And as sarcastic as that sounds, yes, I'm serious.

What are you basing these observations on? i.e. sources

 

[dustin]

I'd still like a response to this. Why was I not good enough to experience whatever it is that christians are supposed to experience. The thing that convinces them that there's something to believe, an enlightenment, if you will.

Compare loving God to lovin your BMW. It's got all the good stuff, and brings happiness to your life, but if you treat it wrong it will put you in a ditch.

 

[crabcake]

What are you basing these observations on? i.e. sources

Well, outside the National Enquirer, I haven't seen/heard any reports of God talking to people, parting seas, etc. I've never experienced it, nor anyone I know.

The closest thing to a "God-like" act I can attest to was when my Grandmother died (literally, those last couple breaths), she looked up and her eyes -- which hadn't opened for a day or two -- got really wide like she was seeing something we couldn't. But the realist in me can also fathom that being the physical reaction of one's last breath.