Do you follow the Bible? I don't buy it

December 18, 2008 10:23pm CST
Hi, I just want to know if you believed in the bible. I am not religious at all but I do believe in a higher power of some sort (after all, how did our surroundings get here?) I consider the bible mythical story telling, full of history and events with no actual evidence to present. I don't think the bible is meant to be taken literally and it’s there just to teach life values. I don’t understand why some people take it literately because we live in the scientific world were we challenge things we don’t have evidence for. The more we learn about Archaeology and history, the more I realise that most of the things in the bible are fiction. I don’t believe the bible fits into the modern world, it just doesn’t make sense to me. “It’s true because there is no evidence for it” doesn’t do it for me. To me, the bible is just an edited volume of stories, put together into one book with no plot or structure. Stories are unclear and often contradict each other. For example, In Genesis's first chapter, God creates Adam and Eve at the same time. In the second chapter, God creates Adam first, Adam names the animals etc but says he is lonely, so God creates Eve out of his rib. 2 different authors talking about the same thing, but they differ a lot. This could just be two different versions of the same event, but how can anyone take the bible literately? Sometimes the bible is from the word of God, sometimes it’s from the word of a single man, and sometimes from many men. How can this be? That the bible is sometimes meant to be taken literately and sometimes symbolically? There are gospels that didn’t make the bible, but how can this be so? How can you include some of the words of God but not all? The people who decided what stories made the bible and which didn’t probably had a vote I guess. I see the bible as an edited volume and the stories that made it in got lucky. We have things like the 10 commandments (which vary depending on what book you read and are often greater than 10). One of the commandments says: “You shall not make for yourself an idol” So why do Christians worship statues of Mary and Jesus? Surely that breaks the rule or do you think if you follow most of the commandments, you will be ok in the afterlife?. If you are a Christian, I’m sure you have broken at least one of these commandments, but if you haven’t, perhaps you have not followed some of these statements from the bible: "And they shall say unto the elders of his city, this our son a stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice, he is a glutton, and a drunkard, And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil”. So the bible says we must stone disobedient children? Another part says:“If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do” So it’s ok to sell your daughter into slavery? Surely no one does these things? In another part of the bible it says if you work on a Sunday you will be put to death: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death” I’m sure everyone has broken that one. Another statement says: “Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?” Wasn’t Jesus a male and didn’t he have long hair? Is he a disgrace in Gods eyes? It’s the question of “Which parts should I use, which parts shouldn’t I use?“ If these are the words of God, what gives you the right to say which parts you follow and which parts you discard? I know there is an old and New Testament but what gives anyone the right to discard some of Gods words and rewrite his other words? Some of the stories in the bible sound crazy to me, Take the story of Noah’s Ark, how can a boat contain several million species? How can this boat travel around the world and distribute those millions of species appropriately for each country? I’m sure the great flood did happen, and I believe we have evidence to support this, but the actual story is too far fetched for me and I find it embarrassing that some people could actually believe this. The story of Moses and the Red Sea is another one that sounds crazy to me. Thousands of Jews are enslaves by an Egyptian pharaoh. Moses asks for his people to be released, and the answer was no, so God supposedly creates 10 plagues for the Egyptians. God turns water into blood and kills all the fish (why is God punishing the fish?) God covers Egypt with frogs (Is God punishing the frogs too? It’s hot in Egypt). Lice cover every man and beast, a cloud of insects attack the people and an epidemic disease kills the livestock?. If these events happened around the same time as each other, why would God then give every man and livestock in Egypt boils??? People are already covered in lice and have no water to drink. Animals are also covered in lice and now have an incurable disease, so why introduce boils? If this wasn’t enough, God creates a large storm of hail and fire, and then introduces Locusts?! What difference does it make now? Everyone should be dead, with no food or water. After introducing 3 days of darkness (as if that’s going to make a difference with all the chaos going on) God kills all Egyptians first born males. God punishes not only the people who commit the crime, but their innocent children? This story just makes God sound gullible, giving the pharaoh 10 chances to release the Jews. Maybe I have not understood the story well, but this is too far fetched to me. About Jesus, who is a messiah. I believe he exists, that he was a real man but why do people say he is the son of God? There were other messiahs around at the time that could do the things Jesus can do. Heal the sick, raised the dead, walk through walls etc what made Jesus special? Because he was resurrected? It’s impossible to provide evidence of someone’s rebirth. The need of God does not prove that God exists, but if you believe and respect God, I don’t see how you can throw out some of the rules just because you don’t like or agree with them.
2 people like this
7 responses
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
19 Dec 08
Yes there were other messiah at the time that could do what Jesus did but did they die on the cross for us. Have you read in any of the other books that the other messiah go through the agony and pain that Jesus went through to show how much he loves us. As to the bible if you read it you will realized that the love of God is real and there are two spirits that cover this world The Good and the Evil. In other words there is the Spirit and the flesh. The flesh will question everything because that is what the devil want of us. In the spiritual realm you will realized that love, forgiveness, worshipping and praising God is something wonderful and when you walk with him in the true way there will be nothing on earth that you will question.
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
19 Dec 08
Islander I respect everyone opinions. That was my opinion and reality. You don't like it that is your business. But when a person does not like another's opinion it is best to move on. I hope that one day you will get that revelation that Saul received while going on the road to murder those Christian believers. Until that happen you will know if it is a dogma or reality.
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
23 Dec 08
I follow the Bible. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior, and knowing Him as Savior is the ONLY way to get to heaven. I didn't make the rules, I simply follow them...
@Galena (9110)
19 Dec 08
I am religious. I have an ongoing relationship with the Divine. but no book is the truth. to find the truth you have to reach out to it yourself. the spark of the Divine is inside everyone, so we can all access deity. there is no need for priesthood, or prophets, or any other interpreter. just us and the vast creative force of nature. and we can access that force ourselves. we need no go between. so the bible means as little and as much to me as any book written by mankind. yes, the people that wrote them are able to access the divine. but so am I. and by reaching out myself, I get the message without the motives and intentions of another human being imposed on it.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
19 Dec 08
The Bible only makes sense to those who believe. It's really amazing what happens. If you've accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Bible comes to life. One wants to read and learn and understand more, and the more one reads and learns and understands, the more one wants to read more.
@Frederick42 (2024)
• Canada
19 Dec 08
There s no need fr me to follow the Bible. I am ful of wisdom and so, I follow myself.
• Philippines
19 Dec 08
The Bible is written by different men and at different time frames and yet no one can explain that its teachings and its stories are consistent. It can only be because it was written through divine inspiration from God. About the Bible not being true and just myth, please take a look at past and recent archaeological and historical findings that confirm the locations, people and events found in the Bible. Take a close look at the prophecy it foretells and you will be shocked to how true they are. The prophecy of a Messiah, Jesus Christ, was foretold, hundreds and even 1,000 years before He was born of a virgin birth. Some say that some of the stories in the Bible are simply amazing to be true. But if God was the writer and He was talking about His relationship with human beings, shouldn't we expect amazing things in them? He is God and Creator so all things are possible with Him.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I am very spiritual as well and I have my own beliefs. I have read some of the bible when I was younger and I honestly can't believe that it was meant to be taken literally. Some people pick and choose what parts to obey and it is usually something that will help them prove a point in an argument of some sort. it is a very difficult book to follow.