Jesus Christ

Quoted from Humbercod

Seriously question do you think it’s time then that the bible comes with a disclaimer informing the reader that these stories are in fact fictitious, because there are millions of people who still believe the book is the words of God.

I think its a personal thing for people. Some give more weight than others to the storys.Pope Francis from what Ive seen doesnt believe in the  bible word for word but sees the deeper philosophical meaning behind them eg a battle between good v bad.  

Quoted from grimsby pete

A question I would like the believers to answer please.

What are your views on god.

1,  killing innocent babies on the night of the passover.

2. Killing everybody apart from Noah and his family in the flood.

Not everybody was evil.

This is one of the things I really don't quite understand. There are so many awful stories in the bible, particularly the Old Testament. There's that very famous quote from Dawkins:

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."

What I don't understand is how you can filter out the stories which are supposed to be fictitious from those which are taken to be truth. I get that there are different interpretations of the reading of the bible, but how do you take any good from a story where God asks Abraham to kill his own son, just to prove his devotion? Or the gang raping of Lot's daughters in (I think) Judges? The New Testament is significantly better, morally, but does that excuse the Old?

Quoted from kafunanapar140909

This is one of the things I really don't quite understand. There are so many awful stories in the bible, particularly the Old Testament. There's that very famous quote from Dawkins:

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."

What I don't understand is how you can filter out the stories which are supposed to be fictitious from those which are taken to be truth. I get that there are different interpretations of the reading of the bible, but how do you take any good from a story where God asks Abraham to kill his own son, just to prove his devotion? Or the gang raping of Lot's daughters in (I think) Judges? The New Testament is significantly better, morally, but does that excuse the Old?

I doubt God asked  any of them things though eg sacrificing your own son. It was man that made that all up albeit an extreme view which was meshed with the practises of that time amongst the Hebrews.  

Valid point on why leave some story's out but include others. Probably a reflection of society evolving and attaching new dimensions to one which previously wasn't so apparent. Hence as the Bible story progresses which again is based on actual events embellished by man  people begin to maybe realise that love and the effect that has on each other carries a lot of weight. This was then attributed to the divine and so forth is represented in the bible.

Quoted from kafunanapar140909

See I'm still not massively clear on how you are splitting "being a Christian" and "believing the teachings of Jesus". I'm unsure on how you can be one but not the other?

I just wondered what Christian believers' opinions are on those who follow the teachings of Allah (Islam) or Brahma/Vishnu/Shive (Hinduism), etc. In my experience (which I know doesn't necessarily equate to anybody on here), people are quick to denounce other religions but then take umbrage with those who, in a similar way, then denounce their own religion. It comes across as a bit of a double-standard, if you see what I mean?

Firstly I look at the teachings of Jesus. Then I look at how others interpret it and use their interpretations.

EG
Ask a Catholic why their clergy from the Pope don't marry. It's not our way or replies along those lines they will say. Then ask them to confirm that the first Pope was Peter, St Peter. Yes they will say. So, as I did to one gentleman, tell him that one of the first miracles of Jesus was that he healed Peters mother in law( In  Mark) so why haven't any Popes married since. ( No sarcastic comments please) He didn't know about the scripture in Mark because nobody told him.

Their is much ado about the poor and hungry, people living rough etc. So why did many people who regard themselves as Christians collect £250,000 to mend a church local tower at Waithe which is only used for ,I believe, one service a year.

I cannot comment on Islam etc but I do believe that it is a persons personal choice as to what they believe. I did have a conversation once with a Hindu Guru/Swami who told me, as part of the conversation, that if I eat beef I would die and it was offensive; as that was his belief. I pointed out that eating beef would not kill me nor has it to millions of others and that offerings of killed beef were common scriptures in the Old Testament.
To try to find mutual ground I pointed out to him that although I did not agree with what he said I did respect him for his views, and that he should reciprocate. He told me that he would never ever do that and that I was wrong. I pointed out their no point in continuing and left him to his congregation. I cannot express the venom in the manner he spoke to me but came away the distinct impression of how wars break out with extremists.  
I hasten to add that not all Hindu's are like this, particular doctors, and he probably was an extremist.

My view is you either believe the bible is all true or none of it is.

I had several discussions with my parents about things in the bible but they could not answer them.

Another thing about god.

The ten commandments  the first two are all about him when you would think Thou shall not  Kill would be the most important .

Quoted from grimsby pete

A question I would like the believers to answer please.

What are your views on god.

1,  killing innocent babies on the night of the passover.

2. Killing everybody apart from Noah and his family in the flood.

Not everybody was evil.

Firstly what you are referring to is in the Old Testament and not after the birth of Jesus Christ.

1/ This was because the Pharaoh did not do as he promised and was a last resort. You have omitted to say that the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites for decades.

2/ Unfortunately we do not know everybody was not evil but later in the Old Testament we are told of Sodom and Gomorrah and the fact that only Lot was not evil.

Quoted from Humbercod

Seriously question do you think it’s time then that the bible comes with a disclaimer informing the reader that these stories are in fact fictitious, because there are millions of people who still believe the book is the words of God.

No. As much as many ask for proof of the Bible, which is provided and ignored on this thread, they have offered no evidence to the contrary. In our modern age everything is virtually recorded, in the age of the Bible few could read or write. It was 99'9% word of mouth.

Quoted from grimsby pete

My view is you either believe the bible is all true or none of it is.

I had several discussions with my parents about things in the bible but they could not answer them.

Another thing about god.

The ten commandments  the first two are all about him when you would think Thou shall not  Kill would be the most important .

The thing it took me along time to realise is very simple and that the Bible is in 2 parts the Old and New Testaments. The old testament is pre Jesus and is basically for the Jews, Israelites describe them as you wish. The ten commandments were aimed at them, not us gentiles as we did not come into the picture until 1,000's years later (Book Peter).

Even though God had freed them from the Egyptians they decided to melt their gold to form an idol to pray to, which is where the first commandment came from.

You can ask many questions to many people about the Bible and your parents gave you the right answers. Nobody knows all the answers and if they tell you they do then they are liars. A Reverend once said to me that the devil couldn't get to him. I point out that the only person I knew oft hat the devil couldn't get at was Jesus, and that he was not Jesus. We have spoken for 15 years and he now ignores me.

Quoted from DB

Can you be more specific

and Josephus probably didn't witness anything that Jesus did.
Do you believe this to be a true statement?

It is generally regarded that Jesus, if he did indeed exist, was crucified somewhere between 30 AD and 36 AD.
As far as you are concerned is this true?

Josephus was born in 37 or 38 AD, so by the time he started writing about the life of Jesus, he had already been dead for at least 20 years.
Do you agree with this?

Quoted from Sandford1981

and Josephus probably didn't witness anything that Jesus did.
Do you believe this to be a true statement?

It is generally regarded that Jesus, if he did indeed exist, was crucified somewhere between 30 AD and 36 AD.
As far as you are concerned is this true?

Josephus was born in 37 or 38 AD, so by the time he started writing about the life of Jesus, he had already been dead for at least 20 years.
Do you agree with this?

I thought I had answered these but could have hit the post button hard enough.

The approximate dates of the death of Jesus are true and presumably the birth of Josephus. Given that it would be impossible for Josephus to have met Jesus.