ExNavyAmerican

I'm really getting bored with this discussion. I've spoken my piece (summed up in two sentences):

1. Christianity is a religion of peace and freedom (that doesn't impose it's beliefs) according to the Bible

2. You best thank God for Christianity's influence on the US because Christianity is what made us great.

I'll read your post, but will not reply.

I'm signing off.

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"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."
- Thomas Jefferson

glyn

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Semper in excretum. Solum profunda variat.

Arnold123

The trouble is that it got side tracked, as is usually the case, by attack and defence. The actual subject is eminently worth pursuing if we can get along without the heated exchanges?

Arnold123

The first thing is to establish the logic of the claims of God about himself and work out from there. If we start with a human understanding of God we will never get of the starting blocks. Those who are not into this kind of analysis should, at the very least, hold themselves in check until they have done the research and not jump in with some 'denominational sacred ground protection plan'. The accuracy will follow.

JAD_333

Well, how accurate is it? I don't think this thread has answered the question, nor will it ever. The thread has shown that there are many contradictory versions, of parts of the bible. It has also shown a bias in many posters to accept these contradictory versions. But ultimately the question "how accurate is the bible" is a near impossible to answer. It's accuracy depends on the existence and participation of God as depicted in it, and I don't think that any of us can objectively prove that one way or the other. But it was an interesting discussion on the whole...

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To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education. (Plato)

Arnold123

Are these personal view points and observations or general?

JAD_333

Well, I assume since your post follows mine you are referring to mine, so I will hazard a reply. The viewpoint I expressed is of course personal. But you gave me a choice of personal or general, which does not seem to me to be
a well matched set of alternatives. Nevertheless, in general I personally believe--in fact, I am sure--that this thread has not, can not and will not establish the accuracy of the bible one whit. But if the thread taught you that alone, it was worth it.

Gun Grape

First, an apology for hijacking this thread far from the original question.

I'm a contractor, I'd like to run my own business on any day I choose, thank you.

No. If my employees don't want to work on Sunday, that would be fine with me. Wouldn't need a full crew anyway. Think of it as a catch up/Punchlist day. I would prefer that the majority didn't work. Keeps me from paying time and a half.


I think you can find a very strong argument against that statement. From the Founding Fathers themselves.

I blame it on a late post, and not proofreading. Sort of like your "Christians don't have to follow the 10 Commandments"

Arnold123

So maybe there is a possiblity that it it may be possible to establish this question or shall we not bother and simply give up?

glyn

Arnold123

The thing is to make a start. One thing God says about himself is that he never changes, 'I am the same yesterday, today and tomorrow'.

chankya

Was it ever him to start with? I hear the Earl of Oxford is the leading contender for the true authorship.

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"Of all the manifestations of power, restraint impresses men the most." - Thucydides

JAD_333

well, Glyn, since the accuracy of the bible hasn't been advanced one way or the other by this thread or, for that matter, by all the theological texts in the world, it seems to me we either have to refine the aim of this thread or hang it up as a futile effort.

On the other hand if the aim is to probe disparities in the text, I find that interesting and informative, and worth continuing. You contributed a good bit in that regard.

But the task of establishing the accuracy of one version or an opposing one isn't going to happen on this thread inasmuch as the discovery of the truth is a very inward, emotional and non verbal experience.

As Will put it so well, "...we are but poor players who strut and fret our brief hour upon the stage and then are no more; tis a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Arnold123

The first question really is, 'How many that have contibuted to this thread know the Bible well enough if at all to argue one way or the other for the accuracy', it seems like the accuracy is being established by third party hear-say?

Arnold123

When you are tracking cause and effect the first thing you do is listen to the language, that is what is being said, think about the limitations and walk through the ramifications. You then apply this to the evidence and repeat until you have a final verdict, you are then able to make a descision with respect to the accuracy of the matter. As it is God in question the first article in the loop is the matter of how this person describes himself and whether it is valid or not and what are the limits and fits of the language. So to what do we address ourselves to test the accuracy of the Bible, original question?