Is the Bible only a half TRUTH?

[Gilligan]

The Bible has left out a lot of books because they did not fit in with the CANON of the other books. In church we are told that the Bible is the Word of God. Shouldn't we as His Children determine what word God has for us fits our own personal CANON. For example, I recently read the Gospel of Thomas. Thomas was excluded because Jesus' teaching to us through Thomas was that knowledge comes from within ourselves when we know who we are which is Jesus' twin. Obviously this gospel takes the wind out of the sails that say Christians need to go to church in order to find God.

Whoever decided this CANON must have had the collection plate in mind when they excluded Thomas from it. That's too bad. The Gospel of Thomas is God's word, and its kept from people which is probably all that is keeping them from God.

It just makes me mad. Scholars say that everything in the Bible is from the profits and the desciples another words its all true. If you ask your husband what he did after work and he says I stopped and had dinner. Would you consider him honest if you were told later that he ate dinner with a strange woman? The truth is WHOLE. Anything less is a lie.

[chemnitzps]

The reason the Gospel of Thomas is not in the canon is because it is not inspired. The book contradicts the rest of the Bible and was not written by Thomas the Apostle.

The Holy Spirit kept the Book of Thomas out of the cannon. The Gospel of Thomas cannot be God's Word since it disagrees with Scripture.

The Bible is fully innerrant and written by the Holy Spirit through the prophets.

The doctrine of Biblical Inspiration is impossible to believe without faith. If you are not a Christian you will not be able to understand why Christians believe what they do.

[PatrickHenry]

I read the Bible frequently. It is great, inspired by the Spirit of God. Is it the only thing He ever said? lol!
I read the Gospel of Thomas recently and found it very insightful and inspiring. It was this edition: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=173137
Elaine Pagels writes on the Gnostic gospels and doesn't get too far from the mainstream.
I think I am more on board with bandaid than chemnitzps on this one. But you seem like a firm brother in the Lord, chem...

[tinybear]

As I said in another thread, we can throw away all the holy books and just concentrate on being nice and kind to those who are nice and kind. We don't need a book to tell us what's nice and kind. We know it when we see it.

[Athena]

That is a very biased poll as it does not give a person a chance to clearly vote that the bible is not the truth. The bible begins with Hebrew translations of Sumerian stories about many gods and goddess and does not get any better. If the teachings of Jesus had been left free of the old testament and free of the superstition at the time, there would be more value in his teachings,but this is not the case. And Jesus sure did not say, go get a college education so you can make good money. I don't think anyone is really following Jesus. They couldn't afford computers it they did, and they sure wouldn't be begrudging the less fortunate what they have and do not want to give up.

[Gorgo]

The Bible isn't even good fiction. It's all nonsense.

[Agent007]

Gorgo, even if you did not believe in God or Jesus, you can at least find some considerable moral lessons in the Bible. Likewise, even if one is not a believer in Hinduism, he or she may still learn something enriching from the Bhaghavid Gita. At least read the Bible before you criticize it blindly with atheism.

[IndieC]

The Bible is the word of God, and a guide for humanity, well, for Christians anyway. It is not a rule book, and is also a historical document, and thus there to be debated, not simply accepted. In its original form, it is the word of God, but that original form was, in my opinion, what Jesus actually said, for the New Testament anyway, not what is written in, say, the New International Version or NIV, the most widely distributed Bible in the World today (in english anyway).

For that reason, i voted other.

[Starboy]

All supernatural religions have their holy writings that they proclaim to be the "truth". And if they proclaim a perfect god and they proclaim that their holy writings purposefully came from god then they must conclude that the writings are perfect. If you are a self consistent magical thinker then you would most likely be what is often called a fundamentalist.

Starboy

[Gorgo]

Quote by: Agent007 At least read the Bible before you criticize it blindly with atheism.

I haven't read much of the Bhagavad Gita, but I have read the Bible and don't see much use for it. Even the mythical Jesus is quite strange.

[Agent007]

Explain why He is strange, Gorgo. You would not have said Jesus is strange if your beliefs--or disbeliefs, for that matter--were not stalwartly combatted by people who believe in Jesus. Since you believe that your ontology is correct, you would instantly rebut the arguments of any of these people and claim that their beliefs are mythology without any substantial evidence. Your viewpoint, however, is flawed. You should not condemn the Bible as useless hokeypokey simply because atheism does not have a holy book and therefore you cannot be equally attacked.

[Gorgo]

Quote by: Agent007 Explain why He is strange, Gorgo.

Click on the red word Jesus in my post.

[Agent007]

Gorgo, the link you have shown me that tries to explain the false contention that Jesus is strange is an entirely biased and blasphemous polemic. Every single passage that is quoted is put out of its original context in order to support an alarming and disgusting atheist movement. The website you have linked me to is simply attempting to rebut everything that Jesus actually is, such as kind and a supporter of equality and harmony. Quite frankly, all who support the material on that website are lying entities that I am ashamed to call people. Besides this point, I must restate that the Bible, as it is, is pure and righteous, for it is written that Jesus has said that no one should tamper with the biblical material.

[Gorgo]

Quote by: Agent007 Every single passage that is quoted is put out of its original context

Yes, make sure whenever you quote the Bible to quote the entire Bible, or you're taking it out of context. No, you just don't understand the concept. You might wish to read and study the Bible so that you understand what you're talking about.

[Cephus]

Quote by: Agent007 Gorgo, even if you did not believe in God or Jesus, you can at least find some considerable moral lessons in the Bible. Likewise, even if one is not a believer in Hinduism, he or she may still learn something enriching from the Bhaghavid Gita. At least read the Bible before you criticize it blindly with atheism.

Just because you can find moral lessons in a book doesn't mean the book is necessarily worthwhile. I can find good lessons in Aesop's fables, it doesn't make them a good basis for a religion. Most atheists have studied the Bible in much greater depth than most Christians, simply because we study where the words came from as well as what the words say. The Bible get a lot from other pre-dating religions, mostly through oral tradition, although there are cases where it is copied a bit too closely for that.

Also, I'd have to ask what is meant by TRUTH. Historical truth? There is certainly some history in the Bible, but there's an awful lot of myth as well. Scientific truth? Absolutely not. Religious truth? No, the Bible is all lies at that point.

[Agent007]

Cephus, you are not being so "rational" when you are writing that there is no scientific or religious truth in the Bible (or historical truth, for that matter). You are simply writing biased answers and supporting them with nothing. Besides, the morals prescribed by the Bible, God, and Church traditions are enough to generate the Christian religion; you have no business saying it is not good without any support.

[SNPete]

Quote by: bandaid The Bible has left out a lot of books because they did not fit in with the CANON of the other books. In church we are told that the Bible is the Word of God. Shouldn't we as His Children determine what word God has for us fits our own personal CANON. For example, I recently read the Gospel of Thomas. Thomas was excluded because Jesus' teaching to us through Thomas was that knowledge comes from within ourselves when we know who we are which is Jesus' twin. Obviously this gospel takes the wind out of the sails that say Christians need to go to church in order to find God. Whoever decided this CANON must have had the collection plate in mind when they excluded Thomas from it. That's too bad. The Gospel of Thomas is God's word, and its kept from people which is probably all that is keeping them from God. It just makes me mad. Scholars say that everything in the Bible is from the profits and the desciples another words its all true. If you ask your husband what he did after work and he says I stopped and had dinner. Would you consider him honest if you were told later that he ate dinner with a strange woman? The truth is WHOLE. Anything less is a lie.

I agree with chemnitpz.

But I am curious, What does the Gospel of Thomas say and how does it change, add to or take away from what the rest of the Bible says about Jesus?

Secondly, can you or someone else explain Gnosticism. I never took the time to study it . I understand Gnosticism was a problem in the first and second centuries, because it introduced ideas that the physical body was evil and Jesus was only a spirit.

How does this teaching change the view of Jesus and the nature of man?

[PatrickHenry]

Pete, there is nothing to fear. Get a copy of Pagels Gospel of Thomas and read it. Do you think God will condemn your soul for being curious? lol!

[SNPete]

Quote by: PatrickHenry Pete, there is nothing to fear. Get a copy of Pagels Gospel of Thomas and read it. Do you think God will condemn your soul for being curious? lol!

It is not a matter of fear. It is a matter of time and interest. I am only slightly interested in the subject and don't have the time or desire to research. I have a job and a full life. However, if someone cares to enlighten me, I am interested.

[mr.perfecto]

Quote by: SNPete I agree with chemnitpz. But I am curious, What does the Gospel of Thomas say and how does it change, add to or take away from what the rest of the Bible says about Jesus? Secondly, can you or someone else explain Gnosticism. I never took the time to study it . I understand Gnosticism was a problem in the first and second centuries, because it introduced ideas that the physical body was evil and Jesus was only a spirit. How does this teaching change the view of Jesus and the nature of man?

Well, it is probably more complicated than I'm going to portray it as being, but essentially it is Pantheism For "Christians." Pantheism is a belief that God is a composite of everything in existence and, under a pantheistic worldview, believers see the universe itself as god.