The Bible

[AscensionOm]

Originally Posted by Molearner

AscensionOm,

We live in a very lazy age. It would not surprise me if most people felt this way. Read it once and discard it like one would discard the assembly instructions for a bicycle after it was assembled. If all of our students were given the answers for every test everyone would be an 'A' student. IMO, the process of discovery is of more importance than the discovery itself. It is the discovery process that forces one to think.

Laziness has nothing to do with it. Otherwise you're stating that God intended for multiple churches, which are composed of different rituals and rites. That each individual in the church has their own opinion, which may be opposite to another. This creates multiple religions, divisions, and one-upmanship.
God's concern isn't your laziness. But, your willingness to be a good or bad person. Yin and yang. Understand right and wrong, based on morals.
This quote isn't stating, "giving the answers". But a direction to the right experience. The Bible however, drives everyone in different directions of opinions. It takes thousands of hours of studying, and even then little is known. This isn't something to rely on for guidance in life...to an extent anyway. The Bible is so compacted in metaphors, it's hard to differentiate between what is meant literally and what isn't. But as the quote infers, give a straight forward guidance to the right experience.
"Read it once and discard it like one would discard the assembly instructions for a bicycle after it was assembled"
That's exactly how it should be. Why make it harder than it should be? Ex, by writing the assembly instructions in university level terminology.
If you can't explain it simply, or to a child, you don't understand it well enough.

[IamSoul49]

Hello All

Ascension;

Laziness has nothing to do with it. Otherwise you're stating that God intended for multiple churches, which are composed of different rituals and rites. That each individual in the church has their own opinion, which may be opposite to another. This creates multiple religions, divisions, and one-upmanship.

Yes - oneupmanship - to be avoided at all costs....

Molearner was actually stating something entirely different - a very profound truth that many here have come to realise - that truth,is that its not what is written or taught to us that is important - but rather,the search FOR that truth brings a much better reward and benefit...Dont settle for the secondhand truth - find it directly - engage the process hands on,rather than being led by another...See especially,how the truth so revealed,is applicable to the life we already live - and thus,make sense of our existance..As he says,it makes us THINK instead of knee jerk reaction to life..

God's concern isn't your laziness. But, your willingness to be a good or bad person. Yin and yang. Understand right and wrong, based on morals.

.

Hmm...First - you assume this "god" of the bible,is then the only true legitimate god..?...What if that was not the case at all..?...We have many many MANY gods,dont we..?..Who then - gets to pick,decide,lay down rules as to our "moral conduct"..?....Some of these gods for instance,(including the one in the bible) - tells us murder is ok - even demands it from us at times...

And this is why the process of discovering truth is so crucial - because look - does your SOUL agree with that god and its demands..?...And at times it does not agree - Dare we then - think for our Self - or do we now - follow blndly,to a god we dont even know or understand..?...As Molearner said - most ARE lazy and will simply pay the god lip service,browse the surface truth perhaps,and so,follow it blindly...

The Bible however, drives everyone in different directions of opinions. It takes thousands of hours of studying, and even then little is known. This isn't something to rely on for guidance in life...to an extent anyway. The Bible is so compacted in metaphors, it's hard to differentiate between what is meant literally and what isn't. But as the quote infers, give a straight forward guidance to the right experience.

Yes - we know

As Baile said - there is another thread that was recommended to you,in which we discuss this very issue - amongst other things....The validity of the scripture,and how to approach it - reasons why it is this way...Youll find,actually,we all pretty much agree with your conclusions,can see the same things (those who have replied here)..

The bible does indeed have many flaws - and yet does indeed also,,contain some Holy truth - universal truth that applies to one and all...Now I say,the most important parts,are omitted from the bible,on purpose - Yeshuas truth there is incomplete....many others see this also - and the only real issue we disagree on at times,is WHY this is done to us....

Hence my question to you - an effort to make you THINK as Moearner suggests (always a good thing) - and the question is then - WHICH GOD..?...Maybe it told so many different versions of truth,because it is not the ACTUAL truth..?..Maybe,the one who claimed to be this "god" - aint god at all..?...Maybe,it doesnt even know the whole truth itself - what then..?..

[AscensionOm]

Molearner was actually stating something entirely different - a very profound truth that many here have come to realise - that truth,is that its not what is written or taught to us that is important - but rather,the search FOR that truth brings a much better reward and benefit...Dont settle for the secondhand truth - find it directly - engage the process hands on,rather than being led by another...See especially,how the truth so revealed,is applicable to the life we already live - and thus,make sense of our existance..As he says,it makes us THINK instead of knee jerk reaction to life..

"find it directly" yea....lol. Too bad there is very little who search. They follow like sheep of the church.
Either way that paragraph has little to do with my comment, you trail off.

Hmm...First - you assume this "god" of the bible,is then the only true legitimate god..?...What if that was not the case at all..?...We have many many MANY gods,dont we..?..Who then - gets to pick,decide,lay down rules as to our "moral conduct"..?....Some of these gods for instance,(including the one in the bible) - tells us murder is ok - even demands it from us at times...

I can assume whatever I want. I don't believe in the anthropomorphic version of God in the Bible. Again, not sure how your comment is relevant to my previous statement. You sprouted an opinion out of the blue.

And this is why the process of discovering truth is so crucial - because look - does your SOUL agree with that god and its demands..?...And at times it does not agree - Dare we then - think for our Self - or do we now - follow blndly,to a god we dont even know or understand..?...As Molearner said - most ARE lazy and will simply pay the god lip service,browse the surface truth perhaps,and so,follow it blindly...

"process of discovering truth is so crucial" ...yes. It would be easier to understand, if not written in ancient metaphors.
Again, not sure what your point is.

As Baile said - there is another thread that was recommended to you,in which we discuss this very issue - amongst other things....The validity of the scripture,and how to approach it - reasons why it is this way...Youll find,actually,we all pretty much agree with your conclusions,can see the same things (those who have replied here)..

I read the other thread. I still made this one.

Hence my question to you - an effort to make you THINK as Moearner suggests (always a good thing) - and the question is then - WHICH GOD..?...Maybe it told so many different versions of truth,because it is not the ACTUAL truth..?..Maybe,the one who med tclaio be this "god" - aint god at all..?...Maybe,it doesnt even know the whole truth itself - what then..?..

Having a complicatedly written Bible isn't the only source for deep thought. There are many ways for deep thought, without the Bible.
Sounds like you're starting to doubt your own belief, whatever it may be.

[Clear Blue Sky]

was this such a problem before the invention of the printing press? Before that the Bible was one thing, hymns and ritual another, saints to pray to and relics yet another, the occasional mystic and vision and revelation. Then the Bible was printed so all could read it and read and learn 'the truth' and then it became THE TRUTH. which is idolatry. How would you like to marry someone and they spent their whole time years into your marriage just reading the love letters you wrote long ago, insisting your life match what you wrote back then?

Is it more an issue of the protestant reformation, or all book-based religions? I know that in Torah there is a very broad interpretation of laws, different rabbi schools of thought, and they have come progressed a very long way from the raw old ways.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by AscensionOm

Everyone else seem's to understand. The "not clear" part is on your end. I recommend re-reading a bit more. Maybe take notes and piece it together

Originally Posted by AscensionOm

I read the other thread. I still made this one.

Six posts in and you're already nuking the joint with one-sided critiques and rude replies. This is a discussion forum. I simply asked if you could clearly outline what your stance was instead of quoting from a book. Heavens, even when people tell you they agree with you, you give them attitude. Did you sign up here just to fight with people?

Hypnotized person is basically willing to be hypnotized
Too bad there is very little who search. They follow like sheep of the church.
Either way that paragraph has little to do with my comment, you trail off.
I can assume whatever I want.
Again, not sure how your comment is relevant to my previous statement.
You sprouted an opinion out of the blue.

[knightofalbion]

The way to approach the Bible is to acknowledge that it has passed through the hands of men, very often unworthy men, but as in all such books one should search for the wisdom, the wheat amidst the chaff, and to discern the allegorical from the literal, then one becomes enriched, which ultimately is the purpose of any holy book.

[Clear Blue Sky]

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

The way to approach the Bible is to acknowledge that it has passed through the hands of men, very often unworthy men, but as in all such books one should search for the wisdom, the wheat amidst the chaff, and to discern the allegorical from the literal, then one becomes enriched, which ultimately is the purpose of any holy book.

that is a sage way of looking at it. I was looking at an old text that we know had been dinked with over time. You can see it as contaminated. Or you can look at is as an old building architecture, and remark how it has been built on over the years and parts refurnished. Like a chain story written through time, showing a glimpse of how people used to think and how thinking changed and developed with the generations. We with our text-based publishing modern minds might look on that as corruption. But way back when these stories were written, the books came out of the narrative story telling tradition. Traditionaly the story teller would keep an eye on the audience, and tailor fit his telling of the story to draw the audience's attention and interests and be relevant to their day and situations.

Stories used to be MEANT to be fluid and integrable with a somewhat changing culture. It is only after the printing press perhaps that obsession with the 'original' and therefore 'true' developed.

[AscensionOm]

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

The way to approach the Bible is to acknowledge that it has passed through the hands of men, very often unworthy men, but as in all such books one should search for the wisdom, the wheat amidst the chaff, and to discern the allegorical from the literal, then one becomes enriched, which ultimately is the purpose of any holy book.

Yea, that is still not relevant to what the quote is saying.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by AscensionOm

Yea, that is still not relevant to what the quote is saying.

So if anyone posts a thought that has nothing to do with whatever you happen to think, it's "not relevant." Yea (sound familiar?) that attitude isn't relevant to the process of dialogue and conversation. So what's your reason for even being here? You sure don't seem to want to expound on your thread topic. Do you want to talk about you instead? You're irritable for a reason, what's going on? Did someone here upset you, and acting unreasonable is your version of payback?

[AscensionOm]

Originally Posted by Baile

So if anyone posts a thought that has nothing to do with whatever you happen to think, it's "not relevant." Yea (sound familiar?) that attitude isn't relevant to the process of dialogue and conversation. So what's your reason for even being here? You sure don't seem to want to expound on your thread topic. Do you want to talk about you instead? You're irritable for a reason, what's going on? Did someone here upset you, and acting unreasonable is your version of payback?

Separate opinions are for separate threads. Very simple to understand. Why you bother asking? We will never know.