Reading the Bible and say 'Wow! That just has to be true!'

[nobspeople]

Thanks to our friend TRANSPONDER here:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39043&start=70

Their statement below made me wonder.
They said: "I find it difficult to believe that people can read the Bible and say 'Wow! That just has to be true!'"

For discussion:
Has ANYONE read the entire bible and made this decision based on that reading alone?

What made you come to that conclusion, exactly?
Was there anything you read that made you think 'Well, that doesn't make sense!'?
Did it take more than a simple reading of the bible to come to the conclusion you did (be it true or false)?

[bjs1]

Their statement below made me wonder.
They said: "I find it difficult to believe that people can read the Bible and say 'Wow! That just has to be true!'"

For discussion:
Has ANYONE read the entire bible and made this decision based on that reading alone?

Do you mean without any pre-existing ideas about life or the soul or God or reality or anything else? I assume that would be impossible. Most of us have already started to develop such things by the time we are capable of reading, and they are certainly well developed by the time we are able to understand the Bible in more than just the most superficial way.

For my part, I had at least a general theistic leaning by the time I sat down to really study the Gospels. And yes, after reading the four Gospels I said something like, "Wow! That just has to be true! If truth can be found anywhere then this Jesus guy had a lot of it. If he doesn't have truth than nobody does."

[JehovahsWitness]

For discussion:


Did it take more than a simple reading of the bible to come to the conclusion you did (be it true or false)?

For me yes, I needed help to understand the bible and had to study bible based literature [ * ] to fully grasp how outstanding the bible is. I now believe that everything in the bible is true, and have no doubt about its reliability.




[ * ] Enjoy Life Forever! free interactive Bible course
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/g ... dy-course/



JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

Is the bible easy or difficult to understand?
viewtopic.php?p=1049513#p1049513

I want to understand the bible, what must I do?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 14#p940714

Should I need other people to understand the bible?
viewtopic.php?p=1049579#p1049579

Why doesn't God help people understand the bible?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 70#p940370

If the bible is true, why are there so many disagreements as to its meaning?
viewtopic.php?p=1053514#p1053514

Why isn't the bible clearer so that everyone that reads it can come to the same understanding?
viewtopic.php?p=966727#p966727

Why does God not grant understanding to some people?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 02#p964402

Is the bible an incomprehensible mess?
viewtopic.php?p=1054980#p1054980

Should the bible make sense?
viewtopic.php?p=1055318#p1055318

Is the bible "a mystery" ?
viewtopic.php?p=1095732#p1095732

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

THE BIBLE , BIBLE UNDERSTANDING and ... HERMENEUTICS*

* bible interpretation

[1213]

...
Has ANYONE read the entire bible and made this decision based on that reading alone?

What made you come to that conclusion, exactly?
...

I think I have always believed in God. For me Bible confirms my belief, because things go as said in the Bible.

[Tcg]

...
Has ANYONE read the entire bible and made this decision based on that reading alone?

What made you come to that conclusion, exactly?
...

I think I have always believed in God. For me Bible confirms my belief, because things go as said in the Bible.

So, you remember what you believed at age 1 week?


Tcg

[cms]

Did it take more than a simple reading of the bible to come to the conclusion you did (be it true or false)?

I believe it takes wisdom in understanding the Bible, because what's being said isn't just a one-time occurrence. These things play out over and over again in our own lives and in the lives of others. I find it's true that history repeats itself.

[nobspeople]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #11]

Do you mean without any pre-existing ideas about life or the soul or God or reality or anything else?

For as much as that's possible. That's probably 'the best' we could expect for most of humanity.

after reading the four Gospels I said something like, "Wow! That just has to be true! If truth can be found anywhere then this Jesus guy had a lot of it. If he doesn't have truth than nobody does."

I think with the gospels that's a lot more likely.
Have you ever read the entire modern bible?
What about the agnostic works (even though they're not part of the modern bible)?

[TRANSPONDER]

I said I wasn't going to argue here, but in view of the Topic -question, I have to comment on some of the believer -statement here. It is utterly clear that with Faith the Bible is interpreted to make perfect sense. Without Faith or at least with the ability to entertain doubts and questions, it only makes perfect nonsense.

So the question is posed again; did the faith come from being taught religion from infancy or was a person who didn't much care talked or persuaded into Faith by having the Bible explained to them as making sense and even proof of God by someone explaining it to them?

It doesn't address the question to say 'I can now fit everything in the Bible into what I want to believe' (or various equivalents), but do they recall how they got into Faith in the first place?

I can recall having Christianity and the Bible hammered at me my whole life, and that's in the UK, which is only a third as religious as the Us. Without ANY outlet for a dissenting voice (until the 80's at any rate), I'm surprised that anyone comes to disbelieve the Bible. So it's not surprising that so many do believe it.

[bjs1]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #11]

Do you mean without any pre-existing ideas about life or the soul or God or reality or anything else?

For as much as that's possible. That's probably 'the best' we could expect for most of humanity.

As I wrote, I don't think it is possible at all. We are start building these ideas before we can read.

Have you ever read the entire modern bible?

Yes.

What about the agnostic works (even though they're not part of the modern bible)?

I assume you meant "gnostic" works. I have read a few. The Gospel of Thomas is easily the best of them. For many reasons I can understand why it was not included with the canonical gospels.

[nobspeople]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #18]

As I wrote, I don't think it is possible at all. We are start building these ideas before we can read.

As I wrote, for as much as that's possible

I assume you meant "gnostic" works.

Yes, thank you.

I have read a few. The Gospel of Thomas is easily the best of them. For many reasons I can understand why it was not included with the canonical gospels.

What are the reasons?

[Purple Knight]

For discussion:
Has ANYONE read the entire bible and made this decision based on that reading alone?

The closest I've come is noticing that except for birds, the order of creation of animals is actually correct. Including fish, there are five classes of vertebrates. The chances of getting only one wrong by mere chance are about 1/125. Even seeing that the Bible doesn't really separate reptiles from mammals, that's still four classes (assuming "land animals" as one class) and the chances of getting only one wrong by mere chance are still about 1/16.

The really odd part about this is that it correctly puts life's beginning in the oceans.