Exactly Simply as much as IceMage hates to admit it the Bible has been edited and reshaped parts have been cut out to shape it to fit doctrine.

That is the peripheral stuff. there are the words of the bible printed on the pages, changed from the King James to the NRV to NKJ, etc... but then there is the Spirit of God's message in the Bible which doesn't change. The message of God's overwhelming love for man and Grace won not through good works or a life of sinless living, but instead there for the asking of our own free will, the message of Salvation through Jesus Christ. And the lessons of forgiveness and love which shine through the life of Christ like a light.

You said you don't know which parts of the Bible are true or false. If you throw out the Bible's clear condemnation of homosexual relations, by what logic can you keep any of the moral teachings? Perhaps when polygamy is the new flavor of the week you will change your opinion on that. It's pretty clear you are trying to mesh your non-Christian viewpoints with your faith, but I don't think the cognitive dissonance can last for you.

Explain to me how these changes would take place. Were the original writers not inspired by God? Did they not have the religious conviction to relay what they saw and heard accurately? Did the early Christians knowingly get killed for a lie? If we can't trust the gospel writers, we can't trust any of it.

We're not talking about 100% accuracy. You are claiming doctrines and teachings could have been edited in... and how convenient, the flavor of the week(gay marriage) was one of those things edited in. Let me guess.... the command for a woman to submit to her husband was also added after the original writing?

Like what? Give me one example of a scripture that the majority of Christians maintained was the word of God, and one day it was cut out.

I think the biggest thing you seem to be missing is that none of my beliefs in individually condemned acts are concrete. None of them. If i wake up tomorrow with a clear idea that homosexuality is wrong i will switch my beliefs, it has happened on quite a few issues. You call this wishy washy and say it means im close to no faith, sobeit, it is how i have chosen to worship. I have made this choice fully understanding it could mean my eternal damnation. For me personally, i cant simply adhere 100% faithfully to a doctrine that doesnt match my moral code. If i did i would only be lying to myself, in my eyes a far greater sin than the biblical analysis that i currently do.



I believe that some of the original writers were divinely inspired, perhaps only a few, perhaps every one, perhaps only one. I cant come to a conclusion without a time machine. Im not sure if you are playing naive as to how changes happen, editing always enacts change, as does translation. I dont believe that god intended for his divine word to last forever untarnished. It is for man to protect that word, and in 2000 years we as men have failed.



As stated above i take this to mean you admit there isn't a 100% accuracy. So essentially it seems to me you admit that word choice can and did change, but somehow seem to think that whole passages couldnt have been edited in or out. I dont follow this logic. The changes that took place were not divinely guided, they were men who edited and translated the text well before out lifetimes. On top of that the composition of the Bible itself was done by man, even if divinely inspired, it was done by man. Do you not see this as an immediate place for bias to be edited into the Bible?

As to the woman submitting to her husband it depends on which interpretation you mean? My fiance surely is not submissive to me, and yet there are many things i decide for us. This is due to my personal aptitudes however, not a sense of the need for submission. If you are interpreting it to mean that we are entirely devoted to each other than that is true.

All of this more than likely seems on the surface that i dont hold the bible in much reverence, which is false. The fact that i believe that the bible must be read, interpreted, and prioritized enriches my faith. I seek the word of god, i do not take it for granted. If it was a book that could be read and simply taken at face value it wouldnt hold my interest, id rather admit this to myself and frame my faith around honesty with myself than force myself to lie until it feels right.

When King James commissioned his translation of the bible in the 1,600's he had a team of 50 scholars working on the text all translating, into easy to understand linguistics that woul be easy to understand for a mostly illiterate audience. after compiling the text into one book James then had over 10 revisions made before the final publication.

Do you maintain that the original Kin James edition Bible is the word of God?

and if so which version? 1-10 ?

I just enjoy seeing if people will make 100% in every case/blanket statements about something. They are usually wrong.

How would you ever develop this clear idea that homosexual relations are wrong? What would make you suddenly believe that? The answer: nothing, and certainly not anything in the holy text of the religion you claim to be a part of.

That's the thing... anything in the Bible which doesn't match your beliefs is put into the "not really the word of God" bin. You have no real process of determining what scripture is the word of God.

I don't care what you do, but I don't think it's possible for a person to be this skeptical of their holy text and remain faithful. Wishful thinking.



Perhaps none?

You can't come to a conclusion without a time machine because your belief is built on a shaky foundation.

John 20:29
New International Version
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The essence of the ideas conveyed remains the same. 99% of textual variants do not change the meaning of the text. I really think you have been misled on this subject, or perhaps you are misleading yourself in order to avoid confronting your non-Christian beliefs.



Like I said above, textual variants are almost always irrelevant. I don't know of any good reason to think whole portions of the Bible were taken out or edited in. The Bible was written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is God-breathed.

This is true and idiots like Valhalls are trying to misrepresent something like the modernization of the language to try and discredit legitimate doctrine that was unaltered. The versions he keeps referring to all have to do with translations, or updating certain words because their archaic use is no longer relevant.

Valhalls stop trying to speculate and contort things that are crystal clear with your nonsense.

Words like 'Arsenokoitai' for example?

Also you never answered our question. How old do you think the earth is?

Viv, i simply don't know only God does. Most people that consider themselves experts can only give you estimates not concrete answers on this question so for me to sit here and try and throw numbers out is pointless.