A simple question to honest believers.

All I can say is I am trying to find the most undiluted possible truth

reply to post by lupodigubbio

Pontius Pilate asked almost 2000 years ago that question, namely "What is truth?" I don't think there has been an acceptable answer to this date. This is, in my humble opinion, one that will likely never be answered to the satisfaction of the majority of human beings.

reply to post by Arrowmancer

Think about your favorite book. Now imagine that every chapter in the book was written by a different person. Now take out every fifth chapter and arbitrarily rearrange the others. Now translate it into another language, bury it for a few centuries, and have it retranslated back into your language after another fifth of the chapters are removed. BUT- have it translated by someone who has an agenda, who can choose either of two words to complete an idea.

This is an incorrect analogy because the Bible isn't just one book. It is a collection of books. That is what Bible literally means.

Also, the Bible wasn't "retranslated" back into the original languages. It was written in Greek and Hebrew. That's what we translate from today. There is no evidence that the original texts that we have have been altered at all; be it from retranslation or otherwise.

There isnt' a chance that the book you remember would be the same. The Apocrypha is what we know is missing from the bible. is missing that we DONT know? I think we have part of the bible, not all of it. Therefor, it is open to individual interpretation until it is whole.

The Apocrypha isn't missing from the Bible. It's always been there. But it was never considered to be Scripture (until the Catholics changed that for themselves during the Counter Reformation). Since it wasn't considered Scripture, it has been removed from the Bible in modern times; the fact remains though that everyone has access to it.

reply to post by lupodigubbio


You can read religious doctrine till your eyes pop out and still never have your answer. The only way you can know God is within yourself. Invite him in.
In the end, its you and your creator.
No ones doctrine will matter. Personally I have absolutely no doubt that a prime creator exists and that I am a part of the "God Particle" but you and only you can know what is within yourself. There is a comfort in believing yes, but there is no discription for KNOWING the part of you that is part of the creator. Everything is energy and vibration. You have to feel it within yourself.

Originally posted by lupodigubbio
The need for sacrifices, war, dominion, power, luxury, eating the flesh of animals, judgement, favoritism, awkward laws and violence seem to be the needs of a very primitive God, and quite frankly make zero sense to me in the context of a loving God and Savior. So, in other words, the bible as a whole (picked apart it does have wonderful parts) contradicts everything I believe to be good, holy and sacred. Jesus words however, resonate deep inside my soul.

Could you be specific? Do you mean the Old Testament laws?