Protestantism

» paper_turtle - The day God went broke.

In response to The day God went broke. posted by Migisi:

:)

Personally, I thought it was excellent.

peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle

» Brian Tubbs - What's the Bible?

Pink, I don't want to dodge your question, but I don't like it when fundamentalists OR critics reduce the doctrine of biblical authority to sound bytes.

What I believe is that GOD trumps all things. GOD is the source of absolute Truth. GOD determines Right from Wrong. We don't determine it (though we try). GOD determines justice. God determines reality. I believe in the absolute authority and infallibility of GOD!!

If the Bible therefore is the Word of God, then it has authority because God gives it authority. If the Bible is NOT the Word of God but is merely ancient literature, then it may have some wisdom and insight, but it is not divinely authoritative.

The real question is...What's the Bible? The Word of God or a Product of Man?

» Brian Tubbs - Fun video

Here's a video titled "I Believe..." I post it as a follow-up to my question re: the Bible. It's 2 minutes, 40 seconds long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INX6hqIZV...

» pink101 - What's the Bible? The Real Question?

In response to What's the Bible? posted by BrianTubbs:
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So you say the real question is, "What's the Bible?"
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And, what I had said was that the real statement was that your faith was not in God but that it was in the Bible. Right?
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And, you're trying to change things around.
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Somewhere along the line you came to a place where the question was put to you, "Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?".
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Everything you know about the "God" you say it is in whom you put your faith has come to you from where? That seems more like the real question to me.
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Who told you the Bible is the Word of God? Where did that person or group of persons get their information? Obviously, this is a circuitous question and you and I would just continue to chase each other in circles because you will not admit to the fact of where you get ALL--100%--of your verifiable and factual knowledge about God. If you were to confess to that, then, we would know in what it is that you put your faith.
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Something men out of ancient times wrote and embellished and wrote again and again. And now it is passed down to us as something with magical qualities about literal truths. Scholars are divided regarding its origins. Religious teachers are divided about its meanings.
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I have never attended a church in which some person actually had God sitting with them on the stage so that [He] could actually speak for [Him]self. And, the people in the audience weren't lining up at microphones to ask questions after [His] talk. But, I've watched Benny Hinn and too many others to name in person and or on television. They all claim the same thing that the Bible is the Word of God.
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Okay. That's what a lot of people say. But, so what? A lot of people wanted George McGovern to be president; but that didn't make it be the case when the votes were counted.
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The idea that there is a Creator entity in and of itself seems to have been revealed to people of every culture and walk of life over the history of humanity. And we are able to see how those ideas have been refined and presented and represented over thousands of years. But, if you can get a kid--early in their life--to buy into the belief that the Bible is the Book for Them, you've got them hooked good. Or if the Koran is the Book for Them. Or if ....
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You get my point.
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It's a cultural thing.
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Music is a powerful force to convince people of almost anything. If you indoctrinate a child before they have had a chance to come to a place where they can discern for themself, you can manipulate their mind to believe almost anything. That can easily be seen as shameful.
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - Faith is in God

In response to What's the Bible? The Real Question? posted by pink101:

Pink, I did NOT dodge your question. I answered very unequivocally that I have put my faith and trust in GOD. That I consider GOD to the arbiter of Truth and the Supreme Judge of Right and Wrong.

You make a lot of assumptions about my respect for the Bible. You assume that I have accepted the Bible as the Word of God simply because I was taught to believe that...AND...that I get "ALL-100%-verifiable and factual knowledge about God" from the Bible.

First, I don't simply accept the Bible because people told me to do so. There are other reasons for my acceptance of the Bible as being divinely inspired.

Second, it's not true that all my knowledge about God and my relationship with God is based exclusively on the Bible. I would say, however, that knowledge regarding God and my relationship with Him is CONSISTENT with the Bible.

» Brian Tubbs - Kids

In response to What's the Bible? The Real Question? posted by pink101:
If you indoctrinate a child before they have had a chance to come to a place where they can discern for themself, you can manipulate their mind to believe almost anything. That can easily be seen as shameful.
This comment of yours deserves its own thread. I'll start one later in the week. It's an important topic.

» pink101 - Faith is in God

In response to Faith is in God posted by BrianTubbs:
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I didn't mean to imply that you were dodging my question. I meant to give the impression that you were changing--putting a spin on--the issue involved.
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I read your uneuivocal answer to my question; but, I still say you are changing the direct point of my question.
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If we were to take the Bible out of your life's experience completely, it appears that would you know very little about God as you believe God to be. I am--in no way--attempting to deminish your beliefs one iota. My entire point is that what you say you know about God comes to you from out of the Bible--even if you have had experiences that you say are consistent with what the Bible has to say about God. In the final analysis, your faith is in the Bible for it is there where you verify what you believe to be the facts of reality. I don't see anything wrong with that and nothing wrong with admitting that. Why does it present you with any sense of challenge?
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What are some of the "other" reasons that you accept the Bible as "being divinely inspired" which, by the way isn't the same as being the Word of God?
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - Bible

In response to Faith is in God posted by pink101:
I have no problem admitting my belief in the Bible. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus that those in the "household of God" (his reference to the early church) are "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).

The Bible is essentially a collection of the teachings of those prophets and apostles as well as of course Jesus Christ. Since they (the prophets, the apostles, and of course Jesus) spoke for God, the Bible then qualifies as the Word of God.

» pink101 - Bible

In response to Bible posted by BrianTubbs:
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So, then, you're saying that you put your faith in what the Bible states as truth?
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - Bible

In response to Bible posted by pink101:

The OBJECT of my faith is God. I do not want my words to be misconstrued by you or anyone else. The Bible is not the object of my faith, but it most certainly IS a way in which I'm able to learn about and understand God - and hear from God.