Questions about the bible.

[Curious]

I have just finished reading the bible from Genesis to revelation (it was quite enjoyable, though reading through the genealogies was a bit of a mission) and have loads of questions.
For starters, to become a Christian do I need to believe that that the creation story in genesis actually happened as recorded in Genesis?

 

[Curious]

No I don't think it was an historical event but had important theological truths we can learn from. It was still useful and important.

That was how I understood it when I read the story. All cultures use literary devices to explain difficult concepts. I didn't know that some Christians took Jonah and the great fish to be an actual event.

 

[humble soul]

No, I wouldn't call myself a seeker, I just want to understand what Christians believe. I come from a secular household and have had no religious upbringing. I don't believe Christians are any more stupid than the rest of humanity.

Well this is a seeking subforum.
That Christians are no more stupid than anyone else, is hardly reassuring.
I'm not about to take responsibility for answering all your doubts and questions. The truth is we don't have good answers for many things. Including the mystery of suffering.
I know to sit in your place is easier than defending the faith. The Bible is not inerrant. And there are contradictions.
I place my faith in the mysterious sacrificial love of the cross. For me, truth is more subjective than objective. Have Jesus in your heart, and you will not be lost. In my opinion. But I respect truths in other religions. My preference will always be Christianity.

 

[Hopeful]

That makes sense. So does that mean that all Christians accept the Bible accounts as literal?

Just the literal parts.

 

[Curious]

Thank

Well this is a seeking subforum.
That Christians are no more stupid than anyone else, is hardly reassuring.
I'm not about to take responsibility for answering all your doubts and questions. The truth is we don't have good answers for many things. Including the mystery of suffering.
I know to sit in your place is easier than defending the faith. The Bible is not inerrant. And there are contradictions.
I place my faith in the mysterious sacrificial love of the cross. For me, truth is more subjective than objective. Have Jesus in your heart, and you will not be lost. In my opinion. But I respect truths in other religions. My preference will always be Christianity.

Thank you for a very straightforward, friendly answer. I am seeking to understand religion, most of the inhabitants of the planet are religious. I am just curious to know what the bible teaches. It took me nearly a year to read my way through it, and to be honest there is a huge amount of the text that I don't understand. The internet has been useful to do some research, but speaking to a real live person is much more helpful. As I said earlier, I am not here to debate, criticize or question a person's faith. I have a family member who became a Jehovahs Witness and he now has very little to do with me which hurts a lot. That is why I am very cautious. I suffer badly at times from mental health problems, and can be easily led by my emotional state. Anyway enough said. Thankyou for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

[Curious]

Well this is a seeking subforum.
That Christians are no more stupid than anyone else, is hardly reassuring.
I'm not about to take responsibility for answering all your doubts and questions. The truth is we don't have good answers for many things. Including the mystery of suffering.
I know to sit in your place is easier than defending the faith. The Bible is not inerrant. And there are contradictions.
I place my faith in the mysterious sacrificial love of the cross. For me, truth is more subjective than objective. Have Jesus in your heart, and you will not be lost. In my opinion. But I respect truths in other religions. My preference will always be Christianity.

I guess I should find the correct forum to ask questions - I don't want to be a time-waster. Thanks again.

 

[humble soul]

guess I should find the correct forum to ask questions - I don't want to be a time-waster. Thanks again.

There are Bible scholars on here who can give better answers than me.
Dont expect perect answers on any forum.

 

[humble soul]

It took me nearly a year to read my way through it, and to be honest there is a huge amount of the text that I don't understand.

Of course. Theologians take a lifetime and they still don't understand it. Imagine learning all the Hebrew and Greek translations.

 

[humble soul]

I have a family member who became a Jehovahs Witness and he now has very little to do with me which hurts a lot.

JW? That's a worry. They are cult like imo.

 

[humble soul]

. I suffer badly at times from mental health problem

Probably half a dozen at least on here with mental health issues. Including me.

 

[Curious]

Thanks again for your time. Looks like you are from just over the ditch. I lived in Australia for a while and really enjoyed it.

 

[humble soul]

Thanks again for your time. Looks like you are from just over the ditch. I lived in Australia for a while and really enjoyed it.

We aim to win the Bledisloe Cup one day.

 

[humble soul]

This is a quiet forum. Especially if you are not into Bible verse discussion/debates.

 

[Curious]

We aim to win the Bledisloe Cup one day.

That would be proof of a genuine miracle!!

 

[humble soul]

That would be proof of a genuine miracle!!

Praise the Lord....if that happens! ?

 

[stovebolts]

I personally believe that science has the best understanding of the age of the earth and how species have changed over time and struggle to see how the genesis account could be literal (but that is just my opinion). So, there are some Christians who do believe Genesis is literal and others that don't? So, as Hopeful pointed out, how can you measure which part of the Bible are to be accepted as literal and which are allegorical? I do get that Jesus used allegory, for example, Jonah and the great fish in Matthew 12.

I suppose that’s one way to reason. What I would caution is the trap many fall into, and that is applying modern day categories and reasoning to ancient writings. When we over analyze and criticize the text with a modern, cultural lense we miss the intent of the story.

If you want to debate creation verses evolution, the creation account was not written with that intent. Instead, it was written somewhat as an apologetic response the the competing creation stories that were circling in the surrounding cultures.
If you are serious about the creation account, I would recommend trying to better understand it through the lense of its original setting and its original intent. If you come into it primarily to debate, you will utterly misunderstand the narrative.

 

[WIP]

[ACMP=reminder]
Remember folks, let's address the OP's questions only in this forum. He has already stated that he has some confusion so let's not make things worse by arguing our differences of opinion.
[/ACMP]

 

[Curious]

I suppose that’s one way to reason. What I would caution is the trap many fall into, and that is applying modern day categories and reasoning to ancient writings. When we over analyze and criticize the text with a modern, cultural lense we miss the intent of the story.

If you want to debate creation verses evolution, the creation account was not written with that intent. Instead, it was written somewhat as an apologetic response the the competing creation stories that were circling in the surrounding cultures.
If you are serious about the creation account, I would recommend trying to better understand it through the lense of its original setting and its original intent. If you come into it primarily to debate, you will utterly misunderstand the narrative.

Obviously, I am not a biblical scholar, nor do I have an academic background, so I am open to correction. It seems obvious to me that the Genesis account is a literary device, and I am struggling to understand why people accept it as a literal account. I think your observation of it as an apologetic response to competing creation stories makes a lot of sense (in fact the narrative almost seems to demand it, i.e the talking serpent). I did a google search last night and came across a guy called Kent Hovind, I don't mean to be offensive, but the guy is very unpleasant and a bit unhinged. If a person looking to understand the Bible came across this chap in their search, he would probably put them off.

 

[stovebolts]

Obviously, I am not a biblical scholar, nor do I have an academic background, so I am open to correction. It seems obvious to me that the Genesis account is a literary device, and I am struggling to understand why people accept it as a literal account. I think your observation of it as an apologetic response to competing creation stories makes a lot of sense (in fact the narrative almost seems to demand it, i.e the talking serpent). I did a google search last night and came across a guy called Kent Hovind, I don't mean to be offensive, but the guy is very unpleasant and a bit unhinged. If a person looking to understand the Bible came across this chap in their search, he would probably put them off.

I’ve never heard of the fellow. But as you’ve probably guessed, we support the creation account. Answers in Genesis does a good job, in my opinion, of making scientific since supporting a young earth.

 

[humble soul]

Remember folks, let's address the OP's questions only in this forum. He has already stated that he has some confusion so let's not make things worse by arguing our differences of opinion.

Hope this wasn't directed at me

 

[daninthelionsden]

Thank

Thank you for a very straightforward, friendly answer. I am seeking to understand religion, most of the inhabitants of the planet are religious. I am just curious to know what the bible teaches. It took me nearly a year to read my way through it, and to be honest there is a huge amount of the text that I don't understand. The internet has been useful to do some research, but speaking to a real live person is much more helpful. As I said earlier, I am not here to debate, criticize or question a person's faith. I have a family member who became a Jehovahs Witness and he now has very little to do with me which hurts a lot. That is why I am very cautious. I suffer badly at times from mental health problems, and can be easily led by my emotional state. Anyway enough said. Thankyou for taking the time to answer my questions.

I have heard New Zealand is rather secular. I find that strange as your National Anthem is rather hymn-like. We have tried to move there and was advised, when looking for work, not to mention Jesus as someone who was a hero to my wife as she applied for a job. I thought that was strange as well.