Why the Bible?

Discussion in 'Religion & Philosophy' started by montra, Jul 31, 2011.

  1. montra

    montra New Member

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    I thought I would start a thread about why the major world's religions seem to all be based upon one book, which is the Bible.

    Not all are based upon the Bible you say? True. For example, Hinduism is perhaps one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of all the world's religions and it is not based upon the Bible. I would argue though that Hinduism is not really a world religion. It is more of a local religion and is represented in great numbers simply because it exists in a region of the world with large levels of population.

    Then there are other far eastern religions like Buddhism, but this is more of a philosophy than a religion if you ask me.

    Of course, the Abrahamic religions dominate much of the world's religion. There is Christianity with its myriad of sects such as JW's, Mormons, Catholics etc. And then Islamic relisoins with various sects as well. And last but not least, Judism.

    To be fair, however, the big two religions are based upon Christianity and Islam, but why?

    The obvious answer is because they are "evangelical". They simply have the mandate to spread their religion and, as such, they tend to grow followers at a faster rate and in larger numbers.

    So is this the sole reason these two religions dominate the world today is because they evangelize? Could another evangelical religion not based upon the Bible have as much, if not more, success, or is there something to this God of the Bible that elevates it above all others?
     
  2. FreeWare

    FreeWare Active Member Past Donor

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    I think you could have made the premise your conclusion with much fewer words than this.

    E.g., using only seven words you could have said, "I think Christianity is a better religion".
     
  3. montra

    montra New Member

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    The thread is not about Christianity per sey, rather, it is about the success of the Abrahamic faiths. I dare say most would not view Christianity and Islam in the same light, but perhaps you would. Basically both dominate the world in terms of religion, so the question begs, why?

    The title of my thread, "Why the Bible", is an appropriate beginning, since this book is the root of the Abrahamic religions. Why is this religious text, whom every one loves to bash on these threads, so compelling for the world to embrace?
     
  4. FreeWare

    FreeWare Active Member Past Donor

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    In the opening post you assumed that the God of the Bible is elevated above others. Now you're assuming that the Bible is compelling to embrace.

    Instead you could just say that you like Christianity. It's much shorter.
     
  5. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    I think that you're basically right that Christianity and Islam are as widespread as they are because of evangelism. Clearly, if people rarely tried to sell those religions, there wouldn't be many buyers.

    If you ask me, their evangelical strength of holy texts of Islam and Christianity is in their massive number of contradictions such that almost anyone can make them say whatever they want them to say.
     
  6. free man

    free man Well-Known Member

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    Only Islam is not based on the Bible but on the Koran which is a totaly different book.
    In addition, christians follow less than 1% of what is written in the Bible, so why do think they believe in it ?
     
  7. montra

    montra New Member

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    So basically you are saying that any religion can be made into a world wide religion so long as you try to sell it? I know of other religions, like scientology, which literally sells their religion, yet they are not a world wide religion are they?

    As for the contradictions, you are saying that the great number of contradictions are what help sell the book? I would think the opposite, wouldn't you?
     
  8. montra

    montra New Member

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    Actually Islam IS based upon the Bible. What Mohammad did was to make "corrections" in the text via the Koran. Likewise, Mormons wrote their own holy book as an adjunct to the Bible as did the JW's etc. You could even argue that the Christians did the same with the New Testament.

    As for Christians believing in less than 1% of the Bible, I would love to see those statistics you seem to be grabbing out of mid air.
     
  9. JP Cusick

    JP Cusick New Member

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    I object to the assertion that Christianity was spread by evangelism unless we include the violent conversion-or-die as a part of that evangelical process.

    Christianity was spread by the sword, along with burning people on a stake, various forms of torture, and even economic sanctions to create converts to Christianity. And surely not just the Catholics because the various Protestant denominations have had their share of forced conversions and violent retribution against anyone who does not convert (ie: American Indian).

    Of course the Muslims used the sword too, as we all know about the Muslims.

    And I do not agree with any premises about the Hindu or Buddhism being less evangelical because when people anywhere use their freedom of religion then both the Hindu and Buddhist religions are very friendly, inviting, welcoming, which is a comfortable relief for converts out of Islam and out of Christianity.

    I would cheer on the Bible as in the Bible has withstood the negativity given to it by those who claim to represent it.

    :sun:
     
  10. MisLed

    MisLed New Member

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    so much incorrect information. So little time.
     
  11. Panzerkampfwagen

    Panzerkampfwagen New Member

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    The Bible you say?
     
  12. Quantrill

    Quantrill New Member

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    Islam is nothing but Biblical heresy. It establishes its authority on the God of the Bible, yet perverts the truths of the Bible.

    Christians follow the Bible, 100%. Just because you don't know what its says or believe what it says, doenst' mean the Christians don't follow it.

    Quantrill
     
  13. montra

    montra New Member

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    So we have a new theory. Christianity and Islam are not successful simply because of evangalism, they literally conquered the world to "convert" them.

    Biblically speaking, I suppose those who conquered in the name of God could take texts out of the OT to defend their belief in conquering the ungodly via the sword, but not with the teachings of Christ. I think this is the main reason that the Catholic church forbade the comman man to have access to the scritpure. They much prefered telling uneducated illiterate people to fight and die in the name of Christ. Then came Martin Luther!!

    As for Islam, I think that the Quran is much more adaptable to conquest since Mohammad himself converted with the sword. Christ not only did not convert with the sword, he rebuked Peter from trying to defend him with the sword.
     
  14. montra

    montra New Member

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    The Bible proports that the road is narrow and few be that walk down its path. However, if we look at those who claim to be Christian we are talking about half the world population.

    So do you see something amiss here?
     
  15. Quantrill

    Quantrill New Member

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    Im not sure what you're getting at.

    Quantrill
     
  16. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    No. The content of the contradictory passages is relevant.

    No. The contradictions don't sell the book. Selective reading works best when multiple conflicting views are contained and any given person can sift through them and find what they want. I'm saying that no one follows the Bible as a whole. I'm saying that it is in fact impossible to follow the Bible. Those who claim they follow the Bible follow only the parts they want to, at best. They build their own religion. The Bible is just a template to reinforce their own predispositions.
     
  17. HonestJoe

    HonestJoe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yet. Christianity and Islam have had hundreds of years. I don't think Scientology has had fifty.

    Modern religions don't have the other key factor that I think Christianity and Islam benefited from beyond evangelicalism - empire. Both were the dominant religions for several large and long running Empires stretching around the world. When the empires died back, the religions were left behind.

    I suspect the modern communications and transportation mean that no religion would be able to spread itself so effectively, regardless of the source. There are too many conflicting voices in our lives these days for any one to dominate everyone.
     
  18. MisLed

    MisLed New Member

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    :party: goose. the posters here who think they know the bible and can intelligently discuss it.

    They know nothing.

    :bonk:
     
  19. Tarheeler

    Tarheeler Active Member Past Donor

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    Of course Christians did the same. Sure, the early sects that orginally formed were close enough to the Jews, but within a few centuries it had changed drastically in order to attract the "heathens" that were put off by the ideas of circumcision and food bans. And those changes were reflected in both the NT and Christian traditions.

    As for the spread or Cristianity and Islam, many factors have come into play. As has already been mentioned, forced conversions have played a huge role im both, as has voluntary conversion by newly conquered peoples. Adopting the religion of you new rulers was commonplace until relatively recently.

    Also keep in mind that most religions have a strong cultural and geographic element to them. This often hinders conversion and keeps the membership levels fairly small. This is where Christianity really shined in my opinion; over time it evolved into a more universal system that ignored specific cultural restraints.
     
  20. MAYTAG

    MAYTAG Active Member

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    Can you imagine how aghast I was when I read Paul go ON AND ON about how you don't HAVE to get part of your ******* chopped off to be saved? Can you imagine? You know cutting that off takes about an inch off of overall length or so I was told in a bar the other night. So why in the world did gentile Christians start doing THAT OF ALL JEWISH CUSTOMS when Paul goes on and on excusing them for not? I would have liked to have seen mine in action in ALL of its glory at least once. It will never be.
     
  21. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    I know the Bible says that if you do not obey all of God's commandments then he will make you eat your children. And you won't even share!

    Deuteronomy 28:53-57
     
  22. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    My own opinion is that Christianity was kept alive initially by features that were psychologically attractive. (This assertion would of course extend to nearly all religions.) Of course those features are useless unless people know about them.

    As I view it, there is a fundamental contradiction at the very heart of Christianity that explains its attractiveness. As I said to someone else, it is not the contradiction that is attractive. It is the two messages that are attractive, even though those messages conflict with each other.

    I am talking about the story of the crucifiction and the resurrection.

    The lesson of the crucifiction, I am told, is that Jesus was the ultimate scapegoat, that his death paved the way for the end of sin. The basic message here, as I interpret it is, "You are good people."

    The lesson of the resurrection is that death is an illusion. "There is no death." That this is a very attractive idea is hard to debate.

    The problem is that the messages conflict. If death is an illusion then Jesus did not in fact pave the way for us to be saved. The contradiction, though, is completely obscured by the immense attractiveness of the two messages taken individually.

    This is one example, I would even say the main example, of what I was talking about. In a very real sense it doesn't matter if some orthodox version of the religion is consistent. What matters is that the tidbits are attractive.
     
  23. JP Cusick

    JP Cusick New Member

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    I like what you posted above, and I see it as very intelligent and well communicated, so now I want to share my perspective with you.

    The thing which you leave out of your perspective is the God-thing, being whatever that God thing might be.

    The fact that each religion has such attractive qualities to keep people entangled is a logical and sensible thing to do - if it is done by a God.

    Christianity does not correctly represent God, and the Bible does not, other religions do not, and people or persons are mostly just playing God.

    Many people see religions as the fisherman catching the people as like catching the fish, but that too excludes the God-thing and I find that the God is the one holding the fishing rod and the attractive snare is the Bible and the Churches which then hook the people.

    The crucifixion and resurrection to save humanity was in fact Jesus cutting that fishing line, because Jesus saved the people from the God as it was God that condemned humanity to death.

    So people are still attracted to the bait as like to an attractive trap, while the correctly interpreted teaching of Jesus is in how to cut the string, and that we each and all NEED to cut the strings which bind us.

    :sun:
     
  24. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    It is quite obvious that Christianity and Islam have been the most warlike of religions, consistently forcing their religion on others at the point of sword, gun or nuke.
    Many religions are evangelical, few are as hateful, and warlike about it as Islam and Christianity.
    Oh, and Judaism is not very militarily inclined. It has NOT forced its religion on others, preferring instead to simply wipe them out and take their place. And at about 14 million Jews worldwide it cannot be considered a major religion.
     

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