Divine Inspiration

[soldierofGod]

the English translation does not follow the original translation faithfully. What creatures do not live in community?

Bears, leopards, octopuses, koalas, to names a few.

Boru

I read the Koran and I realized that the fault is yours, not the Koran or the translation (although it has flaws that encourage misinterpretation). In this verse, the verb LIVE does not appear anywhere, but you add it by unknowingly misinterpreting it through bad translation. God says that all creatures on earth and those that fly are similar to the human species, in other words, all living beings belong to a species (community), not to be confused with LIVING IN COMMUNITY. There are animals that do not LIVE IN COMMUNITY but come from a species. Each creature belongs to a species like the human being.

[LadyForCamus]

Bears, leopards, octopuses, koalas, to names a few.

Boru

I read the Koran and I realized that the fault is yours, not the Koran or the translation (although it has flaws that encourage misinterpretation). In this verse, the verb LIVE does not appear anywhere, but you add it by unknowingly misinterpreting it through bad translation. God says that all creatures on earth and those that fly are similar to the human species, in other words, all living beings belong to a species (community), not to be confused with LIVING IN COMMUNITY. There are animals that do not LIVE IN COMMUNITY but come from a species. Each creature belongs to a species like the human being.

Why does a god need men to write a book for him?

[tackattack]

was there Mesopotamian floods?, Was there an exodus of slaves from Egypt?, Can a man named Samson kill people with his bare hands?, Could a belief protect you from being bitten by a snake?, can a tree and a mountain move?, Does it literally rain cats and dogs? Are any of these things, aside from the literary impact of the last, impossible? I can imagine the perspective of the writers that a flood that included every tiny place you'd ever heard of would seem like a world wide event. I can see lots of exaggeration. Just because something is observable reality doesn't mean it's the truth, and just because it's far fetched doesn't make anything a lie. They may not have been scientifically accurate enough for our modern sensibilities, but just because they may have been exaggerated or written within the understanding of the authors does not mean it's less valuable or a lie.

Let's not beat around the proverbial burning bush here. If the Bible had written that Noah's flood was exactly 126,492 miles of water centered around X there'd still be an archaeological search and arguing over when, where and why it happened. As there are many narratives discussing floods and the authors of the Bible obviously witnessed no such thing, I'm willing to take it as a narrative. As with most narratives, they seem to have the most impact when they have a kernel of truth or an audience already familiar with the stories. I focus on the word science because a lot of people take a literalist view of the Bible and compare it to a literalist, quantitative methods used in science and mathematics like their purpose is the same thing. They don't do that with Aesop's fables, or stories their parent's told from their parent's childhood used to teach them right from wrong. My dad told me that he was the best pool player in the Navy, I guess I've been lied to all my life, for shame.

[LadyForCamus]

Can a man be three separate entities at once, and yet all one thing? Can people come back from the dead after three days? Of all the in-fighting among Christians regarding biblical interpretation, this seems to be the one supernatural claim everyone is happy to accept as literally true. How can a Christian poo-poo at the idea of a talking donkey, but not at the resurrection? Is it because that’s the one claim you HAVE to believe in order to call yourself a Christian? If so, that’s some rather circular reasoning.

[The Valkyrie]

Can a man be three separate entities at once, and yet all one thing? Can people come back from the dead after three days? Of all the in-fighting among Christians regarding biblical interpretation, this seems to be the one supernatural claim everyone is happy to accept as literally true. How can a Christian poo-poo at the idea of a talking donkey, but not at the resurrection? Is it because that’s the one claim you HAVE to believe in order to call yourself a Christian? If so, that’s some rather circular reasoning.

Religionists and shrinks will say yes.

[arewethereyet]

was there Mesopotamian floods?, Was there an exodus of slaves from Egypt?, Can a man named Samson kill people with his bare hands?, Could a belief protect you from being bitten by a snake?, can a tree and a mountain move?, Does it literally rain cats and dogs? Are any of these things, aside from the literary impact of the last, impossible? I can imagine the perspective of the writers that a flood that included every tiny place you'd ever heard of would seem like a world wide event. I can see lots of exaggeration. Just because something is observable reality doesn't mean it's the truth, and just because it's far fetched doesn't make anything a lie. They may not have been scientifically accurate enough for our modern sensibilities, but just because they may have been exaggerated or written within the understanding of the authors does not mean it's less valuable or a lie.

Let's not beat around the proverbial burning bush here. If the Bible had written that Noah's flood was exactly 126,492 miles of water centered around X there'd still be an archaeological search and arguing over when, where and why it happened. As there are many narratives discussing floods and the authors of the Bible obviously witnessed no such thing, I'm willing to take it as a narrative. As with most narratives, they seem to have the most impact when they have a kernel of truth or an audience already familiar with the stories. I focus on the word science because a lot of people take a literalist view of the Bible and compare it to a literalist, quantitative methods used in science and mathematics like their purpose is the same thing. They don't do that with Aesop's fables, or stories their parent's told from their parent's childhood used to teach them right from wrong. My dad told me that he was the best pool player in the Navy, I guess I've been lied to all my life, for shame.

I don't ever recall hearing anyone starting the church of Aesop.

Not the same thing at all, Skippy.

[Fake Messiah]

I don't ever recall hearing anyone starting the church of Aesop.

Not the same thing at all, Skippy.

Yeah I really wonder which criterion do Bible believers use when they consider Aesop stories fake and those of the Bible real - considering that there are a lot of stories about Greek Gods preserved in stories by Aesop.

Here's one story

Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus
ACCORDING to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the completion of their labors, a dispute arose as to which had made the most perfect work. They agreed to appoint Momus as judge, and to abide by his decision. Momus, however, being very envious of the handicraft of each, found fault with all. He first blamed the work of Neptune because he had not made the horns of the bull below his eyes, so he might better see where to strike. He then condemned the work of Jupiter, because he had not placed the heart of man on the outside, that everyone might read the thoughts of the evil disposed and take precautions against the intended mischief. And, lastly, he inveighed against Minerva because she had not contrived iron wheels in the foundation of her house, so its inhabitants might more easily remove if a neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter, indignant at such inveterate faultfinding, drove him from his office of judge, and expelled him from the mansions of Olympus.

My dad told me that he was the best pool player in the Navy, I guess I've been lied to all my life, for shame.

There is a difference between that lie and a profound evil lies that you can find in the Bible, like if your dad told you that demons cause diseases instead of germs and that you don't need to go to the doctor but just believe in Jesus even if the snake bites you.

[soldierofGod]

I read the Koran and I realized that the fault is yours, not the Koran or the translation (although it has flaws that encourage misinterpretation). In this verse, the verb LIVE does not appear anywhere, but you add it by unknowingly misinterpreting it through bad translation. God says that all creatures on earth and those that fly are similar to the human species, in other words, all living beings belong to a species (community), not to be confused with LIVING IN COMMUNITY. There are animals that do not LIVE IN COMMUNITY but come from a species. Each creature belongs to a species like the human being.

Why does a god need men to write a book for him?

God does not need man to write a Book for Him, God Himself would. God reveals His Book (Word) to man so that he knows his Creator.

[LadyForCamus]

Why does a god need men to write a book for him?

God does not need man to write a Book for Him, God Himself would. God reveals His Book (Word) to man so that he knows his Creator.

Doesn’t god want as many people as possible to be saved?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Bears, leopards, octopuses, koalas, to names a few.

Boru

I read the Koran and I realized that the fault is yours, not the Koran or the translation (although it has flaws that encourage misinterpretation). In this verse, the verb LIVE does not appear anywhere, but you add it by unknowingly misinterpreting it through bad translation. God says that all creatures on earth and those that fly are similar to the human species, in other words, all living beings belong to a species (community), not to be confused with LIVING IN COMMUNITY. There are animals that do not LIVE IN COMMUNITY but come from a species. Each creature belongs to a species like the human being.

But a species is not a community. The word 'species' comes for a Latin word for 'look', in the sense of 'look alike' or 'look like each other'.  'Community' also comes from the Latin and means 'to live together'.

Thank you for the epic fail.  Made my morning.

Boru