Actually Frodo when I decided to read the bible in its entirety is when I actually began to question my beliefs and of course "Gods" justification for committing or leading the hebrews to committ such atrocities in his name.In the end I began to conclude that the biblical god was a cruel dictator and a monster.As I continued to read the scriptures I began to go from believer to objective reader by putting aside my beliefs and trying to understand them from a more naturalistic perspective.Upon doing so I came to the conclusion that many of the stories as told in the bible were highly improbable and their occurrence as unlikely.It intrigued me so much that it lead me to read the bible 4 times in its entirety,each time looking for new things and discrepancies I might have missed on the previous occassions.I read it once in Spanish and three times in English and the more I read the more I strayed from my beliefs.
Have you ever asked youself why there are so many christian sects?The simple reason is that none of them can come to agreement upon the teachings of the bible.They are all reading the same book and getting very different views and interpretations from it.When reading the scriptures from an objective point of view it is impossible not to see that not only are those stories not god given or inspired but that the imprint of man is everywhere present in them.
One example is the flood story as told in Genesis chapter 6 onward.But in chapter 7 verses 19 and 20 there is an interesting discrepancy that I would like to point out from the KJV:
19.And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20.Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
According to this verse the waters were 15 cubits high and that was enough to cover the whole earth even the mountains.Does anyone here know what 15 cubits equals in feet?
15 biblical cubits= 22.5 feet and in my view that is hardly enough water to cover a two story building much less the entire Earth.When reading the bible from a reasonable and objective position many of its so called facts and details just simply dont add up.
When it comes to defining christianity I would define a christian to be a follower of Christ,how he chooses to follow Christ is irrelevant and just clouds the issue and makes classification difficult.As long as his guide is the bible particularly the New Testament he is a christian in my view.
Finally to answer your question Frodo I must honestly say that when I was a christian I did not dare even question the scriptures on any matters.I was a hard core fundamental evangelist and I believed wholeheartedly every single word that was found in the scriptures.But when the scriptures on some occassions did not match certain circumstances I had experienced I began to ask question with genuine fear and trembling in my heart.It took me years to completely wean myself from my chritian beliefs and the fear that came with apostasy.
Have you ever asked youself why there are so many christian sects?The simple reason is that none of them can come to agreement upon the teachings of the bible.They are all reading the same book and getting very different views and interpretations from it.When reading the scriptures from an objective point of view it is impossible not to see that not only are those stories not god given or inspired but that the imprint of man is everywhere present in them.
One example is the flood story as told in Genesis chapter 6 onward.But in chapter 7 verses 19 and 20 there is an interesting discrepancy that I would like to point out from the KJV:
19.And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20.Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
According to this verse the waters were 15 cubits high and that was enough to cover the whole earth even the mountains.Does anyone here know what 15 cubits equals in feet?
15 biblical cubits= 22.5 feet and in my view that is hardly enough water to cover a two story building much less the entire Earth.When reading the bible from a reasonable and objective position many of its so called facts and details just simply dont add up.
When it comes to defining christianity I would define a christian to be a follower of Christ,how he chooses to follow Christ is irrelevant and just clouds the issue and makes classification difficult.As long as his guide is the bible particularly the New Testament he is a christian in my view.
Finally to answer your question Frodo I must honestly say that when I was a christian I did not dare even question the scriptures on any matters.I was a hard core fundamental evangelist and I believed wholeheartedly every single word that was found in the scriptures.But when the scriptures on some occassions did not match certain circumstances I had experienced I began to ask question with genuine fear and trembling in my heart.It took me years to completely wean myself from my chritian beliefs and the fear that came with apostasy.
There is nothing people will not maintain when they are slaves to superstition
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