Without citing the bible, what marks the bible as the one book with God's message?

[Pat Mustard]

Oh come on!  Where are the god botherers when you want them?  Let me try to sleep in the daytime when I've worked graveyard and without fail, Witnesses would be at my door trying to convert me.  

Here I've been willing to concede lots of things about the bible and the Christian god AND I've invited you to guide me to recognize the bible as the true word of God - and not so much as a peep!  Damn, do you or don't you want to save me?  I'm like a voice crying in the wilderness and not one of God's children will show me the way.  Pity .. I could sense a change coming too.

You seem to be just seeking and argument, not an honest discussion. If they can't use the material they have to debate their point of few there is no point in engaging. 

As for the Bible I believe it has some very sound advice for living a decent and heathy life. I'm not one that believes it isn't fallible as fundamentalist do. Actually I think the Gnostic Christians may have had a better understandings of Christ than the early church did. 

I came my beliefs because of my study of near death experiences and some of the stories and testimonies of the people that experienced them.

Oh boo hoo hoo, the christian has a sad because he can't use unevidenced bullshit as "evidence" for his religion. My heart bleeds for you.

Oh and on the bible having "sound advice for living a decent and healthy life", what is good in the bible is not new, what is new in the bible is not good. Two very prominent things from previous civilisations that christianity jettisoned which it would have needed to keep to make your claim even remotely near to being true are the rule of law and the presumption of innocence. Both of those things are prominent in the bible by their supression.

[JairCrawford]

To the OP, I don’t think there’s even a verse in the Bible to cite that specifically says so.

[brewer]

I must disagree, even though the subject is controversial, there is a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence that these experiences are valid. Watching someone die many times you can get a sense when the spirit leaves the body, here again one can't prove it scientifically. 

When you study a few hundred of these cases and see the consistency in them it build a very strong argument, and especially with children. 

I'm probably a little like many hear, if you are going to tell me a story, you best be able to prove it or at least build a strong argument for your story. 

What frustrates many like myself, is those who are close minded. I grew up in the sixties, what was scientific facts in many disciplines have been discarded because we continue to learn.

There's also a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence for the Loch Ness monster, and Bigfoot. Are you asking for us to believe in those also?

Second question, how many times have you seen a person die in your presence?

[The Grand Nudger]

To the OP, I don’t think there’s even a verse in the Bible to cite that specifically says so.

2 Timothy 3:15-17

[Jehanne]

To the OP, I don’t think there’s even a verse in the Bible to cite that specifically says so.

2 Timothy 3:15-17

A pseudonymous, 2nd century forgery.

[The Grand Nudger]

Sure, and in old magic book before it we're pretty certain that "moses" didn't narrate his own death. Either way, assertions are made. The belief finds it's literary expression.

That said, the belief expressed then isn't exactly concordant with contemporary christian belief - where much of the asserted exclusivity and divine provenance of magic book and what it says has given way to massive purchase in new age beliefs and contemporary societal mores held alongside or even over traditional christian beliefs and mores, by self professed christians.

[brewer]

2 Timothy 3:15-17

A pseudonymous, 2nd century forgery.

Or septic pseudomonas.

[Ahriman]

Sure, and in old magic book before it we're pretty certain that "moses" didn't narrate his own death.  Either way, assertions are made.  The belief finds it's literary expression.

That said, the belief expressed then isn't exactly concordant with contemporary christian belief - where much of the asserted exclusivity and divine provenance of magic book and what it says has given way to massive purchase in new age beliefs and contemporary societal mores held alongside or even over traditional christian beliefs and mores, by self professed christians.

Modern Christianity doesn't mean a whole lot. Religious fanatics are the only ones who have got it "right", so to speak.

[The Grand Nudger]

Not in the us. The ones who tell you..very specifically..that they're bible based christians are actually communicating a political position to you, not a position on faith or premised by it.

If "getting it right" is maintaining the purity and exclusivity of traditional christian beliefs and mores, the fanatics are getting it wrong in the most spectacular way - by active participation rather than passive drift.

[Jehanne]

Sure, and in old magic book before it we're pretty certain that "moses" didn't narrate his own death.  Either way, assertions are made.  The belief finds it's literary expression.

That said, the belief expressed then isn't exactly concordant with contemporary christian belief - where much of the asserted exclusivity and divine provenance of magic book and what it says has given way to massive purchase in new age beliefs and contemporary societal mores held alongside or even over traditional christian beliefs and mores, by self professed christians.

Modern Christianity doesn't mean a whole lot. Religious fanatics are the only ones who have got it "right", so to speak.

Hi Ahriman, Haven't seen you in awhile. I thought that trolling was an afternoon/evening activity.