Can a person believe in God without believing in the Bible?

[John21]

What makes a holy book Holy?
Is there a litmus test?

Seeing how I believe in God, if I was inspired to write a book explaining my views on God, could I claim that the book was Divinely inspired?

[Prodigy54321]

[ QUOTE ]
What makes a holy book Holy?
Is there a litmus test?

Seeing how I believe in God, if I was inspired to write a book explaining my views on God, could I claim that the book was Divinely inspired?

[/ QUOTE ]

sure, why not...it really just depends of how many people believe it.

be sure to add safeguards in it..such as

anyone who says that this book is not divinely inspired is the devil or a fool, so don't listen to them...

If you do not believe what I tell you, you will suffer for an eternity.

if you have a problem with something in this book, you can be sure that there is a reason, even if you can't see it

if something doesn't quite add up, it means that you are interpreting it wrong or it's just supposed to be symbolic

[MidGe]

Of course a person can, after all, most people who believes in god or gods even, do not believe in the bible.

[mudbuddha]

are u joking

[Hopey]

[ QUOTE ]
are u joking

[/ QUOTE ]

No, he's just trying to cut txag and NotReady off at the pass.

[Prodigy54321]

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are u joking

[/ QUOTE ]

not entirely

[CrazyIrishman]

[ QUOTE ]
What makes a holy book Holy?


[/ QUOTE ]
Most religions have their holy book as being written by god through a vessel such as muhammed. But truly all that has to happen is for a religion to say "This book is holy".

[luckyme]

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But truly all that has to happen is for a religion to say "This book is holy".

[/ QUOTE ]

That seems the only way it could happen. Surely somebody selected/decided what would be ok to put into the bible, for example, it wasn't found complete in a hayloft somewhere, hmmm.... even then it would have to be declared 'holy'.

luckyme

[txag007]

Where does the Bible say any of those things?

[Prodigy54321]

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Where does the Bible say any of those things?

[/ QUOTE ]

they are not all from the bible..

Psalms 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

If you do not believe in Jesus, you will supposedly go to hell...

other religions include a hell of some kind..and typically, if you are of another belief, you will go to that hell.

the second two are mostly from the Quran, although christians do those as well

and I never said that the bible says any of those things (although it does say some things to those effects)..they are simply some safeguards against skepticism that are used in some religious texts or religious practices..I though John21 might want to use them in his holy book..it might give it a better chance of succeeding /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[John21]

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I though John21 might want to use them in his holy book..it might give it a better chance of succeeding


[/ QUOTE ]

I appreciate the help, but my problem right now isn't getting people to believe me - I can't even get them to understand me.

I attempt to convey the concept I have of God as a singularity, and inherent within that singularity is the idea of oneness. This oneness then implies wholeness and for wholeness to exist, harmony must be an essential quality of It and all of Its subsequent manifestations, etc…

But like I said, I can't get anyone to understand what I'm saying. So I try to create analogies:
"Imagine that singularity as a father" - taken (our father who art in heaven...)
"Imagine it as your body" - taken (If thine left eye offends thee, pluck it out...)

I'm sure if I persist something will come up, but this leads to another problem. What if someone interprets my figurative language for literal truth?

[luckyme]

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What if someone interprets my figurative language for literal truth?

[/ QUOTE ]

Aren't you supposed to print the literal parts in red?

luckyme

[John21]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What if someone interprets my figurative language for literal truth?

[/ QUOTE ]

Aren't you supposed to print the literal parts in red?

luckyme

[/ QUOTE ]

That's already been attempted.

The whole idea of a disclaimer doesn't seem to work either:

Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable; he didn't speak to them

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand.