Obsessed About the Bible
The "Bible" the "Bible", the "Bible" and one would think that "the Bible" is God. It borders on stupidity. Anyone who views endless websites on the Internet has to know that many are obsessed with the so called "Bible" as if the Bible is God Himself. The fangs come out when Bible apologists are challenged about the validity of the Bible. Like vampires, Bible apologists sink their teeth into the necks of anyone who challenges the "infallibility" of the Bible. I know from personal experience that Bible apologists will often attack anyone who challenges their religious position. I wonder if Bible apologists would even nail other humans to a cross or stake for opposing Bible infallibility? I have encountered a number of apologists, who ALWAYS see things from the perspective of God being the author of human writings called "the Bible."
Bible obsession is overwhelming in the world we live in. It is the source and foundation of the belief system for millions of human beings the world over. Bible obsession is overpowering. I wonder if God Himself just
shakes His head at human beings in utter disbelief of how stupid human beings can be? Oh yes, humans are very intelligent, just not in the area of religious understanding. Obsession with the Bible is a major issue
in the world of Churchianity, including the Worldwide Church of God and its paraplegic clones. Yes folks, the splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God are living in spiritual wheelchairs. They are spiritually crippled.
When your religious thinking has been formed in cement, it is next to impossible to breath. It is sad for those who live in constant "fear" that they will lose their salvation or eternal life if they do not conform to the thinking
of the "spiritual" leaders of the particular group they are cemented in. Many are stuck in spiritual glue. Humans caught in the web of deception, often are scarred for years or even life, by the fraud that destroyed their
innocence. No wonder Jesus Christ denounced man-made religion as reflected in Matthew 23 and you wonder why "modern" day churches don't see themselves in the mirror?
Believe it or not, when I took a voluntary exit from employment at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California in October, 1974, I was told by the office manager that "if you lose your salvation, it won't be because of us."
That is typical of cult mentality and it is pure 100% stupidity. The thought was that since I was leaving voluntary, I was forfeiting my salvation by renouncing the Worldwide Church of God. Unfortunately, the Bible is an obsession with Churchianity and it is in fact their "God" and specifically as each "pastor" and each church organization interprets it.
Van Robison
6 comments:
Often times, on this blog, the topic goes towards this or that splinter or sliver and it's leader. I think it is important to realize that those men get their authority and every strange idea about themselves, life, death and the world tomorrow from the Book.
The Bible gives people permission and reasons to be ridiculous or dangerous and the fault lies with the Book first and foremost.
Some will make excuses for the Book by saying it is the misunderstanding of the Book that gets men in trouble, but I say no to that. The Bible clearly says enough about topics that get people into strange and dangerous territory in plain English.
It is not the best book ever written. It is not the Greatest Story Ever Told (Sold maybe). It is not the best science or history book. It is not the best guide for morality. It is not a book that understands relationships very well or sexuality issues. It does not lead to a joy filled life if abided by. And it does not contain puzzles that need to be solved or contain the keys of magical understanding that simply need to be turned the correct way by the right chosen or called out people to figure it out correctly.
A God that has to be figured out or writes a book in puzzle form that needs to be solved is just playing games with humans.
It's a lousy guide for marriage, childrearing and the relationship between men and women. The only women in the Bible that rose out of the quagmire of "you're only the woman and not the man," were women that no man knew what to do with and couldn't control, so they made her a hero or demon depending.
Sooner or later, one has to see and understand that the the vast majority of the Bible is written by men who either had multiple wives or no wife.
The entire New Testament is the product of single men telling everyone how life works in matters they evidently had no real life experience with such as relationships or family and children.
If the disciples had wives or girlfriends they all faded out of existence. Paul bragged about his singleness and thought it appropriate everyone be like him if they could. He never heard Jesus side of the "a man should leave his father and mother..." story.
Yet, like the Apostle Paul never quoting any earthly Jesus, no one thinks that odd...
This is so true and too funny.
"If you lose your salvation, it won't be because of us." Well of course it wouldn't. LOL I can just imagine some individuals I have been acquainted with in the past really saying something like that. Of course there's no evidence that anyone has either gained or lost their salvation because of them or because of the lack of them.
I wouldn't say that human beings are either smart or stupid. It's just that we aren't nearly as logical as we typically think we are.
I think religion is so widespread because human beings need meaning, and it helps us survive in a world that is meaningless without it. It's a software solution for a hardware problem. Not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
Even so, I'm not sure that bible obsession is overwhelming in the world today, except in the part of the theme park called "Cultland." At best, Christians in general are only "obsessed" from 10:00-10:45am on Sundays, if that. Most Jews and Christians are only really observant for two days out of the year.
Maybe people sort themselves into varying levels of "churchianity" depending on the amount of it they need. Those who join cults seem to need a lot more of it than average.
Those of us who were born in cults are kind of unlucky, because whether we need that much of it or not, we have to opt out, rather than having to opt in.
There are probably any number of ways to view and interpret the Bible. Our shared background unfortunately was the legalistic approach. Thing is, "they" (the ministers) wanted us to regard them in nearly the exact same way they taught us to regard the Bible, and the Deity.
I look towards the Bible for personal edification, encouragement, a glimpse at the many facets of an unfathomable God's character, and for an historic perspective regarding the development of Christianity. The fact is, very educated people have come up with equally valid, but often diverse opinions as to what instructive principles and value the Bible may have for each of us as God's children. Some parts may be one "size fits all", but in most cases there is great freedom and latitude.
This is just my opinion, but I truly believe that legalists miss out on a true spiritual experience. Legalism always focusses one purely on the physical.
BB
"Thing is, "they" (the ministers) wanted us to regard them in nearly the exact same way they taught us to regard the Bible, and the Deity."
Ummmm...somewhat of an exaggeration IMHO. The "ministers were..." stories grow over time. And don't jump me for the few who gave that impression. but "They" implies all and that is simply no so.
I was told by the office manager that "if you lose your salvation, it won't be because of us."
I hope you told him Van, "And if I gain salvation it won't be because of you either!"
Methinks his reproof says more about his own faith, love and grace--or lack thereof!--than yours Van. We all carry questions with us in this life that go unanswered even to our graves, and to burden a fellow believer or non-believer with eternal repercussions for simply choosing to disassociate from a man-made organization that falsely claims to be the lineal successor of the apostolic church is wholly unwarranted and as a matter of fact unChristian. It's no different to the many that have left the cult of Catholicism in spite of its outrageous assertion, "There is no salvation outside the Church of Rome."
Besides, what was Jesus's reaction when He'd heard of the blind man whom He'd healed had been expelled from the synagogue by the Jewish religious leaders? He went in search of him and didn't rest until He'd found him! (John 9). Indeed, throughout His entire ministry He identified with the losers of the world--the poor, homeless, jobless, sick, weak, outcasts, etc.--rather than the rich and powerful. Methinks it'll be the same when He returns a second time for all of us who are looking for Him to bring salvation (Hebrews 9:28) not some idolatrous corporation or leader.
The bible was written from the Jewish point of view and whilst containing many gems and some history also contains many warped theories and lies and has led billions astray and to war. This is not to say that god doesn't exist but it's like a Chinese whisper the source of god is in the DNA of the universe and our hearts and once we can see that then the bible can make sense . I think some of the leaders in the bible were Jewish dictators and led people on the wrong path and twisted original truths and when you see Jesus he was not like that and told them they had Moses and the prophets as if he did not subscribe to them . He said I am life and the door and the bible isn't god it is a watered down confused version that infallible men have passed on some essential truths but in meantime they got messed up and lost common sense . Jesus seemed to have common sense and the leaders didn't . I think we can glean from the bible but To put the bible above god or rely on it for salvation is to ignore that the breath of life comes from god and not in a book .
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