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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : cage on the mind

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 cage on the mind

Cage on the mind

The Bible is a fundamental document that underpins my beliefs. But it does not stand alone. The research and writings of many people contribute, as well.

For example, many scientists have provided a strong base of evidence for evolution, and since I find it impossible to believe that man co-existed with T Rex or that there is no biological relationship between humans and the animal kingdom, I have to add this to my belief system. It may not fit well at first, but God gave us intelligence and we should use it to understand the world around us.

Many people have written compellingly about their past life experiences. And I had clear visions as a child about a past life as a meditative person living in India. (And at that time I had not the life experiences to even know what this was about.) I can’t discount these peoples experiences or my own, so I incorporate this as well.

But the people I encounter in the fundamentalist Christian community restrict their beliefs to the literal Bible, and it is a tragedy. If the Bible is your only reference to truth in the world and if anything that seems to contradict it is discounted outright with no real consideration, the Bible becomes a cage on the mind. Life becomes single referenced.

The tragic part is that these fundamentalists are turning many souls away from God and Jesus because of highly restrictive beliefs about the world and life. Thinking people will not accept that a book written thousands of years ago, with hundreds of contributing authors, and interpreted through numerous languages can be infallible. They won’t accept that the vast universe, where billions of stars, some billions of light years away, was created in seven days some 6,000 years ago. (How did the light get here so fast?)

By insisting on the Bible’s literal, infallible truth these people corrupt the truth of Jesus’ love. They make it inaccessible to thinking people! They ask others to put a cage on their minds.

Bubbaguy

 2005/2/18 9:32
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re: cage on the mind

Bubbaguy, time would fail me to show you how false that your whole post is. But I will say this
2Cr 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

You know what the Bible says, you just decide not to belive it, so I wont take the time to argue with you.

Please tell me what you think a Christian is. Thank you.


_________________
Josh Parsley

 2005/2/18 11:05Profile
Eli_Barnabas
Member



Joined: 2005/2/16
Posts: 621
Cache Valley, Utah

 Re:

Praise the Lord for that blessed single reference! Without the Word of God as our anchor in the storm what difference would a Christian be from the world?

I can only say that as innocent as it may seem to disregard the Biblical literacy of creation and dinosaurs etc, giving way to one thing will lead to the giving away of another.
I had a friend who went to Bible school, soon decided that the Bible was not to be taken literally, changed her views on first three chapters of Genesis, and a year down the road was questioning the blood of Jesus. I now would no longer consider her a Christian, and she needs to be delivered from drug addiction and many other things.

My point is that the Bible is our anchor, and remember that Solomon warned us of the little things that destroy: [i]"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyard, our vineyards that are in bloom."[/i] Song of Songs 2:15

Brother, as hard as it may seem, hold fast to the blessed Word of God, for in a world of non-absolutes, it is wonderfully absolute!

In Christ,
-Eli


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Eli Brayley

 2005/2/18 11:26Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re:

Here is a story Billy Sunday once told:

An old infidel said to me once, "But I don't believe in atonement by blood. It doesn't come up to my ideas of
what is right."

I said, "To perdition with your ideas of what is right. Do you think God is coming down here to consult you with
your great intellect and wonderful brain, and find out what you think is right before he does it? " My, but you
make me sick. You think that because you don't believe it that it isn't true.


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Josh Parsley

 2005/2/18 11:47Profile









 Re:



History books used for instruction in schools have lots of bias and errors. But this doesn't make me question whether Abraham Lincoln was president during the civil war.

Don't get me wrong on this. There's lots of truth and accuracy in the Bible. I believe in Jesus because of the Bible. Just don't try to sell me a boat with two or seven of every creature floating for months on an earth entirely covered with water. Noah's Ark is a very important STORY because of what it teaches us about God's relationship with mankind.

bub

 2005/2/18 12:03
Angyl
Member



Joined: 2005/1/26
Posts: 153


 Re:

Bubbaguy the phrase "itching ears" is what comes to mind when I read your post. You have decided that the way, the TRUTH and the life is not the only truth out there and in order to propel this belief you have turned to attacking those who stand on that faith in scripture alone.

You've decided, for whatever reason, that you want to marry science and the Bible. That's your choice, but the scripture speaks plainly to such people and ideas, when we are warned in I Timothy
6:20
"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:"

Must feel good to be specifically referenced in scripture... :-P

 2005/2/18 12:06Profile
ZekeO
Member



Joined: 2004/7/4
Posts: 1014
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

 Re:

To oversimplyfy the matter, you have either got faith to believe it or you don't.


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Zeke Oosthuis

 2005/2/18 12:14Profile
jeremyhulsey
Member



Joined: 2003/4/18
Posts: 777


 Re:

Bubba the tragic thing that you forget is that though the Bible was written by fallible men, you can't conceive in your mind that it was inspired by an infallible God so that it becomes the Word of God through men. Inspiration by its very nature is something beyond us.

If I dictated a letter using a secretary, the words would be mine and his/hers at the same time, but the ideas and principles would be all mine, in other words, [i]my word[/i]. The secratary would not get credit for what I had him or her write down. The inspiration of Scripture goes beyond the fallibilities of men to the infallibility of God. It is His word delivered to us through His prophets.

2Ti 3:16 [i]All Scripture is inspired by God[/i] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
(NASB)


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Jeremy Hulsey

 2005/2/18 12:15Profile
Eli_Barnabas
Member



Joined: 2005/2/16
Posts: 621
Cache Valley, Utah

 Re:

John 17:17a - [i]"Thy Word is Truth"[/i]


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Eli Brayley

 2005/2/18 12:20Profile
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

bubbaguy wrote:

Quote:
The tragic part is that these fundamentalists are turning many souls away from God and Jesus because of highly restrictive beliefs about the world and life.



You are right in the sense that those with a hypocritical faith cannot please God or be a fountain of living water. Those who don't believe every word of Scripture will always have and promote restrictive beliefs. Many still live under the law and not the Spirit. Many labor and put heavy burdens on others because they themselves have not believed in the power of the New Covenant. Those who live in the power will not turn away the world but they will turn it upside down.

The word of God is powerful and living, the ideas of men are destructive and dead.

In Christ
Jeff


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Jeff Marshalek

 2005/2/18 12:20Profile





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