Barriers to belief

Originally posted by FMF
And what evidence do you have that the Bible is "God's revelation to mankind"? I know you believe it is, and I know that you are asserting that it is, and I know you are certain it is, and I know (or at least assume) you are sincere. But your belief, your assertions, your certainty, and your sincerity are not evidence of anything except your state of mind. So what evidence convinced you that the Bible is "God's revelation to mankind"?

Manuscript evidence, archaeological evidence, eyewitness accounts, corroborating accounts, literary consistency, prophetic consistency, changed lives.... The list goes on.

The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even pass a secret around a circle of 12 people and get the same message at the end. “There is indeed a wide variety of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind these…there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme.

http://www.essentialbibleblog.com/2013/03/top-10-reasons-bible-is-true.html

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Manuscript evidence, archaeological evidence, eyewitness accounts, corroborating accounts, literary consistency, prophetic consistency, changed lives.... The list goes on.

The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even ...[text shortened]... e unifying theme.

http://www.essentialbibleblog.com/2013/03/top-10-reasons-bible-is-true.html

I know the Bible exists and I know what it says and I know how it was put together. I'm not asking you that. I am asking what evidence you have that it is a revelation from God. For example in one part of your post you quoted this assertion: "...there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme". Simply asserting that there is "a single divine author" is not evidence.

Originally posted by FMF
I know the Bible exists and I know what it says and I know how it was put together. I'm not asking you that. I am asking what evidence you have that it is a revelation from God. For example in one part of your post you quoted this assertion: "...there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme". Simply asserting that there is "a single divine author" is not evidence.

What in your book would qualify as evidence? Surely if you claim that the things I have mentioned are not evidence, it means you know what real evidence would look like. And if you don't know, how can you be sure that what I have said is not real evidence?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
What in your book would qualify as evidence? Surely if you claim that the things I have mentioned are not evidence, it means you know what real evidence would look like. And if you don't know, how can you be sure that what I have said is not real evidence?

The Bible is merely the ancient Hebrews writing about what they believed. I accept that it's evidence of that. It claims that they themselves - surprise, surprise - were "God's chosen people". The Bible is evidence of the fact that the Hebrews saw themselves "God's chosen people". Where is the evidence that God actually did have such a thing as a "chosen people"?

-Removed-

There is obviously faith involved as well but it is not blind faith but rooted in reasonable evidence.

Do you believe Christianity is purely faith based with no reasonable evidence?

-Removed-

Ok so tell me if there is no evidence, why should people who don't have the faith that you have believe the Bible?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Ok so tell me if there is no evidence, why should people who don't have the faith that you have believe the Bible?

I used to take the Bible at face value and my faith then seemed to be affirmed by the warmth, generosity, empathy and fellowship that so many of the Christians around me exuded and which was overtly fuelled by their belief in Christ. I really don't remember many of them wittering on about archaeological evidence.

Originally posted by FMF
I used to take the Bible at face value and my faith then seemed to be affirmed by the warmth, generosity, empathy and fellowship that so many of the Christians around me exuded and which was overtly fuelled by their belief in Christ. I really don't remember many of them wittering on about archaeological evidence.

That certainly helped retain your faith didn't it? 😉

-Removed-

So if faith is God given and someone dies without faith does that mean it's God fault for not giving them faith?

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
That certainly helped retain your faith didn't it? 😉

How so?

Originally posted by FMF
How so?

Since your faith was not built on any solid evidence, it corroded away over time didn't it?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Since your faith was not built on any solid evidence, it corroded away over time didn't it?

I thought the Bible was solid evidence and I therefore took it at face value. After many years of reflection I realized that I no longer perceived it as solid evidence.