How to prove your belief....

For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God. If it is truly from God and one is wanting the Bible to be their guide thru life on many levels, one should be able to use the Bible to prove their beliefs throughout the entire Bible without doubt.
The Bible itself says "it is all inspired by God" and it it also says that "God is not a God of confusion." The Bible does not contradict itself as some think.
So if one comes to a scripture that seems to contradict another or contradicts a belief they have, what should one do?

Originally posted by galveston75
For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God. If it is truly from God and one is wanting the Bible to be their guide thru life on many levels, one should be able to use the Bible to prove their beliefs throughout the entire Bible without d ...[text shortened]... ture that seems to contradict another or contradicts a belief they have, what should one do?

Well for a start,one should get one's facts straight.
You for example, claim that 'The Bible does not contradict itself.'

You might be interested in Jim Meritt's list of biblical contradictions - with extensive quotes - at http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html ...
but then again, maybe you wouldn't be ...

Originally posted by galveston75
For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God. If it is truly from God and one is wanting the Bible to be their guide thru life on many levels, one should be able to use the Bible to prove their beliefs throughout the entire Bible without d ...[text shortened]... ture that seems to contradict another or contradicts a belief they have, what should one do?

research what context the scripture was written. Example the Bible states in teh N.T. that women should not teach, but in the O.T. women were judges to help govern the city.

In 1st Timothy 1:12 states that woman should not teach, What people often don't realize is that this is found in a letter. Most if Pauls writings are just letters. So this is addressed to those women in that city only. Its only applicable to them. After some research I come to find out that those women started to speak out of turn within their churches, because in Chirst you are free not bound by tradition. (within Jewish tradition women had to be silent and can only occupy a certain area in their synogues at that time. I have seen some old pictures of their old synogues, breath taking). But they were new to the knowledge so they were in no postition to instruct, but they wanted to exorsize their new found freedom. Paul basically sent that letter telling them that they should not teach, and be quit. Alot of the Bible takes alot of research

Originally posted by amannion
Well for a start,one should get one's facts straight.
You for example, claim that 'The Bible does not contradict itself.'

You might be interested in Jim Meritt's list of biblical contradictions - with extensive quotes - at http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html ...
but then again, maybe you wouldn't be ...

Sorry but that link is not coming up...

Originally posted by galveston75
Sorry but that link is not coming up...

Make sure you include everything in the following bracket, but not the brackets themselves ...
[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html]

Originally posted by amannion
Make sure you include everything in the following bracket, but not the brackets themselves ...
[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html]

Thanks I will look over them but the first few I looked at can all be explained. But this thread is not on that subject.

Originally posted by galveston75
Thanks I will look over them but the first few I looked at can all be explained. But this thread is not on that subject.

Of course they can be explained.
Isn't that most of the work of a believer - explaining away the contradictions and errors in their holy texts?

Originally posted by amannion
Of course they can be explained.
Isn't that most of the work of a believer - explaining away the contradictions and errors in their holy texts?

There are simply no errors. Just the misunderstanding of the scriptures. Nothing more.
But if one does not accept the Bible then one can formulate up whatever they can to find a supposed fault.
It's pretty much like that with anything in life.

Originally posted by galveston75
There are simply no errors. Just the misunderstanding of the scriptures. Nothing more.
But if one does not accept the Bible then one can formulate up whatever they can to find a supposed fault.
It's pretty much like that with anything in life.

Ah yes, of course.

So when Matthew 1:16 says, 'And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ' - thus describing Joseph's father as Jacob; and Luke 3:23 says, 'And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli' - thus describing Joseph's father as someone else, this is just a matter of interpretation.

And when 1 Kings 4:26 says, 'And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen', while 2 Chronicles 9:25 says, 'And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem' - this factor of 10 difference is just a matter of interpretation.

And when Matthew 27:46-50 says, 'And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ...Jesus, when he cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost', while Luke 23:46 says, 'And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit:" and having said thus, he gave up the ghost', and then John 19:30 says, 'When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished:" and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost' - these three different final speeches of Jesus are just matters of interpretation.

Originally posted by amannion
Ah yes, of course.

So when Matthew 1:16 says, 'And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ' - thus describing Joseph's father as Jacob; and Luke 3:23 says, 'And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli' - thus describing Joseph's ...[text shortened]... ee different final speeches of Jesus are just matters of interpretation.

This thread is not on that subject. Start a new one with your last post and I'll see you there.

Originally posted by galveston75
This thread is not on that subject. Start a new one with your last post and I'll see you there.

You opened this thread about contradictions in belief and how to cope with that. You also indicated that there were non contradictions in your own faith's sacred text.
I disagree and am attempting to demonstrate this.
So, it is entirely related.

Originally posted by galveston75
For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God.

You seem to contradict yourself here.
You start by saying 'those who believe in the whole Bible'. And then say 'one should reason and hope'. Now if you believe, then reason and hope don't come into it do they? If your belief is based on reason (which I doubt) then you might have a point there, but hope? Surely hope implies doubt?

The Bible itself says "it is all inspired by God"
I asked in another thread if anyone could explain to me how that it possible, but I got no takers. Can you explain it? How did it refer to 'the Bible' and what do you think it meant by it. Did it mean a particular set of books?

One thing you should accept straight away is that imperfect translation means that different translations can and do contradict each other. So when you say it doesn't contradict itself, are you referring to a given translation or the oldest known copy or what?

Originally posted by twhitehead
You seem to contradict yourself here.
You start by saying 'those who believe in the whole Bible'. And then say 'one should reason and hope'. Now if you believe, then reason and hope don't come into it do they? If your belief is based on reason (which I doubt) then you might have a point there, but hope? Surely hope implies doubt?

[b]The Bible itself s ...[text shortened]... ict itself, are you referring to a given translation or the oldest known copy or what?

The basic truth is in all Bibles but unfortunently there have been some changes with the worst being the removal of God's name from many.

Originally posted by galveston75
For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God. If it is truly from God and one is wanting the Bible to be their guide thru life on many levels, one should be able to use the Bible to prove their beliefs throughout the entire Bible without d ...[text shortened]... ture that seems to contradict another or contradicts a belief they have, what should one do?

Where does the Bible say I need to join the JW organisation in order to be saved?

Originally posted by galveston75
For those who believe in the whole Bible and not just parts of it that fit your ideals, one should reason and hope that the Bible is the truth and it is from God. If it is truly from God and one is wanting the Bible to be their guide thru life on many levels, one should be able to use the Bible to prove their beliefs throughout the entire Bible without d ...[text shortened]... ture that seems to contradict another or contradicts a belief they have, what should one do?

Sling it in the nearest bin?