SirStefan32

Come on Mike,

Just read the verse, and think about what it says.
All it says is that it is good for God's servant not to be married so he can focus on God.

It doesn't say "thou shall not get married!" It is common sense that it is easier to serve God if you are not married. There is nothing wrong with being married and there is nothing wrong with being single.

I personally believe that singleness is a beautiful gift from God that enables us to serve God with everything we have.
I also believe that marriage is a beautiful gift from God when the right time comes.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

Coyote Tony

Whatever What I thinkemeveryone will garee on is that no one ever thought I claimed to have my own book in the Bible and that you are straining at gnats trying to find something to argue about.

tommcnabb

21:11
And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

21:12
Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

21:13
And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

21:14
And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
...............
Tony, why don't you just follow your book and go grab yourself a wife? Sounds pretty easy, although a bald head won't look too good IMO. Just make sure if you don't want her anymore, not to sell her. Man, I love religion. It forces the feeble to stay well-minded.
...............

__________________
The Threat is Real

tommcnabb

I'm just too ignorant for this.

Is the bible supposed to be taken literally or not? Yes or no.

If not, then which parts of it are to be interpreted or "taken in the correct context".

This is what I call bibliogical arguing. It uses whatever means necessary to make itself make sense.

I'm not trying to dog you for believing what you believe, I just think that your all righteousness, know it all attitude invites skeptics or naysayers all over this board to participate in the prodding of the sheep.

--Tom

__________________
The Threat is Real

Coyote Tony

Actually it forces those who trust on their own understanding to realize their mistake when it is too late.

Once again you have done a fine job removing pieces of scripture without considering the context of the entire Bible.

Coyote Tony

Goes to show you that you are wrong. I am not an all righteous, know it all. I know certain things. I have an opinion on others. Regarding the Bible, I know it to be true. Besides, it is not me you or all those other skeptics or naysayers have to answer to ...

The Bible's message needs to be taken as a whole first, then the book and the context which may or may not include complete chapters.

Coyote Tony

That's right. And according to your post in the the other thread you don't post things that try to get people backs up.

tommcnabb

I have not read the entire bible.

Please explain to a dummy what this means.

Also, are we supposed to take any and or all passages of the bible and use any other story or fable to try and justify it or make it make sense. If so, it's no wonder you can't argue against it. Hell, even a 4th grader, if given enough time can make sense of just about anything. Same situation. Put out enough vague stories and situations and anybody can force them to make sense.

Just as mine doesn't look correct "taken out of context", so does trying to convince others of your correctness. "In context" does not mean "in context according to Tony" or to justify or put fear in the sheep.

My point being this...

How can your (or another fear-peddlers) advice be taken seriously when it has to be taken "in context"? but yet an argument against it doesn't work?

Me is dumb.

__________________
The Threat is Real

Coyote Tony

The Bible is very clear when it is recording history and when it is instructing us how to live.

The Bible is also very clear when it is to be taken in a literal understanding and when it is not such as in the case of the some of parables Jesus told. Although, even in those non-literal parables there are very real spiritual lessons.

tommcnabb

So, there is a method to the madness. Let me get this correct.

1. Read entire bible
2. Go and decipher the books of the bible.
3. Find passages that you like and then look for something that justifies it.

It just doesn't work.

Where is the reason or logical thinking here? Rationality? Skepticism? Questioning?

Religion is used to strike fear in the sheep. It's a tough haul if you're a sheep. Just go where they want, do what they want, no mind of your own. Sad.

__________________
The Threat is Real

tommcnabb

Please show me how a person like myself would know this. Is there an asterisk or something stating "the next passage is to be taken literally"?

No, what is meant to happen is that I'm supposed to feign dumbness, only to look for someone with knowledge who can decipher this vast book of info, only to impart and sometimes force their own wacky interpretations of said book, onto myself.

Hence, all these religions (catholics, mormons, moonies, whatever the hell you want).

Apologies to those whose religion I trivialize.

Tom

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The Threat is Real

Coyote Tony

There is a central message from begining to end. The chapters and verses are man made not God made. When certain verses are plucked from their book/letter and taken out of context they can be used to prove anything the plucker wants.
And what doesn't make sense in the Bible? Thus far you are the only one who has used a vague story from the Bible, taken out of context to prove exactly what you wanted to prove.

The Bible is very clear when it is recording history and when it is instructing us how to live.

The Bible is also very clear when it is to be taken in a literal understanding and when it is not such as in the case of the some of parables Jesus told. Although, even in those non-literal parables there are very real spiritual lessons.
Because it is not mine, but God's. I cannot prove my correctness for I am a sinner and therefore not perfect.

SirStefan32

Tom,

I will try to answer your question.
Bible is to be taken literally. As far as "interpreting" goes, I think that term is misused in Biblican debates. Bible says what it says, there is no need to "interpret" it the same way I interpret documents from Serbian to English or vice versa.

When one talks about Bible, there are several things he needs to do, before jumping to conclusions after reading just one passage:

1. You have to look at the context. See what the whole chapter is about, see if it is in the Old Testament or the New Testament.

2. Look at what the rest of the Bible says about it. Bible will never contradict itself. There is always a logical explanation.

Most mikstakes are made when people confuse two different dispensations, for example age of law, and age of grace.

Basically, you just can not take one random scripture and say, this is the truth. That's how Mormons and Jehova Witnesses get their screwed up doctrine.

You have to look at the historical settings, during which dispensation it was written, what the spiritual and historical context of that chapter is, and what the rest of the Bible says about it.

Hope this helps. If it doesn't, let me know and I will be glad to try again.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

SirStefan32

Right! Exactly right Tom, it doesn't works!
That's what people do to try to justify their actions or weird believes. That's what Mormons and other sects do all the time. They find one passage and then accept it as doctrine without looking in the context of that passage.

That's what I am trying to say here, you have to look at the big picture- the whole Bible. Truth always remains the same, but God choses to deal with different people in different eras in different ways. That's why it is necessary to study the Bible, not just read a passage here and there.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

Coyote Tony

First of all there are a number of major differences between true christianity and all those other religions.

Secondly, The Bible was writen to be understood and obeyed and should therefore be read like any other book of information and instruction. If God is truly the author of the Bible, as Christians have always believed, then it is only reasonable that God said what He meant to say in the way He said it.

The Bible was written as God's revelation to all people for all time and all places. It is therefore meant to be understood by all people.

Jesus took Genesis chapter 6-8 (Noah) literally. do we today know more then Jesus did 2,000 years ago?

We should never interpret the Bible. That is the job of the author, the Holy Spirit. When sinful man tries to interpret God's writings sinful man will get those weird and wacky ideas like we have seen from the Roman Catholic Church, Mormon Church, JWs and other so-called Christian religions.

Presently, I am looking for the exact parables that clearly speak of events that are not to be taken literally.