jnelson@trwrba.UUCP (John T. Nelson) (10/09/84)
[John T. Nelson] Changing scripture is easy. Just publish your own version of the bible and modify various important verses to whatever you like. [Larry Bickford] Disagree. Have you changed the Word of God just because you publish your own bible? Many try to pass the word of man off as the Word of God, but that does not make it Scripture. Yes you have and this is proven by a simple thought experiment.. First take an ordinary christian bible and go through it removing various passages that you find relevant or even boring. Next, take quotations from C. S. Lewis or Ben Franklin or Abe Lincoln and insert these at random places. Now have this bible published on the mass market and distributed to the general public. Religions of all denominations will buy these "bibles" and continue to quote chapter and verse, little realizing that they are not quoting the true word of god. Who are you to say that my bogus bible is in anyway NOT the word of God? It may differ from more ancient texts, but I might just as easily hire some sheapard boy to throw a rock in a cave and "discover" ancient scrolls.... with totally bogus contents. How do you know the bible that you are reading at this very moment isn't a bogus translation? How can you claim that ANYTHING is the word of God, without first-hand knowledge of its origins? How can you objectivly distinguish the true word of God from the word of men? How do you know that the preacher in the pulpit is giving you the straight stuff as opposed to his own thoughts? How do you know that people haven't been subtly changing and modifying scripture over the years... YOU DON'T.... And it is a collossal leap of faith to assume that this one collection of books has remained unaltered after all these years. And even then we have no concrete proof as to the intent of the people that wrote it, or the validity of its contents. If anything there is a lot to question about the Bible's validity as a valid historical document. The word of God is not the word of God because of claims to be the ultimate word. The word of God simply is, and if it IS true, requires no maintenance from we lowely fallen humans. Still more try to say that parts of the Bible aren't the authoritative Word of God - does that make them no longer Scripture? It no longer gives them any supposed authority or distinction from the world of men. What Scripture is and what some people pass off as Scripture often disagree. And which will you choose? What objective test do you have to determine the validity and historical correctness of ANY book? Disagreement only proves my point. There is no objective evidence. Therefore > Everytime someone sends an article on the net, scripture is changed. > Everytime someone speaks, scripture is changed. > Everytime someone THINKS, scripture is changed. does not follow. Therefore my eye. The word of God is communicated in many different forms and via many different methods and is thus subject to alteration. The word of God ideally resides in the hearts and minds of men, but even there it may be convoluted to the point that it is no longer God's word. By your own admission (see above) "What Scripture is and what some pople pass off as Scripture often disagree." This only proves that what is taken to be the word of God.... isn't. - John