How many people who profess to be Christians...

[tkd lisa]

I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. There are a few translation errors, but the Bible itself is 100% correct in my belief. I also believe a day is a day, unless it's clearly used as an allegory. In other words, I believe creation happened in 6 literal days.

 

[FencerMcNally]

100% accurate as a historical narrative, or as a work of revelation of God's saving plan for Mankind? No to the former, yes to the latter.

I agree with this. I believe that the Bible is Divinely Inspired, but I do not believe that every single word is literal truth and fact. To me, the Bible is full of metaphor, allegory, parable, etc.

I don't mean to derail the thread, but someone else already brought it up...

I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. There are a few translation errors, but the Bible itself is 100% correct in my belief. I also believe a day is a day, unless it's clearly used as an allegory. In other words, I believe creation happened in 6 literal days.

How do you define a day? 24 hours? Sunrise to sunset? A day on Pluto is much, much longer than a day on Earth. Also, if there is no sun to rise or set, then how long is a day?



Edit: HTML syntax

 

[Miss Jasmine]

That was my first thought as well.

 

[disneymouse]

Personally, yes, I do believe the Bible is the 'Word' of God. It is inspired, and it is complete. If we do not believe that, then are we not basing our very Faith on a work of fiction? Or, even worse, falsehoods and lies!!! Are we not saying, "well, I can believe what I want, follow what I want, and just ditch the rest"? Do we not think that God desires to pass his 'Word' down to us. Do we not think that he is capable of inspiring a divine Scripture that is his 'Truth'?

i totally agree. i also believe the bible is the inspired Word of God.

 

[Aidensmom]

I believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that God has promised to miraculously protect the integrity of His Word.

Unfortunately, I believe that we often misunderstand, misinterpret or choose not to listen to what the Bible says!

I agree with this. I think there are a lot of things that are hard for us to know the right interpretation, such as if the "days" in which the earth was created were 24 hours, or if they were a much longer period. However, the main point is still understood, that God created the earth, regardless of that interpretation.

 

[BethR]

... I believe that the Bible is Divinely Inspired, but I do not believe that every single word is literal truth and fact. To me, the Bible is full of metaphor, allegory, parable, etc.

Me too!

 

[numbersman]

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice that.

Same bait, different username.

Hey, that's OK. While I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "same bait, different username", though I can imagine you must think I am someone else or you have seen this question asked before, I would ask you this - do you think I am the only person on the DIS boards ever to use the term "professing Christian"? I wouldn't think I have been the only one. So maybe, just maybe, somebody else has had the same thoughts?

The reason I phrased it the way I did is to get the opinions, if I could, of people who profess to be Christians. I can't call anyone a Christian other than myself, b/c I don't know the heart of anyone other than myself. To "assume" that someone else is a Christian would be an assumption I'm not allowed to make, don't you think? Someone can tell me they're a Christian, but that doesn't assure that they are, and I can't really know for sure, b/c I can't read their mind or understand their heart. Make sense?

I think you're trying to make it some underhanded plot or backhanded slap when it really isn't. But I will say from reading a good many of your posts, that you often seem to do this quite a bit. So maybe the pot-stirring symbol should be attached to what you say??

 

[numbersman]

100% accurate as a historical narrative, or as a work of revelation of God's saving plan for Mankind? No to the former, yes to the latter

Just curious if you had anything as an example of what might be historically inaccurate about it. I guess I've never really relied on it for history as opposed to theology, so curious what you meant by that.

 

[numbersman]

I think that it might be good to post this as an anonymous poll, so that people can respond without getting involved with a lot of debate!

Personally, yes, I do believe the Bible is the 'Word' of God. It is inspired, and it is complete. If we do not believe that, then are we not basing our very Faith on a work of fiction? Or, even worse, falsehoods and lies!!! Are we not saying, "well, I can believe what I want, follow what I want, and just ditch the rest"? Do we not think that God desires to pass his 'Word' down to us. Do we not think that he is capable of inspiring a divine Scripture that is his 'Truth'?


While I feel that everything on Earth is imperfect and tainted. I do feel that Yes, the Bible is God's 'Word', and should be held as such.

I have to hold fast to the scriptures that tell me that the Bible is the 'Word' of God. Either it is, or it isn't... To cast doubts is to therefore cast doubts on all the directives and promises that are layed out in the Scriptures.

Agreed. Well said.

 

[bsusanmb]

I am not a so called Christian. I am a Christian, born again, child of God. The Bible is the Word of God, the Truth. I believe every word.

 

[numbersman]

If you read the Bible, Jesus himself told many lessons in the form of parable.

Do I believe the Bible is filled with errors? no

Do I believe the Bible is 100% historically accurate? no

I think even your question is a little misleading. It is very possible for a writing to be "Inspired By" and "Written By" are two entirely different things.

I guess I would mostly agree with this. Jesus did tell many lessons in parable form. As CheshireVal said, she doesn't believe that every word in the Bible is the literal truth. Neither do I. There are certainly parables, allegories if you will, to describe what Jesus meant to say in terms we could understand. I don't think it takes away from the message, though. I don't believe the Bible has any errors in it, much less filled with errors in it. As such, I guess I would have to say that it would be totally historically accurate, but you may have examples of which I'm unaware??

I'm not sure how the question is misleading. I didn't ask if you believe it was "written" by, but whether it was "inspired" by. I don't believe it was "written" directly by God, i.e. He actually put pen to paper Himself. Clearly this did not happen. But I do believe 100% that He inspired others to write what He directed them to write.

 

[numbersman]

I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe it is 100% reliable and that I can trust it.

Amen. Good way to state it.

 

[Free4Life11]

believe that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God, 100% accurate and without error?

Just curious...

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

[numbersman]

I believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that God has promised to miraculously protect the integrity of His Word.

Unfortunately, I believe that we often misunderstand, misinterpret or choose not to listen to what the Bible says!

Absolutely agree. I think we often try to make the Bible say what we want to believe is true, rather than make ourselves believe what the Bible says is true. Good point.

 

[C.Ann]

I don't know if it would make me a bad Christian or what, but I try to follow the condensed version: The Ten Commandments.. Hopefully that's enough to get me where I need to go..

 

[numbersman]

I agree with this. I believe that the Bible is Divinely Inspired, but I do not believe that every single word is literal truth and fact. To me, the Bible is full of metaphor, allegory, parable, etc...

I would agree. The trick is being careful as to what you label metaphor, allegory, parable, etc... and not throw things out that were meant to be literal and label them as parable. The hard part is knowing what to label as literal, to be sure!

How do you define a day? 24 hours? Sunrise to sunset? A day on Pluto is much, much longer than a day on Earth. Also, if there is no sun to rise or set, then how long is a day?

This is true, but the Bible says that "God created the heavens and the earth", not "the heavens and Pluto." If you look at the word for day, and look at what is described in Genesis 1, does it not talk about a greater light to govern the day, and a lesser light to govern the night? Sun and Moon. I also think that the original Hebrew word used for "day" in Genesis 1 denotes a 24-hour period, rather than many years. Scripture says that the light separated evening from morning. Since our days of 24 hours are separated by light and darkness, and since our days aren't thousands of years long but 24 hours, why would Scripture be referring to anything different??

 

[va32h]

Someone can tell me they're a Christian, but that doesn't assure that they are, and I can't really know for sure, b/c I can't read their mind or understand their heart.

Then what is the point of asking? You won't "know for sure" if respondents are telling the truth.

And why on earth do I (or anyone) need to assure you (or anyone else) that they are Christian? When proselytizers come to my door, I politely inform them that my relationship with God is between me and God, and I don't have to prove anything to anyone else.

 

[numbersman]

Then what is the point of asking? You won't "know for sure" if respondents are telling the truth.

And why on earth do I (or anyone) need to assure you (or anyone else) that they are Christian? When proselytizers come to my door, I politely inform them that my relationship with God is between me and God, and I don't have to prove anything to anyone else.

I didn't ask you if you were or not. If you look at the original question, it is asking for those who profess to be Christians to tell me if they think the Bible is 100% the divinely inspired Word of God, and inerrant. Nowhere do I ask you to tell me or "assure" me that you're a Christian. And you're right, I have no way of knowing if respondents are telling the truth, I can only hope that those who respond are, and if they're not, that they identify themselves as not, so I might be able to understand their basis. I didn't ask you about your relationship with God; for that matter, I didn't ask YOU in particular anything. I just asked anyone who wished to respond a question, and the above remarks you make have nothing to do with the question I asked.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Is this a numbers game, numbersman?

 

[jimmiej]

believe that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God, 100% accurate and without error?

Absolutely!

And why on earth do I (or anyone) need to assure you (or anyone else) that they are Christian?

Why did you even respond?