NOT a Debate: Can you believe in God, but not the Bible?

[treesinger]

This question is meant more for belivers to answer. I believe in God, but not necessarily the Bible. DW says that is muy inconsistent, and I disagreed. What say you?

 

[Serena]

I say that I believe in god. I'm not crazy about religion and my thoughts are mixed about the bible. But I know god. And if I'm going through a time that I might forget, he reminds me he's around taking care of me. In one way or another.

 

[katerkat]

I believe in God - I personally think I'm a strong Christian. However, I don't believe every word the Bible says. I studied it and the creation of it and early Christianity and all that, which makes me a little mistrustful of the intentions of the creators. But, you could say that if you believe in God, you should believe the men who made the Bible were lead by God...

 

[palmtreegirl]

I beieve in God but I believe that the bible is just a bunch of stories written by mortal men to illustrate what they believed were Gods teachings.

 

[N.Bailey]

I don't know. I guess I'd tend to agree with your wife. I mean, how would you even know it was a God that you believe in without the word to back it up? Sounds to me that maybe what you're saying is that you believe in a higher being rather than "God."

 

[oogieboogie]

I believe in a God but I don't believe in church and the bible because I believe those two are open to man's interpretation.

 

[ripleysmom]

I think so. I disagree with much of what is written in the bible but still believe strongly in God.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I guess you can believe in God, but not necessarily mean you have to agree in everything what the bible say and I guess the church too cause they read some stuff from the bible script.

Maybe it depends on your religion? I'm Catholic, and I don't know everything what is in the bible. But I thought that believing in God and the Bible and the Church goes hand in hand.

 

[Lanshark]

I agree with your wife

 

[eeyore74]

Yes, you can.

 

[CEDmom]

Sure you can. I believe in God but I think much of what's in the Bible can be interpreted different ways or can have different meaning to different people.

Think about it in terms of religion. Catholics and Protestants for instance both believe in God but their teachings are vastly different in some areas.

 

[Aimeedyan]

What is it that you don't believe in the Bible? Obviously it exists... so you have to believe something about it, because it's there. Do you not agree with some of the teachings? Or do you think some of the stories are bogus? Or that many of the books don't belong in there? See where I'm taking this?

I can't really offer my thoughts because I'm not sure WHAT about the Bible you don't believe in.

On more question - have you actually read and studied it? In what context? What translation? What religions take on it?

Sorry for so many questions! Just wanted to get a grip on where you're coming from =)

 

[N.Bailey]

Originally posted by CEDmom
Sure you can. I believe in God but I think much of what's in the Bible can be interpreted different ways or can have different meaning to different people.

Think about it in terms of religion. Catholics and Protestants for instance both believe in God but their teachings are vastly different in some areas.

I don't think there is any argument that the Bible can and has been interpreted many different ways. Though, Catholics and Protestants do not always believe the same way, they both do share a belief that stems from God's word. Where is your basis for your belief without something written?

I guess I could understand someone saying, there is a higher being than what we are that has created everything. But that's as far as you can go with it without writings of some kind.

Personally, I believe that the Bible is Gods word, and if God cannot protect his word, what can he really do?

 

[FroggyinArk]

ik believe the bible to be a set of guidelines set down by god,, and interpreted by man as He guides, If a certain storey doesnt ring true, or if a passage reads off to you, try reading hte bible as God guides you too instead of as a book. i have read the entire book over a cpl times, but i seldom read straight through, my idea s tat he will guide the pages to what i need to see eachj time i pick it up, i let it fall open in my hands and read that passage,, until He leads me to stop reading. so depending on what part you dont believe today, if you use the bible as a way to get his daily or week ly messages and some passages read differently each time you read them, i believe its his words and mans interpretation of thier order try thisway and i think it might wortk better for you.

 

[KristaTX]

I am not debating with you, but I am interested in more of an explanation about what you do or don't believe. What do you mean when you say you "believe in God, but not necessarily the Bible"? Do you mean that you believe God exists but that he had nothing to do with the Bible? Or that some of it is true and some isn't? If so, what do you think of other supposedly God-inspired religious writings?

I guess I just wonder if you believe in God but that he didn't give us any way to know him. Basically that he's left us to figure life all out for ourselves. From what I know about it's history, I do believe that the Bible (even if it has some human created flaws - I don't know) is from God and is one of several ways God speaks to us. Other ways include circumstances, other people, thoughts, etc.

It is easy to be confused and disagree with things in the Bible. I have a TON of serious "why" questions for God when I meet him face to face. But as one who believes in God and Jesus, to discount the entire Bible because I don't like some of what it says wouldn't make much sense. Maybe that's not what you are saying, anyway, or maybe you don't believe in Jesus. Hopefully you do believe in prayer, and that is probably what you need to do if you really want to find the answer you are looking for.

It is even more easy to disagree with the church than with the Bible. I am married to a music minister, and I am a regular church participant. I believe that God created the church for us, but I am 100% positive that God often (maybe more often than not)disagrees with decisions, actions, and attitudes within the church as a whole and its members. For those of you who have been hurt by the church and by the embarrassing, unloving, even hateful actions of its members and leaders, I apologize. Please don't confuse the church or any human attitudes and actions with God. (Sorry - this last paragraph has nothing to do with you or your question . But I had to throw it in.)

 

[BedKnobbery2]

Maybe your wife should talk to some Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists? Remember, there are non-Bible based religions that also claim a higher power.

 

[TigerBear]

Take a world religions class and then ask this question.

 

[TigerBear]

Originally posted by BedKnobbery2
Maybe your wife should talk to some Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists? Remember, there are non-Bible based religions that also claim a higher power.

Judaism definitely believes in the Bible - the Old Testament is the Torah. Evan Isalm shares an early history with Judaism/Christianity - although I'm not sure that Muslims believe in these early Biblical books as sacred works. Does anyone know?

 

[believe]

If you believe in the God I believe in then I would say yes you have to believe the Bible.

 

[BedKnobbery2]

Originally posted by TigerBear
Judaism definitely believes in the Bible - the Old Testament is the Torah. Evan Isalm shares an early history with Judaism/Christianity - although I'm not sure that Muslims believe in these early Biblical books as sacred works. Does anyone know?

I know the Torah is what Christians consider the OT, but I'm guessing most people of Jewish faith would not profess belief in the Bible, which is what the OP had asked, and is why I made that distinction.