Originally posted by robbie carrobieAre those alternative facts?
Let us get the facts correct, the Bible contains historical events testified to by archaeology, ethics and morality, laws and ordinances, religious principles, historical characters, it names places, times and dates, secular rulers, customs, cities that are still extant. To denigrate these to mere stories is biased in the extreme and little more tha ...[text shortened]... f not then is it any wonder than you leave taking nothing with you expect what you came in with?
Originally posted by avalanchethecatFish.
How about Job spending 3 days in the belly of a whale?
An especially appointed or prepared fish.
And he could have died and been made alive again.
We are not sure that he did not die.
Anyway, God especially appointed or prepared a special "fish" to swallow Jonah.
" And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah up, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish fr three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17)
Other English renderings -
New American Standard Bible
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
King James Bible
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now the LORD had appointed a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.
New American Standard 1977
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Originally posted by sonshipAnd that makes the story believable to you?
Fish.
An especially [b]appointed or prepared fish.
And he could have died and been made alive again.
We are not sure that he did not die.
Anyway, God especially appointed or prepared a special "fish" to swallow Jonah.
" And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah up, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fi ...[text shortened]... o swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Originally posted by avalanchethecatIsolated by itself, perhaps I would remain skeptical.
And that makes the story believable to you?
But you see it is the accumulation of testimonies about God and His character which present an overall picture which is belieavable.
This requires some growing up and maturing on my part.
Instead of splicing out one story for ridicule and jolly amusement I eventually became less juvenile in my attitude. " We are dealing with God here. Some things are expected to be beyond the normal expectation of things according to human reasoning."
The story of Jonah - the man three days in the bottom of the sea comes up again in the account of Jesus the Son of God - three days in DEATH and resurrected.
I think when reading the Bible, one keeps in mind "The CENTER of this book of the Son of God. What I am reading here most likely has SOME Connection, some anticipation, some signpost function pointing to the central figure of the Bible - Christ, the Son of God."
14 Apr 17
Originally posted by sonshipIt is the fairy tales of men who started the biggest scam in human history. Worked very well with more than half the human raced duped by this scam. This scam keeps the human race from actually maturing, instead, wallowing down in religious wars millenium after millenium. THAT is the truth of the issue. If you think me wrong, have your god come down and strike me dead. Oh, it can't do that, right? Too busy keeping the universe going to bother with humans?The writer of John, obviously.
But the copyright has probably expired by now.
Most copyrights expire because the owner is dead.
God is the uncreated and eternal Person - no expiration.
Who owns the truth that the Word was God and was with God and that the Word Who was God became flesh ?
Whose truth is that ?
Originally posted by avalanchethecatI came to the Old Testament reluctantly through knowing Jesus personally and reading the New Testament.
And that makes the story believable to you?
I came to the Bible with a big filter of skepticism. But I could not deny that Jesus Christ became real to me.
Eventually, as I read the Gospels, I noticed that Jesus Himself took the Old Testament seriously. I said to myself "Well, if Jesus took it seriously then i guess I should also."
Thus was the gradual process by which I came to believe the Old Testament stories.
To reiterate -
First Jesus Christ came into my life.
I slowly opened to the New Testament Gospels.
They led me to open my heart and mind to the Old Testament.
That is my personal journey in a nutshell. Others may have a different experience.
Originally posted by avalanchethecatlol actually the fish account aside Jonah is an excellent example (although a negative one) in helping the Christian to avoid a vindictive self righteousness attitude. He wailed for the death of a bottle-gourd plant but was angry when God showed mercy to the Ninevites.
Ha ha, i edited it. Now who looks like an eejut eh? Oh wait, no, it's still me.
Originally posted by robbie carrobieIt's funny how this vindictive self-righteous attitude has become so typical of christianity in the modern world (or maybe just here, I don't know, I don't actually get to discuss these matter much with people in the real world, alas). Perhaps they all need to read the miracle fish-food-guy story again?
lol actually the fish account aside Jonah is an excellent example (although a negative one) in helping the Christian to avoid a vindictive self righteousness attitude. He wailed for the death of a bottle-gourd plant but was angry when God showed mercy to the Ninevites.
Seriously though, you have obviously studied other ancient writings apart from the bible, you must realise that biblical scripture is not exceptional, right?
Originally posted by sonshipI appreciate that you have attempted to not be patronising when you constructed this reply, but I am sorry to have to inform you that you have failed in this endeavour.
Isolated by itself, perhaps I would remain skeptical.
But you see it is the accumulation of testimonies about God and His character which present an overall picture which is belieavable.
This requires some growing up and maturing on my part.
Instead of splicing out one story for ridicule and jolly amusement I eventually became less juvenile in my att ...[text shortened]... n, some signpost function pointing to the central figure of the Bible - Christ, the Son of God."
All that aside, are you really telling me that you can believe a story from a single source which involves a man being eaten by some sort of ocean creature, and three days later being vomited up and resurrected or somehow surviving? Because honestly mate, no amount of maturity or lack of juvenility has made that work for you. What has happened there is that you have either just abandoned your (god-given, if you wish to believe in a god) critical faculties and swallowed a pile of grade A fertilizer or misidentified a rather convoluted and well-disguised metaphor.