From another thread:

If all that is needed to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your personal saviour, then isn't the bible superfluous?

because there is more to it... God not only wants all of His creation to be saved, but God also wants us to have a safe and happy life while here. Think about it. You live at home with your father and mother and you fight and argue with them constantly, they don't help you with your life, they just allow you to do whatever you feel like, but you go out and get into trouble because you dont' get along with your parents. They still love you, they offer you a better way to live but you don't want to follow it or heed their advice. Then they die and you inherit the house. Now growing up the way you did, you didn't really learn how to take care of things around your house, or what to do to work or get a job, or pay the bills. If you had only listened to them it might have helped make your life easier.

God wants us to listen to his instruction in order that we are prepared for everything in our life. And the more we listen and love Him in return He will reward us, I do not know the reward nor the time or what is done here on earth compared to what is done in Heaven. But I do know that the rewards in Heaven will be great for those that dedicated their lives to Jesus. I would compare it to an orchestral conductor and his immaculate appreciation and knowledge of music, compared to the average joe's understanding and appreciation. So as we inherit crowns in heaven of which are spiritual gifts, how much more could a person appreciate Heaven with the type of understanding given upon them by God. You can accept Christ on your deathbed and get into Heaven by the skin of your teeth, but why waste your life and gamble at the last possible minute? God has a plan for you here and now. Just as me being here talking to you about this and you reading what I am writing.

it's priceless that people worship it

if god has planned for me to read this, and has planned the rest of my life; wouldnt it be him doing my actions? therefore i have no choice to do either right or wrong. as well as have no choice to love him or not, and no choice weather i make it into heaven.

So if we follow the bible we'll be "safe and happy" for our short stay on earth. That makes no sense. We get to spend eternity in heaven so our time on earth is like the blink of an eye. What does it matter if that blink was pleasant or painful?

I don't remember the bible promising different rewards for behaving differently in heaven. According to the pictures on Watchtower, we all spend time in heaven sipping tea brought to us by slaves, while lions and their prey frolick on the lawn.

Again, all that matters is accepting Jesus as your saviour. The bible seems worthless.

So if we follow the bible we'll be "safe and happy" for our short stay on earth. That makes no sense. We get to spend eternity in heaven so our time on earth is like the blink of an eye. What does it matter if that blink was pleasant or painful?

I don't remember the bible promising different rewards for behaving differently in heaven. According to the pictures on Watchtower, we all spend time in heaven sipping tea brought to us by slaves, while lions and their prey frolick on the lawn.

Again, all that matters is accepting Jesus as your saviour. The bible seems worthless.

if jesus offers different rewards for behaving differently, isnt that kind of biased. assuming the rewards are not of material value, wouldnt that mean he loves (maybe not nessicarily love but favors) those who follow his word more closely than those who dont.

What would you think to what the Bible says that God loves all of us equally. Just as you would reward one child for cleaning his room as you asked and the other wouldn't get such a reward because he wanted to act like a little pagan bastard... but you still love them both the same and for their differences to each other you love them more.

I'm sure everyone in here had parents and can understand this concept if they thought about it a bit.

Just as you would reward one child for cleaning his room as you asked and the other wouldn't get such a reward because he wanted to act like a little pagan bastard

What you're arguing is that God says "Look Tommy, how you act in the next 1 second (your time on earth) is going to affect how I treat you for the rest of your life (your time in heaven).

What would you think to what the Bible says that God loves all of us equally. Just as you would reward one child for cleaning his room as you asked and the other wouldn't get such a reward because he wanted to act like a little pagan bastard... but you still love them both the same and for their differences to each other you love them more.

I'm sure everyone in here had parents and can understand this concept if they thought about it a bit.

lol @ the pegan bastard remark

i do understand the concept, thats why i was assuming the reward would be worth no material value. when your dead you have no need for material goods, which is what you would give a child; like giving them candy or taking them to chuck e. cheezes. you wouldnt reward him with more love, cuz the other child would be less loved. if god gave people say a house in heaven or something of the nature for being good; wouldnt that be much like a bribe for him to get you to do what he wants?

i suppose you could reward a kid with a joke or something that will make him happy. maybe god could reward you with something unearthly, like absolute happiness. but other than that i see know plausable reward.

sry if thats unclear sounding

Christ spoke more of Hell than of Heaven... He stated that if I tell you of earthly things and you do not understand how will you understand heavenly things.

I have never been to Heaven, so I cannot tell you of it. But you are mistaken from what I understand of the Word. Having the ability to not only appreciate things of heaven better or be more in tune with Heaven or feeling God's love much more. The bible says some will wear many crowns in heaven. These crowns can represent the various spiritual gifts that God has bestowed upon his children for serving Him faithfully. Nothing like 70 virgins or the like. I mean what's in it for the virgins? And do they become a virgin again right afterwards? Where do all these virgins come from?

So back to the point again... God's gifts and judgements that He places upon us will be more fair and just than anything we can understand.

i think im just not wired to think like this

i think im just not wired to think like this

Yeah it's called intelligence


And to answer the question of the thread. The bible has some amazing myths/stories that are thought provoking and insightful. So it is not worthless.

Is the Bible worthless:

No, but you are.

not wired to think like what? To understand all that the Bible offers you? Jesus says Taste and see for yourself.

not wired to think like what? To understand all that the Bible offers you? Jesus says Taste and see for yourself.

the bible offers salvation thru faith.

duh, it's not worthless, it makes for great references like the one in Pulp fiction and Austin 3:16 etc.

The life of Brian ftw..

it's priceless that people worship it

people don't worship the bible. stop twisting things around to make it sound stupid.

this thread is pretty worthless.

It's kind of like reading a documentry.. A deep, confusing, open to interpritation documentry.

my parakeet seems to like it

Yeah it's called intelligence


And to answer the question of the thread. The bible has some amazing myths/stories that are thought provoking and insightful. So it is not worthless.

i was trying to be nice

it is not worthless. in a pinch, since it is already printed from very thin paper to start with, it makes excellent ass-wiping material. so, i keep a spare in my bathroom for just such an occasion

:yes:

it is not worthless. in a pinch, since it is already printed from very thin paper to start with, it makes excellent ass-wiping material. so, i keep a spare in my bathroom for just such an occasion

:yes:

I heard you could roll doobies with the pages as well...:sifone::sifone::sifone:

I heard you could roll doobies with the pages as well...:sifone::sifone::sifone:

must be rice paper then...thanks for the heads up. next time i am hard up for a skin for my doob, i won't have to reach for a tampon wrapper - i'll just rip a page out of revelations instead!

spliff

yeah make sure it's the revelation... maybe if you just tear the pages out it won't happen. yeah right

yeah make sure it's the revelation... maybe if you just tear the pages out it won't happen. yeah right

It's not gonna happen wither you tear out the pages or not. This is real life. Not the magical fantasy world that you believe in with demons and angels and other mythical beings.

If all that is needed to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your personal saviour, then isn't the bible superfluous?

First of all, you'll never find that phrase "personal saviour" in the Bible. And to think of it, the word personal saviour doesn't make sense. Anything that is personal means for your own use only, like your toothbrus, towel, etc. And adding "personal" to the word saviour means you're hugging Jesus all to yourself. Hey, leave some for us.

Second, if that's the way to get saved, isn't that a bit too easy? All I have to do is just accept Jesus Christ as my saviour then wham, I'm saved?

Biblically speaking:

Matthew 7:13
"13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

According to Jesus, only few will find the narrow gate. Surely, accepting Christ as your personal saviour is too easy and this is obviously not the gate that Christ is speaking in here.

Another thing that he mentioned is narrow. Narrow in here symbolizes hardship and discipline, forth in a narrow gate, you'll have to conform to the space in order to get through.

Another passage that indicates that the road to salvation is hard:

1 Corinthians 4

11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

The above passage indicates Paul's letter to the Corinthians about the current state of the Christians. A True Christian today isn't far from that experience.



Now is the Bible really worthless?

The Bible tells us the teachings and instructions on how to be saved.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


Accepting Christ as your Saviour is indeed a part of Christ's teaching but there ARE A LOT MORE THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.

Here's some of the things that you must do in order to be saved:

2 Peter 1

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.





This is a very lengthy topic to be discussed but I would suggest to read the Bible first then you can judge if its worthless or not.

Biblically speaking:

Each Christian seems to have a different idea of what True Christianity is. At the moment xcept68 is the reigning champion of exactly what the True Christian ideal is. If you don't agree with him, then you're just not a True Christian - you're wrong and you're going to hell.

Of course, if you pwn him enough then the belt will pass to you and you'll become the one who gets to define the True Christian ideal.

Is it not written?

Matthew 24:5:
5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many.

Galatians 1:8:
8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

1 Corinthians 4:6 (Whole Chapter)
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.


I said the phrase True Christian in order to emphasize the hardships and trials that Christians must endure in order to be saved. This is onpoint to the saying that you just have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. Many think that by this alone you could be saved which is false.

I don't care about pwning anyone or anybody in the forums. I'm just pointing out verses in the Scripture to serve as a basis on the things that I'm saying.

Does this still make you think that the Bible is worthless? I would say that you should read it first and try it.

I say do not cast pearls before swine.

I said the phrase True Christian in order to emphasize the hardships and trials that Christians must endure in order to be saved. This is onpoint to the saying that you just have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. Many think that by this alone you could be saved which is false.

I don't care about pwning anyone or anybody in the forums. I'm just pointing out verses in the Scripture to serve as a basis on the things that I'm saying.

Does this still make you think that the Bible is worthless? I would say that you should read it first and try it.

I've read about half of the bible. The problem I have with it is that parts are confusing and you need an expert (a True Christian) to interpret things for you. For example, in another thread I wondered how snakes used to get around before they were cursed to crawl on their bellies (in Genesis). Thankfully xcept68 was there to quell my confusion. He told me that snakes used to have wings and could fly. I would never have worked that out by myself.

This is why we need a True Christian to give us the True meaning behind the bible. But as all Christians have different interpretations of the bible, there can be only one True Christian. And that True Christian is xcept68, until he is overthrown by a worthier Christian. Perhaps you would like to prove your mettle against Him?

"I said the phrase True Christian in order to emphasize the hardships and trials that Christians must endure in order to be saved."

Smart dude. I've never been able to put that into words without having it sound like I was judging someone