Does your faith in God depend upon

[Elijah John]

Does your faith in God depend upon a perfect, infallible Bible?

If so, why is a perfect Bible necessary for a basic saving faith in God?

If the Bible were shown to be imperfect, would your faith in God collapse?

And if that is the case, (with so much at stake), how can you be fair and objective on a debating site?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 5 by 2timothy316]

I had a guy tell me one time that he talks to God by smoking weed.

Try eating it.

The Bible: Then God said: “Here I have given to you every seed-bearing plant that is on the entire earth and every tree with seed-bearing fruit. Let them serve as food for you.

There is no indication in the Bible that taking drugs into our body will let us speak to God. This post is off topic BTW. Did you have a point to make on the thread topic?

[William]

[Replying to post 21 by 2timothy316]

There is no indication in the Bible that taking drugs into our body will let us speak to God. This post is off topic BTW. Did you have a point to make on the thread topic?

Excuse me?

The topic is a variation on the theme that the bible as written - is infallible.

Furthermore it was you who brought this supposed 'off-topic' subject into the thread, and now that I used a biblical quote re that topic, you want to turn around and cry 'foul'?

How awfully Christian of you.

[William]

[Replying to post 13 by bluethread]

Literary context. That was before the fall, in GenEden Gen. 1:29. Notice, (Gen. 3:17a-19, 23) “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. . . So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken."

Yes. another glaring inconsistency. In order for the story to work, the GOD literally has to create an new universe in which to then declare that 'because of your sin, you have made me do this!'

It is far more pertinent to understand the universe as it is rather than claim we are not in fact in the same universe as Adam and Eve were originally created in and to regard the story as rich in metaphor rather than in literal truth.

[William]

[Replying to post 18 by Divine Insight]

There seems to be confusion as to what plants are poisonous and what ones are not.

[tam]

Peace to you all,

Isn't everyone who is arguing whether or not the bible is perfect (or imperfect), off-topic? That was not among the four question(s) in the OP, and it seems to be a distraction from the questions EJ did ask.

Why not just answer the questions asked?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 21 by 2timothy316]

There is no indication in the Bible that taking drugs into our body will let us speak to God. This post is off topic BTW. Did you have a point to make on the thread topic?

Excuse me?

The topic is a variation on the theme that the bible as written - is infallible.

Furthermore it was you who brought this supposed 'off-topic' subject into the thread, and now that I used a biblical quote re that topic, you want to turn around and cry 'foul'?

How awfully Christian of you.

I don't see the connection between a guy thinks that getting high is how God speaks to him rather than the Bible and your quoted scripture. Also, eating raw weed will not get a person high. Marijuana has to be exposed to heat, the THCA is converted into “active� THC, which then makes you feel high. So the comment 'he could eat it' is moot as it wouldn't get him high. There were no answers to my other questions in my post either. If not the Bible, than what is perfect for learning about God?

[bluethread]

The Biblical God is not permitted to do unrighteous, non-benevolent, or untrustworthy things.

So Yahweh not only needs to live up to my expectations of benevolence, but he must far exceed them. Otherwise how could it possibly be said that he's trustworthy?

You have a right to your expectations. I can expect you to send me a package of Omaha steaks for me to trust you, but that does not require you to send them.

I certainly can't trust a God who is going to poison plants and not tell me which plant's he's poisoned. Especially after he had just told me that all plants are for food.

You are aware that poison is in the dosage and who says everything Adonai said to Adam is recorded. Prior to the fall Adam communicated with Adonai "in the cool of the evening". I surmise that Adam was informed of that maxim before the fall, since even things that are generally considered healthy are poisonous in the extreme. So, poison was not the issue. The issue was that some vegetation was now inedible, i.e. "thorns and thistles". He was then told that he would eat the 'esab, i.e. grasses and green plants of the field. Sounds to me like he was being told that he would have to develop botanical skills, especially since it is now, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food". The warning seems pretty clear to me.

[bluethread]

Yes. another glaring inconsistency. In order for the story to work, the GOD literally has to create an new universe in which to then declare that 'because of your sin, you have made me do this!'

Why is that? Evolution does not require a total change of the universe to result in the extinction of a species. So, why is it necessary for the entire universe to be remade, for man to now have to limit his diet and cultivate the ground in order to eat?

It is far more pertinent to understand the universe as it is rather than claim we are not in fact in the same universe as Adam and Eve were originally created in and to regard the story as rich in metaphor rather than in literal truth.

What, don't you believe in climate change? Also, what is "literal truth"? Are we talking about the literal meaning of 'erev and boqer? Or, are we talking about literal things like sunrise and sunset? You are aware that the Scriptures were not written in English, let alone scientific language, and the sun does not literally rise and set, even though those terms can be found in nearly every modern history book. Do you never explain things using metaphor and analogy, with hypothetical stories?