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Author Topic: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
Palpazzar 
Registered: Aug '00
6026_Palpatine
Date Posted: 3/9/02 8:34pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
It was off topic. Soldiers and political figures of the American Revolution.

 

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Darkside_Spirit 
Registered: Sep '01
Date Posted: 3/10/02 2:33am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
The quotation from Paine was a refutation of the notion of miracles being used as evidence for theism.

As it happens, Paine was a deist - he believed in an impersonal God, but rejected the absurdities of Christianity. You would have found that out if you had read cydonia's quote properly. Deism heightened his distaste for Christianity, because he considered the religion derogatory to God.

If you want to rely upon a man's philosophical musings, then I wish you well.


Philosophical musings? No, it was a most thoughtful and effective refutation of Christianity - in this case, the use of miracles to substantiate religion.

Please stop going on about irrelevant aspects of Paine's character. The question at hand is the concept of miracles, and a Thomas Paine quotation was provided to debunk that concept. You won't get anywhere by attacking deism, or disputing Paine's role in the War of Independence.

Paine is (by his opinion) ruling out God so why should he believe in the miraculous being done? Paine is relying on his reason and intelligence to systemically disprove Christianity. That is fine for him. But humans are limited in wisdom. He can be no more certain of the spirit world than anyone else on either side of the debate. Relying upon the reasoning of a man is an invitation to flaws.


In other words, you've admitted that Christianity is not founded in reason. You've admitted defeat for your religion as far as a rational debate is concerned. TVM for the sweeping concession.

Perhaps, if we would like to get back on topic, someone would care to scroll back up and answer my points about Galilee/Judea and corporeal/spiritual Christ, synoptics/John and gospels/P. Epistles respectively. This discussion has gone off on a major tangent.

 
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Palpazzar 
Registered: Aug '00
6026_Palpatine
Date Posted: 3/10/02 11:18am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
I have said that reason alone cannot be the basis for a debate. I made no confessions of defeat nor will I fall for your trap.

"it was a most thoughtful and effective refutation of Christianity - in this case, the use of miracles to substantiate religion"

I would agree miracles alone do not substantiate religion. My point is that the 'effective refutation' is not so effective. I see no one who believes being shaken by Paine. I don't think anyone who doesn't believe is convinced of their postion because of him. Your claims are a little bold that Christianity is refuted.

I'll go back to the other things in a while.

 

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cydonia 
Registered: Jun '01
6295_Cloud Car
Date Posted: 3/10/02 2:49pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible - Date Edited: 3/10/02 2:53pm (1 edits total) Edited By: cydonia
Just because someone believes something, no matter what it is, doesn't necessarily make it true, no matter how many arguments are made to the contrary. Something surviving in the face of criticism is not proof that it is true. I suppose that goes for both sides of an argument, but with regards to this issue, when you are expected to devote your life to something that has no verifiable basis, it becomes more serious. It deserves to be dissected and questioned until it is absolutely proven to be true or not true. Faith in anything that is of a high ideal is a good thing (optimism). But it shouldn't be treated as something that can go head to head with the law of gravity, for instance.

 

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Palpazzar 
Registered: Aug '00
6026_Palpatine
Date Posted: 3/10/02 7:22pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
Certainly so. There is no reason in physics, biology, or chemistry that conflicts with God in my mind. That leaves me only interpretation of what is out there claiming to be truth. Using reason, questioning, and personal experience we arrive at what we believe.

That is all any of us can do.

 

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Darth_SnowDog 
Registered: Sep '01
Date Posted: 3/10/02 8:51pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible - Date Edited: 3/10/02 8:53pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Darth_SnowDog
R2D2: Let me first state my position so you understand where I'm coming from. I'm not an atheist. I'm a Brahmanist/agnostic. I believe that all beliefs have a universality to them in the sense that they all originate from the same source... the eternal "Why?"

Fundamentally, religion attempts to answer the question of "Why?" but it doesn't sufficiently answer the question of "How?" For those who take scriptures literally, it may... but there are numerous assumptions one must take for granted in order to accept that as truth. You mentioned one of them: the fact that God is exists is unrefutable. Let's face it, that's an assumption, because no matter how much you believe it... your belief doesn't prove it... nor is it relevant to the issue of faith, because faith isn't concerned with proof. Secondarily, you're assuming that everyone accepts the same definition of god, or that there is one to begin with. Not everyone does. By believing in a god, particularly one rather nebulous definition thereof, it still doesn't begin to explain to me half of how this god works... except perhaps by matter of hearsay, poetic license (i.e. exaggeration). So, Jesus, tell us, really, just how big was that fish you caught?

in order to see you must believe...

Convenient. Not only are you attempting to sell me a placebo, you're telling me to believe in god based not only on self-fulfilling prophecies and placebos, but also on the basis of what is known in psychological circles as a self-perpetuating delusion.

Among many anthropologists, sociologists and philosophers, it has recently become fashionable to dismiss all religions as memes -  parasitic mental processes which propagate in the same manner as chain letters. A meme (rhymes with 'dream') may be defined as any self-referential belief-system which contains within itself the instructions for its own propagation. Memes are often described as the cultural equivalents of computer viruses.

A meme carries exactly the same psychological motivation as a chain letter - "If you propagate me then something nice will happen, if not then something horrible will happen". In order to justify themselves against attack by reason, memes place absolute reliance on faith, which is seen as being superior to reason. They also contain self-referential or circular claims to the truth such as "This meme says it is the divine truth. Since it is the divine truth whatever its says must be true. Therefore it must be divine truth because it says so and all competing memes must be the work of the devil".

These two types of self-referential statement "propagate me" and "I am the only truth" provide the driving force for memes to invade the minds of their hosts.  In addition, many memes contain the instructions "Help people who believe in this meme, attack people who do not". These commands being the ultimate cause of all religious wars throughout the centuries. 

The general defining features of all memes can thus be seen to be self-referential 'closed-loop' type of  circular statements,  and a strong tendency towards intolerance. The science of the study of memes, their internal structures and modes of propagation is known as memetics (by analogy to genetics - how biological entities propagate themselves).



Sources: Dawkins, R. (1989) in  'The Selfish Gene'  p 197 - 198  (Oxford University Press,  ISBN 0-19-286092-5)

Dennett, D.C. (1995) in  'Darwin's Dangerous Idea'  p 515 - 517 (Penguin, ISBN 0-14-016734-X)


Palpazzar: How do you clinically define God? God wants faith not puppets. If God could be proved in a clinical sense, then there would be no faith or freewill.

Faith I cannot argue... If a person wants to believe the sky is green, I'd just as soon let them and be on my merry way. It harms me none, unless by defending their belief they choose to infringe my individual rights.

Free Will? Scroll up and read my comments on self-perpetuating delusions. "Free will" is a convenient explanation that defies the omniscience of god. If god already knows what you're going to do, what kind of a demonic, selfish bastard is he to care how you outwardly manifest your beliefs?

Actually, no one starts out believing. Yet something always happens which convinces the person to believe. Do you expect the placebo effect to work when there is on placebo? And just to add a personal thought, the Bible is clear God gives blessings to the just and unjust. No matter who we are, God does still provide so on one is free from God.


I can't begin to comment on how ridiculously egocentric this statement is.

As for belief... I have died, and been resurrected, I have avoided every fatal experience that has been hurtled my way... I have seen dreams that have come true (well, except for the one where Scooby Doo was chasing after me with a kitchen knife trying to kill me.)... and yet I'm not a Christian. I've been through numerous experiences where one would have expected me to die, but my fate was truly in my own hands.

What's convenient and self-perpetuating about the answer to my last statement that may be brewing in your mind at this very moment is the fact that if I ended that paragraph with "I am a Christian", you would tell me that's why I survived those circumstances. However, because I'm not, you'll tell me that Jesus is trying to tell me something. 500 years ago, the all-knowing clergy would have just burned me at the stake for such claims... especially because I'm experiencing good fortune and I'm not a Christian (god forbid any non-Christians should manage to live life without much misery). Of course, if I had told that story just over 2000 years ago, half the Fertile Crescent would have thought I was god... or at least his son.

Tell that to the 3,000 people in the WTC.


First of all, this is as shameless as the pamphlets I see going around as thinly-veiled attempts to prey on people's misery by asking "Where was god on September 11?"

Here again, had they survived... you would have chalked it up to your god. Because they didn't, you still chalk it up to your own god... not the fact that many of them in the other tower were told after the first plane hit that they could return to work because their tower was safe. The fact that they chose to heed this insane broadcast tells me their fate, as gruesome as it is to say, was in their own hands... just as my fate was in my hands that very same day when I decided to disobey a corporate directive rescinding the previous order to evacuate our buildings... in Minneapolis, 1600 miles away from New York. I said "screw it" and left. I wasn't going to be stupidly sucked in by corporate greed because my life is more important.

I imagine that one day fate will catch up with me... and circumstances outside my control will get the best of me... but the fact that they haven't so far... if I went down the list, I can pretty much attribute every one of them to a purely logical or scientific explanation. It of course is not my intent to convert you to agnosticism or Hinduism... nor is it my intention to be worshiped, as I have experienced in my life circumstances seemingly stranger than those of Christ himself. Of course, if I lived 2000 years ago, without the enormous knowledge base that science, medicine, mathematics and other cumulative disciplines have yielded to this day... I might attribute those "miracles" to the unseen, too.

Now, this isn't to preclude the notion that there is a god. Notice I said I'm agnostic, not atheistic. If there is a god, or whatever you choose to call it... you can call it a hamburger for all I care... the very definition itself is self-fulfilling... because god is that which is responsible for... pretty much the whole universe. So, there's nothing that goes without "his" say-so, am I right? So, it doesn't matter whether you're Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, Shinto, Muslim, Jew... it's all the same to him because whoever, whatever god is... god already knows everything that is going to happen, and everything that is not. So where's the need for an anthropomorphic, egocentric selfish desire to be worshiped in a particular way?

God more often than not uses the very things around us.

My entire point, precisely.

In fact, he even says that blessed are those who believe without seeing.

Curious... even though in your previous statement you admit that god works in ways that aren't necessarily dictated by man... but then you quote the Bible... which was dictated, literally, by man... many generations of men.

Nonetheless, I agree wholeheartedly with that last statement: blessed are those who believe without seeing. It's merely a paraphrasing of a more familiar expression:

Ignorance is bliss.

 

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Grand_Moff_Monkey 
Registered: Nov '01
Date Posted: 3/11/02 6:04am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
Darkside_Spirit,

Perhaps, if we would like to get back on topic, someone would care to scroll back up and answer my points about Galilee/Judea and corporeal/spiritual Christ, synoptics/John and gospels/P. Epistles respectively. This discussion has gone off on a major tangent.

Agreed. Let's have a look at your points...


However, the Galilee/Judea problem is far more significant than the 1/3 years one.

I don’t see a problem. I’m reading John at the moment (well, actually memorizing – I’m up to Chapter 7). During the three years, Jesus goes down to Jerusalem for the Jewish Festivals as most Jews would have. At other times he’s in Galilee. The Wedding at Cana was in Galilee (John Chapter 2), as was the feeding of the 5,000 (in Chapter 6). What’s the problem?


John tells us that the wrecking of the temple occured at the beginning of the ministry and there were no serious consequences, whereas the synoptics indicate that it brought on the serious wrath of the priests and led to Christ's crucifixion.

Exactly. When you read them, John’s account is different to Matt, Mark and Luke because it’s not the same event. The surrounding circumstances and details are different. If he went down to Jerusalem one year and was so enraged that he drove all the traders from the temple area and overturned their tables, would he not do it again next time he was there? Personally, I think he did it every year.


The only possible reference to Jesus' existence on earth is "that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve" - and this could easily signify that Christ is perceived by revelation, not by witnesses to a historical character.

I’ve had a quick flick through Paul’s letters. These are some references that leapt at me. There’s probably others, but these are the ones that grabbed me. I’ve deliberately left out, wherever possible, verses about the crucifixion, resurrection and second coming:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David(Romans 1:1-3)

Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." (Romans 15:2-3)

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." (1 Corinthian 11:23-25)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:19-22)

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:13-14)



Paul's Epistles are often cited as being impartial, reliable corroboration for Christ's existence, the crucifixion in particular. However, there is not a single line in any of them that makes reference to a historical Christ.

See above.


All of Paul's references to the crucifixion and resurrection are in a timeless, spiritual realm, not in a contemporary terrestrial setting. He was not crucified by Pilate and the Jews, but by demon spirits in a mythological realm (1 Corinthians 2:8, Col. 2:15).

These are the verses you quoted (the Colossians verse is quoted in context):

None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:9-15)

Could you tell me, from the verses you quoted, how you understand that Jesus was crucified in a realm of demons? Personally, I can’t see it. (Also notice that at the start of the Colossians quote, Paul refers to Jesus' bodily form)


Christ is said to have visited Jerusalem when Paul was living there, yet we can deduce from the Epistles that Paul never even saw Jesus, and knew nothing of his life, work or teachings.

Acts Chapter 7 is where Paul makes his first appearance, by which time about a decade has passed since Christ’s resurrection. Paul is referred to as "a young man" in this chapter. Let’s say he was twenty. That would make him between the ages of 7 and 10 when Jesus’ ministry was going on. It’s highly unlikely that a ten year old from the party of the Pharisees, in his impressionable childhood, would have been allowed by his peers to be around Jesus, listening to what was considered as heresy.


The simple fact is that the Epistles of Paul cannot be used to substantiate the existence of a historical Jesus.

Paul began as an active crusader against the believers of Jesus. He was responsible for the imprisonment, torture and execution of many of them. Yet he converted – knowing what was in store for him. He left behind a life of respect and honour, and instead became an apostle of Jesus Christ – testifying to Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Through him, many were converted to the hard, persecuted life of being a Christian. What made him change? I believe in the account in Acts which says that Jesus appeared to Paul and commissioned him as an apostle to the Gentiles.


Like I said at the start, it's good that intellectual differences don't have to result in personal offence. I have to say that you're a very able debater, and that's the way I prefer it. It's far more enjoyable debating with someone who is a serious challenge to you, rather than going for an easy kill.

Aww, shucks, DS, you’ll make me blush blush


Also, I see you've gone to great lengths to explain away minor "on the face of it" contradictions. If the Bible was really a divinely inspired book showing humanity a much-needed path to salvation, such malarky to make it fit would be unnecessary.

Cool. So either way, I can’t win. If I don’t explain it, the Bible contains errors and if I do explain it, the Bible’s not true because it needs to be explained. Sheesh! You drive a hard bargain.

I can see what you mean though. But how many times has someone misunderstood or taken out of context something you said or did? So you explain yourself, right? Some explanations require more, well, explaining than others. That’s what I’ve tried to do in this thread. If there are any answers I’ve given that you feel are really stretching it, let me know.


 

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R2D2-PENA 
Registered: Aug '01
6636_Alf Tyranus
Date Posted: 3/11/02 12:32pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
Snowdog, i am not trying to convince you of anything, i see that you are convinced of what you believe, i am just stating ONE OR TWO of the many reasons of why i believe what i believe, we chistians call it giving testimony of God's work on our lives. But calling it a dilusion, well then it would apply to EVERYONE, even non believers, why? because they are convinced of their non belief, to them their god is disbelief. Everyone believes in something or someone, that is just human nature, some believe to dis-believe.

Now many people claim that since God didn't leave any physical evidence of His existence, then He doesn't exist. But God is a spiritual being, therefore he only leaves spiritual evidence, that spiritual evidence is His Holy Spirit, which is the One who speaks to our spirit, which the Bible says is dead, and can only be resurrected through belief in Jesus and God. Since Jesus is the physical representation of God, he left physical evidence, which are the records of His existence, such as historical books, the Bible, testimonies from people who saw Him, etc.

Like i said before, believe if you want, but don't call it an illusion, because i can call your belief in whatever an illusion too, and i can claim that you have NO evidence to your belief.

Thankfully i have stated my point on the subject therefore i will not state any more posts refuting the subject, so i will stay on the subject which was posted originally.

 

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Darth_SnowDog 
Registered: Sep '01
Date Posted: 3/11/02 1:13pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible - Date Edited: 3/11/02 1:30pm (3 edits total) Edited By: Darth_SnowDog
Funny you should mention it... spiritually speaking, I believe in the Hindu concept of maya... that the material world we live in is, in fact, an illusion... on many levels. The reason I believe it is because there's scientific evidence to substantiate or give meaning to that relatively metaphorical analysis of the world we live in. I don't, however, pay much attention to the minutiae of who said what on which mountain... because that's just scenery to get people interested enough to stick around for the real lesson or moral. Unfortunately, people seem more interested in the stories than the lessons, these days. All the aspects of organized religious beliefs, are, to me, scenery which, like adjectives in a sentence, surround, exaggerate and even obscure the basic truth.

My beliefs are rooted more so in science than they are in religion. As such, what I believe requires faith and proof. I believe it when I see it. I don't take anything for granted... not even one's definition of god. Now, my ideals and philosophy don't require proof... but then for those ideologies, theories and philosophies for which I have little or no proof, I don't go around prematurely assuming they are universal truths. I am constantly questioning and testing my faith and beliefs every day... both scientific and spiritual.

But God is a spiritual being, therefore he only leaves spiritual evidence, that spiritual evidence is His Holy Spirit, which is the One who speaks to our spirit, which the Bible says is dead, and can only be resurrected through belief in Jesus and God. Since Jesus is the physical representation of God, he left physical evidence, which are the records of His existence, such as historical books, the Bible, testimonies from people who saw Him, etc.

This again is one definition of god, based on the assumption of exclusivity of the Bible... which my previous post addresses. Religion in and of itself isn't a delusion. The self-perpetuating delusion lies in claiming that this is the truth because it says it is... and that because it says it is the truth, no other truth can exist. It's a circular argument, which doesn't give me any spiritual comfort nor does it give me any scientific answers.

Granted, I'm not here to convert you... but I'd much rather you try to present your arguments in a fashion that doesn't already presuppose the issue of various religions all laying claim to the "exclusive" definition of god. Not all religions have self-perpetuating delusions, nor are all religious scriptures taken literally by their followers... see my excerpts from Dawkins again if you're not sure what I mean. e.g. Buddhism doesn't seek propagation by proselytization, nor do Buddhists assume that theirs is the one true path to enlightenment. Therefore it doesn't run into the paradox of defending itself through circular logic.

If god really is omnipotent, he cannot be confined by the Bible's limited definition. Likewise, if the Bible is the only true, precise, and complete description of god, and how one reaches god... then that would also mean that god does not exist... because by that very definition, you strip god of "his" omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, and make god into nothing more than a shylock.

To take any scripture literally, in my opinion, is the greatest blasphemy against the transcendental nature of god.

"Welcome to God-in-a-Box, may I take your order? By the way, we have a $3.99 special on salvation today..."

Oh... hey! Look! There's Elvis... I saw him with my own eyes... *wanders off*

 

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Grand_Moff_Monkey 
Registered: Nov '01
Date Posted: 3/12/02 1:06am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
If god really is omnipotent, he cannot be confined by the Bible's limited definition. Likewise, if the Bible is the only true, precise, and complete description of god, and how one reaches god... then that would also mean that god does not exist... because by that very definition, you strip god of "his" omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, and make god into nothing more than a shylock.

But the Bible describes God as being omnipotent, omniscient and onmipresent. If it describes him as being that way anyway, how is it stripping him of these things?

 

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DarthPhelps 
Registered: Jan '02
46157_Robot Chicken: AT-AT Pilot
Date Posted: 3/12/02 8:09am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
And from what source have you collected your concepts of the religion of Hindu? A book? Teachings passed on through generations?

I ask partly because I am one of those Christians who admittedly know much less about other religions than I would like. I have learned much of the athiests' views on the JC, but little about your own beliefs Darth_SnowDog.

 

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Darkside_Spirit 
Registered: Sep '01
Date Posted: 3/12/02 10:39am Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
Bow down to the wisdom of SnowDog. grin That long post was one of the best I've ever seen.

Convenient. Not only are you attempting to sell me a placebo, you're telling me to believe in god based not only on self-fulfilling prophecies and placebos, but also on the basis of what is known in psychological circles as a self-perpetuating delusion.


Anyway, I will try to carry on my own thread of discussion (Epistles) later but I really don't have the time right now. Please forgive me. happy

 
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Darth_SnowDog 
Registered: Sep '01
Date Posted: 3/12/02 3:20pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
DarthPhelps: There are volumes upon volumes of sources that encompass Hinduism... both scriptural and historical reference.

Of the scriptures, the oldest would be the four Vedas... these are like the "old testament" of Hinduism. Not much of what they prescribe is still strictly observed today, as they are probably over 5000 years old... Since that time, the greatest influence on "modern" Hinduism (when I say "modern" I mean the past 3000 years) is the epic poem Mahabharata. It tells the story of the origins of the Hindus... how we supposedly came into being. Whether literal or not, it doesn't matter to most Brahmanic Hindus... many sects take it as a literal truth, but the Brahmanical central view doesn't. It is more of a statement about who we are and why we are here... and such statements, in my belief, can be interpreted many ways... but the essential morals of the story are usually indisputable. It doesn't matter who said what on which mountain... but no one could argue against, for example, the idea that apathy is a vice, not a virtue.

Out of the eighteenth chapter of the Mahabharata comes the Bhagavad Gita. This is perhaps the most significant subtext of Hindu belief. It is about duty, conquering one's doubt, humanity, and above all things... the path of action.

Then there are the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Sutras... all Hindu scriptures.

For a better understanding of the history of Hinduism and the six systems of philosophy that emerged from it... the best reference is "Indian Philosophy" by Radhakrishnan and Moore.

For an overview of Hinduism, as well as several other world religions... one of the best references is "The World's Religions" by Huston Smith.

I could give you particulars to certain questions you may have... but of course they will be from my point of view. The most important thing to note about Hinduism is that "salvation" (if there is such a thing), or rather what we call "nirvana", cannot be achieved through any means other than action... and the action most instrumental in achieving complete detachment from the self (atman) and unity with all things/truth/the universe (brahman) is through detachment from all things material.

 

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TrainingForUtopia 
Registered: Mar '01
Date Posted: 3/12/02 5:53pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
I've found that if you really dig in and study every "contradiction" in the Bible that there's always a logical explanation for it, and then it doesn't turn out to be a contradiction at all.

 

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Wylding 
Registered: Aug '00
6600_Obi-Wan Kenobi
Date Posted: 3/12/02 5:58pm Subject: RE: Alleged Contradictions in the Bible
I find that to be a truth in almost all religions.

 

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Jedi Master
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