Without using it for a reference, can anyone explain their belief in The Bible as an unaltered product of God?
355290
OK,\n1. The Bible is unique in its continuity, circulation, translation, survival, teachings and influence on literature.\n\n2. The bible is trustworthy. The Bibliographical test, the internal evidence test, the external evidence test, and it confirmation by Archeology.\n\nI could go on and on. \nAnd as for the bad stuff that goes on in the world, it is man, not God who chose to do evil things. It is called feel will.
1171149
Reverence is not required from those who do not believe.  You will not believe if you are not exposed to the Bible, or it's message in the first place.  Exposing yourself to it may result in belief, which might require reverence, but until then - reading the Bible will return to you only what you put into it.  There are some people who read the Bible looking for ways to cut it down - and they find those ways.  Reading it to enjoy the story-line is perfectly okay.
941143
And I've read many books that prove that the bible is a pile of crap.\n\nSo why do you still believe in the bible, and the discredited theory of creationism?
707582
I am a Deist.  We believe in God, but do not believe in holy texts.  So there is a whole religion out there that believes in God, but no texts.
293665
It is confusing. That is why I read my Bible everyday. I believe it is the Word of God. That is all He has given me to go on. I do feel sorry for people who do not realize this. They are easily swayed. It also keeps me on track by belonging to a church. Jesus loves the church, He is coming back for the church.
996856
I understand that the thing that people have called "God" doesn't exist and it is really a small portion of something so great that it is all encompassing. Knowing that it is all encompassing I know that I cannot comprehend it and no word can describe it.  Therefore, any text about it is incorrect and makes it less than what it actually is.  What it is is just meant to be observed and appreciated but never spoken about.
985775
The bible is something that someone made up.\n\nHell doesnt exist.\nHeaven doesnt exist.\nThere is no God.\n\nThese are my beliefs.. I'm sure you'll receive lots of different responses to that.
1016249
God doesn't need the residuals from Bible sales.  There are many people that give Bibles away for free!
809124
Well done for starting to think like a human.\n\nIt is pretty obvious that the bible is not true. It is a packaged product designed to create a religious truth with which to bind (and blind) people. \n\nBind in that you believe in 'God' and you have to take the bible wholesale (imperfections, contradications and everything). Blind int hat you have to ignore the real evidence of history in order to 'believe' and be saved.\n\nArcheologists do not tend to use the bible as source material because so much of it is false. There is no historical reference to Jesus outside of a few books in the bible. \n\nIn the ancient world myths were not seen as untrue in quite the way we see them today. Myths were a way of spreading a spritual idea or 'truth' through the telling of an allegorical tale that could work on many levels. \n\nThe Egyptians, for example, were prodigious record keepers. We have found written accounts for the tiniest minutea of their daily lives, and records for nobles and royal families stretching back many thousands of years. We even know the names of those kings that that they tried to have 'erased' from history. \nYet nowhere in any of these records is a high nobleman called 'Moses' recorded. And there is no mention anywhere of the Jews being held captive in Egypt, or of thousands of Jewish 'slaves' suddenly up and leaving via the red sea. \n\nRead the bible, by all means. But do not take it literally!
457365
If you don't believe in Life after Death then I would pick up the Bible. Especially if you are an atheist, how do you know what you don't believe if you haven't done your homework.
944497
We are human and cannot possibly know what God knows.  Do I believe things he has done?  Yes.  Can I with certainty explain how it was done? No.  I don't necessarily think it's doubt, I just think it's being unaware.  The longer you have a relationship with God, the more you will come to understand.  He will make some things clearer so that His will can be done.  We are his servants.  So in some ways I agree with you but I don't like the use of the word doubt, that makes me think of being unfaithful.  I see it more as being in the dark, not able to understand.  He is God, our Creator.  We are merely human.
808966
I believed in god very much.  Bible camp counsellor.  On the bible quiz team.  Memorized books of the bible.  I went to a Baptist Bible College to study the bible in depth.  Imagine my surprise when the "small little holes" in the bible became huge GAPING holes when studied in the original languages.  It was the last thing I expected to happen at bible college.\n\nAfter a few years of trying to hold onto my faith, it vanished all together.  I tried shutting myself in a closet and praying every night.  To stop "thinking" and just will myself to believe.  Nothing worked.\n\nBasically, the first thing to go was "the bible isn't correct."  After that it was the morality of god (eternal punishment for a finite sin?  All of humanity being punished for a chick munching on fruit?)\n\nEventually, getting a degree from a "secular" university in history helped me think my way out of religion.  \n\nHope that is what you were lookin for.
249155
I 100% agree. God has authority over all creation and the bible is God's word written by man inspired by God the father and sent to us as a gift of love (just like his son Jesus) to help us understand what he asks of us and as an instruction on how to live. Read it, meditate on it and do not allow the skeptics and unbelief of the world tear you from it. Whether the world wants to accept it or not does not mean it does'nt apply to them. God Bless praying for you Yohanna ramirez
384528
The reality is, as you are so correctly noting, that anyone can take the bible and use it to back up or justify just about any opinion.  So simply quoting some text out of context is no way to settle anything.  It is a waste of time.\n\nBetter, consider the overall theme and purpose of the bible which is simple that people come closer to God by coming closer to people.  So the point is we are to be kind to one another and work at getting along.\n\nStay nice.  Stay happy.
860884
Strange as it may be to you, I believe everything in the Bible.\nI don't expect anyone to understand why, I do because it has never been "proved" wrong.
939388
The verses you quoted are just one of many contridictions the Bible contains.  The most blatant one is the one that claims the Bible is the literal word of God.  If so, the Bible could not say anything which could even be the least bit ambiguous.  This of course accepts the premise that God is perfect.  Either God is imperfect, or the Bible is not God's\n literal word.
80778
I think the bible is a book. Printed on paper made by men, with ink made by men, and full of fables and folklore written by men for the purposes of men. \n\nMany Christians hold to that book as though it is their "idol". They believe it so blindly that even if God itself were to come down and tell them that even ONE verse in it was wrong they would side with the "idol/bible" over God itself.