Why have spirituality/religion become so closely tied to just the Bible?
929618
Good question.  The Bible has proven itself thru Bible Prophecy, which has been fulfilled with 100% accuracy. You can do a web search on Bible Prophecy and find some answers, note the dates it was prophesied and the dates it was fulfilled.  If you are interested I can e-mail you close to 40 prophecies that were fulfilled thru Christ...don't know of any other religion that can claim that about themselves.  Bible Prophecy does make for a good study.  History also proves the Bible as does Archeology.
1049142
The Bible focuses on spiritual matters, not the physical world.  That's why it doesn't mention so many things that would be of interest (for example, the trade routes known at the various tmes the Books were written; population figures; manner of dress, etc.).
1184102
You are right it is there in black and white. instead of reading for themselves most allow themselves to be lead by another who most likely has his own ideas and traditions of men. and don't forget for almost all religions there is money involved. We can figure the Bible out just read it , it is so simple to understand.
1122638
I think it went much further than Gay.  Much of the old writing were of a vengeful God. One whose name you could not mention.  Jesus freed us from the old testament.  Beside Jesus told us to love your brother, sounds pretty perverted to me.  But also pretty open minded.  His first invite to heaven was a theif wasn't it. If God is good and the Devil is evil both without the other concept in them aren't they equals in some sense. Hell was in the times of the Bible only a burning pit for the evilest of criminals outside the gates of Jerusalem not someplace of eternal damnation
410921
I've always held the belief that the Bible has been changed to fit the beliefs of whoever commissioned the latest translation.  It's no surprise to me at all that some of the stories were tacked on later as some were removed when they didn't fit in with what was being taught at the time.  \n\nWhy is the Bible supposedly above scrutiny?  Why is it that when people question whether or not it was written and re-written by men, people freak out?  In this day and age, if somebody were to claim they were divinely inspired to write a holy book, we'd call them nuts.  But, we should just believe that this particular group of men really were divinely inspired?
784882
it is definitely more important to be spiritual\nreligion segregates whereas spirituality unites\n\nwhen one can fuse both though with a nice balance .. it can work
106468
Yeah, God also loves everyone, and forgives everyone, so why is there a HELL?  The Bible is just a bunch of people that got together to write a fairytale book, to somehow instill morals into people.  Since people were so ignorant back then, they believed everything, and never questioned anything.  Somehow, that book doesn't seem to make much sense to the more sophisticated and intellectual minds of today.
386867
I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for in an answer here...\n\nIn any case, I more or less agree with you. The Bible is most certainly not an instruction manual. Although, as theologians understand it, it was written by many "guys." But you're on the right track. The bible is not supposed to be taken literally. It is full of metaphors, and honestly, contradictions. People should, as you said, think freely, and interpret the Bible (or any religious text) in the way that makes the most sense to them, and brings them as individuals closer to God. But just as the Bible should not be taken literally, it also should not be twisted around for an individual's own agenda.\n\nTo expand on your ideas a bit, the bible literalists that you disagree with so fervently ought to realize that God is too big for one religion. This number is not exact by any means, but the last time I looked up statistics on the matter, only about one third of the world was Christian. God loves everyone. To say that only Christians are right in God's eyes and that He'll send the other two thirds to eternal torment in Hell does not sound loving at all. These are not the words of God. They are the words of human beings who are afraid of people who are different from them.\n\nI believe that there is a God, but I also believe that there are many paths to Him. Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Wiccans, Pagans, Agnostics... they all view spirituality differently, but none of them are wrong, as long as they do not use God or their beliefs as a way of manipulating or hurting others.\n\nThis includes forcing others to believe what they believe, or requiring them to behave in certain ways. And while laws are important and needed, religion should play no part in them.\n\nI hope I've given you some more to think about on this matter. Thanks for the question.
298820
You missed the biggest point of all, Man wrote the Bible, It has lost and been added to over thousands of years in translating the bible. God himself is perfect, his Creation's just got a little lop sided is all.
401462
No-one really knows what they're talking about, because everything these people know has been told to them by somebody else. They dont have the ability to think for themselves so they adopt someone else's belief system. Yes, a lot more crap went on back in the day, but people change what the bible means to humanity to suit their own needs at that time, which is why beliefs keep changing. Even the New testament was written by a bunch of people who never even knew Jesus. So you or I could just as easily write another new testament and go and call that the bible.
524810
The bible is a book written by men who have an agenda.  The weak minded will choose to listen to propoganda.  Saved from what...a fable.  Think of it...after all this time suddenly Judas goes from being the traitor to the most loyal?  Wow, what a turnaround.  We were wrong for the last 2000 years.  What will we learn tomorrow...it's all just a fairytale?  Get a grip on your own life and stop allowing organized religion to influence your mind for money, control and power.
437550
The Bible is a product of the church, written to retain social control over the masses that believe in it. 'God's Will' seems to favour the bourgeoisie ideology not the humble proletariat  who had nothing. Religion is so mixed up now and along with money is the only other reason why so many wars are breaking out. I think that your sexuality is biologically determined - In your genetics before you are born. Believe in what you choose too, but always remember to stay true to who you are.
464487
This is because we are living in the Post-Modern Era.  This means that we are living in a era where the reader brings the interepretation to the text.  And since we have all had different life experiences we have a different interpretation of the Bible.  This being the case the way that the Bible reads in Greek and Hebrew is not important, the way that the Early Church fathers is not important.  It is completly dependant on the readers interpretation of the text.\n\nThis being the case there is a lack of the intellectual study of the Bible anymore.  Another characteristic of the Post-Modern mindset is almost rebelling against the intellectual history of the church.  Let me give you an example from Nitche.\n\nThe existentialists like Nietzsche brought a new nihilism and atheism which influenced culture. Post-colonialism after WW2 contributed to the idea that one cannot have an objectively superior lifestyle or belief. This idea was taken further by the anti-foundationalist philosophers: Heidegger, then Ludwig Wittgenstein, then Derrida, who re-examined the fundamentals of knowledge. They argue that rationality was neither as sure nor as clear as modernists or rationalists assert. Even logic could be biased -- "logocentrism" - the privileging of a system of logic. Psychologists have since gone further in asserting a cognitive bias, which points at a human bias of truth.\n\nThus since humans are the measure of all things rather than God we are the final authorities on Gods word, and our interpretation supercedes the TRUE BIBLICAL MEANING OF THE TEXT.
808916
Our understanding of the afterlife is so very limited.  I think the common threads throughout many of the religions points to a similar outcome that is probably independant of spiritual flavour.  Our personal spiritual tradition gives us a way of comprehending an incomprehensible concept.
988691
I can only speak from my personal experience in this life. I have read the bible and I have done some reseach. I have been in church and heard sermons. The conclusion I came to, is that the bible is for the most part a well intentioned spiritual text. It is written by men inspired by that which inspires all human kind. I do not believe it was written by God anymore than the Da Vinci Code is written by God.  Perhaps God wrote both? Perhaps Dan Brown in 1000 years will be considered a prophet of God. Who knows? The world is very crazy place. A person writes a book with certain intentions and before they know it , the world has twisted the message. So, quoting the bible to me as an authority on spiritual matters is a waste of time.  Just my two cents.
748634
This is all just a story of fiction, so believe whatever you want to.  The bible has been written, re-written, translated from one language and back again so manty times, it's even more of a work of whoever was writing it and whatever was believed at the time than anything to be taken for "truth".
1166845
HAHA I can see what your getting at. This isnt a battle that you can win. Neither can I. I'm christian but a relaxed one. People have their opinions and who am i to tell them different. I dont beleive everything I hear. I beleive things that i know however. And I dont know for sure that a god even exist. I guess thats the whole concept to a religious faith alone. People tend to take the bible TOO literal. Then things begin getting mixed up. I am a scientist as well, some things in the bible just dont make sense. But if you read a book that offered a way for you to live in a sunny nice beach, and youve lived in the projects all of your life...and all you had to do has follow the books teaching...would you take it? I'm sure you see what i'm getting at as well.