Please elaborate on your answer.
I tend to think that it is a historical account because I see contradictions in it. The Old Testament is mainly a historical account of the Jewish people. The Gospels are mainly a historical account of Jesus.
There are some things inspired by God I guess such as the ten commandments, the sermon on the mount and many of the letters in the New Testament
“In the beginning was “the word”, and the word was with God and the word was God.” Everything that Jesus says is non-different from the word of God. “I and my Father are One.” The only problem is that there are so many “versions” of the Bible. When men put scripture into their own words, (Like King James, etc.) then the scripture loses its potency. When a new version is created, this is because the writer(s) wish to impose a different meaning, by degree. As this goes on from generation to generation, new meanings will appear.
It’s a historical account.
It’s not the Word of God, because if it was the Word of God it would’ve been written by God, but instead it was written by men. Plus, I have a hard time believing that God would be so harsh to kill innocent children and do other terrible horrible things that occur in the Old Testament. In fact, according to my research, that God is a false God, hence why you have all these scandals in the Church, cause the real God wouldn’t allow anything like that to happen to his Creation.
And I don’t think The Bible was 100% inspired by God. The Bible was written by 40 different authors, and I’m sorry but I am not going to blindly trust 40 different people that every single one of those authors truly were inspired by God. It’d be different if we were looking at like 3 authors or a small number, but 40? Yeah…that’s like saying you can trust every single person in the government. Especially nowadays, since the Republicans are playing by the same playbook as the Democrats, therefore making both parties corrupt as can be.
I’m not saying it’s not possible that all 40 authors were truly inspired by God, it’s very possible that was the case. But, the odds of that being true are very small. And since it’s retranslated all the time, honestly it’s hard to even know if what we’re reading is really true. Whenever you retranslate something, the meaning gets lost, and with the amount of times this book has been retranslated, at this point it really just boils down to faith, because no amount of evidence that The Bible actually means what it says can justify a true meaning. It should’ve been translated once and left alone. But no, let’s water down the meaning of The Bible, because that’s smart….
When Jesus was alive, Rome wanted the man dead. Rome did not care about that man, at all. They did not feel sorry for him. They did not care that he preached the truth. The man was assassinated (because it was planned). And now, years later, we have a Pope that resides in Rome who basically is God’s second in command, and people still to this day believe that this whole religion is good? Do you honestly think this religion was made because Jesus wanted this religion to be made? Because what these people in power did was make this religion into a business, and basically exploited the story of Jesus for money. And yet, people will swear by this religion and will even die for it. Just because you have a supernatural experience doesn’t mean you should turn to religion. You had a supernatural experience because Jesus loves you and wants to help you out. That was something Jesus did, not the Church. Rome killed this man, and you can clearly tell that the Romans enjoyed it. You honestly think after all this time they care about that man? Look at what’s going on in your Churches. Shoot, look at some of these people who call themselves Christians or Catholics. This is not what Jesus wanted at all. Jesus desired for people to love one another, to be kind, to love your neighbor, to follow the 10 Commandments, to turn the other cheek. But what do you see? Evil….that’s what you’re seeing. Any crime committed against children is straight up evil. There is no circumstance at all when killing a child is a good thing, none. There is no circumstance where molesting a child is ok, NONE!
It just amazes me the amount of trust people have with other people they truly know nothing about. A person can look good on paper, and be the most evil person to ever live. We have proof that we’ve had bad Popes, Bishops, Cardinals, Priests, etc… It should not surprise you that some people who were considered “doctors of the Church”, saints, even certain philosophers, it should not surprise you that some of these people may have had an ulterior motive. I’m sorry, the fact that corruption is present in the Church should be an indicator that, sorry, but there are some people who have ulterior motives. And some of these people are praised and are called “level-headed.” This is why you shouldn’t believe everything you are told and everything you are taught, cause some of that information was designed to get you to fall for a blatant lie (or at best a half-truth).
I believe in Jesus, but the God of the Old Testament is a phony. I dunno where Jesus got all of his traits from, because the God of the Old Testament isn’t a believer in mercy. He may have warned people before he went through with anything he did, but you don’t hear God sparing anyone. If God did something, he did it, and mercy was nowhere to be found. At least Jesus believed in mercy. So that tells me that either Jesus inherited all of his Mother’s traits, or the God of the Old Testament is a joke, and my research has led me to believe that the God of the OT is indeed fake. That there is a higher God than him who made our souls.
This is probably going in one ear and out the other, but good luck with trusting that many people. I sincerely hope you’re trusting the right people, truthfully.
The Bible is God’s word to us. All of it is inspired. Some of it is history, but, as Father Richard Simon wrote, it is especially the story of God’s relationship with His people. The Psalms, for example, are not history, but they do illuminate God’s relationship with us. The dual creation accounts in Genesis are not two separate historical accounts but stories that tell us about God and His creation. Maybe not every word in them is literally true (for example, did God really create the sun and moon after everything else except animals and people?), but they tell the truth about who God is and who we are in relation to Him.
I don’t see how, out of the three options, that it could be considered the literal word of God since it was written by humans. If it was literally God’s word but written by humans (rather than falling from the sky or just appearing from thin air), then wouldn’t it be the divinely inspired option?
An accurate historical account? The level of historical accuracy varies by both book and passage. I think it’s difficult to argue that some parts of the Old Testament are not folklore; echoing themes and stories that preceded The Bible and were similar across pre-Biblical cultures.
I think it’s an astonishingly accurate representation of humanity and its fundamentally unchanging nature. As such, religion aside, it can benefit everyone who is knowledgeable or familiar with it as a text on the flawed and seemingly incapable human condition.
This….
I really have a problem with calling something that is not considered illegal, sinful. Or this condition of “original sin.” That we are inherently fallen creatures. I’m sorry, but I don’t buy it. If you a put a baby in a room with another baby, how can you look at those 2 innocent children and say they’re fallen creatures. They’re children for crying out loud, they don’t know any different. And whenever I say that, someone will inevitably chime in and say “Well…we’re not necessarily talking about babies.” And then I look at them and I say “Ok…well then something’s not adding up. Either we’re fallen creatures or we’re not. When someone says we are inherently fallen creatures, they’re talking about our inherent nature are they not?” And usually the other person will say “Well…yeah…” And I said “So, in saying that, it shouldn’t matter what age we’re at. If huemans are inherently fallen creatures, then they are fallen creatures their entire lives right, including when they are newborns, correct?” And they said “Well…I guess that makes sense.” And then I usually say afterwards “Well sorry but I fundamentally disagree. When a child is brought into this world, they’re still trying to figure out things, and they become naturally curious. And really, if I’m being honest here, as children grow, and they turn like 3 or 4, children tend to have this natural tendency to go towards the good. Yeah, they’re still learning so they might still do bad things every now and then, but for the most part, because children love and they love fiercely, they mostly try to do what they’re told. It’s only when children near the age of puberty is when things can fall on the wayside. But, if we wanted to take this one step further, there are some adults out there that are arguably worse than children.
But even if you disagree with my argument, the other argument that can be made is the whole “God doesn’t make trash” argument. To consider the hueman race to be inherently fallen is to imply that there’s a defect in what God designed. And if God is perfect, this goes directly against his nature. Huemans are God’s creation, so therefore huemans are ultimately a GOOD creation.
Obviously I don’t think God made our meat suits, I was just using terms Catholics use to illustrate my point.
Thanks Stephen! I like how you used my words “meat suits” LOL!
I see what you are wrestling with here. If God told Moses what to write on the tablets, would that portion of Scripture be the “literal Word of God” to you? If Jesus, who is God speaks, would you consider that to be the literal Word of God? I think you could agree that some of the Bible is the “literal Word of God,” even if you do not recognize all of Sacred Scripture to be.
Are you Catholic Pax?
That’s a fair point. I had considered some of the bible to be inspired by God and some of it to be a historical account. I would then have to agree that some of the bible is indeed the word of God. There are also other parts in the OT where God speaks directly so I guess you can say that’s Gods word as well
God bless
As clearly explained in “ Misquoting Jesus “ the Bible is the result of many rewrites.
It is only by studying and using the concepts of the teachings that one truly follows Jesus
Using your example of God telling Moses to write on the tablets and applying one of the definitions of the word, “inspire” from Webster’s dictionary which is: “to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration”, I would say that Moses was “inspired by God” to write on the tablets.
I would regard the literal word of God to be a situation where God creates the tablets and the Commandments on them, without any physical involvement from Moses.
In regard to whether I’m Catholic or not. It’s commonly understood that a person born Catholic, baptized Catholic, etc is “always Catholic” unless they’re excommunicated? That said, I’m no longer a practicing Catholic. It may seem both ironic and bemusing then, that I participate in this forum, a Catholic forum; however, it’s inescapably part of my wiring, whether I like it or not. I’m not anti-Catholic or anti-religion.
Life on Earth is terminal. As such, I respect and understand the need each of us as people have to deal with and cope with that fact, sometimes in very individual and personal ways. Religion can be a prominent means toward an acceptance of death and can help minimize the fear of it that’s inherent in being human. I accept and respect a person’s religious beliefs if those beliefs are helping them get through this life in a manner that’s respectful to the autonomy of fellow human beings. But I would equally respect a person saying that believing in something non-religious, whether imaginary or tangible, helps them get through this life.
The ultimate condition in any case, religious belief or not, is that a person does not impose or force their beliefs on others. That’s a grossly unacceptable affront that should not be tolerated by humanity.
Hi Pax, I’m the same way….not religious, just Spiritual here.
I am currently listening to a debate between Trent Horn and a Protestant Pastor on the topic of Sola scriptura and Trent said something pretty interesting. Sacred Scripture is inspired by God, but any time Sacred Scripture mentions “The Word of God,” never is it referring to a specific written document. The Word of God is referring to unwritten and written, conveying the Word of God and the way of our Lord.
Jesus is “The Word” incarnate. He is “The Way, The Life, and The Truth” (John 14:6).
He breathed on the Apostles the authority to loosen and to bind on earth (“the pillar and bulwark of truth”). And this authority was passed on the their successors to settle disagreements on matters of faith & morals and is a sign of unity among Christians.
“So then, brothers & sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
The Bible is a collation of Holy Scripture in the form of many of the books of the Old Testament and the writings of the New that fulfils them and which in entirety is the documented account of God in Revelation, or to verbalise the matter in more straightforward terms: Holy Scripture of which the Bible consists is The Word of God.
I think this verse is particularly instructive:
Jeremiah 11:4
4 which I commanded your ancestors the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that iron furnace, saying: Listen to my voice and do all that I command you. Then you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Je 11:4–22:21.
The Bible contains the voice of God, in that sense, it is the word of God. Yes, there are contradictions in the Bible, but that is where critical scholarship comes in. Critical scholarship of the Bible is our friend, not our enemy. We can look at the contradictions and say, “So what?” “Big deal?” “Who cares?” Yes God used men to pass on his voice, his message, and yes, they made mistakes. But we can also see the overwhelming truthfulness of Scripture. No one can honestly read the accounts of Jesus in the Gospels and doubt that he is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, and our Savior. So don’t just look at what the human authors got wrong, look with spiritual eyes at everything they got right! God was in control of what he allowed into his Bible, and yes, he allowed plenty of human error. But God also made sure that the truth of the Jewish people was preserved, and the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ was also preserved. We know what we need to believe in order to be saved, the Bible has preserved that knowledge very clearly for us, and that’s all we really need.
All three are true, but in very different contexts.
The Bible is the Word of God.
The term ‘Word of God’ has a long history in both a Jewish and Christian context. The earliest Christian Church did not use the term Word of God with reference to the Scriptures. Instead, the “Logos tou Theou” or “Dei Verbum” referred to the divine person of the Son. We can appropriately call the Scriptures the Word of God because of Christ’s real presence within the text. God progressively reveals this presence to humanity through the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. The Church names this real presence of Christ the ‘Gospel’. Just as the Bible takes the name ‘Word of God’ from the Word’s presence within its pages, so too do the four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John derive their name of ‘Gospel’ because they are concerned with describing the human life of the Gospel on earth.
The Bible is inspired by God.
The term ‘inspiration’ when taken in a Theological sense denotes the presence of the Holy Spirit working through a medium. In this case, the medium of the Holy Spirit’s work is the texts of Scripture written by human authors. The Holy Spirit preserves the Word of God from being diminished by the imperfections of the texts’ human authors. While the texts can have errors, these errors are superficial to the work of the Holy Spirit preserving the integrity of the Gospel to be free from error in the matter of faith and morals.
The Bible is a historical account.
Before speaking on this topic, we have to remember that the Bible is a library, not a single literary work. The vast majority of the books of the Bible were never meant to head as history. Of those which were written to disclose historical accounts, none were meant to be read as we generally read history today. As such, to evaluate the historical accuracy of the books of the Bible, we must read them in the literary style in which they were written. Even within a single book, like Genesis, there can be many literary styles.
Beyond the historical content of the texts, the texts themselves are inherently historical accounts. It does not matter whether the texts were meant to be written as history or poetry, every text gives a historical, religious, and cultural snapshot of the time and place in which it was written.
2 Peter 1:19 we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
1 Thessalonians 4:8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Revelation 19:13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God.
Hi JMJ777,
I dunno if you have followed my posts in the past, but some people haven’t and honestly I can’t blame them for that, because honestly I was a punk. But I have decided to stay away from posting anything because I felt like I was making this forum a debate forum and I was actually making several people very upset, which was never my intention, but as you know we can have good intentions and the result be less than desirable. So, as a courtesy to everyone who comes to this forum with love in their hearts, I’ve decided to not post as much anymore because I think it’s important that Catholics have a place they can go to, to talk about their faith and make wonderful connections with people who think similarly. So, I decided to not post and to simply bow out, because the truth of the matter is, I’m really just here to learn. You Catholics go through a lot of persecution, and it doesn’t help matters when I come on here, who is not Catholic and completely ruin this beautiful community.
However, just because I’ve been quiet and respectful of this community of people, because that’s what you are, one big community, doesn’t mean that I’m not going to stand up for my beliefs either. Yes, lately I’ve been very quiet and very respectful of other people here, cause I’m not afraid to tell you that, several people who I respect immensely here were getting kind of upset at me. And I thank God everyday that I had the sense to see that I was doing more damage instead of actually being helpful to this community of believers. But please know that if you’re going to comment on something that I said on here, don’t expect me to be quiet. Just like you are free to believe what you want and free to post what you want, I too am allowed to disagree with you, but unlike what I have done in the past, to disagree with you respectfully and not disrespectfully.
So, respectfully, I disagree with what your Bible says. You are telling me to basically put my faith in 40 people (because in our current Bibles, the whole Bible has 40 different authors). Now, coming from someone who was born with a stutter and then later on diagnosed with a mental disorder, I know better than to just blindly trust anyone or any book for that matter. You and I can agree that throughout the Church’s History you have had good people and you have had bad people. And I’m not just referring to what happens on a purely lower level (like Priest’s sexually molesting children), I’m referring to pretty much the entire Church Hierarchy throughout the years. And, there have been so many contributions from so many people throughout the years to this religion, that it honestly has become too enigmatic.
If someone told you that they are able to trust every single person that works for the government, you’d probably look at them like they are crazy. Because it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you stand in, there are corrupt politicians among Republicans and Democrats. And now you have Republicans who are RINO’s (Republican In Name Only), so the Republican party is basically playing by the Democratic playbook. Sadly, the government that’s supposed to be working for American citizens are showing their true colors and a lot of them with the exception of a very small number of people up there, do not believe in helping the taxpayer. Instead they are more concerned with winning votes than they are concerned with winning the hearts of the American people. And because we’re treating government as a j-o-b (because now we have Political Science in colleges now), it shouldn’t surprise people that some people are in places of power for the sheer fact that it pays well. It’s truly sad that politics has gotten to this point, but it’s also pretty predictable, especially since people are more concerned with how much they’re going to make instead of actually caring about the people who vote them into power to begin with.
But, to get back to the main problem at hand, the reason why I used politics as an example, is because, there’s quite a lot of people up there in D.C. who are basically corrupt. So how is that different from a book written by 40 people? Do you honestly believe that every single person who wrote that Bible was truly inspired by God and have your best interests at heart? Do you honestly believe that the Church Hierarchy can be trusted at all, even though they prove that they can’t really be trusted time and time again? It’d be one thing if there were like 3 people who wrote the Bible. I’m more inclined to believe that 3 people were truly inspired by God, but 40 people? That’s a lot of people to put your faith and trust in, in fact it’s so many that it would seem too good to be true. And usually if something is too good to be true, it probably is. And really, we can go deeper. Do you honestly believe that every contribution that was made to Catholicism was done so on good faith? Hasn’t History taught us that, whenever a person is given a lot of power that most people abuse the power that they are given? Hitler was able to win the hearts and minds of thousands of Germans, all because he was very charismatic and was a great public speaker, and look at the amount of damage that one person did to entire groups of people! That should scare you, that one person was literally able to dupe thousands of people all because he knew how to keep up with appearances. And, of course he had people work under him to help him, but the fact that he was able to kill so many people and get away with it for so long, should frighten people legitimately.
You can quote from that book all you want, that doesn’t mean that the words you are speaking came from God. The words you are speaking came from a collaboration of 40 different authors who you, and everyone that takes The Bible as God’s Word, truly believe to be the truth and nothing but the truth. But again, History has shown, time and time again, that corruption can (and in alot of cases does) happen eventually. Catholicism is no different. The fact that most Catholics can agree that they’ve had bad people in positions of power is evidence enough that you can’t always trust what it is you’re reading or whomever is in power (including the Pope and everyone else that is under him). Just because something seems good doesn’t mean it is good. After all, in your Bible, it specifically talks about people who are “wolves in sheeps clothing.” And like it or not, you’ve had several people demonstrate this horrifically well.
I’m not here to change your mind, cause I know I can’t. In your own Bible, it warns about people who can “mislead you.” Well, since when does this not apply to your own religion? There are some people within this religion whom I wouldn’t put my faith in, even if my life depended on it. Whether you want to believe this or not, when it comes down to it, Catholicism is a business. And so, at times Catholicism seems to be a little wishy washy on certain things. The fact that The Bible is constantly being retranslated is concerning, because when you retranslate something over and over again, the original meaning gets lost. No offense, but you’re reading a very watered down version of God and Jesus. But, in order to attract people to the faith (because again, this is a business), you have to appeal somewhat to people.
It’s just odd to me that you would even make a business out of something abstract like morals. Why? Why are we capitalizing on abstract concepts that are valuable and, in some instances, sacred to us as huemans? Because you’re not selling a product, what you’re doing is trying to lead people in the hope that after they depart from this plane of existence that they can get to Heaven. Well…no offense, but if that’s the case, then normal everyday people (which includes myself) are going to hold that particular business to a higher standard. If you were selling a product, like a car, it’s different. Because, if I’m going to hire someone to sell cars, I’m not too concerned with that person’s background (yes, I would run a standard background check, just because, to a degree people do hold others accountable for anything. I would basically make sure they didn’t break the law). But, if I’m an employer of a car dealership, and I am looking for someone who can sell cars, I’m going to be more concerned with the amount of experience they have doing that sort of work (if any) and I’m going to be more concerned with how you present yourself and how well you are at selling a car. Because, the truth of the matter is, companies really don’t care about your personal downfalls. They want to know how well you can do your job and if you’re reliable or not. So, in a scenario when it comes to selling a product, yes people will hold you to a certain standard but the main thing is, can you do your job and do it well in this instance? But this isn’t about selling a product, this is about something that is pretty dang important which is your afterlife. This isn’t like selling a toy, or a car. This is about what’s true and what isn’t, so yeah…I’m going to hold that religion and everyone involved in that religion (with the exception of normal average everday believers who go to Church every Sunday) to a higher standard. Because we’re not talking about a product that only lasts 5 years and then breaks down. We’re talking about our eternity here! That’s a BIG deal!
I am Spiritual, I do not follow any religion or organization. There is nothing in the “Holy Bible” (aka Man’s book for mankind) that says that I have to be a part of any organized religion to be saved. And if I’m being 100% real here, I don’t need a book to tell me that God is real and that there is a moral order to things. History have shown us that power corrupts most people. You might have the occasional anomaly that, when that person was given power, they didn’t abuse it. But most of the time, History has demonstrated that most people who are given power abuse it. Same thing applies to your religion. Like it or not, your religion is a business, yes it might be a non-profit business, but it’s still a business. And a business doesn’t have to be for profit to be corrupt, because again, it’s a business. Every organization and religion, to a certain degree, is corrupt, some more corrupt then others, but corrupt none-the-less. And for a business that claims to be the fullness of the truth, and for that business to be corrupt, is scary. And what’s more scary is people still, to this day, follow that religion knowing that what that business does is very suspicious and sometimes just downright disgusting.
So, in conclusion, I hope and I pray, truthfully, that you are following the right people. I hope and I pray that I am dead wrong, so wrong that I don’t know what it is I’m talking about. Because from my perspective, especially nowadays, is to not trust a single soul. Unless a person gives you a reason to trust them, the safe way to approach other people is to not trust them at all. Now there are certain circumstances where there has to be a certain amount of trust between people (like working at a job for example), but 90% of the time, you should trust no one UNLESS they give you a reason to be trustworthy. Yes, it’s sad that we, as a collective, are basically being put in survival mode, but it was huemans that got us into this mess, and it’s going to take huemans to get us out. And I’m not sure if people are ready to do that quite yet.
I’m sorry for my wall of text, but I think it’s important to talk about these things regardless. Again, I respectfully disagree, and I do hope not just for your sake but for mine as well that I’m wrong…because I have yet to see that I am wrong….
Hi Brother,I do understand you although not fully,but you have a good heart, your a good person, from your post it’s seems your a bit lost,you perhaps didn’t get the formation or if I may say proper family environment, that’ ok remember not all fingers are the same,but your just in dealing with others,but remember God sees your heart,even though you don’t know Him,He knows you very well,I would request you to be patient and wait, even if it takes years, One day God will answer your questions and then you’ll be silent saying nothing, but be open minded,and listen,pray about it ,but I must also say you are also very stubborn clinging on your own opinions rather than understand or seeking the Truth ,what you have in your heart is already full of your self and the the circumstances you faced in your life formed you, what you are today,if a tumbler is full ,you can’t fill it again unless you empty it,to gain some things you need to lose some thing.
Coming to the post ,if God inspired or chose certain people throughout the centuries, even though they are weak sinners full of faults defects,he also forgives their sins ,cleansing them, inspires and give them the grace also to do his will,we all are sinners, all saints are repentant sinners,the Catholic Church are full of sinners and saints, know matter what people say it is the truth Church on Earth Mat 16-16-18.as st Paul says
1 Timothy 1:13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
Don’t look at bad examples and humans way of thinking,rather look at Jesus who died for you and for many,look at Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith as a example Heb12:2,3
Your precious in God eyes,no matter what people say about you.God bless and take care, please continue, I like to your post,just be humble to accept other’s opinions and learn from their experiences,I would like to answer your questions but pls be to the point and brief.
Acts 17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.
Pax
Oh is this Pax? Oh well hello, it’s nice to be able to talk to you again.
I know I’ve said this previously, but all I want is the truth. That’s it. And I could care less what religion it is or what belief system it is, I just want the truth. If the truth means going back to Church, receiving the Sacraments and believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then that is perfectly ok. If the truth means becoming a Buddhist (or even a Hinduist) and believing in reincarnation and knowing how the 7 main chakra’s work in tandem to let the energy in your body freely flow the way it’s supposed to, then I’ll become a Buddhist/Hinduist. I really, honestly and truly, do not care what the truth is, I just want to know that what it is I believe is actually true and not just something that the crowd follows and that I have a “social obligation” to follow the crowd. Not everything the crowd does I like, which probably explains why I don’t really align, or am part of any organization.
Ever since I have started to find the truth for myself, I have lost almost every single thing you can possibly think of. Right now, the only piece of property that I own is my car (since it’s in my name). I have a laptop, and a cellphone, and a few other small material things, but other than that I’ve lost everything. My family, even though they won’t say it to my face, they’ve basically mentally checked out on me. How do I know? Simple, if I start talking about what it is I believe, my family just looks at one another and laughs in front of me. So, I lost my family. Lost a great deal of friends, but made 2 friends out of the deal who are near and dear to me. And materialistically I own very little. And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Knowledge to me is very sacred and I am always open, and I truly mean, always open to being wrong. I could most definitely be wrong about everything, but the fact that I’ve lost everything, the fact that I have had certain experiences that I cannot explain and has led me to what I believe right now, just solidifies more that what I believe is actually true.
I know you said to have an open mind. Believe me, if you sat down with me and if I was to go through every single thing I believed in, you would see how open-minded I actually am. In fact, I have yet to come across someone who is way more open-minded than I am, because I am very open-minded.
The only thing I’ll say, is, I would be very careful when following someone who says “What I say is the truth, and nothing but the truth.” There are people who have said that before when evangelizing or preaching, and to make claims like that, at least for me, requires a humongous leap of faith. In fact the leap is so big, that I’m not sure I can get behind someone who says that. Even I admit I don’t have all the answers….and am open to being totally wrong.