What's the matter? Don't you like reading the Bible?

The whole idea that everything should be reducible to a single quote is an absurd notion to begin with.

People are always quoting little snippets of verses out of context to mean things they were never meant to mean. That’s a bad practice to get into.

Abraham was God’s chosen man
the Jews are God’s chosen people
and Israel is God’s chosen nation
these come out of the theme of the story

I’m not sure if there’s a single quote that would sum them up. What makes you think you can reduce the Biblical stories to a single quote? If that were the case the Bible could be a lot smaller than it is. Just a list of the important quotes.

The whole religion circles around this central theme all the way to the end. Isn’t Armageddon is either in Israel or just to the north of it in Syria or somewhere close there. That’s where the final battle is supposed to be taking place when Christ returns according to Revelations I think.

The whole Christian folklore is centered on the Middle East. Christianity is Middle Eastern folklore. No doubt about it.

how so?

ah alright i was just wondering if you actually read your knowledge or post based on personal feelings. I see

His "personal feelings" are read knowledge. You don't see these themes throughout the bible? If you were catholic, I would understand that. They have a priest to interpret the bible for them since "regular people" are unable to draw the "true" meaning out of it.

I studied the Bible in depth about 40 years ago. I've come to my conclusions about it. About 20 years ago, I picked it back up again just to see if my first impression might have been incorrect, or whether it could be salvaged. I was particularly interested in salvaging the New Testament because of the healthy moral values taught by Jesus, and because of the popularity of Jesus in the western world.

What I discovered then was that that Old Testament was still just as inconsistent and contradictive as it was the first time I read it. And the New Testament could not be salvaged as the gospels are written without claiming that the authors were grossly misinterpreting Jesus. So I finally just gave up on the whole book in it’s entirety.

By the way, my desire to save the teachings of Jesus was simply because of his popularity in the western world, not because he taught anything unique. He didn’t. All the moral values that Jesus taught can also be found in most of the Eastern Mystic regions. In fact, many scholars argue that Jesus actually got his moral values from the Eastern Mystic. Some scholars claim that his famous “Sermon on the Mount” was actually a repeat of an early sermon the Buddha gave quite some time before Christ. The parallels they show are amazing.

In any case, the 12 laws of karma pretty much sum up almost all of the morals that Jesus taught and these laws come from Eastern Mystic religions and philosophies.

http://thejourneyinward.net/karma/karmalaws.html

If you truly understand these “laws” and abide by them, you’ll be forced to live a life that conforms to everything Jesus suggested.

I put “law” in quotes, because the karma laws aren’t thought of as legal rules like in “commandments”, but rather they are thought of more like the laws of nature. In other words, if you abide by them you’ll benefit from this, if you don’t abide by them you’ll suffer because of it.

Just like if you stand on the edge of a cliff you’ll be alright, but if you jump off you won’t. It’s not a matter of any ‘judgment’ it’s just a matter of ‘natural law’. Like the law of gravity.

If Exedous is too lengthy – here are some others.

"And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power" (Deuteronomy 4:37). "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 7:6 // Deuteronomy 14:2).

Deu 7:6 - For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Deu 26:15 - Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Deu 33:29 - Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD ? He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places.

2 Chron 6:5-6 - 'Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.'

II Sam 7:23-24 - And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.

Thank you so much Dianna for doing the work.

I knew it’s a central theme all through the Bible but I was too lazy to look it up. I see you found it in many different books. It's a major theme throughout the Bible I know that.

This is why I thought it would be common knowledge. Especially to anyone who claims to be a Christian. I don't see how a person can claim to be a Christian and not even know this basic fundamental thesis of their own religious story???

I think if people knew more about what they were talking about Abra, then they would be more on our side of things.

Men do claim to write, compose and edit the bible, King James is the most well known of these people. The bible in and of itself is stories written by the person who they name the "book" or chapter after. They were all men. The books who are not named after their manly authors claim who wrote them in the first part of the "book" or chapter. JFYI

Kalamazoo, among many others; fight hard for their brainwashing religions.

I was regarding the fact that the word "I" is used very infrequently in such chapters.. and i believe i havent seen the words, in my opinion, or i think or other phrases such as these, so this is what i was regarding, i figured people who have assumed i knew about the chapters

Yes i was hoping i would see these passages come up. If you had actually read before each of these verses you would have noticed that it also mentions not only "Jews" but mentions thier kin as well. It was addressing the earlier man saying such blessing would be passed down upon them and thier sons, which are us in todays world. It seems when you arnt looking to understand the bible you only see things skin deep. IM also interested as to why The Genesis passage was not mentioned?

rather young to be talking about brainwashing, i think my "man made bible" as you call it isnt much different than your "man made science"

Alex, I just wanted to say your original post is one of the best things I've seen here for a long time, and I totally support your position.

I've read the bible cover to cover seven times -- and I eventually came to the conclusion that it's an interesting collection of fiction and nothing more, intended to manipulate the behaviors and beliefs (and, inevitably, the wallets) of gullible and superstitious people, through fear and intimidation.

I refuse to live my life in a futile attempt to please a fictional character....

wow you made a choice, great job, im glad you you chose that because thats what makes you happy, now please dont try to change my choices ok and everything will be ok, if there is a god then fine ill have made a good choice if not than i geuss you did but lets just wait an see ok, i tell you what we can grow old waiting to see it wont bother me, cool? cool

How does age have anything to do with validity?

lack of experience, as though you have doe extensive research on such a topic? I highly doubt you have actually read such a Bible to give a vaild or even educated opinion on such a topic. It seems right around the age of 40 is about when you stop learning and you take all that you have learned and form a foundation, this is why so many older people are Status-quo, they have lived. You be 18 are maybe out of High-school, yet make just strong assumptions as though you are right. Give me your proof through your experiences and please disreagrd the opinion.

I believe you're making this assumption because you're losing a battle. If age is an issue, shut up. You're 20.

Im still learning it seems your mind is set in stone, rather interesting comming from someone at the age of 18.