Do you believe in God?

[Balkan1996]

I used to be a christian.

Now I do believe there's a God, but I refuse to be a part of any religion.
I follow deism beliefs for the most part, google it.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Yep. Catholic, as I've briefly mentioned in other threads. The whole thing is a little beyond what I can do justice to in words, so I prefer to be comparatively silent.

 

[Arlais]

Another Catholic here. :3 My faith gets me through the hard times and reminds me to be grateful in the good times. I'd be lost without it.

 

[Amethyst]

Answered yes. I'm pagan.. which doesn't really explain much.
I go back and fourth between hard and soft polytheism. I work with Egyptian deities, although I'm not entirely Kemetic. It's a complicated relationship between myself and the universe. Mostly I just read.

 

[Nadador]

Answered yes. I'm pagan.. which doesn't really explain much.
I go back and fourth between hard and soft polytheism. I work with Egyptian deities, although I'm not entirely Kemetic. It's a complicated relationship between myself and the universe. Mostly I just read.

I understand the "complicated relationship between myself and the universe" bit. Started out in a devout Anglican household, got pissed off at God when my disorders crashed on hard in my twenties, got into fitness and bravado and became my own DIY deity, realised I was but a mere mortal [the hard way], became a spiritual tourist, cobbled together a vague path from the best of what I found, and now I've accepted that the whole Earth is an altar, and everything I've ever needed to feel connected to something bigger than myself has been all around me, all along. No special labels, guilts, abstinences, icons, books, liturgy, or buildings required.

I've known a lot of Pagans: Wiccans, Hellenics, Kemetics, Druids, Odinists, Shamans...you name it. They tend to be great people to chill out and talk/think deeply with. D*mn good at building a campfire, every one of them. I can admire that.

 

[Athelstan]

Oh yes, absolutely. I am a Christian. The Christian God, Church history, and theology are my interests, my loves; Bible translations are my obsession. I'm still in the diagnostic stages, but I know I have AS. Who knows if my love for faith and God would be so extreme without AS. For me that is a blessing.

 

[Athelstan]

Many "Christians" haven't either.

In the last 18 months I've read the Bible front to back 11 times in 7 different translations. This Christian has.

 

[AdamR]

The jury's still out for me on whether there is any God out there who resembles--even slightly--the ones that we down here imagine. I do rather believe that if there is a higher power out there, we aren't special to it. No more so than a zebra, or a housefly, or a daffodil. I find that thought comforting, actually, that the Divine isn't all that bothered about us. I can thank it for whatever it has done to make our planet a beautiful place for spending a few moments, but not feel beholden to it. Feeling free of responsibility to an unseen force has honestly made me a better person than I was when I felt subjected, at church, as a child. It's made me have to examine my motivations and deeds more closely, and it's made me have to decide for myself what's right and wrong. So I have no desire to be a Child of God, though I admire those who can follow any faith with a pure heart. I'm happy enough just to be an Adult of the Third Rock from the Sun.

 

[AdamR]

In the last 18 months I've read the Bible front to back 11 times in 7 different translations. This Christian has.

Hi, Athelstan. Good name for you. King Æthelstan was a very pious bloke, indeed.

These are entirely open-minded questions, asked out of genuine interest. I come from a country (England) where there aren't very many who would read the Bible several times over. What is it that drives you to do it, and in so many different versions? What have you learned from the differences between them, and what do you think of the fact that there have been so many re-interpretations?

I don't want a debate to spring up, here. I'm simply intrigued by your devoted pursuit of the texts of your faith. You sound like a true scholar.

 

[Athelstan]

Hi, Athelstan. Good name for you. King Æthelstan was a very pious bloke, indeed.

These are entirely open-minded questions, asked out of genuine interest. I come from a country (England) where there aren't very many who would read the Bible several times over. What is it that drives you to do it, and in so many different versions? What have you learned from the differences between them, and what do you think of the fact that there have been so many re-interpretations?

I don't want a debate to spring up, here. I'm simply intrigued by your devoted pursuit of the texts of your faith. You sound like a true scholar.

Well, I attribute my obsession of the Scriptures to AS; not that it's a bad thing, for I love God and the Scriptures. I'm just a little more... Involved than most, ha!

You will find that there aren't re-interpretations. This is a common misunderstanding. There are "bibles" like The Message and NLT that are "paraphrases". They are meant to capture the meaning of the Scriptures, rather than being true to the original texts. That's not to say malice and deception is involved because it isn't; these paraphrases are just simply stories of the Bible rather than a Bible. Word-for-word, or formal-equivalent, translations attempt to capture the exact meaning and wording of the texts, but it's impossible to be perfect because Hebrew and Greek do not translate perfectly word for word to English. For example, Hebrew will translate as words, not sentences; there are no "ands" or "buts" or "sos", or anything of the like that completes actual intelligible sentences in English. This means the translators have to take those words and add certain English words to form a coherent sentence. This leads to many translations, as no one translation team will complete a coherent English sentence the same way, BUT it will be nearly identical and contain the same meaning. For example:

In the English Standard Version, Matthew 2:1-2 reads as follows: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

And in the New Revised Standard Version the same verses read as follows: "In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

You will see that the meaning in each translation is exactly the same. The only thing that has changed is sentence structure; so there was no re-interpretation. Revisions are made because translation teams want the best possible meaning, and they want the best possible "reading" of the scriptures, causing differences of opinion on how, exactly, to structure verses. Reading and studying many different translations allows a person to get the best possible idea of what the text is saying without learning the original languages.

 

[zurb]

Revisions are made because translation teams want the best possible meaning, and they want the best possible "reading" of the scriptures, ...

And because the English language itself changes over time.
Some translations are done for specific audiences. The 1984 NIV had both an American and British version. The Good News version deliberately had a limited vocabulary for easier understanding by ESL readers.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

In the last 18 months I've read the Bible front to back 11 times in 7 different translations. This Christian has.

I'd like to get through it just once. I hate parables. (I'm starting to sound like Grumpy Cat )

 

[Grumpy Cat]

Well, I attribute my obsession of the Scriptures to AS; not that it's a bad thing, for I love God and the Scriptures. I'm just a little more... Involved than most, ha!

You will find that there aren't re-interpretations. This is a common misunderstanding. There are "bibles" like The Message and NLT that are "paraphrases". They are meant to capture the meaning of the Scriptures, rather than being true to the original texts. That's not to say malice and deception is involved because it isn't; these paraphrases are just simply stories of the Bible rather than a Bible. Word-for-word, or formal-equivalent, translations attempt to capture the exact meaning and wording of the texts, but it's impossible to be perfect because Hebrew and Greek do not translate perfectly word for word to English. For example, Hebrew will translate as words, not sentences; there are no "ands" or "buts" or "sos", or anything of the like that completes actual intelligible sentences in English. This means the translators have to take those words and add certain English words to form a coherent sentence. This leads to many translations, as no one translation team will complete a coherent English sentence the same way, BUT it will be nearly identical and contain the same meaning. For example:

In the English Standard Version, Matthew 2:1-2 reads as follows: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

And in the New Revised Standard Version the same verses read as follows: "In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

You will see that the meaning in each translation is exactly the same. The only thing that has changed is sentence structure; so there was no re-interpretation. Revisions are made because translation teams want the best possible meaning, and they want the best possible "reading" of the scriptures, causing differences of opinion on how, exactly, to structure verses. Reading and studying many different translations allows a person to get the best possible idea of what the text is saying without learning the original languages.

My friend Mary said she would like to read a bible that hasn't been "cut and revised" several times. Is there such a bible that has never been touched and would be considered "an original"?

Also, I have the NIV and I have to say it just doesn't keep my interest (the King James didn't either). I would like to read something that is understandable and keeps my interest and others here have recommended children's religious books of some sort (I kind of feel like that is beneath me, but maybe not, idk.) I was brought up Catholic, but I have never read the bible. Can you recommend something that I could get off of Amazon possibly that is non-denominational, understandable and interesting? (I know I'm asking a lot.)

 

[Ste11aeres]

My friend Mary said she would like to read a bible that hasn't been "cut and revised" several times. Is there such a bible that has never been touched and would be considered "an original"?

Also, I have the NIV and I have to say it just doesn't keep my interest (the King James didn't either). I would like to read something that is understandable and keeps my interest and others here have recommended children's religious books of some sort (I kind of feel like that is beneath me, but maybe not, idk.) I was brought up Catholic, but I have never read the bible. Can you recommend something that I could get off of Amazon possibly that is non-denominational, understandable and interesting? (I know I'm asking a lot.)

Well, the bible is both a compilation of texts that were written separately, and a translation. The revision part just means the translations were revised.
Personally, I like the RSV. I don't know what your taste in translations is, and whether it corresponds to mine: what you could do is find the same verses online in different translations, to see which one you prefer.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

Well, the bible is both a compilation of texts that were written separately, and a translation. The revision part just means the translations were revised.
Personally, I like the RSV. I don't know what your taste in translations is, and whether it corresponds to mine: what you could do is find the same verses online in different translations, to see which one you prefer.

I'm sorry, Ste11aeres. I don't know what RSV is. All I get when I look it up is Respiratory Syncytial Virus. If it's anything like a bible, I already have the NIV. Bibles just don't keep my interest trying to figure out the parables and the word meanings. My friend Julia knows (or thinks she knows) a lot of the interpretations. I want something that is going to just come out and tell me what "Gog and Magog" means. I don't want to waste time trying to figure out what stuff means. My thinking abilities aren't really working that great right now and my interest is pretty low - the subject has to catch my interest and be easy to read. You know what I mean?

 

[Athelstan]

My friend Mary said she would like to read a bible that hasn't been "cut and revised" several times. Is there such a bible that has never been touched and would be considered "an original"?

Also, I have the NIV and I have to say it just doesn't keep my interest (the King James didn't either). I would like to read something that is understandable and keeps my interest and others here have recommended children's religious books of some sort (I kind of feel like that is beneath me, but maybe not, idk.) I was brought up Catholic, but I have never read the bible. Can you recommend something that I could get off of Amazon possibly that is non-denominational, understandable and interesting? (I know I'm asking a lot.)

There is no "original Bible". The Bible is a compilation of scrolls/letters. The biblical canon as we know it today was decided upon at the ecumenical Council of Nicea. The original letters are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

The word revised in English Bible titles simply means that the translation has been, well, revised. The word "new" in translations is also another name for "revised". Other translations, such as the English Standard Version, are revisions of previous translations. In the case of the English Standard Version, it is a revision of the Revised Standard Version, even though it doesn't have the words "revised" or "new" in the title. Every translation is subject to revision, so don't let that bother you.

My favorite translations are: KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, and ESV. They are all quite formal and literal.

If you want something that reads like a story and will keep your interest (if scripture even interests you) is the New Living Translation. It's a paraphrase and reads like a story, and while I'm personally not a fan of paraphrases (I'm more scholarly in my approach), it is probably the best and most accurate of its kind. I recommend it to children, young teens, and people with reading problems. Choosing a Bible (cover, text size, color, etc) is personal. You can search New Living Translation on Amazon and a whole slew of options will pop up for you.

 

[Athelstan]

I'm sorry, Ste11aeres. I don't know what RSV is. All I get when I look it up is Respiratory Syncytial Virus. If it's anything like a bible, I already have the NIV. Bibles just don't keep my interest trying to figure out the parables and the word meanings. My friend Julia knows (or thinks she knows) a lot of the interpretations. I want something that is going to just come out and tell me what "Gog and Magog" means. I don't want to waste time trying to figure out what stuff means. My thinking abilities aren't really working that great right now and my interest is pretty low - the subject has to catch my interest and be easy to read. You know what I mean?

Just type Bible after the abbreviation. For example: RSV Bible. The RSV is the Revised Standard Version.

 

[Christy]

My friend Mary said she would like to read a bible that hasn't been "cut and revised" several times. Is there such a bible that has never been touched and would be considered "an original"?

Also, I have the NIV and I have to say it just doesn't keep my interest (the King James didn't either). I would like to read something that is understandable and keeps my interest and others here have recommended children's religious books of some sort (I kind of feel like that is beneath me, but maybe not, idk.) I was brought up Catholic, but I have never read the bible. Can you recommend something that I could get off of Amazon possibly that is non-denominational, understandable and interesting? (I know I'm asking a lot.)

If you have a tablet, you can get free apps that you can choose which translation you want to read from. So if reading electronically is an option for you, that might be a good (and free) way to pick which translation you like.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

There is no "original Bible". The Bible is a compilation of scrolls/letters. The biblical canon as we know it today was decided upon at the ecumenical Council of Nicea. The original letters are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

The word revised in English Bible titles simply means that the translation has been, well, revised. The word "new" in translations is also another name for "revised". Other translations, such as the English Standard Version, are revisions of previous translations. In the case of the English Standard Version, it is a revision of the Revised Standard Version, even though it doesn't have the words "revised" or "new" in the title. Every translation is subject to revision, so don't let that bother you.

My favorite translations are: KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, and ESV. They are all quite formal and literal.

If you want something that reads like a story and will keep your interest (if scripture even interests you) is the New Living Translation. It's a paraphrase and reads like a story, and while I'm personally not a fan of paraphrases (I'm more scholarly in my approach), it is probably the best and most accurate of its kind. I recommend it to children, young teens, and people with reading problems. Choosing a Bible (cover, text size, color, etc) is personal. You can search New Living Translation on Amazon and a whole slew of options will pop up for you.

The New Living Translations may be just what I need. Thanks!
Do you have any recommendations on how to read it? I want to read what I would consider to be "necessary" stuff as I would like to make it to Revelations but I've been told not to start there.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

If you have a tablet, you can get free apps that you can choose which translation you want to read from. So if reading electronically is an option for you, that might be a good (and free) way to pick which translation you like.

Thank you Christy. I am on a budget. I have a laptop, a kindle and an iPhone. That's why I was looking for kindle material which I can also read on my laptop.