Open Minded Christians

[angryoldman]

Re: Open Minded Christians

It all boils down to Gods will. If one truely believes God to be all powerful, all knowing and in all places at the same time, then he believes that the Bible is exactly as God intended it to be.

Yea yea yea yea..... I know I know. If we believe God to be all powerful.... Why is it that every converstaion turns to "If we believe God to be all powerful..." I do believe God to be all powerful. i also know what I was taught in Catholic school. I was taught by the same men who were molesting little boys at the rectory. I believe in God. I believe the Bible. But I'm open minded too. Close minded people say "What's in the Bible is it. That's all there is too it." Who's to say that's it? Why couldn't there be more books undiscovered out there? Like YOU SAID in your own words, if you write a story, and I write one 200 years later, who's it more plausible?
So who's to say what is in the Bible is all the stories? What happened to Jesus from the age of 12 to 30? Do we know? No. No one knows. But new writings say he could have spent time in the Himalayas, and studying with Buddhists. Why is it not possible for Jesus to be married. According to the newly discovered writings, Jesus feared for the safety of his possibly wife at the time of the crucifixion, so he sent her away in hiding.
It's also written the apostles were jealous of his relationship with Mary Magdeline. Why?
In a newly discovered writing, it reads something like "I witnessed Jesus Kiss Mary Magdeline many times on the....." Where he kissed her will probably remain forever unknown because the age of the paper withered it away.
But even Priests who are PhD's are more open minded. Priests say it's possbile. So why do you say it's impossible?

[T-Man007]

Re: Open Minded Christians

Yea yea yea yea..... I know I know. If we believe God to be all powerful.... Why is it that every converstaion turns to "If we believe God to be all powerful..." I do believe God to be all powerful. i also know what I was taught in Catholic school. I was taught by the same men who were molesting little boys at the rectory. I believe in God. I believe the Bible. But I'm open minded too. Close minded people say "What's in the Bible is it. That's all there is too it." Who's to say that's it? Why couldn't there be more books undiscovered out there? Like YOU SAID in your own words, if you write a story, and I write one 200 years later, who's it more plausible?
So who's to say what is in the Bible is all the stories? What happened to Jesus from the age of 12 to 30? Do we know? No. No one knows. But new writings say he could have spent time in the Himalayas, and studying with Buddhists. Why is it not possible for Jesus to be married. According to the newly discovered writings, Jesus feared for the safety of his possibly wife at the time of the crucifixion, so he sent her away in hiding.
It's also written the apostles were jealous of his relationship with Mary Magdeline. Why?
In a newly discovered writing, it reads something like "I witnessed Jesus Kiss Mary Magdeline many times on the....." Where he kissed her will probably remain forever unknown because the age of the paper withered it away.
But even Priests who are PhD's are more open minded. Priests say it's possbile. So why do you say it's impossible?

Like I said, if God wanted those books in the Bible, they would have been in the Bible. That's the only answer I can give you bro. I jsut find it hard to believe that if those books, which are so conflicting with the Bible, were meant to be in the Bible they would have been. Maybe God is just now letting mankind discover these books as a test to their faith. Are you going to believe in His word, or these new books that he saw fit to keep buried for thousands of years?

I love these kinds of debates because I am open minded, very much so. It's in my nature. I am very analytical and very investigative bynature. But at the end of the day, I have to weigh the differences and I have yet to find anything concrete to suggest that the Bible is inaccurate. The very thought that the Bible could be put together without books that were in fact written by men who were in fact inspired by God himself, just doesn't make any sense to me. I can assure you, like I stated earlier, that there were in fact many many many books during that time. But, not all are accuarate. Regardless of what time they were written or what they may state, not all were inspired by God. Those choosen for the Bible were those that were deemed to be inspired by God. If in fact one of these new discoveries were actual books that were actually inspired by God, don't you think God wouldhave made sure man found them long ago?

Like I said, I think this is God's way of testing our faith. Plain and simple. Are you going to stay with him, or allow yourself to be misled? I'm not talking to 'you' but to Christians in general. Just look at how many so called Christians jumped on the evolution wagon. You can't believe in both, they contradict one another. Only one can be true and it's up to us to choose which one we want to believe in.

I do have an open mind, but I also have the responsiblity of keeping my heart guarded from the Devil. Allowing my self to assume God's word is inaccurate because of some writtings being discovered is, for me, the same as questioning his power. That's all the Devil wants me to do, question God. As soon as I do that, it opens the door for my mind and heart to be seperated from Him. I've made too many mistakes in my life to ever go down that road again bro. I've turned my back on God in the past. I've allowed myself to believe in the things of man over the things of God and my life was total shit during those time. Now, I do my best to grow toward Him and my life is a million times better for it. But, I can only speak from my personal expereince.

[RevTodd]

Re: Open Minded Christians

So is there a chance that Jesus and Mary Magedeline could have been married? Was that Mary magdeline in the photo of the Last Supper?
And how about the lost writings that they found dating back to 4 A.D. with some pretty severe accusations in them? Who possibly wrote the books of Mary, Anthony, and Philip? Just curious. Especially Reverend Todds opinions.

Nifty the way you set up the question... If I don't agree that Jesus could have married Mary Magdalene, then I'm not open-minded, eh? Well I guess that makes me closed-minded.

Actually what it means is that I am secure enough in my faith, and knowledgable enough about church history and the authorship and acceptance of the canon, that I will not be swayed by the fanciful and ignorant ramblings of a popular fiction writer playing armchair theologian.

No… There is no chance that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and there is no credible historical evidence to that effect. There is also zero chance that the figure in DaVinci’s painting is Mary, but it would not matter even if it was.

With regard to the Gnostic Gospels and other pseudoepigraphic writings, they have no credibility at all. They were written by heretical sects centuries after the events they pretend to recount. They are written under false names, and so are deceptive documents from the outset.

By contrast, we have manuscript evidence for the NT books going all the way back to the 1st century, establishing their credibility and historical correspondence. Further, in the NT, the very roots of the Gnostic heresies which spawned the documents Dan Brown cites are identified and refuted (Colossians, 1 and 2 John), and an early icon of Gnosticism -- Simon Magus -- is condemned (Acts 8:9-24).

In spite of this, people will believe what they want. If they want to doubt the veracity and historicity of the New Testament, they will find documents (however spurious) to justify their claims. If they can't find them they will fabricate them. Reasonable arguments and historical facts will not dissuade them.

Gnosticism is nothing more than Greek pantheism sprinkled with Christian terminology, symbolism and imagery. Far from being just another way for open-minded people to view Christianity, it is in fact inimical to the Christian faith.

[T-Man007]

Re: Open Minded Christians

Nifty the way you set up the question... If I don't agree that Jesus could have married Mary Magdalene, then I'm not open-minded, eh? Well I guess that makes me closed-minded.

Actually what it means is that I am secure enough in my faith, and knowledgable enough about church history and the authorship and acceptance of the canon, that I will not be swayed by the fanciful and ignorant ramblings of a popular fiction writer playing armchair theologian.

No… There is no chance that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and there is no credible historical evidence to that effect. There is also zero chance that the figure in DaVinci’s painting is Mary, but it would not matter even if it was.

With regard to the Gnostic Gospels and other pseudoepigraphic writings, they have no credibility at all. They were written by heretical sects centuries after the events they pretend to recount. They are written under false names, and so are deceptive documents from the outset.

By contrast, we have manuscript evidence for the NT books going all the way back to the 1st century, establishing their credibility and historical correspondence. Further, in the NT, the very roots of the Gnostic heresies which spawned the documents Dan Brown cites are identified and refuted (Colossians, 1 and 2 John), and an early icon of Gnosticism -- Simon Magus -- is condemned (Acts 8:9-24).

In spite of this, people will believe what they want. If they want to doubt the veracity and historicity of the New Testament, they will find documents (however spurious) to justify their claims. If they can't find them they will fabricate them. Reasonable arguments and historical facts will not dissuade them.

Gnosticism is nothing more than Greek pantheism sprinkled with Christian terminology, symbolism and imagery. Far from being just another way for open-minded people to view Christianity, it is in fact inimical to the Christian faith.

Thanks for making my answer look dumb. LOL

[angryoldman]

Re: Open Minded Christians

Nifty the way you set up the question... If I don't agree that Jesus could have married Mary Magdalene, then I'm not open-minded, eh?

Not at all. Just as expected, you gave an open minded answer. Thanks.
Why is Mary Magdeline mentioned so much in the Bible?
Actually, let me ask another. Why is it that some Catholic Priests will not dismiss the possibility, while others totally rule against it?

[BIGMOFO]

Re: Open Minded Christians

Nifty the way you set up the question... If I don't agree that Jesus could have married Mary Magdalene, then I'm not open-minded, eh? Well I guess that makes me closed-minded.

Actually what it means is that I am secure enough in my faith, and knowledgable enough about church history and the authorship and acceptance of the canon, that I will not be swayed by the fanciful and ignorant ramblings of a popular fiction writer playing armchair theologian.

No… There is no chance that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and there is no credible historical evidence to that effect. There is also zero chance that the figure in DaVinci’s painting is Mary, but it would not matter even if it was.

With regard to the Gnostic Gospels and other pseudoepigraphic writings, they have no credibility at all. They were written by heretical sects centuries after the events they pretend to recount. They are written under false names, and so are deceptive documents from the outset.

By contrast, we have manuscript evidence for the NT books going all the way back to the 1st century, establishing their credibility and historical correspondence. Further, in the NT, the very roots of the Gnostic heresies which spawned the documents Dan Brown cites are identified and refuted (Colossians, 1 and 2 John), and an early icon of Gnosticism -- Simon Magus -- is condemned (Acts 8:9-24).

In spite of this, people will believe what they want. If they want to doubt the veracity and historicity of the New Testament, they will find documents (however spurious) to justify their claims. If they can't find them they will fabricate them. Reasonable arguments and historical facts will not dissuade them.

Gnosticism is nothing more than Greek pantheism sprinkled with Christian terminology, symbolism and imagery. Far from being just another way for open-minded people to view Christianity, it is in fact inimical to the Christian faith.

I AGREE !!!

[brody13]

Re: Open Minded Christians

no.

[mick-G]

Re: Open Minded Christians

No one will ever know. end of story, lol! It is too long ago and there is no evidence even to substantiate it. Everyone that replys will be their own belief backed up by nothing factual.

[Gooseneck]

Re: Open Minded Christians

^Werd^

[BIGFOST]

Re: Open Minded Christians

hey uh theres a good block of shows about this on the national geographic channel. Talking about the book of judas