Gretzky

snowbal and westsider pals,

The oldest manuscript we can get our hands on is in Russia, in St. Petersberg. Combining with Arabic, Dead Sea scroll and other scripts...the Old Testament translation (in its original language, of course) is about 95% 'accurate'. There are 5% of the the translation that we can not confirm their absolute meaning. Linguists have tried but the Hebrew language (the ancient one, not the one you use in Israel today) is one we build from the pronounciation of the words...so uncertainities are common in such languages.

The New Testament is even more 'accurate'. The original copies (noticed copies, not the original writing) we have are even more precise than the ones we have for most classical greek manuscript. The 'accuracy' is about 99.8%.

Of course you would wonder what the 'missing' 0.2% and 5% are...let me tell you rougly what they are...they are mostly puncuations, tenses, definitions, numbers...but none of them have direct relationships with the essential part of the Christian faith (i.e. God's character, sin and the gospel).

Do I believe in the bible as a book of scripture? No. I only believe in what God has to say to me. He can speak to me via the bible, people, or anything else. While the scripture is a good source of understanding the Christian God, it doesn't mean God only speak thru the bible.

Experience of God is not a something we think of...like the lighting bolt or some sort of miracles...spirituality is ordinary...not necessary mystical....

I don't want to start another war here...if you are interested to keep in contact w/ me...you can get brightlee (the Sports board moderator) to get my msn or email.

Cheers,
Gretzky

Gretzky

Westsider,

Since you are doing your PhD. (good to know someone is on the same level!) I would recommend this volume to you.

"Truth is Stranger than it used to be" by Walsh and Middleton.

From what you have written...you probably grew up in a fundamentalist Ethnic Church background with v. little regards to the rational side of faith. And you got it right on the money...there a lots of propaganda from Churches these days and they seperate beliefs from rational/academic realm. It probably has to do with the anti-intellectualism in Evangelicalism since 1860s in UK and Eastern states of US.

But the interesting thing around the posts in this thread is...I can sense you are still very much in the 'searching' and 'validating' mood for the so called Christian faith.

I am not asking you to go to church or read the bible. In fact, I am asking you not to attend church and read the bible (if you are still doing it) for now. Just take a few days into the woods and ask God (if there's one..and a Christian one) to show you some signs so you can be relieved from your struggles.

I left the church when I was 14...took me 2 yrs and a major car accident to think about what is that I thought I believed and what I should do about faith.

Like I said...if you wanna talk privately...I am more than happy to chat via email or msn...Brightlee has my contact...you can get him to PM you.

:-) Gretz.