Why I am a Christian
June 6, 2012
G.D.O'Bradovich III
section 1
I am a Christian, yet I do not believe in the [literal meaning of the] Bible.
The Bible is too recent to have been the basis for Christianity.
The bible, proclaimed by fundamental Christians, is based on the work of Martin Luther. He did not include books in his bible that support purgatory and other ideas he did not approve.
People state that certain beliefs have no basis in scripture. That is true. Purgatory, Christmas, Easter, confession to a priest, veneration of icons, prayers to Saints are some of the “non biblical” Christian behaviors. The reason that people did not complain and start their own churches was there was no bible to for them to read and decide that these behaviors were “unbiblical”.
But, the western church existed 1,500 years without an explicit biblical canon.
Rome did not get to deciding scripture until the middle of the 16th century and the Greek church still does not state what is canon. The Greeks only know of traditional readings from certain books which does not included Revelation. This is one indication that Revelation is recent and not ancient.
The Eastern Church Synod of 1679 decided what books should be canon. This is in response to the western church and their decision of what books should be canon. However, this was not an ecumenical council and the Synod has limited authority regarding dogma.
The Bible is too recent to have been the basis for Christianity.
The bible, proclaimed by fundamental Christians, is based on the work of Martin Luther. He did not include books in his bible that support purgatory and other ideas he did not approve.
People state that certain beliefs have no basis in scripture. That is true. Purgatory, Christmas, Easter, confession to a priest, veneration of icons, prayers to Saints are some of the “non biblical” Christian behaviors. The reason that people did not complain and start their own churches was there was no bible to for them to read and decide that these behaviors were “unbiblical”.
But, the western church existed 1,500 years without an explicit biblical canon.
Rome did not get to deciding scripture until the middle of the 16th century and the Greek church still does not state what is canon. The Greeks only know of traditional readings from certain books which does not included Revelation. This is one indication that Revelation is recent and not ancient.
The Eastern Church Synod of 1679 decided what books should be canon. This is in response to the western church and their decision of what books should be canon. However, this was not an ecumenical council and the Synod has limited authority regarding dogma.
section 2
The above is accurate from a historical perspective. The below is my personal rant that is indicative of the modern era in which we live.
I am so sick of “Christians” and their Bible. The bible is new and has NO AUTHORITY.
NONE. NIL. ZIP. ZILCH.
They “preach” from a book that they do not understand, because it is a hodge podge of writings. The western church has had break away churches for the last 500 years. That is, since the introduction of the bible. And those break away churches have had break away churches ad nauseaum. In 2,000 years, the Orthodox Church has remained intact with only minor groups leaving and these groups left long before the introduction of the bible.
Fundamental christians have reversed cause and effect. They erroneously belief that the bible created the church 2,000 years ago, when in fact, the bible was a product of the authority of the western church in middle of the 16th century. This authority is what people protest against, hence protestants.
If fundamental christians were HONEST, they would admit the Roman Church created the bible and convert to Roman Catholicism. By being dishonest, they continue babbling on in circular logic that no thinking person could admit-that is, the bible came first, the church came second, and the bible came about in the 1550's. WTF?
I am so sick of “Christians” and their Bible. The bible is new and has NO AUTHORITY.
NONE. NIL. ZIP. ZILCH.
They “preach” from a book that they do not understand, because it is a hodge podge of writings. The western church has had break away churches for the last 500 years. That is, since the introduction of the bible. And those break away churches have had break away churches ad nauseaum. In 2,000 years, the Orthodox Church has remained intact with only minor groups leaving and these groups left long before the introduction of the bible.
Fundamental christians have reversed cause and effect. They erroneously belief that the bible created the church 2,000 years ago, when in fact, the bible was a product of the authority of the western church in middle of the 16th century. This authority is what people protest against, hence protestants.
If fundamental christians were HONEST, they would admit the Roman Church created the bible and convert to Roman Catholicism. By being dishonest, they continue babbling on in circular logic that no thinking person could admit-that is, the bible came first, the church came second, and the bible came about in the 1550's. WTF?
SECTION 3
How to infuriate a protestant-
The bible was created by the authority of the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent.
Martin Luther removed books of the bible of the Roman church of which he didn't approve.
The Greek church makes no guarantees about salvation. After 2,000 years, the Greek church does not know who will or will not be “saved”.Yet, fundamentalists “know” they are saved. This sound like Gnosticism.
Should anyone dispute the above, give them time to do their own research.
If they say that Luther created his bible in the 1520's and the Roman Church didn't create the bible until 30 years later, ask them the logical question of “How could a Roman Catholic monk remove books from a bible that had not been created?”. Clearly, this is impossible.
If Luther did create the bible, then the Roman Church added to the bible 30 years later.
Then, logically, Luther received his bible form Wycliffe, since the Wycliffe bible is dated from the 1390's.
Amazingly, Wycliffe's bible includes the same books as Luther.
Once fundamentalists learn that the bible is new and/or professing the name of Jesus, or baptism does not make them Christians, then the truth can be made known.
Once one is made a Christian, it CAN NOT be undone.
Chrismation (anointing with oil)-oil (chrism)-Christian-a person anointed with oil.
This is the definition of a Christian-
Christian-a person anointed with oil.
Since this is an act in time, it can not be undone. Once a Christian, always a Christian.
In a similar manner, once circumcised, always circumcised.
What makes a Christian is not a “belief” system, but an act in time.
This is the manner in which I am a Christian, but cannot believe in the bible.
The bible was created by the authority of the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent.
Martin Luther removed books of the bible of the Roman church of which he didn't approve.
- This “protestant bible” is for protestants only. It is not for the Romans or the Greeks. It is only for people who reject the authority of the western church.
By using a “protestant bible”, fundamental christians acknowledge the authority of the Roman church to decide which books should be in the bible. - By using a “protestant bible”, fundamental christians hope that Martin Luther was correct in his judgment concerning the canon of the “bible”.
300 million followers of the Eastern Church have no official “biblical” canon.
Since the Greek church does not recognize the authority of the Roman church to decide “biblical” canon, the Greek church has no bible.
Belief is not what makes a person a Christian. This will be hard for people to understand. It is a physical act and that act is NOT baptism, it is Chrismation, the placing of oil [Chrism] on a person that makes them Christians.
The Greek church makes no guarantees about salvation. After 2,000 years, the Greek church does not know who will or will not be “saved”.Yet, fundamentalists “know” they are saved. This sound like Gnosticism.
Should anyone dispute the above, give them time to do their own research.
If they say that Luther created his bible in the 1520's and the Roman Church didn't create the bible until 30 years later, ask them the logical question of “How could a Roman Catholic monk remove books from a bible that had not been created?”. Clearly, this is impossible.
If Luther did create the bible, then the Roman Church added to the bible 30 years later.
Then, logically, Luther received his bible form Wycliffe, since the Wycliffe bible is dated from the 1390's.
Amazingly, Wycliffe's bible includes the same books as Luther.
Once fundamentalists learn that the bible is new and/or professing the name of Jesus, or baptism does not make them Christians, then the truth can be made known.
Once one is made a Christian, it CAN NOT be undone.
Chrismation (anointing with oil)-oil (chrism)-Christian-a person anointed with oil.
This is the definition of a Christian-
Christian-a person anointed with oil.
Since this is an act in time, it can not be undone. Once a Christian, always a Christian.
In a similar manner, once circumcised, always circumcised.
What makes a Christian is not a “belief” system, but an act in time.
This is the manner in which I am a Christian, but cannot believe in the bible.