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Originally Posted by Timmy
That's an even tighter circle! You have to believe the Bible because you believe it!  |
Then by your own definition your reasoning is circular also. Actually all reasoning would circular within some context.
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I choose not to believe that the world is flat because it quite clear that it isn't flat.
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Actually it is not quite clear. Did you know that there is a Flat Earth Society? You can check them out at
http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djubl...rthsociety.htm
They really do exist and in their minds eye they are right and everyone else is wrong. It is quite clear to them that the fact point to a flat earth. Therefore they choose to believe those facts instead of the facts that you hold to.
Then we come to "what facts are true?" There are scientist who through the method of science say that our planet is warming at alarming rates, yet there are other scientist who through the same means say weather patterns are cyclical and what we are experiencing is nothing net.
There are those who believe the earth is billions of years old and others who say about 6,000-10,000, who are we to believe.
Any data you want to subscribe to takes an element of faith to trust the data. You have chosen to trust only that which you can see. This is the same as Thomas who said that he would not believe that Jesus rose from the dead until he could see him, touch him, etc. When Jesus appeared He called Thomas "faithless" and said those who can believe without seeing are empowered.
So really we are not talking truth vs fact we are talking about levels of faith in what God has said.
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If I believed it, it wouldn't make it true. Likewise, if the Bible isn't true, your choosing to believe it wouldn't make it true.
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This you are absolutely true on. If the Bible were not true my believing it would not change it. That is why the millions or billions that believe in Allah does not make him exist. Those who believe and adhere to Buddha does not give power to the things he said.
I believe because I have found it to be true. I have also found that what I have personally experienced as truth in the Word is tied to that which I was able to believe. It's an awesome thing.
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But "choose" is an odd word to use, in terms of beliefs. I wouldn't choose to believe the earth is flat, for any reason other than considering the facts I have available and coming to that conclusion. The facts don't lead to that conclusion. Is it correct to say, then, that I choose not to believe it? Anyway, that's where I'm at with the Bible. The facts I know do not lead to a conclusion that it is true.
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actually choose is a good word because you are choosing which set of data to believe. There is someone on this forum whose pic is an anti McCain picture and there's another who has an anti Obama pic. They both have beliefs about what is best for this country. They have chosen which set of lies they want to hold to (a little political humor there).
This is why Joshua stood up and said, "Choose you this day who you will serve. As for me and my house we will (or we have chosen) to serve the Lord."
And I guess that's where we started. Facts vs truth. I maintain that facts
are truth. If God inspired the Bible, it would line up with facts. It would actually
be true, rather than be some idealized Truth that one must believe, on faith, even when facts don't agree.[/QUOTE]
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