Topic: What if the Bible wasn't the most popular book?
no photo
Fri 06/20/08 08:39 AM
Edited by smiless on Fri 06/20/08 08:44 AM
Very true , Very true indeed.

I wish I had a time machine and can just go back a thousand years and see what would have happened if a different religous foundation distributes over 8.5 billion books to influence people to live the life they teach in that book.

or for that matter not a book at all but just common laws everyone uses on a daily bases.

and then fast forward to see the results.

Do this until I find the first 1000 years of history with the least amount of wars and most amount of technological advances that help not only preserve the planet but bring us faster to knowing more about everything in general.

What a time machine that would be!

Okay fantasy again taking control of me! Need to swallow my reality pill real quick. Getting some water to swallow it down now.laugh laugh

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 08:45 AM



The nonprofit American Bible Society has, in more than 180 years of its existence, distributed more Bibles than there are people in the world—some 8.5 billion. The British and Foreign Bible Society has distributed several billion more in dozens of languages.

More than 100 million new Bibles, reflecting numerous translations, are sold or given away freely every year. Translations exist in more than 2,000 languages and dialects.

This is amazing statistics!

I don't think any book in the world is translated in so many languages including given away or sold in such masses per year!

My questions:

How much would history be effected if we started in the year 1000 until today 2008 that a book of a different religion or belief system would have been the most sold, translated, and distributed across the world.

or

What would it be like if not a single religious book would have been distributed in this time frame?

Would there have been crusades?

Would there be tensions in the Middle East today?

Would there have been WW2?

Would there have been less wars in general?

Would there have been more advancements in technology and living standards in general?

or

Would there have been more wars then usual?

Would there have been more problems in general?

If I may ask you one favor while answering these questions to please not discriminate a religious belief or to bash someone for their answer to these questions. I know it may be hard to do perhaps but at least try. thank you!

I say this for if you were drowning and are in need of assistance, I would regardless of your belief system try to save you. Let us treat each other the same way here on the forum. Thank you!


John:smile:









john, - if we study reigious history one thing that comes forward is that as long as man has been here and most likely before written language was used, there have been law's. Law's go hand and hand with religion. They also go hand and hand without religion.The mere fact that law's have been with man since earliest times in some form, Speak's to man's inability to get along together. So as for me i would have to say as long as we inhabit this flesh, everything that is considered "not good or evil" has, is, and will continue to be "mankind as usual" - just as those thing found to be good or loving etc., will be expressed also. When dealing with "mankind", we are dealing with an entity that is so ego centered he rarely takes time to stop and take a look at "who or what" he really is. And until he does i hold out little hope that he will morally evolve into a "better" species.


Yes very true what you say and I never argue anyway about these things. I just post up questions to try to figure out why!

I still think that if world religions would actually really sit down together and change the first page to something that would offer better solutions to really understand the different lifestyles and why they occur it would make a difference.

Now I know that isn't going to change our world into a fairy tale land that is for sure, but the main reason for a religous book is to teach how to live in peace with one another and find salvation for our mistakes. Instead it seems like it teaches more of how we will get punished if we don't do!

It is a never ending debate and I am aware of it. Thank you for the wise words though.:smile:


good luck with that john laugh i personally believe religion's bent is to entrap or enslave those who do not or cannot think for themselves or are to lazy to do so. or are sheep waiting to be told what to do. or as jesus put it "the blind leading the blind" though no religion may start out with this in mind, what happens shortly is that the religious faction's "need's" come into play for it to stay viable. also their want's later on. This play's into the mind's of the leader's the need to press upon it's follower's how correct there belief's are as compared to all other's - and in turn causes a religious ego of them vs the other's belief's, which inturn leads to verbal war's and then to defense by physical retaliation / seperation / and even faction's of differing belief's from within. in all religion is a devilish tool that has been used extremely well to tear apart mankind - not bring it together - though i'm ot sure that is possible with or wothout religion. laugh

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 08:48 AM

Very true , Very true indeed.

I wish I had a time machine and can just go back a thousand years and see what would have happened if a different religous foundation distributes over 8.5 billion books to influence people to live the life they teach in that book.

or for that matter not a book at all but just common laws everyone uses on a daily bases.

and then fast forward to see the results.

Do this until I find the first 1000 years of history with the least amount of wars and most amount of technological advances that help not only preserve the planet but bring us faster to knowing more about everything in general.

What a time machine that would be!

Okay fantasy again taking control of me! Need to swallow my reality pill real quick. Getting some water to swallow it down now.laugh laugh


john - read hammurabi's laws (babylonian) that were before the biblical laws - you'll see what i'm talking about - very interesting.

no photo
Fri 06/20/08 08:57 AM


Very true , Very true indeed.

I wish I had a time machine and can just go back a thousand years and see what would have happened if a different religous foundation distributes over 8.5 billion books to influence people to live the life they teach in that book.

or for that matter not a book at all but just common laws everyone uses on a daily bases.

and then fast forward to see the results.

Do this until I find the first 1000 years of history with the least amount of wars and most amount of technological advances that help not only preserve the planet but bring us faster to knowing more about everything in general.

What a time machine that would be!

Okay fantasy again taking control of me! Need to swallow my reality pill real quick. Getting some water to swallow it down now.laugh laugh


john - read hammurabi's laws (babylonian) that were before the biblical laws - you'll see what i'm talking about - very interesting.


Thank you for the suggestion. I am looking for it now. I hope it is in plain English to read! I prefer German text to fully understand everything to tell you the truth, but will attempt to read a sophisticated law book in English!laugh laugh

I hope it isn't in verses like a religous book that is where I get confused!


no photo
Fri 06/20/08 09:01 AM
Edited by smiless on Fri 06/20/08 09:07 AM




The nonprofit American Bible Society has, in more than 180 years of its existence, distributed more Bibles than there are people in the world—some 8.5 billion. The British and Foreign Bible Society has distributed several billion more in dozens of languages.

More than 100 million new Bibles, reflecting numerous translations, are sold or given away freely every year. Translations exist in more than 2,000 languages and dialects.

This is amazing statistics!

I don't think any book in the world is translated in so many languages including given away or sold in such masses per year!

My questions:

How much would history be effected if we started in the year 1000 until today 2008 that a book of a different religion or belief system would have been the most sold, translated, and distributed across the world.

or

What would it be like if not a single religious book would have been distributed in this time frame?

Would there have been crusades?

Would there be tensions in the Middle East today?

Would there have been WW2?

Would there have been less wars in general?

Would there have been more advancements in technology and living standards in general?

or

Would there have been more wars then usual?

Would there have been more problems in general?

If I may ask you one favor while answering these questions to please not discriminate a religious belief or to bash someone for their answer to these questions. I know it may be hard to do perhaps but at least try. thank you!

I say this for if you were drowning and are in need of assistance, I would regardless of your belief system try to save you. Let us treat each other the same way here on the forum. Thank you!


John:smile:









john, - if we study reigious history one thing that comes forward is that as long as man has been here and most likely before written language was used, there have been law's. Law's go hand and hand with religion. They also go hand and hand without religion.The mere fact that law's have been with man since earliest times in some form, Speak's to man's inability to get along together. So as for me i would have to say as long as we inhabit this flesh, everything that is considered "not good or evil" has, is, and will continue to be "mankind as usual" - just as those thing found to be good or loving etc., will be expressed also. When dealing with "mankind", we are dealing with an entity that is so ego centered he rarely takes time to stop and take a look at "who or what" he really is. And until he does i hold out little hope that he will morally evolve into a "better" species.


Yes very true what you say and I never argue anyway about these things. I just post up questions to try to figure out why!

I still think that if world religions would actually really sit down together and change the first page to something that would offer better solutions to really understand the different lifestyles and why they occur it would make a difference.

Now I know that isn't going to change our world into a fairy tale land that is for sure, but the main reason for a religous book is to teach how to live in peace with one another and find salvation for our mistakes. Instead it seems like it teaches more of how we will get punished if we don't do!

It is a never ending debate and I am aware of it. Thank you for the wise words though.:smile:


good luck with that john laugh i personally believe religion's bent is to entrap or enslave those who do not or cannot think for themselves or are to lazy to do so. or are sheep waiting to be told what to do. or as jesus put it "the blind leading the blind" though no religion may start out with this in mind, what happens shortly is that the religious faction's "need's" come into play for it to stay viable. also their want's later on. This play's into the mind's of the leader's the need to press upon it's follower's how correct there belief's are as compared to all other's - and in turn causes a religious ego of them vs the other's belief's, which inturn leads to verbal war's and then to defense by physical retaliation / seperation / and even faction's of differing belief's from within. in all religion is a devilish tool that has been used extremely well to tear apart mankind - not bring it together - though i'm ot sure that is possible with or wothout religion. laugh


Yes humans are a evil species! There are so many ideas of how everything started and why that if I posted them people would look for my address and blow up my house if I suggested them. laugh laugh

Now what you indicated above could be very true, yet for someone who is religious let us say a Christian that would be a innaccurate statement. Why?

Well they would believe that because the bible has been distributed 8.5 billion times around the world that our world has suffered less wars and problems because of their teachings.

You see this is a never ending debate that goes back and forth.

I think I just read somewhere that in many countries it is considered that you are first educated if you have read and understood the bible. I will try to find the link. So I can imagine that many countries are required in schools to study on it rather they like it or not. The question is does it pay off. Would there be less crime, poverty, hardship, and better possibilities for the people in these countries in general stick to that rule of education?

ah yes here it is

http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/BT/

no photo
Fri 06/20/08 09:03 AM
Okay I found it on wikipedia to read up on it. i thought it was a book to order.laugh thanks again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 09:15 AM
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook

another good source for ancient hisory

fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hamcode.html


no photo
Fri 06/20/08 09:26 AM

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook

another good source for ancient hisory

fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hamcode.html




Thank you very much sir!:smile:

no photo
Fri 06/20/08 10:54 AM
I have not read the thread yet but I will give you a point of view from the non-religious scenario.

The 'good' advanced beings (non-humans or aliens) who came here to fiddle around with the current evolving primitive humans on the earth intended several things.

1.) To improve the primitive humans by mixing better DNA with the human population.

2.) To introduce the concept of a higher power and improve the morals and behavior of the primitives.

3.) To introduce culture and technology to the earth population.

The 'bad' advanced beings who came and interfered in this process were interested in the following:

1.) To upgrade the primitive humans but to keep them ignorant and under control and use them for slaves.

2.) To built their own wealth, resources and empires.

3.) To rule and be worshiped as gods or kings.

***********************************************************

If this had never happened, humans would have evolved on their own, and would never have acquired the technology we have today, or the culture. The world would be a more primitive naturalistic place with tribes, probably waring upon each other.
If they had any concepts of god at all, it would be connected to the earth, sun, moon etc... or the original pagan belief systems.

That's my thoughts on it.

JB

*******************************************************


no photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:16 AM
Edited by smiless on Fri 06/20/08 11:40 AM
Some believe that the ancient Egyptian God Ra was actually a Alien named Enka who came to this planet to mine for gold. So he created the human race for slave labor. When he found out that he couldn't get enough resources to take back to his dying planet. (Oxygen was escaping into the universe and destroying life on the planet called Niberu, which supposingly was the an additional planet that once existed in our solar system. Supposingly there are artifacts of hyroglephics showing the solar system of these planets.)

Anyway to continue once he had no use for the humans he wanted to destroy them but his half brother Enlil came and saved the human race from destruction.

Some Egyptian Archaeologists really believe this and claim to have evidence in doing so. Here is a link to learn more about what they believe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9tFgJALaZk&feature=related

Again we don't know for sure, but it is suppose to have believed that Ra was a Alien who knew the secrets of ressurrection and creating new species.

A good movie on this is the epic 1994 movie with Kurt Russel - Stargate.

Here is a movietrailer of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YtEp3b-A68

RainbowTrout's photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:25 AM
It is hard to say. Freedom of the press is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news-gathering organizations (journalists), and their published reporting. In many countries there are constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press.

With respect to governmental information, any government distinguishes which materials are public or protected from disclosure to the public based on classification of information as sensitive, classified or secret and being otherwise protected from disclosure due to relevance of the information to protecting the national interest. Many governments are also subject to sunshine laws or freedom of information legislation that are used to define the ambit of national interest.


no photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:33 AM
Edited by smiless on Fri 06/20/08 11:34 AM

It is hard to say. Freedom of the press is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news-gathering organizations (journalists), and their published reporting. In many countries there are constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press.

With respect to governmental information, any government distinguishes which materials are public or protected from disclosure to the public based on classification of information as sensitive, classified or secret and being otherwise protected from disclosure due to relevance of the information to protecting the national interest. Many governments are also subject to sunshine laws or freedom of information legislation that are used to define the ambit of national interest.




This is very true. Perhaps there are answers but we have no way of accessing them for the government keeps it in their many vaults as classified.

:smile:

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:37 AM

I have not read the thread yet but I will give you a point of view from the non-religious scenario.

The 'good' advanced beings (non-humans or aliens) who came here to fiddle around with the current evolving primitive humans on the earth intended several things.

1.) To improve the primitive humans by mixing better DNA with the human population.

2.) To introduce the concept of a higher power and improve the morals and behavior of the primitives.

3.) To introduce culture and technology to the earth population.

The 'bad' advanced beings who came and interfered in this process were interested in the following:

1.) To upgrade the primitive humans but to keep them ignorant and under control and use them for slaves.

2.) To built their own wealth, resources and empires.

3.) To rule and be worshiped as gods or kings.

***********************************************************

If this had never happened, humans would have evolved on their own, and would never have acquired the technology we have today, or the culture. The world would be a more primitive naturalistic place with tribes, probably waring upon each other.
If they had any concepts of god at all, it would be connected to the earth, sun, moon etc... or the original pagan belief systems.

That's my thoughts on it.

JB

*******************************************************




cant argue with the last part jellybeanflowerforyou

no photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:39 AM
Edited by smiless on Fri 06/20/08 11:44 AM
Here is another interesting link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcM6ZER3VHk&feature=related

If it is possible to not know all of the planets that exist in our own solar system??

So Jeannie perhaps aliens did land on our planet when their planet was close enough?? Who knows right.

Either way religious or nonreligious belief we have a hard time knowing the answers. I just know that each religious foundation is working hard to get more members. Christianity truly advertises the most for it has already distributed over 8.5 billion books!

Then again it could all just be a illusion and a imagination beyond our understanding!

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:53 AM

Here is another interesting link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcM6ZER3VHk&feature=related

If it is possible to not know all of the planets that exist in our own solar system??

So Jeannie perhaps aliens did land on our planet when their planet was close enough?? Who knows right.

Either way religious or nonreligious belief we have a hard time knowing the answers. I just know that each religious foundation is working hard to get more members. Christianity truly advertises the most for it has already distributed over 8.5 billion books!

Then again it could all just be a illusion and a imagination beyond our understanding!



how dare you say my illusions and imaginations are not real!! i resemble that remark!! and banish you to never never land!!!:tongue:

no photo
Fri 06/20/08 11:54 AM


Here is another interesting link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcM6ZER3VHk&feature=related

If it is possible to not know all of the planets that exist in our own solar system??

So Jeannie perhaps aliens did land on our planet when their planet was close enough?? Who knows right.

Either way religious or nonreligious belief we have a hard time knowing the answers. I just know that each religious foundation is working hard to get more members. Christianity truly advertises the most for it has already distributed over 8.5 billion books!

Then again it could all just be a illusion and a imagination beyond our understanding!



how dare you say my illusions and imaginations are not real!! i resemble that remark!! and banish you to never never land!!!:tongue:


I am still trying to get back from the last place I was banished!laugh laugh

Quikstepper's photo
Fri 06/20/08 02:31 PM

The nonprofit American Bible Society has, in more than 180 years of its existence, distributed more Bibles than there are people in the world—some 8.5 billion. The British and Foreign Bible Society has distributed several billion more in dozens of languages.

More than 100 million new Bibles, reflecting numerous translations, are sold or given away freely every year. Translations exist in more than 2,000 languages and dialects.

This is amazing statistics!

I don't think any book in the world is translated in so many languages including given away or sold in such masses per year!

My questions:

How much would history be effected if we started in the year 1000 until today 2008 that a book of a different religion or belief system would have been the most sold, translated, and distributed across the world.


John:smile:









Well those other books have been around too. Not as popular for a reason...yu think?

The idea of forgetting the Living God out of existance is just impossible. God would not allow it & there will ALWAYS be people that will accept God's invitation. Get it now?

This thought is like forcing political correctness on people. Talk about history repeating itself. I think that's what the nazies did too...force THEIR version of God on everyone.

Unlike Christianity that thrived on love & the Holy Spirit's presence. It was & always has been GOD who gives the increase.

yashafox_F4X1's photo
Fri 06/20/08 02:34 PM
If the Bible wasn't on earth, we wouldn't have God's word to guide us and the scripture for inspiration and teaching.

Neglect of God's word causes spiritual starvation and trouble personally and nationally. The decline of the perceived importance of the word is nothing short of a national tragedy and is responsible for much of the immorality we see currently.

Isaiah 55:11 says "So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth, it will not return to me void. It will accomplish what I please and it will prosper in that for which I have sent it."

The fact is that God's word does exist. We are fortunate in this day and age when we can own a copy of it for very little money. A couple hundred years ago, a hand copied copy of the Bible would be just about priceless. Now, we can have a copy of God's word for $25 or less.

Will you read this fascinating book? Will you take it to heart? Or, will you ignore it. If you pick up the word of God you will find conviction and knowledge such as is found in no other book. I will guarantee you that.

JMO.

Geo.

Abracadabra's photo
Fri 06/20/08 03:07 PM

Perhaps a even better question. Does the bible teach tolerance to other religious belief systems? I mean is there a phrase in this book that says "One who doesn't believe is still loved and accepted in Gods hands and can still live in eternal happiness when you pass away?"


Does the Bible teach religious tolerance?

laugh laugh laugh

Here's what the Bible has to say about religious tolerance:

http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/religious_tolerance/dt13_13-15.html

tribo's photo
Fri 06/20/08 07:43 PM




Does the Bible teach religious tolerance?

laugh laugh laugh

Here's what the Bible has to say about religious tolerance:



http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/religious_tolerance/dt13_13-15.html



thnx abra