justinithewriterguy

I think I should clarify. I am not trying to interpret the Bible, I am trying to learn more about Christianity. I respect that you believe I will not be able to understand the message with my approach. Though I will seek to understand what I can with my approach, what I am really interested in is you, and what you believe. I will not be comparing religious belief. I will not be promoting, defending or criticizing any particular belief. My goal is to explore the shared experience of being misunderstood or misrepresented.

My first introduction into the complexity of The Bible and potential translations comes in the form of the Curse of Ham. I see that there are many interpretations of what exactly Ham did. What do you think Ham did?

It looks like I will be reading the NASB and NIV Bibles. As I was reading Genesis, I took a look at the Message Bible, and I can see why some of you don't care for it. Instead of reading like a religious text, it reads like a screenplay. The original source material is compelling enough to not need the added dramatical flair. Do you agree with my assessment?

For the time being, my answer will have to be "I don't know". I am sorry if it seems I am dodging your question, it is a genuine response, although chosen carefully. I fear that making the discussion about me will be counter-productive. I have no issue with those who wish to witness to me (did I say that right?). It means you genuinely care about me, a stranger, and I find that very endearing and compelling. All I ask is that you also assist me in the worldly understanding I think I am seeking.

My goal here is to understand what you believe, and eventually, how you are misunderstood and misrepresented. If you believe my capacity for understanding Christianity is limited in my current mindset, I will speak honestly to that. I do not think I am trying to disprove anything, but if that is your view, I will speak honestly to that as well. I can see that my approach may be frustrating, and I welcome your criticism in this regard. While I believe my intentions are to gain what worldly understanding I am capable of, as many of you might say, "God works in mysterious ways". I would feel dishonest and cynical if I did not come to you with an open heart and mind. Perhaps I do not realize that my mind is not truly open, I am open to that possibility as well. All I can promise is that I truly feel I am coming to you with an open heart and mind. I begin my reading tomorrow. I will post from time to time in this thread to let you know where I am at, to share any verses I find particularly compelling or interesting, or to share any interesting stories or experiences. In the future, I will likely have specific questions which I will post outside of this thread. I thank you all for your assistance, your guidance and your prayers. Happy new year!

Was that Unitarian Universalism? Interesting that you would say atheist and/or agnostic. There is a big difference. Do you believe there is no such thing as a God or are you more inline with believing that there must be a God, but not sure Who He is? I could be mistaken, but I believe we went to a Unitarian church weekly until I was about 7, but then moved to a Unitarian Universalist church that we only went to occasionally. My religious beliefs start and end at "I don't know".

Are there any you suggest? There are several out there that are good. Are you looking for online resources or do you have a budget to purchase various items for your research? I personally have a Halley's Bible Handbook. (Bible Dictionary/Commentary) There are probably some good resources already suggested to you by others from what I can tell. I like the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance online. It is primarily for the KJV and NASB. http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/ My favorite versions of the Bible are the ESV, NKJV, and NASB. The NIV is good as well particularly for those who are studying this stuff for the first time. Hope this helps. God bless, GE I will primarily be using online tools, but if there is a particularly good offline resource, I am able and willing to purchase it. Thank you for the link and suggestions!

Thank you for the links, I will look into these resources.

I am seeking understanding and perspective. The book I intend to write will promote a greater understanding between all major world religions. I'm sure you have felt misunderstood or misrepresented at some point, and I think we all feel this way sometimes. I am seeking to explore this shared experience. You will has trouble understanding scripture then. Understanding comes from the Holy Spirit. Jesus, speaking to His disciples, said in John 14:15-18: If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. May I inquire as to which religious background you come from? I was raised Unitarian but currently have no religious belief. Depending on who you ask, that makes me either an atheist, an agnostic or an agnostic atheist. You can just call me Justin though

Thank you Kwik! I will likely take you up on that offer. I must say, of the half-dozen or so communities I've reached out to, this has been the friendliest!

The message bible is a horrible version. Esword is good. Its a download bible with commentaries etc. Very useful. Can I ask why you dislike The Message Bible? I will look into Esword. Thank you!

Don't worry about the consecutive posts. It keeps them short and readable. Long posts usually just get skimmed. Alright then, short and sweet it is. Thank you for the warm welcome.

I apologize for all the consecutive posts, in the future I will try and condense my replies into a single post. Bible Gateway has been suggested by many here and elsewhere, and a wonderful suggestion it is! I foresee it being one of my most useful resources. Please keep the suggestions coming! Not only am I interested in which Bible you think I should read (I'll probably read 3 or 4 at once to compare/contrast), I am also interested in books, websites, videos or podcasts providing perspective. Thank you again! Are there any you suggest? While I certainly lack this understanding now, it is an understanding I seek, and it is why I am not merely reading the Bible, but seeking extensive perspective as well. Perhaps I will understand the spiritual connection personally, perhaps I will not, but at the very least I want to try and understand what that spiritual connection means to others.

Thank you, I appreciate the time you took in responding to me. I indeed have an open heart and mind, and look forward to learning all I can from you and the rest of the community!

I am seeking understanding and perspective. The book I intend to write will promote a greater understanding between all major world religions. I'm sure you have felt misunderstood or misrepresented at some point, and I think we all feel this way sometimes. I am seeking to explore this shared experience.