Does this book makes the holy bible a fraud?

[AnnOgochukwu]

I don't think it makes the Bible a fraud because I believe the Bible is there to guide people through life and help them find answers or allow them to seek comfort. I think that the book is questioning the core beliefs of the Church, specifically the Catholic, as they appear to be hypocritical the more you delve into its history. So rather than making the Bible a fraud, I think the book is purely questioning those who preach it and whether they are the ones who are frauds (a controversial opinion I know, but an opinion nonetheless).

I perfectly agree with you. I think this book questions the churches and the preachers, not the Bible per se. I've come to learn the Bible can be twisted into whatever a person wants it to.
For instance, in the 90s, the church in which I was raised condemned the television. They called it the devil's box! The crazy thing is that they were able to find a passage in the old testament to back this belief up with. Members would not have televisions in their houses until later in the 2000s, when the same church started broadcasting life transmissions using projectors and later, televisions! Then the television stopped being a sin.
Call this book whatever you may, but it is simply the ponderings and opinions of one who was once caught up in a system of irrational beliefs. It doesn't make the Bible a fraud.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I don't think it makes the Bible a fraud because I believe the Bible is there to guide people through life and help them find answers or allow them to seek comfort. I think that the book is questioning the core beliefs of the Church, specifically the Catholic, as they appear to be hypocritical the more you delve into its history. So rather than making the Bible a fraud, I think the book is purely questioning those who preach it and whether they are the ones who are frauds (a controversial opinion I know, but an opinion nonetheless).

I perfectly agree with you. I think this book questions the churches and the preachers, not the Bible per se. I've come to learn the Bible can be twisted into whatever a person wants it to.
For instance, in the 90s, the church in which I was raised condemned the television. They called it the devil's box! The crazy thing is that they were able to find a passage in the old testament to back this belief up with. Members would not have televisions in their houses until later in the 2000s, when the same church started broadcasting life transmissions using projectors and later, televisions! Then the television stopped being a sin.
Call this book whatever you may, but it is simply the ponderings and opinions of one who was once caught up in a system of irrational beliefs. It doesn't make the Bible a fraud.

Thank you for that historical knowledge. Seemingly the author is trying to do the same. To come out from the box that corrupted religious leaders have made and to see the truth, to see the real truth behind the holy bible. And she guides others towards that path via her book

[AnnOgochukwu]

I don't think it makes the Bible a fraud because I believe the Bible is there to guide people through life and help them find answers or allow them to seek comfort. I think that the book is questioning the core beliefs of the Church, specifically the Catholic, as they appear to be hypocritical the more you delve into its history. So rather than making the Bible a fraud, I think the book is purely questioning those who preach it and whether they are the ones who are frauds (a controversial opinion I know, but an opinion nonetheless).

I perfectly agree with you. I think this book questions the churches and the preachers, not the Bible per se. I've come to learn the Bible can be twisted into whatever a person wants it to.
For instance, in the 90s, the church in which I was raised condemned the television. They called it the devil's box! The crazy thing is that they were able to find a passage in the old testament to back this belief up with. Members would not have televisions in their houses until later in the 2000s, when the same church started broadcasting life transmissions using projectors and later, televisions! Then the television stopped being a sin.
Call this book whatever you may, but it is simply the ponderings and opinions of one who was once caught up in a system of irrational beliefs. It doesn't make the Bible a fraud.

Thank you for that historical knowledge. Seemingly the author is trying to do the same. To come out from the box that corrupted religious leaders have made and to see the truth, to see the real truth behind the holy bible. And she guides others towards that path via her book

On a lighter note, you should know that the author is a he not a she.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I perfectly agree with you. I think this book questions the churches and the preachers, not the Bible per se. I've come to learn the Bible can be twisted into whatever a person wants it to.
For instance, in the 90s, the church in which I was raised condemned the television. They called it the devil's box! The crazy thing is that they were able to find a passage in the old testament to back this belief up with. Members would not have televisions in their houses until later in the 2000s, when the same church started broadcasting life transmissions using projectors and later, televisions! Then the television stopped being a sin.
Call this book whatever you may, but it is simply the ponderings and opinions of one who was once caught up in a system of irrational beliefs. It doesn't make the Bible a fraud.

Thank you for that historical knowledge. Seemingly the author is trying to do the same. To come out from the box that corrupted religious leaders have made and to see the truth, to see the real truth behind the holy bible. And she guides others towards that path via her book

On a lighter note, you should know that the author is a he not a she.

Oops. Seemingly the name has decieved me. Thank you for correcting me

[Dominik_G]

I believe there aren't two people who read the Bible and come away with the exact same interpretations. Based on this, I think the author introduced just one such interpretation, which doesn't mean that the Bible is a "fraud", only that some might not understand it the same way as others.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I agree with many of the others; the Bible's meaning varies from person to person and can easily be taken out of context to suit one's unique situation. I think we should constantly be questioning the Bible's meaning; it forces us to think critically.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I believe there aren't two people who read the Bible and come away with the exact same interpretations. Based on this, I think the author introduced just one such interpretation, which doesn't mean that the Bible is a "fraud", only that some might not understand it the same way as others.

Different perceptions are not uncommon for any religious scripture depending on the person who reads it, and that is same for the bible as well. Here the author has presented his own interpretation of the bible, and maybe that is denying some of the wrong interpretations that the biblical teachings are given by the corrupted ones

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I agree with many of the others; the Bible's meaning varies from person to person and can easily be taken out of context to suit one's unique situation. I think we should constantly be questioning the Bible's meaning; it forces us to think critically.

That is quite correct. Even religious teachings, we don't have to accept as they are. We need to question them and that will lead to better understanding as well. By that way different people will get their own interpretations. But there is a small group of people who interpret them wrongly and misguide the others as well, that is the thing that this author has targeted at

[Maddie Atkinson]

Let's not forget that the bible in its original form was lost to us hundreds of years ago. Since then, every copy and every translation has presented an opportunity for re-interpretation. Those who performed this task were only human and it would have been impossible to avoid such interpretations, however small. What we have today is the cumulative effect of all this and, even now, we have several different versions in circulation. Does this make it a fraud? I think not.
Does this mean we should all believe every word in the way it's presented in the copy available without thinking and questioning? Absolutely not.
I would hope that this book prompts a little more thought and a little less blind acceptance or judgment.

I love this!!! I agree, the author is just offering another interpretation, not even another version of the Bible itself. It is purely an opinion and in no way does this make the Bible a fraud. As you say, the author is thinking and questioning the teachings, specifically those of the 'official' interpretations of the Bible presented by the Church, rather than just following blindly and taking everything at face value.

[Eareeves99]

No, in no way does this book supersede the Bible. First, it is difficult to take the doctor as an authority on anything when he has published a book so full of errors. Second, he has developed his own beliefs from the set of beliefs he sets out to discredit and adjusted it based on his understanding of science. One can cherry-pick Scriptures and make them say or support anything one likes, but it doesn't make it true. For that matter, one can cherry-pick scientific principles and poorly obtained "evidence" to support a good many things that aren't true as well. The book lacks sufficient evidence to support his stance.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Let's not forget that the bible in its original form was lost to us hundreds of years ago. Since then, every copy and every translation has presented an opportunity for re-interpretation. Those who performed this task were only human and it would have been impossible to avoid such interpretations, however small. What we have today is the cumulative effect of all this and, even now, we have several different versions in circulation. Does this make it a fraud? I think not.
Does this mean we should all believe every word in the way it's presented in the copy available without thinking and questioning? Absolutely not.
I would hope that this book prompts a little more thought and a little less blind acceptance or judgment.

I love this!!! I agree, the author is just offering another interpretation, not even another version of the Bible itself. It is purely an opinion and in no way does this make the Bible a fraud. As you say, the author is thinking and questioning the teachings, specifically those of the 'official' interpretations of the Bible presented by the Church, rather than just following blindly and taking everything at face value.

So the problem is with the so called official interpretations from the church. The author questions them being in the view that they are being manipulated according to various agendas

[Sushan Ekanayake]

No, in no way does this book supersede the Bible. First, it is difficult to take the doctor as an authority on anything when he has published a book so full of errors. Second, he has developed his own beliefs from the set of beliefs he sets out to discredit and adjusted it based on his understanding of science. One can cherry-pick Scriptures and make them say or support anything one likes, but it doesn't make it true. For that matter, one can cherry-pick scientific principles and poorly obtained "evidence" to support a good many things that aren't true as well. The book lacks sufficient evidence to support his stance.

Maybe you are correct. The author is not an official with any authority to interpret the biblical teachings and challenge them. On the other hand, does that need many qualifications, to interpret a religious scripture from your own religion regarding which you had studied from your childhood?

[Twylla]

I believe it is healthy to question the Bible and your belief system. You need to be sure you have strong foundation for the doctrine you live by. The Bible is the inspired word of God, but it was written by fallible men with limited understanding. The Old Testament stories were passed down orally for generations. The New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand and were inevitably changed over the ages, even if it was unintentional. But the symbolism and basic message still rings true.

[Eareeves99]

It seems to me that the author is not speaking of Scriptures that he has studied since childhood but someone else’s interpretation of Scriptures that he has been taught. In other words, it seems his opinions are formed from the opinions of others that he believes to be true. The original source is important whether you are going to believe it or argue against it.

[Ari Martinez]

I don't think it makes the Bible a fraud because I believe the Bible is there to guide people through life and help them find answers, or allow them to seek comfort. I think that the book is questioning the core beliefs of the Church, specifically the Catholic, as they appear to be hypocritical the more you delve into its history. So rather than making the Bible a fraud, I think the book is purely questioning those who preach it and whether they are the ones who are frauds (a controversial opinion I know, but an opinion nonetheless).

I actually agree with your opinion. Many times it seems like the author is questioning the beliefs of the Catholic Church more than he is questioning the Bible itself. We have to remember that the Catholic Church has been wrong many times in their interpretations of the Bible (or, I should say, changed their interpretations of the Bible many times). Therefore, if anyone is being exposed as a fraud, it would be the Church and not the Bible.