Is scripture dangerous?

[Quietwoman]

When you keep being told how worthless you are, you soon come to believe that you are in fact worthless. Scripture is very good at pointing out mankinds faults, and has set a very high bar. One that is pretty much unachievable by us. Our mark is to be Christ like, but when we are repeatedly told how wicked, and worthless, and evil we are how can God expect us to grow past these negatives?

It seems to me if we were truly meant to rise above, scripture would paint a different picture of man, encouraging us, and ensuring us that we are more than what we seem to be.

Dust and ashes, wicked, evil, dirty rags, children of Satan, unjust etc. Where is the encouragement and the hopeful words that might make us believe that we can be anything better than what we are?

If you want to feel bad about who you are .... Read the bible. If you want to feel guilty for being you .... Read the bible. If you read and believe the bible, you'll never have the confidence in who you are to change anything. Instead, you'll rely on a perfect man to do it all for you, which is absolute rubbish (imo).

There comes a point in our lives where we need to value who we are, and value others as well. How can we find value in ourselves, and in others when scripture paints such a grim picture of mankind's abilities to overcome our shortcomings?

Trust in Jesus? What about taking some responsibility for self? What about knowing and believing that we can rise above? I'm at the point where I could care less about anyone. Why? Maybe because I drank from the tainted well and have lost faith in humanity. The water in that God forsaken well ... That big black book of death has stripped me of all faith in mankind.

Lets use this topic to exploit the good stuff in scripture. Lets post where it tells us that we have hope in our inherent goodness despite what mankind seems to be. Lets focus on where it tells us how important we are, so we might gain the confidence and motivation to better ourselves. Lets find SOMETHING that will lend to us some comfort in who we are, as opposed to relying on the goodness of another to make us a better peoples.

If we are truly worthless .... WTF is the point of anything? Why try at all? Why try to help a single soul IF we are all worthless?

I'm tired, and I'm frustrated. I want to believe in the goodness of man, but life nor scripture lends to me that confidence. Maybe I'm reading the wrong parts in scripture. Maybe I missed the parts where it tells us that we aren't that bad. I know it tells us that God so loved the world, but does that mean us, or the planet?

Maybe we were born to lose my friends? Maybe our fate is written in stone, and our salvation (The end of wickedness) is in the death of our kind.

We are told to trust in Jesus. We can trust all we want but until we are able to devote ourselves to His ways, nothing will ever change. It's not like he's gonna come back and by some miracle he'll snap his finger and we will all somehow begin living as we ought at that moment (Never looking back).

It just stupid, and I'm growing tired of the religious zealots judging me for doing things that they themselves do all while they chant that silly little christian mantra

"Christians are not perfect .... Just forgiven".

Forgiven for what exactly? For being who God made us to be? Twisted way to look at life, man.

Scripture is dangerous for the high minded hypocrites who think themselves to be better than others simply because they believe that they are forgiven through Jesus. All while they criticize and judge those who have found the bible to not be conducive to having a healthy self esteem.

What happen to the truth Jesus represented? Where's the love, man! I'll tell you where it is .... It's being sucked dry by the vampiric religious fundamentalist who only live to take the peace away from those who know peace.

I'm just saying!

(God help us all)

Hi,

I think that you are looking at only one side of the coin. Yes, the Bible does say that we are all sinners and OUR righteousness is as filthy rags.
But it does not end there. You need to keep reading. Hang on let me go get my Bible....I came across this: "Verily,verily I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth for much fruit." So we can see by this verse that we must die (talking spiritualy to our sin nature) to produce fruit in our lives. This verse offers hope and shows us HOW we can do it, by dying first-to our sinful natures. Paul said, "I die daily". When we get baptized that is our death-we no longer are to live after the flesh....because scripture says, "If you live after the flesh ye shall die", but listen here is the possitive part: "but if ye through the Spriit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." So now we can have hope and know it is possible to do the right things in life. Also know there are many, many other scriptures that encourage: "We are more than conquerers THROUGH him that loved us." ....."All things are possible to him that believeth." How do we produce fruit you may ask? Not by ourselves. Quit trying to rely on yourself to produce fruit. We have a sinful nature and without Jesus it is impossible to be righteous. He is our righteousness and I found this scripture that tells how to produce good fruit:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered : and men gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my disciples."

And a little about perfection: We are COMMANDED to be perfect and love our enemies even as God loves those who does not love him. Many Chrisitans will whine and make excuses for not being perfect or even trying-it's only because they don't truly believe or read enough to know that perfection IS possible, and even commanded.

Rhonda

 

[Virtual_Cliff]

The first definition of perfect in the Concise Oxford Dictionary is complete. This is also the primary meaning of the Greek word used in Matthew 5:48. Jesus has just explained how God is not partial in his blessings, bestowing them on the just and unjust alike. So the probable meaning here is that we too should not be selective, but complete, in the way we love.

The gist of this thread is that there is a lot of encouragement in the Gospels and the NT in general, but the OT in places shows us a darker side.

 

[Dogbrain]

My Scripture (the Bible as accepted by the Orthodox Church, Roman Catholics, and Protestants--with quibbling over a few Old Testament books that don't express any important doctrines) IS dangerous. Here are some extremely dangerous parts:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5 passim

 

[shawn]

I think it is obvious and it has been proven many a time over that it can indeed be dangerous even fatal. But, isn't this the same with pretty much anything? It can be used both for good and bad, an object is just an object until we add an individual human element to it, then that object becomes that individuals tool. You cannot blame the tool for the workman's constructions with it.

So true.
Take the common guitar for example.
Some make music which is incredible, and others it is unbearable.
Scriptures can be looked at in the same way.