IMHO

Thanks for all the responses to my question on why believe the bible. Your comments were very well stated. The exercise was not so much to come up with a definitive answer for all people but to put thought to our belief and faith in God. I said I would give my thoughts on it and so here they are.
I grew up in a Christian family like those of you who responded. I went to church three times a week. I attended Sunday shool both on Sunday and Wednesday night, VBS in the summer as well as church camp. All I ever heard about God, Jesus and the bible were taught to me by family (both physically and spiritually). I am very grateful and blessed to have been raised the way I was but to be totally honest had I been raised in a Muslim family, a Buddhist family or an atheistic family I would have believed what I was taught by them. So at some point I needed a better defense of why I believe in the bible as the word of the one true God.
The Bible as we have it today claims to be God's gospel to mankind (John 3:16) and many have put their faith in its promises, truth and hope for the future. It was written by numerous authors over a large period of time with their writings being supported by historical and archeological evidence.
But belief that the bible is God’s word takes faith, not blind faith or unaware faith but true faith. The choice is ours to make and it is both an intellectual issue and a heart issue. These are not and should not be in conflict with each other.
Peter says we should be ready to give an answer to what we believe not out of arrogance but in humility, love and grace just as Jesus did.

1 Peter 3:15-22 (NIV) But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

I believe in my heart and in my mind we have a great big GOD!!! I believe that Jesus is his Son and that he came not just as my substitute for punishment satisfying God’s demand for sacrifice but also as my redeemer and friend. I believe it so much that I decided to live out the life of Jesus in my daily walk so that not only would the things I do, say and think give glory to God but also give opportunity for others to engage me in conversation on why I believe as I do.

Roger, over and out!

Why do you believe the bible?

On Wednesday night during class I asked the teens to respond as a group to a number of comments a critic of Christianity might make. The list of six comments were...

1. Christianity is for weak willed people and is only a crutch.
2. The bible is just a book written by humans and is only a fairytale.
3. Churches are full of hypocrites
4. People cannot be sure they are going to heaven
5. How can you say God is love when so many bad things happen in the world?
6. Christianity forces itself on others.

The class did a good job in responding to each of these six comments...except for number two and so I asked them to consider it over the upcoming week.

Often we believe something as an adult just because we were taught to believe it as a child. Why do we believe the bible to be more than just a nice collection of facts, with a little philosophy and some interesting stories? I believe this is a valid question to consider.

So, without being rude to those who do not hold the bible up as the Word of God what are some of your reasons for believing in it?

Please share your thoughts and in a couple of days I will share mine. Let's see what we come up with.

Roger, over and out!