Graven Images
 

I've been thinking about this one....

Doesn't the bible mention something in the ten commandments about not making graven images, therefore not attempting to depict god.

and jesus makes up a third of the holy trinity (ie. the son)

so doesn't that mean that anyone who creates a picture or produces crucifixes is in breach of that so wouldn't that make them sinners???

All humans are sinners...Thats why peope give sacrafices and ask for forgiveness.
But.
Nobody can depict god because he takes no form that humans are able to comprehend. Anything else is fair game.

We're made in God's Image...So, his form is quite comprehendible



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It'd Be Damn Near Impossible To Go Thru Life Without Committing A Sin

but come to think of it, the bible was written by men so this may sound contradictory on my part, so my bad, but why should we take the word of man as gospel. and wasn't the bible written over a large timescale?

yes the bible was written by men...but, if u believe in it, u also believe those men were under divine inspiration to author it. What we know as the "bible" is actually a synthesis--i.e., a collection of various books written over a large time-span. There are other books that could have been included, but weren't based on their perceived inaccuracies and/or lack of authenticity. Who decided which books were included? A council of clergy centuries ago.


I've read other "gospels" of Jesus not included (non-canonical books) in our current bible. The one I read gave an account of Jesus' early childhood. It told stories of how Jesus was playing on the playground and another kid teased him. Jesus, not knowing his power, cursed the child and he fell dead.



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so wouldn't that mean that jesus not only died for man's sins but also his own?

and where would i be able to find these non-canonical books?

edit:

i'm sure there are quite a few contradictions in the bible, so if you're correct in saying that they were under divine influence then isn't that a contradiction in itself because god is depicted as perfect in every way, and contradiction isn't a perfection so wouldn't that imply an imperfect god, therefore the bible couldn't have been written under a god's influence.

Jesus is without sin...when I say CURSED him...I mean he spoke a curse upon him...as in, DAMNING HIM

not necessarily saying "SHIT,FUCK..etc"


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but didn't the curse cause the child to die therefore that must mean that jesus was directly responsible for that boy's death, and to kill is to sin so how does that work as him being without sin.

but GOD pronounces judgement upon man and kills them as well...and God is also "jealous"...and gets angry


so the point is, God is soverign...and isn't ruled by emotion...

and perhaps that's the reason that book wasn't included in the bible. People would find it difficult to believe that Jesus was responsible for someone's death...there are many spiritual things you and alot of people don't understand...

example...when a man (or woman) is chosen by God to be God's messenger, that person is touched by God. That means that anyone or anything that lays a finger (or word) upon them is in danger of God's judgement. No matter how wrong a person of God is, they are still the person of God.

Example...The prophet Elijah was bald headed and children teased him. This is accounted in the bible. So, Elijah spoke a curse upon the children and bears came and mauled them. The person of God isn't to be fugged wit.

Some people won't accept this, but it's true.

God is a mind that concieved us within his own transendant imagination.

Yes he made us in his own image & yes he can take a physical form if he chooses. But nobody can depict an image of ones mind. That is impossable.

I agree with Q that I wouldnt take EVERYTHING the bible says to be literal. A lot of it has been changed over time by man and even the nature of certain characters in the bible has been re-written to serve the purpose of those involved in religion.

Sin is not a list of rules. And painting portraits of jesus isnt going to anger god really.. But painting a portrait of god is like depicting something that is beyond the span of our imagination. Therefore it is foolish to try and show him in a picture by any means available to us on Earth. And the bible is quick to use Sin as its buzz word for every bad choice humans can make..

Make sense?

^^^Ahhh...but it's more than that...a "graven" image is anything set up to be "GOD"

the point is...God doesn't want us worshipping anything other than him. But, we put damn near everything else before god--e.g., our lovers, cars, money, jobs, self.


Those are "graven images" we set up as God.

Oh word...

Well then that relates to false idol's..
THAT is definatly a bad thing..

Black Arts > The Bible never contradicts itself.

^^^read it cover to cover and get back to me

tell me where you think that it contradicts itself and i will try my best to show you that it doesnt

1: god being a supposedly vengeful yet all loving and all forgiving god contradicts itself

don't get me wrong if you got a good answer for that then i'll gladly accept it

I'll answer it...even if you didn't ask me.


#1...The bible DOES have contradictions in accounts. But, that only explains the different time spans most of the books were written in.


#2...There are statements in the bible that are NOT to be taken literally. For example, after Jesus healed a blind man, he said, "We know that God doesn't hear a sinner's prayer." The man who said that was in no position and had no authority to speak about what God does or does not hear. He was just a random guy making statements. But, it was simply accounted in the bible. It doesn't mean what he said was true.


#3...God is merciful. The bible says "his mercy endures forever." But, do you know what that means? I means once his mercy RUNS out you for being rebellious and disobedient, he'll extend his mercy to someone else, hence, "enduring" mercy. It will never run out, but it will run out on individuals. From accounts in the bible, it takes a hell of a lot to piss God off. But, what seems to piss him off more than anything is not being contrite and sorrowful for wrong doing. THat, and not accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior will get God angrier than damn near anything else. Pride goes before a fall.

ok seems to all add up to me now...

thanks for that q

~peace~

^^^Word...NP...there's so much more to it though...I'd really have to get into it and I'm a little sleepy right now



One more thing...


Some people ask "how can a loving God allow people to die and children to suffer"?

Well, here's my answer to that.

#1...We were made in God's image. That means we also have the capacity to love and be merciful.

#2...When a child suffers or someone dies terribly, we're the ones to blame. God entrusts babies (little angels) in our care and we abuse them and neglect them, not God. So, if anything, we should be asking, "why do WE allow people to suffer and babies to die"?




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