Studies reveal New Testament may be forged. Your thoughts?

by Tabby Posted 2007/09/26 16:54:27

16 votes
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	This type of questioning the Bible is an abomination and atrocity!	1 vote	6%
	It's possible, but I still beieve in the New Testament	0 votes	0%
	I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy	7 votes	44%
	Undecided	0 votes	0%
	None of the above	8 votes	50%

Before anwering this, you may want to read the source of the question: CLICK HERE TO READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE (As I'm sure many of you won't).

In an in-depth essay written by Toby Bushby, an austrailian business-man and author, Toby demonstrates his reasoning as to why the New Testament can't be trusted as a solid book written as the inspired word of God.

Toby postulates that massive parts of the NT have been completely made up (as can be attested by the abbreviated annotations in nearly every copy of the bible that state something similar to "this part of the original text was not available or missing") and that Constantine hired a bunch of writers to write "his words".

Here's a piece of the text, quoting Constantine...
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Search ye these books, and whatever is good in them, that retain; but whatsoever is evil, that cast away. What is good in one book, unite ye with that which is good in another book. And whatsoever is thus brought together shall be called The Book of Books. And it shall be the doctrine of my people, which I will recommend unto all nations, that there shall be no more war for religions' sake."
(God's Book of Eskra, op. cit., chapter xlviii, paragraph 31)

"Make them to astonish" said Constantine, and "the books were written accordingly" (Life of Constantine, vol. iv, pp. 36-39).
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Hank 2007/09/26 17:40:25 (edited)

None of the above

+5
Forged? No. Translated from Greek, Hebrew and other languages over the ages by many with additions and deletions at different "councils", Yes. To my limited knowledge, no original copy of any New Testament book exists. In the early days of Christianity, each "copy" had to be laboriously prepared by hand. Many of the notes and marginal comments of these older texts were written into the main body of the new manuscript, obscuring the original wording. Sometimes whole passages were left out or purposely altered to fit a changing doctrinal attitude. Remember we are talking about documents and text that have been around for a couple of thousand years. Mr. Bushby may espouse his beliefs. I will continue with my beliefs. I believe he is in error, can I prove it? No more than he can prove to a reasonable degree of certainty that what I believe is in error. It is what free will and freedom is all about.
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More polls by Tabby

Ben 2008/04/17 20:14:26

None of the above

Of course the bible has been tampered with! It is tampered with by many ministers and zealots everyday! But to question its original divine origin? I have absolute faith that it is the word of God and see no reason why Constantine should make me doubt that the original writtings were the inspired word of God. I belive in the Bible! I just don't think that it has been independently passed to us without any tampering. It is essential for us to make such authenticity inquiries as Toby Bushby has done. In the end that is how the truth becomes fully known. and in the end we will find that God does care for us and will not leave us directionless upon this earth.

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Poet003 2008/02/27 00:43:11

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

I dare all of you to annotate your bibles.Im not christain now that I have read
Skeptics Annotated Bible online.

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ERNEST 2008/01/10 21:23:12

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

WHAT STUDIES? WHO DID THE STUDIES? IS THIS ONE OF THE LATEST? DID WE NEED A STUDY FOR US TO BELIEVE THIS? QUITE FRANLY I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE BOOKS OF OLD AND NEW ARE MADE UP STORIES. YOU CAN EVEN TELL WHEN THE WRITERS GET TIRED; THE STORIES MAKE LESS AND LESS SENSE AND THEIR REAL THOUGHT TAKE OVER. HOW THE HELL COULD GOOD GOD SANCTION ALL THE KILLING THAT GOES ON IN THAT BOOK, AND THE OTHER PERVERSIONS. IT'S SICKKENING. WONDER IF THEY WASTED A LOT OF MONEY ON THE STUDY? BELIEVERS STILL REFUTE THE STUDIES ANYWAY. I NEED NO CONFORMATION FROM STUDIES.

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Kanaka Rican - Now's the ti... 2007/11/06 20:21:01 (edited)

This type of questioning the Bible is an abomination and atrocity!

The truth will set us free....I read my Bible and know that it comes from God! If you try and prove that it never was...or if it is not what you want it to be...you are going to talk yourself into what ever you want to! People have tried this for ever and I will not be taken in by this.... God does not force anyone to believe in Him...it is a choice we have...free will. I truly believe because people think living "the Christian life:, would end the way they are living...they would have to give up everything...so they make something up to make it ok to live the way they choose.... LOVE is the main message in The Holy Word of God! It's just like when people say God is who ever you want god to be...not....He is not a woman or anything else....God is God...The Bible is The Bible....If people choose to believe in someone who is willing to try to discredit The Bible that is a choice you make...I choose to believe in God...not religion, not in myself or selfishness....I just pray people don't get lured into lies and deceit! I have a really good book that I just read called, The Case For Christ...by Lee Strobel...at the end of every chapter are resources for his further evidence....quite a read.

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<--That guy 2007/11/06 18:21:58

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

I'm not surprised either. After reading much of it and about it, it's obvious based upon other stories--if not completely plagiarized--and edited to make sure that certain agendas were getting through.

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Vampress_Kaileah 2007/10/24 02:45:49

None of the above

Religion has its own issues I will keep with mine.. :P

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134 2007/10/24 00:36:07 (edited)
Smokey 2007/10/04 16:26:45

None of the above

I'm not going to comment on this one. This probably came from someone that loves watching Bill Maher.

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Tabby to Smokey 2007/10/04 16:37:19

You did comment on it! And I have no idea who Bill Maher is. I barely watch anything on TV.

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BRADY969 2007/10/04 11:52:18 (edited)

None of the above

I have my own beliefs and I don't believe certain things but the fact is that the New Testament (real or fake) has saved sooo many people from heading down the wrong path in life.

If a belief in the tooth fairy helps you live a better quality of life why would I want to SET OUT and destroy that belief system by proving she isn't real!?!?!

BUT if you want to challange me in a debate about religion, I have no problem expressing my opinion.

It's one thing to expose corruption, it's another to live a life based on exposing something that improves the quality of some people's life and doesn't corrupt.

It's the best self help book out there....even if I don't believe in it.

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Tabby to BRADY969 2007/10/04 15:43:22

+1
well I wouldn't agree that its the *best* self-help book out there... perhaps the one that's most commonly accepted, though.

When I was in high school, I was very devout in my beliefs... to the point of being unwilling to examine them, because it was the easiest thing to do at the time. I don't think that was a bad thing considering what was going on in my life then...

But there should be a point at some time when a person can logically reason and think through anything that they support. Belief in a set of books "translated" by men 400 years after Jesus died, with substantial evidence that the original text WAS modified, removed, or added to... that needs to be examined.

For SOME, the path is of destruction. For me, its enlightenment.

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shirlstermcg 2007/10/04 10:56:21

None of the above

It is human nature to question that which we can not comprehend. The New testament was written by men, translated by men, edited by men, and compiled by men. That makes it a fallable document. But it is my belief that these men were driven by God. I dont think forgery is the right word here. Devinely inspired rather than witnessed perhaps.

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Pastor John 2007/10/04 00:21:03 (edited)

None of the above

I don't think it was forged but it was edited over all that time.
Some groups included what they agreed with and excluded other parts. Bible means 'library' and it's like a collection of books which is now all in one book. It's a useful book about the life of Jesus but it's not 100% accurate.

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Magzilla 2007/09/26 17:51:50

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

+1
I knew a lot of this stuff already and it confirms what I believe.

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Hank 2007/09/26 17:40:25 (edited)

None of the above

+5
Forged? No. Translated from Greek, Hebrew and other languages over the ages by many with additions and deletions at different "councils", Yes. To my limited knowledge, no original copy of any New Testament book exists. In the early days of Christianity, each "copy" had to be laboriously prepared by hand. Many of the notes and marginal comments of these older texts were written into the main body of the new manuscript, obscuring the original wording. Sometimes whole passages were left out or purposely altered to fit a changing doctrinal attitude. Remember we are talking about documents and text that have been around for a couple of thousand years. Mr. Bushby may espouse his beliefs. I will continue with my beliefs. I believe he is in error, can I prove it? No more than he can prove to a reasonable degree of certainty that what I believe is in error. It is what free will and freedom is all about.

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The Hand of John 2007/09/26 17:27:16 (edited)

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

+3
all of this isn't disputed by archeologists...this isn't particularly new data actually. The collective works of the Bible were compiled at least 100 years after the fact. Many sections were highly fought over...the sections about Mary Magdalen, the gospel accoding to Mary Madalen, the gospel according to Judas Iscariot were excised from the finished compilation for example. The styles of writing changed from the very oldest gospel (which I think is Matthew) to the more urbane decidedly roman style of books written later on. As for forged??? Kinda depends on what one calls forged. Calling it directly the word of God as written by the Almighty...it isn't. Inspired, of course. So could it be called forged...not really. It was published as was and not really 'rewritten' as much as creatively compiled.

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chris 2007/09/26 17:01:47

I think this guy is right, it's all an agenda-driven conspiracy

+3
most of Christianity is a load of bull s****

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Tabby to chris 2007/09/26 17:05:46

+1
And here we diverge of opinions again!

Christianity is a beautiful religion, when properly being followed. It's inspirational and full of hope. It teaches morals, although its ethics are a bit hazy.

There's a very beautiful thing about religion in general. It was all there for a reason....they existed as the first form of government.

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chris to Tabby 2007/09/26 17:09:29

+2
some of the morals were good, but it was based on lies

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RUGA to Tabby 2007/09/27 02:31:01
Pastor ... to Tabby 2007/10/04 00:25:04

+1
Well said Tabby, the Lord knew what he was doing even if the people that wrote about it made typos.

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Tabby to Pastor ... 2007/10/04 01:40:21

+1
Oh, well.. don't get me wrong. I still have serious doubts about the authorship (and therefore divine nature) of the Bible. That doesn't stop the purpose of the religion or mission from being a very beautiful one.

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