Believing in the bible, is not the same as believing in God. It\u2019s believing in the ones who say the bible comes directly from God. Then the question is: why should anyone believe those guys? Because they have good marketing support? Because they have pointed ears? Because they believe in other guys who believe in other guys?<\/p>\n
\u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n
One can say: \u201cthere is no reason and I don\u2019t need any, since I \u2018believe\u2019\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
And I agree\u2026<\/p>\n
\u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n
\u2026as well as I don\u2019t agree. I mean: if you at the same \u2018believe\u2019 2 guys answering a concrete yes-or-no question, the first saying yes, the other no, then I think you have a problem, the more so if it\u2019s a Big Book question. So you can at most \u2018believe\u2019 one of them. Which one and why<\/em>? If this question is unimportant to you, then with all respect, your \u2018belief\u2019 is unimportant to me.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Believing a guy has NOTHING to do with any religious belief.<\/p>\n Not now. Not tomorrow. Not yesterday.<\/p>\n Not 6000 years ago.<\/p>\n NEVER.<\/p>\n Guess who told me this, face to face?<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n So if someone \u2018believes\u2019 in the bible this way, to me it looks like \u2018God\u2019 himself wouldn\u2019t like it at all. I mean: if He would feel anything about this, it would be a feeling of insult or deep pity for the ignorance. This is not something to go over lightly. It\u2019s no marshmallow. If you believe in an afterlife, whether it be heavenly or hellish, then you\u2019d better not bet on \u2018something someone said somewhere some time\u2019. You\u2019d better go for it and find out yourself. Put effort in that. Even if \u2018God\u2019 wouldn\u2019t like it, at least He would appreciate it. I mean:<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n \u2018Write\u2019 your own book.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n That is: don\u2019t accept anything from any book that doesn\u2019t feel completely as if<\/em> you could have written it yourself. That\u2019s a good start. The continuation is even better: never being really satisfied. Every time you read it, it\u2019s again an exercise in feeling whether it is yours, completely yours, in mind, body and soul. Don\u2019t be coy. Don\u2019t be lazy. Practice the beginner\u2019s mind. You are worth it. The book is worth it. God is worth it.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n So is the bible right or wrong for instance in making the universe start 6000 years ago? You\u2019ll have to find it out yourself. The problem doesn\u2019t lie in putting the hypothesis, not even in saying it may be right (that\u2019s what one does with a hypothesis), but in making people think it\u2019s definitely true only because<\/em> it\u2019s in the \u2018right\u2019 book.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Anyone can take any book.<\/p>\n There\u2019s plenty of choice.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n