God how important is the Bible, really?

Christian Legends that need to be challenged:
PART Three:

• God how important is the Bible, really?

God you keep quoting from the Bible, does that mean the Bible is crucial, that we can’t do without it? What about Christians who never have one? How do they manage to have a relationship with you??

Explain your question, Mark. People will be worried you’re asking this.

I mean habitual reading of the Bible in an attempt to hear what God is saying - putting more effort into reading scripture, than hearing you speak direct. Plenty of people think that’s safer.

What did Paul tell you?

Well, I’m thinking about where he said we should imitate him, because he imitated you?

Exactly. Did Paul and I rely most heavily on scripture, or on hearing God speak direct?

Well, could the answer be bo…

The answer is not both, Mark! History proves that each of us had an extensive knowledge of scripture, yet we could not survive without hearing God direct, Spirit to spirit.

So God, you’re saying that listening to you direct, Spirit to spirit, is more important than reading the Bible?
 
Much more im…

Hang on God what you’re saying poses a real problem for us Christians. Religious leaders tell us that trying to listen to you Spirit to spirit is dangerous. They’re all terrified we might hear you wrong.

Yes, you might, of course you might! It’s happened before and it will happen again. But then reading the Bible and thinking you’re listening to me is equally dangerous, Mark, that was the Pharisees’ key mistake.

John 5:39&40 “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”
 
Mark the Bible, although far from an exact in its translation is a wonderful collection of true stories about my heroes and villains – their lives and their conversations back and forward with me. Not all of the stories that could have been included, and yet I speak through it.

Ok cool. So you speak through the Bible.

Yes I do. And I speak through millions of other books too - I even speak through donkeys, road signs, and the wind in the trees.

Road signs God?

Mark I speak in any way that you allow me.

God you said the Bible includes ‘just some of the stories’ of importance. Are you saying it could have included more?

Mark the decisions on which books to include were made by men trying to hear from me but they had other concerns too – they were under pressure from each other and from a political leader who wanted more control of the church.

Some books would have been better left out, and others would have been better to left in. Doing so would have helped from an historical perspective. The scholars have long acknowledged that, but talking about it incites a rage of religious indignation from you Christians, most of whom know very little about the Bible or its origins.

Shoot God! I’m blimmen glad this is the 21st century! I’d have been hung for hearing you say all this in centuries past. What about where it warns about adding or taking away from this book?

That was John talking about the book of Revelation, not about the whole Bible. You Christians are so woefully ignorant about this. The Bible has become the fourth person in the Trinity for many of you, you have made it into something it was never intended to be - doing so has blinded you to the real truth of the book, and to me. Sound familiar?

What do you mean God?

The Pharisees Mark. They did exactly the same. They made scripture more important than me. It was easier to learn scripture than get to know me. And in doing so they became blind to the truth of it…there I was standing in front of them but they didn’t recognise me. And Mark that’s what you Christians do. You decide, without asking me, what scripture means, and then when I say something that doesn’t fit with your own ideas about the Bible, you reject it.
 
And if I’d said these things to you in centuries past, Mark, hanging would have been the least of your worries. Other Christians would have broken your body on the rack, gutted you, skinned you alive, burned you and drowned you. No torture was bad enough for those who disagreed with the then-fashionable interpretation of the Bible. You Christians are such a murderous self-righteous bunch when it comes to defending what you think the Bible says.

To be honest, God, I’d prefer you kept your martyr’s crown. I have no intention of Religion murdering me just because I’m hearing your voice. If I have it my way, it’ll be him who screams in pain as this battle plays out, not me.

Understood Mark. If you expect to outlive Religion’s intentions for your demise, you will. The Bible is a great book. You Christians need to understand that I am more than happy to speak through it, even though it is far from perfect.

Ok, well then, is the Bible as important as we Christians say it is?

No, it’s as important as I say it is. There’s a difference Mark. I inspired the books in it so I get to decide.

So how important is it then God?

Very.

How important is ‘very’ God? I need some perspective on this, the way some people talk, you’d think the Bible was the most important part of our belief in you.

Yes. You Christians have taken the Bible, as the Pharisees did the Old Testament, and you’ve made it more important than relationship with me. You give lip service to the idea of our relationship, but you’ve missed the point - you can’t have a relationship without conversation – back and forth like with a friend. I’m not talking about traditional prayer Mark…

What’s wrong with traditional prayer God?

It’s no longer what the word originally meant – ‘an exchange of ideas between God and man’ – it’s become you praying at me. It works because I want to do what you want, but what I’d really like is a proper conversation where I talk as much as you. Instead of conversation you are listing requests, or you have your heads in your Bibles. Can you imagine your life if your kids wanted to sit and read your txts instead of having an actual conversation?

Not really God.

It’s boring Mark. For me particularly, but for you too. You’re like guests at a wedding so focused on reading the invitation that you’re blinded to what’s really happening.

Ok but God how much importance should we actually put on the Bible, how often should we read it? I need to know.

Yes you surely do Mark, all you Christians do. But first, let me ask you a question. How important is listening to me?

Well God I’d have said it’s the most important thing in the world to listen to you, and yet that makes it sound like if we don’t do it we’ll be in trouble. Religion has completely corrupted our Christian world view and made it all about right and wrong, reward and punishment, when actually you said the two most important ‘rules’ were the love ones. And love is impossible without freedom.

Quite. Mark although the Bible itself makes it clear that a spirit of fear doesn’t come from me, Religion and his friends have used the Bible as a tool of terror for centuries.

Friends God?
 
Religious leaders, murderous zealots, kings, queens and you Mark.

Aye?? Me God?

You and so many like you.

That’s a bit harsh God?

Harsh is an excellent word for what I’m talking about Mark. Generations of Christians like you have been duped into harsh interpretation of Bible passages by the pretender. Admit it, you hate it when the religious accuse you of heresy, but you were no better. The Gay issue is just one such example of your own condemning attitude.

You are happy now to hear me say I do not see Gay men as any different than Christian men. But for 40 plus years you were convinced the Bible condemned them and that I would torch them in hell – all because of what others told you the Bible said.

You did no real study yourself, and never asked me my thoughts, which is absolutely typical for you Christians. The problem Mark is very few of you know how to hear me. Your leaders warn you against trying in case you get it wrong, so you make the Bible into something I never intended it to be, you pretend to yourselves that it is the key conduit for my voice. But Mark it is not.

Eep God? You sound a bit cross?

Not cross Mark. Frustrated. You have put together a book of stories about my heroes and villains, a book full, no matter which translation you read, of power inspiration but you’ve made it a rule book, a book more important than you, you’ve made it into an idol.

An idol?

An idol! Here’s my question Mark. You tell me. In most Christian circles what are you more likely to hear – quotes and lessons from the Bible, or discussion about what I have said direct to a person?

You’re cornering me God. If I tell the truth it’ll sound like I’m anti Bible.

Mark forget about the consequences, just call it how you see it.

Well God too much talk about what you’ve said to a person is not a comfortable subject in most Christian circles, typically we’re scared of the idea and prefer the ‘safety’ of reading the Bible. And God David meditated on your law.
 
Yes Mark, David considered the Torah, but there’s a lot more to what he did than what’s in the Bible. Have a look at the full meaning of ‘Torah’, review what the scholars say. ‘Torah’ means much more than the written scripture. It refers to instruction, teaching, direct from me. Discussion.

The idea that David sat there meditating on scripture all day and night is a lie. The man was a passionate friend of mine, able for the most part to hear me speak direct. When someone you love says something to you Mark, happy or sad, do you think about it, over and over?

Actually yes.

Of course yes Mark. That’s meditation. David loved me. Heard me. Went over and over in his mind what I said. Some of it frustrated him, made him angry, day and night “All night long I flood my bed with weeping”. And some of it thrilled him and gave him courage and he concentrated on it when he faced danger.

Here’s another question for you Mark. If David could have carried the old testament in his pocket, do you think he’d be more likely to thumb its pages in the heat of battle, or to scream out to me for answers?

Scream out to you?

Of course scream out to me. What about when he was caught with his pants down regarding Bathsheba, did he nip outside and have a quick read through the scripture? Of course not Mark, talking with me was far more important to him than scripture – he called out to me in panicked desperation – “ummm, God, don’t take your Holy Spirit from me, you won’t will you??”

You Christians have made the Bible into an idol. You call it ‘The Word of God’. It’s not! I am the Word of God. You have used your written idol to control and murder, you have made it a more murderous god than Molech. Not only have you murdered children, but whole families in its name, and then justified every fresh kill with verses you quote piously from the Bible. You have used the Bible to justify your hates and passions, beliefs and whims – you far prefer to read it than hear me direct, Spirit to spirit.

You think I’m talking history Mark, but you Christians are still like this today. Thankfully for your victim’s sake you can’t do them physical harm anymore, your ‘worldly’ governments, have taken away your power to kill, but you destroy your victims all the same with criticism founded on what you think the Bible says.

You put the book ahead of talking with me and you are blind to the fact that Satan has duped you into doing so. Satan’s favourite playground is Christians who have fooled themselves that reading the Bible is more important than listening to me.

You have even convinced yourselves that reading the Bible is how you listen to me. But Mark that’s not what I want. I want to speak to you direct. That’s all. I just want conversation. I do NOT want slaves. I do NOT want your religion. You do, you want it badly. But as for us, we hate it! It separates us.