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The Metaphysical Chapel
Have you ever heard of a Metaphysical Chapel? Neither had I, until Sarah and I saw one on the drive back from North Carolina. Based on their name, I had my suspicions about their beliefs, but out of curiosity I Googled them when we got home. Turns out, their beliefs include a pantheistic mixture of New Age and eastern religions, with a slightly Christian flavor added. They believe in God is an impersonal force, and they accept the Bible as only a book of moral stories, not the inerrant Word of God.
I have to wonder why a person would choose this kind of thing over a relationship with Jesus Christ. I suppose there are a number of reasons, but I do believe that part of the problem is that we have not equipped people with the knowledge, wisdom, and sound logic that Scripture has to offer. Christianity’s beliefs make sense. We do accept many things on faith, but I believe it’s a logical faith.
I suppose if I had the privilege of speaking with a member of this group, I’d ask them where the basis for their beliefs lies. As an Evangelical Christian, my foundation is Scripture—understood as the original writers meant it. If what I feel does not agree with Scripture, then it’s not valid. I may think that I can communicate with the dead, or that there is no Hell, but where is my authority to draw these conclusions? Without Scripture’s solid foundation, we find ourselves adrift in an unstable sea of ever-changing human emotions and ideas. It’s a recipe for certain disaster.
3 comments
Then they say that King Louis or whoever was gay and an atheist but was the one who translated it..Some crazy stuff like that. I just wanted to know if you have an answer for that and if you could help shed some light on that subject:)
Ultimately, you cannot prove that the Bible is the Word of God. If you accept it as such, you do so in faith. Everyone accepts certain things on faith whether or not they will admit it. That being said, there is ample evidence to show that the Bible is accurate and unique beyond any other book. To me, the most obvious and convincing proof(though certainly not the only one) is its authorship. It was written over a period of at least 1,500 years by over 40 different authors. These authors came from many different economic and social backgrounds. Some were slaves and others were kings. To get a book to fit together as beautifully as the Bible does with that many authors and over that much time, shows the influence of a Higher Power.
As for your friend’s objections:
- Most Christians(myself included) believe that the Bible's original manuscripts were without mistakes. These originals no longer exist that we know of, and modern versions have been translated from copies. They have been meticulously reproduced and handed down over many years. Even so, the existing copies show an extraordinary level of accuracy. Those copy errors that have been found make up a small percentage of the Bible. Usually they are typos, or variations in the spelling of names. This continues to be confirmed as archeologists recover more ancient manuscripts. No major belief or doctrine of the mainstream church is affected by these minor errors.
- As for King George, I’m guessing that you mean King James, whom the King James Version of the Bible is named after. King James merely authorized this version; he had little to do with the actual translation. (this was done by a team of translators partly so that one person’s bias wouldn’t affect the outcome as a whole) Regardless of that fact, the King James Version is merely an English translation from much older Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic documents (still available for comparison) that pre-date King James’s influence.
People who have already decided that they don’t want to be bothered with the authority of God’s word, will always attack it, but usually their rejection is based on personal bias and not sound facts.
I agree with you, people are always going to attack what they don't understand. They will always try to find fault. Thanks for clearing that up for me about the translations.
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