Question To Rajs

[singh_comradz]

I am glad to answer all of your questions. How is it that Mary lived in sin with Joseph? She married him before Jesus was born, because an angel came to Joseph and explained to him the situation. Where is the sin? I guess it might have been 'easier' for god to choose a single woman, but he didn't. Perhaps, god deemed it important to have jesus be part of the jewish social order, which would have been near impossible if his mother was single. I believe you may misunderstand what I am saying about Jesus being a rabbi. He was called rabbi because he was a leader, not just a teacher. But he was not a 'formal' rabbi. John the baptist was not called a rabbi, because he simply prophesied, he did not lead. As to different translations of the bible, it is really not much of an issue. The various versions very rarely have any difference in the text, just slight differences in wording and orginazation. For example, the in the NIV (The New International Version, the most commonly used US translation), 1 Timothy 3:16 reads:

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

Where as the RSV (Revised Standard Version) reads:

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

So as you can see, the message is the same and the wording is very similar. There are a few hotly debated passages, the most famous being the adulterous woman ("let the one of you who is without sin throw the first stone"). A fairly large number of christians, whom I formerly agreed with, before finding sikhi, Discount this passage, as most of the early and reliable texts do not include it, and it did not appear till much later. But most of the time, pretty much any translation is acceptable. Remember, almost no christians besides the leaders of churches actually know any Greek or Hebrew, so they read out of translations.

You are right, I am no longer a christian. I was one all my life, but a few years a go I started to question my faith. I experimented with virtually every major religion, from Communism to Sant Mat/Shurat Shabat Yoga. After a long time and many major let downs, I finaly found sikhism, and have been filled with joy ever since. I am very new to the faith, and really wish to learn more. If you like, you can look at some of my earlier posts to better understand my situation. I live in an area where there are virtually no sikhs, so this forum is really my only chance to have contact to better understand the faith.

149690[/snapback]

where are you from grandcannon?

[Guest grandcannon]

I live North Carolina, US. I live in Garner, which is near North Carolina's capitol, Raliegh. Pretty much everyone on this forum is in UK right?

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Nope..plenty of people from the U.S....many from the New York/New Jersey area or from California, though there are others from other states.

[Guest grandcannon]

Oh, well does anyone live near me?

Grandcannon

[randip singh]

I am glad to answer all of your questions. How is it that Mary lived in sin with Joseph? She married him before Jesus was born, because an angel came to Joseph and explained to him the situation. Where is the sin? I guess it might have been 'easier' for god to choose a single woman, but he didn't. Perhaps, god deemed it important to have jesus be part of the jewish social order, which would have been near impossible if his mother was single. I believe you may misunderstand what I am saying about Jesus being a rabbi. He was called rabbi because he was a leader, not just a teacher. But he was not a 'formal' rabbi. John the baptist was not called a rabbi, because he simply prophesied, he did not lead. As to different translations of the bible, it is really not much of an issue. The various versions very rarely have any difference in the text, just slight differences in wording and orginazation. For example, the in the NIV (The New International Version, the most commonly used US translation), 1 Timothy 3:16 reads:

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

Where as the RSV (Revised Standard Version) reads:

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

So as you can see, the message is the same and the wording is very similar. There are a few hotly debated passages, the most famous being the adulterous woman ("let the one of you who is without sin throw the first stone"). A fairly large number of christians, whom I formerly agreed with, before finding sikhi, Discount this passage, as most of the early and reliable texts do not include it, and it did not appear till much later. But most of the time, pretty much any translation is acceptable. Remember, almost no christians besides the leaders of churches actually know any Greek or Hebrew, so they read out of translations.

You are right, I am no longer a christian. I was one all my life, but a few years a go I started to question my faith. I experimented with virtually every major religion, from Communism to Sant Mat/Shurat Shabat Yoga. After a long time and many major let downs, I finaly found sikhism, and have been filled with joy ever since. I am very new to the faith, and really wish to learn more. If you like, you can look at some of my earlier posts to better understand my situation. I live in an area where there are virtually no sikhs, so this forum is really my only chance to have contact to better understand the faith.

149690[/snapback]

I think Grandcannon you have done a very good job in answering my questions.

You have also highlighted the diversity of thought and how the truth is revealed in many sources, but the methods in getting to that truth vary.

The reason these questions were directed at Rajs, was because according to him the Bible is the only source of truth. Sikhism says there are many paths to truth, but you have got to select something that works for you and have to live it.

Sikhism says “higher than truth is truthful living” so you can read about the truth and talk about it in the Veda’s, Koran or Bible, but if you don’t live it then you are a hypocrite. What I am suggesting is that Rajs is so busy in trying to force his version of truth on others that he himself has forgotten to live that truth. He has also forgotten to see whether other people are living that truth, but not through the Bible. If people are living the truth, then does it really matter what method they use?

I can pick holes at the Bible in the same way he was picking hole’s in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji………..that can be done with any revelation of truth if one chooses to do so (as I have been doing above). Some of those question’s can verge on the absurd (as I have done so)…………but is that living truthfully, or am I trying to force my belief on someone else by telling them theirs is wrong?

Sorry about using you this way Grandcannon, but I was trying to get a point across to Rajs and his cronies.