On Dec 25, 1:14�pm, Roger Pearse wrote:
On 21 Dec, 22:07, Gene Kearns
wrote:

I think Larry is trying to get you to look at the source of the Bible.
Have you ever considered the testaments that *weren't* included in the
Bible?

The Catholics decided, in the 4th century, what you should believe
and.... by a show of hands .....decided what should be considered holy
and what should be considered anathema. If one was politically correct
one's motion(dogma) carried, if not it didn't. The true word was
created!

So it says in the "Da Vinci code". �Must be true, I suppose?

Of course it's complete nonsense.

I first graduated from a college affiliated with a particular
Christian denomination. We were required to study religion and I found
studying both sides of a central point in time established by the
Councils ofNiceato be an amazing trip. This led me to the conclusion
that anybody that feels that they are Christian should do at least two
things:

1) Read the Bible.... ALL OF IT..... and

2) Study the history of the creation of Christianity....

Agree or disagree with what you like..... but you owe it to yourself
to be an informed consumer....

So why didn't you learn about the subject before you posted such
arrant tripe?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

While the council didn't specifically canonize the modern Bible,
Constantine did order at essentially that same time 50 copies of the
"approved" religious texts for use in the churches of Constantinople.
Modern scholars disagree whether those approved scriptures included
nearly all of the current "New Testament" or merely Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John- but there is no thought that any books not included in
a modern Bible were made available to the churches in Constantinople.
The council at Nicea did order the burning of books representing
minority viewpoints regarding whether God was of a triune nature, etc.
At least one major priest was kicked out of the church for "wrong
thinking".

Nevertheless, as Gene said by the end of the 4th Century the Church
had convened a series of committe meetings to discuss and debate which
books should be included in the official Bible, and things decided
then are still in effect today.

In addition to Nicea,there were councils convened at Laodicea and
Carthage that addressed canonization. A number of false assumptions
prevailed at these councils, including the common belief that books we
now know did not exist prior to 150-180 AD were "apostolic" writings,
(authored by men who had traveled with Jesus). If the books were
written by the original disciplies (many of whom were probably
illiterate), the disciples would certainly have lived to a very ripe
old age.

Interesting note: Harry Potter novels and works by Stephen King
notwithstanding, the Bible is the world's best selling book year after
year.