the Bible




   About the Bible though, certainly it is no secret that it is the most influential book ever.  But it is more than one of the cultural cornerstones of western civilization; rather, the Bible reveals God's plan for all people.  Throughout, God shows His love consistently.  There is definitely a theme and purpose to what He has to say.  I really think that those people who argue against Christianity really ought not to try to use the Bible, because it's pretty deep.  Instead, if you want to understand it, then you should find someone who is a christian already and talk to them about what you read.  Whenever I hear something God says through the Bible, it should have an effect upon my life, not just my knowledge.  Try to approach reading the Bible in this way, asking, "what does this mean for my situation right now?"  Usually there is some pertinent meaning found.
   Let's take for example John 3:16,17, verses with which many of you should be acquainted.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

   So actually this means quite a bit.  It actually sums up pretty much everything there is to know about what Christianity is.   Read the goldfish page to see my interpretation.  As a result in my life, I will have a desire to know more of God, since He's so good to me and all. &nbps;That, in turn, leads me to understand what God's plan for all people is and how I fit into that plan.  I can see that I should really look after other people and build the church to be more of what God wants.  I can see that I should be nice and not steal or cheat, living always to help others and repent of my sins.  But all of this is not the thing... all this should be the result of the things I understand about John 3:16 and the other things I've learned from the Bible.
   So read the Bible sometime and see what you think for yourself.  I suggest one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), Acts or Romans.