The Bible Code. Anyone heard of it?

[BucsBullsBolts]

Here's a novel thought: the real message of the Bible is what is written in it - in plain text

But not plain enough text to where every Christian gets the same message .... 

[John Galt?]

Here's a novel thought: the real message of the Bible is what is written in it - in plain text

But not plain enough text to where every Christian gets the same message .... 

WHAT???

Of course they all get the same message. That's why instead of just one Denomination, we have Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Anglican, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, Unitarians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Evangelicans, Wesleyans, Trinitarians, and of course Jews for Jesus.

That's why there is only one Bible. Well, except for the Catholic Bible including books not in the KJV and the Greek, Russian, and Eastern Othrodox using something different too, and all those New American and New Standard versions, and and the different apocrypha. But still, except for those 237 exceptions, there is only one Bible.

[John Galt?]

Big flaw in your theory Joe. If an ancient civilization developed an measurement system based on universal bench marks (like a nautical mile=1/60 of 1 degree of latitude) and a much later civilization used the same bench marks, I'd say OK. But the British system didn't. Almost all their measurements were capricious, based on local bench marks arbitrarily defined by QEI. For instance, a Mile was deemed to be 1/10 the distance between Leeds and some other English city. An ounce was based on the weight of a particular Crown jewel. A foot was the width of the Thames at the Tower divided by the number of days the Queen had sat the throne. Now add to that all the proscribed measurements that QEI codified were all slightly modified in 1824 by act of Parliament (and accepted by Congress in 1924) and you get a foot and mile that were different 200 years ago than they are today.

If there was some sort of code in the Bible(s) wouldn't it be based on some sort of universally verifiable system (like 1/60th of 1 degree of latitude) and not a clunky and arbitrary system.

OK, so my theory stinks. But the claim that I said they spoke English is just absurd.

Now if you had posited that an ancient civilization (or the biblical authors) had contact with a being/entity that was trans-temporal and they hid meanings and numbers  that would only make sense 2000 year in the future, I'd say "no way to prove or disprove it", so maybe...

Now you can call that time travel, time viewing, or divine prophecy, the mechanism is the same either way. And that is more likely than Ancients using British Imperial measures.

[The White Tiger]

I guess it's more of an experiential thing with you joe - because you either never want anyone to know what you believe or you have taken great steps to prove to me that nothing can be known.

When you ask me if I am open to considering what I believe isn't true. You are not pushing me to think about what I believe so much as you are etching in stone that you always want to keep the door open.

Keeping the door open means you purposely don't intend to commit.

Saying you're keeping your options open - is an ad hoc way of stating I don't know anything that's sure and no one can prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that anything is - real.

It's an area both Aristotle and Epicurus found agreement on (no small task) they both disagreed with classical Greek skeptics that claimed certainty or knowledge were impossible.

Now, regarding the central message of/in the Bible?

Man is separated from God and Christ is the provision for remedying that separation.

Simple really, split over canonical books has to do with how each book aligns with the central theme, which books are verifiable, which texts within the books should be included. That in no way diminishes the central theme of the books. Still it is interesting that there are 66 relevant books of the Bible that agree on a central theme - God makes man, man causes separation from God, prophecy of a sacrificial provision to restore mans relationship with God, rising of the sacrificial provision, the life of the sacrificial provision, letters concerning the need for acceptance of this provision, church administration under the sacrificial provision, the return of the sacrificial provision to claim the ransomed.

Notice the constant theme (any mis-step, mis-quote, or mis-direction are due to my crude effort to portray the theme)? All books of the Bible should have that theme as a constant. If this is not the theme (keeping the main thing, the main thing) then that book is in error...

pretty simple, really.

[TheAman]

The Bible Code is fairly ridiculous.  I bet if I looked hard enough I could find a pattern that says the Bucs would draft Josh Freeman in 2009.  If you're looking for a pattern, you'll be able to find it.

[ufojoe]

I guess it's more of an experiential thing with you joe - because you either never want anyone to know what you believe or you have taken great steps to prove to me that nothing can be known.

When you ask me if I am open to considering what I believe isn't true. You are not pushing me to think about what I believe so much as you are etching in stone that you always want to keep the door open.

Keeping the door open means you purposely don't intend to commit.

Saying you're keeping your options open - is an ad hoc way of stating I don't know anything that's sure and no one can prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that anything is - real.

Sorry, not going to take the time to write an in depth response when you're repeatedly putting words in my mouth. Not worth the effort to constantly correct the record.

[The White Tiger]

It's best seen as an opinion. I was not trying to be offensive - just an observation.

[ufojoe]

It's best seen as an opinion. I was not trying to be offensive - just an observation.

Not offensive. But you claim that I say things that I don't say. It gets old trying to clarify things repeatedly. So I'll move on.

[dalbuc]

The Bible Code is fairly ridiculous.  I bet if I looked hard enough I could find a pattern that says the Bucs would draft Josh Freeman in 2009.  If you're looking for a pattern, you'll be able to find it.

They found messages in almost any long book with the same methodolgy. Hell, I bet the dictionary is rife with messages. The whole thing is total bunk.

[The White Tiger]

It's best seen as an opinion. I was not trying to be offensive - just an observation.

Not offensive. But you claim that I say things that I don't say. It gets old trying to clarify things repeatedly. So I'll move on.

I dig it (archaeological reference for you), I feel the same thing when you constantly push that even though many folks around the world believe - your constant argument (i.e. debate/rationale) centers around a position that no one can know anything - but when you are introduced to this you quickly retreat from this be saying you never actually say these things...

I do not label you, I just observe.

You are what you say...or sometimes you are what you DON'T say...your arguments define your beliefs.

[ufojoe]

IMO, certain things we will never know the truth about until we die. Other things, we may know in our lifetimes.

[gruber]

7's the key number here. Think about it. 7-Elevens. 7 dwarves. 7, man, that's the number. 7 chipmunks twirlin' on a branch, eatin' lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch. You know that old children's tale from the sea. It's like you're dreamin' about Gorgonzola cheese when it's clearly Brie time, baby. Step into my office.