Attention Christians - please give me your thoughts

We were discussing the 'other' books written but that were not included in the Bible. HUNDREDS of them.. all authenticated by being from the same time period.  Why are these ignored by Christians?  I would have thought that Christians would have been flocking to read them and include them in the 'big book'.  Is it because some contradict what the current book says? Is it because Mary's book insinuated that there was more between her and Jesus?

When I was a Christian and I found out about this I remembered being very excited and wanting to read them!  But no one else did.. it was hush hush and disregarded... part of the reason for my spiraling decent (or incline!) to Athiesm.

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Edit: We started discussing this in the "Muslims voting for Obama calling him their savior? " thread

Original Post by jenniferthepennifer:

But aren't you put off by the fact that all of these books were supposedly divinly inspired and yet they were picked over and revised to fit human needs/wants? How can you trust it?  How can you have faith in something you know has been altered?

 Not put off at all.  Actually, I'm totally inspired by it.  The "books" were picked over by people that God knew would compile things the way he intended.  God protects the Bible every second of every day.  He does it for us.  All we have to do is trust him and have faith.  Every single little thing that happens or has happened to the Bible, God 100% intended to happen. 

If you want to trust in God and the Bible, but you're finding it difficult, pray about it.  God will be there. 

Original Post by cassrd05:

 Every book that God intended and inspired to be in the Bible is in the Bible.  There is one God. The Bible has one Creator. It is one book. 

http://www.gotquestions.org/lost-books-Bible. html

http://www.gotquestions.org/which-book.html 

http://www.gotquestions.org/apocrypha-deutero canonical.html

 The site doesn't prove anything except that they are terrified of word getting out just how much the Bible has been manipulated.  They said 'true, these books were written in the same time period but they basically said things we don't agree with and therefor we just left those out'.  

Look, some people have blind faith and I get that.. not trying to contaminate you or anything.. It's just hard for me to believe that so many folks blindly follow and disregard the other books instead of questioning. 

*Maybe this was a bad thread to start.. Mooni! LOL  I hate talking religion sometimes*

er hey cassrd5, that website you are using as a source believes that dinosaurs and man coexisited.

http://www.gotquestions.org/dinosaurs-Bible.h tml

edited to add: oh my god, the people who wrote that site even believe that men HUNTED dinosaurs into extinction! i had no idea people took it that far. amazing!

@22: i liked that site, jennifer.  it was a warm, fuzzy pat on the head.

Original Post by kae03:

I think that is it...they were not determined to be divinely inspired...due to writing style, inconsistency contraction and the like. 

They are great books to read though and should be read, they offer much in the way of understanding the culture and times...

(btw...Jesus stopped the stoning AND the animal sacrifice :-) )

 My grandmother has read the Bible all the way through every year since the age of 20, she is 85.  Her favorite chapter is Ruth, the most difficult to get through is Numbers.  I have always been inspired by her constant study and contemplation of the bible.

Not to add fuel to the fire, but have you considered how many times and in how many different ways the Bible has been translated?  And that there is no original? exept for perhaps the Dead Sea Scrolls?

so if i want to believe that men rode dinosaurs and just pray really hard about it it'll be true?! sweet!!!

wonder if that works for unicorns and mermaids, i really really wanted mermaids to be real when i was a kid.

Original Post by jules817:

er hey cassrd5, that website you are using as a source believes that dinosaurs and man coexisited.

http://www.gotquestions.org/dinosaurs-Bible.h tml

 As do I. 

Mostly because I don't care what the bible says. The bible like all other biblical texts are written by man.

Accounts of jesus tell us more than enough about what he thought:

Love God, love your neighbor as you love yourself, stewardship, compassion, and radical inclusiveness.

wow.

Original Post by cassrd05:

Original Post by jules817:

er hey cassrd5, that website you are using as a source believes that dinosaurs and man coexisited.

http://www.gotquestions.org/dinosaurs-Bible.h tml

 As do I. 

 There is your answer right there.  When you Believe you don't question.

Original Post by ignayshus:

Mostly because I don't care what the bible says. The bible like all other biblical texts are written by man.

Accounts of jesus tell us more than enough about what he thought:

Love God, love your neighbor as you love yourself, stewardship, compassion, and radical inclusiveness.

 Amen.

that makes me sad for people Tom. I bet Jesus questioned a lot of things when he was around.

Great answers cassrd05!

kindlerenz, those aren't answers at all.  "the bible is true because the bible says it's true"?  seriously?

I think that is it...they were not determined to be divinely inspired...due to writing style, inconsistency contraction and the like. 

Writing style, inconsistency, contraction were not the main reasons many of the books were not included. The Nicene council was held in 325 and produced the first consistent doctrine of Chrisitianity (the Bible). There were about 250 attendees, supposedly over 1800 were invited to attend.

The books giving power and authority to women were all left out of the bible. Gee, I wonder why 250 powerful old men in 325 AD would find that it was divine inspiration to deny power to women.

Of course it HAD to be written by men. What do you expect, a giant HAND to reach down from the clouds with a feather pen?

Original Post by jules817:

that makes me sad for people Tom. I bet Jesus questioned a lot of things when he was around.

 I believe that being Christian is a journey of questions, Not being sure that because I have read a particular book and go to church every Sunday, that I KNOW the answers!!  Jesus questioned the Pharisees A LOT!

Original Post by jules817:

er hey cassrd5, that website you are using as a source believes that dinosaurs and man coexisited.

http://www.gotquestions.org/dinosaurs-Bible.h tml

edited to add: oh my god, the people who wrote that site even believe that men HUNTED dinosaurs into extinction! i had no idea people took it that far. amazing!

 Actually, that site isn't very clear.  It kinda says that the translations are kind of fuzzy when referring to dinosaur-like creatures.....basically is says that both sides could be argued. 

read the last paragraph. THAT particular site believes that men hunted dinosaurs.

Original Post by jules817:

that makes me sad for people Tom. I bet Jesus questioned a lot of things when he was around.

 Herein lies the irony.