How was the Bible Put Together? Catholics?

With my passion of the Bible and spirituality I have often wondered how the bible was put together..  With the permission of a close friend of mine I have taken the liberty to use some of her extensive research to consider this…  The Hip Opinion hopes you enjoy 🙂

Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea.

Image via Wikipedia

First let’s consider a few players in the drama…..

The Council of Nicene

The Council of Nicene was where the Emperor Constantine brought together a group of leaders and they decided ‘which’ letters and scrolls would be ‘the Bible’ and decided on the deity of Jesus. Around the year 400 or so.

The Council of Jerusalem

The Council of Jerusalem was an apostolic group that decided on the ‘rules’ of Christianity about 50 years after Jesus died, and THAT was the group that decided Gentiles could finally become Christians

Until then, even people who were Gentiles who ‘converted’ to Jesus’ way of thinking were then considered JEWISH. Yeah, several different sects, like Pharisees, Saducees and Essenes.  With me?

Its history right? (more…)

What’s Wrong with Organized Religion?

Irreligion around the world .
Image via Wikipedia

I hear it all the time; “ I don’t like organized religion”

They say “why is something that is supposed to be organized so un- organized”.

Tis true, I’m afraid. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how organized the major religions are.  And, because the tend to bicker with each other (and themselves) then many people are obviously turned off by this sort of thing.

With good reason…Who wants all that drama anyways?

Well, millions of people it seems. So given that kinda record there must be something to it right?  To be completely against organized religeion is a bit silly.  Millions of people look to it for hope an direction for life.

So are all these people weak? Or maybe in need of a “crutch” They can’t seem to find their own direction so they need something else to lean on? Or a book of rules to tell them how to live?

I don’t think so.  Believing in something in my experience points to strength, not weakness.  It is far easier for me to “let myself go” and do what I want rather than try to be obedient to some moral laws. It’s easy to simply do what feels good.  –  And trust me, I know how to do that 🙂

So, recently… I joined up. It’s all good, except I don’t get to sleep in till noon on Sundays anymore.