How do some Christians only partially believe in the Bible?

"Some Christians?"

Make that all Christians

Well, I won't say partially believe. Some believe, like Catholics that the Bible uses divine inspiration or poetic license. For example, maybe God didn't create the world in exactly seven days, but the point is God created the world. Also, people understand that this was written in a different time. They say women on their period should live in a separate place until its over. That makes sense back then when it was more difficult to keep things clean and was probably healthier and also the culture was different.

i guess you can call me a christian. i believe in God & Jesus ( i believe Jesus is the son of God and died on the cross). but as far as the bible goes, i believe the bases of it and believe there is some truth to it but i don't think it can be taken word for word as complete truth. it may have been all truth back in the day, but through the years, the messages got scewed and here' why:

A. not all words of a laguage can be translated into another laguage. there isn't always a word that corresponds to a word in another laguage. Ex. Inuits have 20 or so words for snow, in english it's more or less just snow and it's not that the 20 Inuit words for snow are synonyms for snow, they are each a completely different thing. Therefor those word can't really be translated into English correctly. If you know more than one language, read a book in one laguage and then read a version that has been translated, more than likely the translated version is going to lack having the same flow, feel, and meaning of the original version. Also when translating, words can easily be mistaken for other words,and they may very well have a completely different meaning than the original. The original bible is believed to have been written in Hebrew and was then translated into another laguage, then into another and another, ect...before it was translated into English...i feel alot was probably lost during all of that.

B. Government and religion went hand in hand for many many years. i feel that corruption by governments over the years has contaminated the bible so that it fits the reigning governments (at the time) agendas.

C. there's historical evidence of discrimination against women and i feel that lead to corruption of what the bible may have said. men who "translated" the bible could have easily left out women due to the view of women at that time and that can really change alot of what the bible actually once said.

D. the scriptures in our bibles were picked and chosen. there are other scriptures that have been left out. i'm sure they had some type of method in trying to decide which ones went into it and which were left out, but that's a risky fine line to walk.

my faith is simply inborn. i can not (and wouldn't want to) change it. i feel it inside of me as much as anything else. like i said, i beleive there's a skeletal frame of truth that comes from the bible, but i don't feel the actual words themself can be taken as entire truth. sorry it's a long answer, but hope it gives you a glimpse of insight of why i don't beleive in the bible per say.

Well, if I don't justify away all the parts of the Bible that I have not experienced, then I would be wrong! I can't be wrong because then I wouldn't be a Christian. And if I didn't feel like I was a Christian, I would be sad because they say I'm going to Hell.

Well I know I'm not going to Hell because I'm me! The entire world revolves around "me". My opinions are always right. Just see things my way, it looks pretty good from here!

I'm not a Christian, but the ones I know say that the Bible was written by flawed human beings who couldn't always write the word of God without introducing their own prejudices, and therefore it must be read with an open heart to allow God to sort of psychically correct the details, in the same way as he inspired the original. So they read it, pray, and try to determine where the "real" truth lies.

What I don't understand is how some of these same people can simultaneously be biblical literalists.

Some of the bible was not written for us. Leviticus was mostly referring to Levitican Priests. We are not. Much of the bible is like that. Much of what Paul wrote was to Jews and to the church then.

What I see on here is that people think a Christian is supposed to be a theologian who knows every word of the bible, how it was written, by whom, and to whom. We are people, ordinary everyday people.

Just reading the Bible is one thing, reading by praying and seeking with all your heart, Soul, Spirit and Mind is another.

Head knowledge is nothing as God is interested in the condition of your heart.

Yes we are supposed to believe all of the Bible.We are not supposed to choose the parts of the Bible that we want to believe. God is the same today, tomorrow & forever & His word is Him. God Bless You!

How do some Christians only partially believe in the Bible?

I have faith, that is all that matters.

If you don't believe in parts of the bible, doesn't that invalidate ALL of the bible?

YES.

i reserve the right to "pick and choose" what is true and what is not the word of God

based on education and experience, christians teach precepts of men are often wrong becasue of traditional teachings which are false.

the bible has been alters so many places it cannot be the word for word dictated breathed teachings of God.

what is true, we seek after these things.