# Believers:  How do we know that the Bible is God's word?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/believers-how-do-we-know-that-the-bible-is-gods-word/528028>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 7, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/believers-how-do-we-know-that-the-bible-is-gods-word/528028 "2010-02-07T14:40:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 18

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**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/believers-how-do-we-know-that-the-bible-is-gods-word/528028/341 "2010-03-06T14:20:31Z")

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> [@Perciful](#):
>
> cosmosdan;12189816]and one more time, this says nothing about the Bible being God’s word. You know, the subject of the OP.
> 
> Can you provide a link to what parts of the Big Book you say are taken from the Bible? Is it specific scripture or just principles?

> [@](#):
>
> Well the twelve steps are taken from all different parts of the bible. The seven major roots of AA ideas related the the bible- King James Version.
> 
> The Sermon On The Mount. Matt:5-7  
> Corinthians 13  
> The Book of James
> 
> [http://www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml](http://www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml)  
> [http://www.recoveredalcoholics.net/pdf\_articles/shoemake.pdf](http://www.recoveredalcoholics.net/pdf_articles/shoemake.pdf)

Thanks for the links.

There are a lot of great principles in the Bible. I revere the teachings of Jesus while thinking Christianity as a whole often misses the point and distorts the priorities.  
The same principles found in the Bible are also found in other writings and other religions. Buddha and Jesus had many similar teachings and Buddha lived 600 years earlier. What we embrace and what influences us is often about the culture we happened to grow up in. So, while it’s awesome that people have been helped and influenced by the Bible as a vehicle of our culture, IMO it’s a mistake to see that positive influence and then conclude the Bible and the words in it have special power and authority. One does not follow the other.

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**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/believers-how-do-we-know-that-the-bible-is-gods-word/528028/342 "2010-03-06T14:59:01Z")

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> [@cosmosdan](#):
>
> Thanks for the links.
> 
> There are a lot of great principles in the Bible. I revere the teachings of Jesus while thinking Christianity as a whole often misses the point and distorts the priorities.  
> The same principles found in the Bible are also found in other writings and other religions. Buddha and Jesus had many similar teachings and Buddha lived 600 years earlier. What we embrace and what influences us is often about the culture we happened to grow up in. So, while it’s awesome that people have been helped and influenced by the Bible as a vehicle of our culture, IMO it’s a mistake to see that positive influence and then conclude the Bible and the words in it have special power and authority. One does not follow the other.

I have always believed that Bill Wilson was a closet Buddhist!

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