(January 3, 2013 at 6:11 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: @ whateverist

A person would give assention to biblical text because of the integrity therein. That's how I find it.

What is literal interpretation to you (I'm assuming that you disagree with scholarly conclusions), is misunderstanding to me.

Well part of what I mean is the young earth theory but why some Christians insist God's creation cannot include everything science is finding out about evolution and embryo development is also part of what I mean by a literalist interpretation. In the U.S. fundamentalist Christians use the bible to single out gays for discrimination owing to the way they read it. I really don't know why the bible can't be read as literature or poetry, rather than as a how-to-please-god manual. For that matter, I don't see why all the holy books can't be studied interchangeably. Do we really think God was only interested in the people living in Israel? Has that changed? Who is to say God, correctly understood, hasn't been behind all the holy books?

(January 3, 2013 at 10:35 pm)whateverist Wrote: Who is to say God, correctly understood, hasn't been behind all the holy books?

You slay me! And here I thought that William H. Bonney, as portrayed by Emilio Estevez in 'Young Guns', gave insight to the test of all tests.

Only Edward Current is going to heaven:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqJpZOljjG8

(January 2, 2013 at 3:32 pm)whateverist Wrote: I've heard of lots of scholarship being done to establish the existence of persons with the right names inhabiting the right places at the right times. But lets cut to the chase. Suppose there was a Mary and a Jesus and a Paul and Sneezy and Rudolph and whoever else the bibles says is part of its story. Lets go ahead and grant you that the stuff the bible says happened is right too - within reason. I can't grant you a talking snake, God speaking from a burning bush, a man living in a whale, a resurrection, a flood covering Mt. Everest, the story of creation or anything else that suggests the supernatural. But I will grant, for the sake of argument, that every natural event described in the bible is historically accurate.

Given that, why should anyone believe the bible is the word of a supernatural god? Why should anyone think its god exists at all?

Because te bible is the road map to obtain the 'proof of God" He has left for us. The bible in of itself is not proof of God, it just the instructions on how to find it.

Quote:Okay Christians, again only for the sake of argument, lets suppose that god does exist and the bible records an attempt on its part to communicate with mankind. How do you justify a literal reading of the bible? Perhaps a poetic reading was intended, not by the scribes, but by your god. If this god of yours is as ineffable and other worldly as is claimed, why would you think that such a being could communicate with beings as limited as ourselves in any way other than parables and poetry. You may really be missing the whole message by concretizing the poetic.

The reason we have been given "parables and poetry" in contrast to an absolute or definitive texts is so we do not worship the text itself. In otherwords so we do not worship the method of worship as the Jews did when they were give God's absolutes.

Quote:Remember Christians, the challenge is to justify 1) that the bible is the special book and 2) that a literal interpretation is the one intended by your god .. without (for obvious reasons) citing the bible itself. I await your guidance.

Then seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. after all it is a relationship with the Holy Spirit that the whole of the bible points to.

Quote:ecause te bible is the road map to obtain the 'proof of God" He has left for us.

Evidence, Drippy. Your opinion ain't worth shit.

(January 4, 2013 at 12:56 am)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:ecause te bible is the road map to obtain the 'proof of God" He has left for us.

Evidence, Drippy. Your opinion ain't worth shit.

God provides the evidnce minnie, ask Him.

No. All I hear is assholes who claim that he does.

Load of shit if you ask me.

(January 2, 2013 at 3:32 pm)whateverist Wrote: the challenge is to justify 1) that the bible is the special book and 2) that a literal interpretation is the one intended by your god .. without (for obvious reasons) citing the bible itself. I await your guidance.

1) It is the Word of God. Howz dat fur special?


2) What other [completely definitive] work is out there that's been argued two millennium .... for, and against?


..... so, as usual the anti's making the case FOR THE WORD OF GOD!

"isn't that special!" Thank You! No Charge!!


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(January 3, 2013 at 10:35 pm)whateverist Wrote: Well part of what I mean is the young earth theory but why some Christians insist God's creation cannot include everything science is finding out about evolution and embryo development is also part of what I mean by a literalist interpretation. In the U.S. fundamentalist Christians use the bible to single out gays for discrimination owing to the way they read it. I really don't know why the bible can't be read as literature or poetry, rather than as a how-to-please-god manual. For that matter, I don't see why all the holy books can't be studied interchangeably. Do we really think God was only interested in the people living in Israel? Has that changed? Who is to say God, correctly understood, hasn't been behind all the holy books?

For fundamentalist read superficial/ I'll informed.

Literature or poetry?? How about religious text!? The bible is primarily that, and anything else incidently. It never is a science text book.

Also, it is for everyone. That's how it applies to me. The OT happened to be revealed to the Jews. We have to do our best to understand the archaic cultural references.

The endeavour is towards the divine. When it hits the spot we call it divinely inspired. Lots of religious texts hit the spot in places. The imperfection of the whole makes them unsatisfying.

(January 4, 2013 at 12:36 am)Drich Wrote: Because te bible is the road map to obtain the 'proof of God" He has left for us. The bible in of itself is not proof of God, it just the instructions on how to find it.

Its a map!

If it is it is apple maps.

(January 4, 2013 at 6:32 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(January 4, 2013 at 12:36 am)Drich Wrote: Because te bible is the road map to obtain the 'proof of God" He has left for us. The bible in of itself is not proof of God, it just the instructions on how to find it.

Its a map!

If it is it is apple maps.