(January 1, 2018 at 1:32 pm)Whateverist Wrote:(January 1, 2018 at 1:11 pm)Dan Brooks Wrote: Don't scientists read? Scientists don't just walk outside and look up in the sky and say, "Wow, look at that." and now they're a scientist. Sure they study things in labs, and in the earth itself, etc. But they also read their scientific books. They also have to learn complicated math in certain sciences. So of course if someone is going to delve into a certain discipline, or to learn about a certain thing, part of that learning is going to include reading.
It wouldn't make sense for someone who wants to ['know"?]* about God not to read the Bible, which tells us who He is and how He is. If you want to learn about God, and there's a book about God, it would make sense to read it. Not that's the information about God. Everything shows us something about God, but even with all the evidence in nature, it still wouldn't make sense not to read about Him in the Bible.
Big difference between the place of literature in science and in theology. Indeed scientists do get a running jump on progressing empirical understanding by reading about the work of prior investigators. This is how they "stand on the shoulders of giants" to see even further, as the saying goes. But the HUGE difference is that none of the books of any of those scientific giants is sacrosanct. Everything any of them ever concluded is open to revision. With Christianity, it all rests on the bible. If you don't start out assuming it is the inspired word of God you are finished before you start. For you the bible IS sacrosanct. Anything any theologian in the Christian tradition may have to say about anything has to be squared with what the bible says. You say there is a God who is responsible for the creation of everything, but the only evidence you will accept is this book you think is so special. The question you need to answer is "how do you know the bible is indeed the revealed word of God?"
If you can't and answer that question, then theology can never self correct. You are stuck with bronze age mindset but you are convinced you are better off for it. There is no parallel here between the place of the literature in the pursuit of science and its place in the Christian religion.
(January 1, 2018 at 1:11 pm)Dan Brooks Wrote: So no, God is not only found in the Bible, but He certainly is found in it.
This is precisely what you have not established and, no, you can't refer to the bible to show that the bible is the book in which to learn about God.
You are right, scientific books are not the same as the Bible in the way you mentioned it. While science can be updated as new discoveries are made, etc, The Bible is a standard. And yes, I would compare what a theologian says to the Bible to see if he was right or not.
I know I'm not allowed to say that I know the Bible is the revealed word of God because it says so, and it would take hours to explain all the reasons I believe it to be so. But one reason I have other than it saying so, is the spiritual confirmation I get from God that it is true. And as I told someone else, I understand that that is hard to believe, or really impossible to believe by someone who doesn't believe in God or the supernatural. It's not like I could say, "God proves it to me." and you'll say, "Oh, ok, well then that answers that." Because you don't believe He's real. So really it's a difficult question to answer, because there's not really much I could say that would make sense or be believed. But still, that is one of the reasons I believe it. There are literary reasons, prophetic reasons, etc, but the main thing is the spiritual reasons, which is why it's hard to explain and answer.
