Does the Bible Contradict Itself?

[spockrates]

Just stop, no one said anything about accuracy. Stop trying. You interpret my responses in the manner that you do because of some need or desire for my responses to be the way you interpret them, not because of my intent, not because of the "accuracy of your interpretations" not because of any "truth" there is to be had in them.

Not so. I'm interpreting them as best as I can in an attempt to understand your meaning.

Case in point, no matter how often I repeat myself or correct you, you continue to interpret them in the manner that suites you. I am apparently powerless (as the author) even in conversation.

Yes, the fault is mine for not understanding you. Perhaps if you would be more specific, less vague and use examples, then I'd grasp your meaning.

Any story, any narrative, fiction or non-fiction, is likely to have a life beyond what the author intended. What a narrative means to a reader generally has far more impact than whatever the writer meant. You, as the author, could tell the reader that you didn't mean that, or that such-and-such was not your intent all day long, and it won't make a dent in what they took away from your narrative. Pages and pages ago I suggested that you might want to abandon this whole "truth" line because it doesn't seem to apply -at least not the way you seem determined to use it - in the case of the stories we tell, and how those stories affect us, regardless of whether a narrative is meant to be fiction or non-fiction.

Perhaps it would help me understand you if you tell me what you believe truth is. That would give context to your assertion that I should "abandon this whole 'truth' line because it doesn't seem to apply."

You don't understand my meaning? Is the ambiguity in the text or have you created the ambiguity in your mind?

I would say you are being too vague for me to get what you are trying to convey. Defining your terms and using examples might help.

Has this entire conversation been an attempt to establish that ambiguity exists in text, or an attempt to create it because you need it to be there (for whatever reason)?

No, it's a failed attempt to comprehend your meaning. Perhaps our ways of communicating is so vastly different that we are simply unable to understand one another?

Let me add this as well, and keep in mind I'm only repeating myself here. What do you hope to do, if you can establish such ambiguity in the first place? You hope to fill that gap you've created with specificity, don't you?

What created specificity? The term is too vague to have any useful meaning to me.

You'd like to offer your interpretation, wouldn't you?

Interpretation of what? The biblical text? The reason for the ambiguous nature of the text? Again, too vague to communicate anything helpful to the dialog.

Doesn't that set off alarms in your mind?

It might if I had the slightest idea what you are saying. I'm sure you know exactly what you mean, but your lack of clarity makes it impossible for me. You see? I'm OK with giving up on trying to understand you, if you are. If you have the patience and want to make an attempt at being more specific, clear and cogent, I'm willing to give it another try to grasp your meaning.