(March 13, 2013 at 10:37 pm)FallentoReason Wrote: Because the Bible is a text, it means that the meaning derived from it will be subject to the person reading it. This arguably means that there will be as many interpretations of the text as there are people reading it. How is it possible then to ever think that the Bible is the Ultimate Truth, since truth is binary in nature (i.e. something can be true or false). We seem to have a whole spectrum of what God made a reality (and hence the truth) according to the broad range of interpretations, but only one interpretation will have the right combination of true/false propositions.
The meaning of God's word in general has specific meanings, there are passages that can have different meanings for different people, it depends on their spiritual needs. The Bible is intended to be a spiritual guide for many different people and peoples, God gave us this work to help us walk in a relationship with Him. Many people and denominations have misrepresented God's word, I sure I have and not known it. When a scripture is in dispute the parties should set down and test their interpretations against the whole of God's word. I bet you do not consider the truths you know through science as binary in nature.
FtR Wrote:To sum up (assuming God exists):
P1) God exists
P2) Truth depends on what God decided to be a part of reality or not
P3) There are an endless possibility of interpretations of what this reality is
P4) There is only one correct interpretation of the truth
C) Therefore, the probability that the correct interpretation is the one the believer holds is 0
P1) is true.
P2) is not true, God does not decides is truth, truth is determined by God's nature, ie. who He is.
P3) in general is correct, however the interpretations are not what makes truth, as I said above truth is determined by God's nature.
P4) is true in general.
C) Is wrong, truth is absolute because God is unchanging in his nature. The interpretation of God's word by man does not change truth, man's interpretations are as fallible as man. This does not mean that people have not understood God's truth, as far as I know all Christians have much of God's truth in them.
You'er trying to make mountains out of mole hills, mostly from denominational differences, differences that have no eternal significance in general.
FtR Wrote:James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Assuming this verse means to say that anyone who teaches falsehoods will be punished, it then follows that pastors all around the world are leading their sheep astray (since the probability that their interpretation is 0) and they are earning themselves spanks on the bum for teaching these falsehoods.
Those who teach falsely will be punished, Matt. 5-19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Not the spanking you had in mind is it.
FtR Wrote:To sum up: a book whose truth-value depends on time, place & culture for it to be verified and deemed as the plausible Ultimate Truth should always be discarded. A more reasoned approach to seek for truth is in nature, because nature isn't dependent on time, place & culture. Therefore the truths found in physics, maths & philosophy can always be verified and tested unlike the scribblings of a culture long gone.
Your summary is all wrong, God's word ie. truth does not depend on time, place or culture, God's truth transcends all, it is unchanging because God's nature is unchanging. How can you say nature isn't dependent on time, place or culture, so much in nature has been changed by these forces, thus nature has changed.
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.