RE: Human Reason and Christian Denominations
April 9, 2018 at 8:09 pm
(This post was last modified: April 9, 2018 at 8:12 pm by Bahana.)
(April 9, 2018 at 5:05 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote:(April 7, 2018 at 5:15 am)robvalue Wrote: Yup, when someone says to me, "I'm a Christian", I assume nothing more than they call themselves a Christian. Their religious beliefs could be literally anything, and I'm not going to correct them.
What does it mean to be a Democrat? Usually it is not wise to judge any group by it's most extreme members.
(April 9, 2018 at 4:26 pm)alpha male Wrote: Are there different interpretations? Sure.
Are they all equally valid? Nope. There's a reason that atheists tend to disparagingly say that the bible is against homosexuality. The reason is that that is by far the best interpretation.
Seems to me that the prohibitions against homosexuality are the most pressing and problematic issue for skeptics. You'd think that was the only thing they cared about and the only thing motivating them to reject the Bible. Look at the first couple responses in this thread. Everyone has issues with sin in their lives. One thing about Holy Scripture is that it is difficult to read without becoming painfully aware of one's own sins - from pride and selfishness to vanity and gluttony. For some people it is easier to reject the bible than reflect on the effects of sin on their lives. Take that back...it is easier. Some of these teachings seem very hard and not unique to sexual orientation. But for some reason it seems like the unwillingness to accept any limits on sexual expression is the main objection.
I just used homosexuality as a clear example of how different views on morality some Christians can have. It seems pretty clear the Bible is against it to me as well but I can also understand why someone could use their own reason and reinterpret things to try to have their church be more accepting. Christians have changed a lot over the years and things adapt to the times. Rejecting the Bible really has little to do with how it makes one feel guilty. If you actually read the whole thing as a rational human being, and ask questions, I suspect there would be some doubt. Sadly, critical thought is not encouraged when you make faith some great virtue.
