Personal relationships with deities

[Drich]

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Or better yet, I decided along time ago to actually research context and cultural meaning to words, because growing up in a house where more than one language is spoken I quickly understood that translating one text from one language and culture to another did not always mean I in the English should automatically assume that my understanding of a given word was the only/primary one. that is was the intention of the speaker that gave a word it's meaning and not the translation/translator nor my understanding of the words being translated.

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So when will the world end?  Should I buy green bananas?

Who says it hasn't already?

 It depends on how far you live from your market.

[Losty]

You're still missing it. who are you to say that your interpretation is right over someone else's?

You're still missing it.  What I've done (and other who simply read what is on page and assume their initial take/Interpretation is correct) is I research the words used, and the context in which they were spoken. This research is what makes or validates One interpretation over another.

No it doesn't. Not even a little bit.

[Angrboda]

[Exian]

I think it's all to do with our ability to empathize and have theory of mind. Keep at it for long enough and it becomes real to that person, even if it is an untestable subjective experience. But there's a difference between having a real relationship and believing you're in a relationship... right, Thena? Babe?

[Drich]

You're still missing it.  What I've done (and other who simply read what is on page and assume their initial take/Interpretation is correct) is I research the words used, and the context in which they were spoken. This research is what makes or validates One interpretation over another.

No it doesn't. Not even a little bit.

Ya, huh, a lot of Bit Ya HUH!

Because, interpretation can be trivialized only up until a given word or phrase has been exegetically identified and or defined.

That means I can make fun of your interpretation (because none of you put in any effort outside of your own personal understanding of the text.) and you can't trivialize what I said because I have indeed not only defined the words, but put them in the correct historical/biblical context. That is to say unless one of you wants to point to some reference material that changes my interpretation in some way.

For example in the Prayer supplication discussion, I have shown the only Historical/Biblical accounting of what Jesus identifies as prayer. I demonstrated that in this out line, begging for stuff we want, or attempting to barter good behavior for granted wishes is NOT apart of the one out line of Prayer Jesus provides, and I show that petition/supplication was known to the people of that day. I defined the terms in the historical text, and in modern English, I also show a Command that tells us to Pray, AND supplicate/Petition (Ask God for stuff.) I also point out Prayer, is always answered according to Christ, while supplication is not.

Meanwhile the general consensus of 'prayer' (the argument against mine) seems to only have two qualifers. You start with "Dear God, and end with in Jesus name I pray, Amen." Then fill in the middle with anything you want.

again No where in the bible does that make a prayer, that is a modern construct that is not the intention of those who told us to Pray in the 1st century. Because again those attributes (asking for stuff) fits under theGreek word for supplication/Petition and not Prayer.

 When Jesus said pray He meant to follow the one example He gave. (The Lord's prayer in Luke 11) so too did Paul as He points to it and seperates that from 'asking for stuff.'

So, again. Yes Huh! Research here (like every place else) validates one interpretation and invalidates another.

[Edwardo Piet]

Welcome back Drippy. Have a tissue to catch those drips for you.

I don't understand how you claim to know a lot about what 'Jesus really meant', there are so many interpretations of the Holy Bible which is really just wholly babble.

[vorlon13]

Welcome back Drippy. Have a tissue to catchthose drips for you.

I don't understand how you claim to know a lot about what 'Jesus really meant', there are so many interpretations of the Holy Bible which is really just wholly babble.

Just 40,000 or so.

No biggee.

God said He isn't the author of confusion, so there can only be one interpretation of scripture and everyone should agree on it any day now.


I'm betting on the Baneemyites.

[Edwardo Piet]

Yeah I mean if God speaks directly to Drippy then I can understand why his version would be best.

As far as non-existent deities that people believe are existent and get passionate and often obnoxious or even murderous over go, the Abrahamic God isn't half that ba- oh wait he's the worst.

[Drich]

Welcome back Drippy. Have a tissue to catch those drips for you.

I don't understand how you claim to know a lot about what 'Jesus really meant', there are so many interpretations of the Holy Bible which is really just wholly babble.

I don't know if you know that your needlessly confusing the issue or not... But, Normally the "IDK how you know what Jesus really meant" is a weak atheist argument on grey area issues that were never really discussed in any of the gospels. Like should we have instrumental music in worship service, or should children be allowed to take communion that sort of thing. However all those arguments (We don't know what Jesus Really meant) go away when an issue like prayer is discussed, because it is point blank asked and completely outlined and answered by Christ.

All anyone need do in this case is read their bible and see what was said:
 Luke 11: Now Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation

Very simple out line.
The prayer starts with a Acknoweledgement of Who God is

We pray for His Kingdom, His rule, His Authority, His will over us.

We Ask for our immediate need/Daily Bread

We Ask that God forgive us on the condition, that we forgive others.

We ask that God keep us from temptation.

That's it. That is the only example Christ Ever gave of prayer. That said we can go indepth on each line of the outline and name out specifics as Christ would later do in the Garden just before He was betrayed. Even in his greatest time of despare and need Christ Himself still followed the outline of prayer.

So to recap: how do we know what prayer is? Jesus out lines it for us, because it was directly asked of him to teach us how to pray, and he puts out the above outline/prayer.

How do we know asking for stuff is not prayer? Because again Both in the Old and New testaments asking for 'stuff we want' is identified supplication/petitioning God, not prayer.

That means Prayer is asking God to give us what He wants for us, Supplication/Petition is asking God for what we want. Jesus tells us Prayer is ALWAYS answered with a yes, however nothing in the bible say supplication is.

[Edwardo Piet]

I don't know if you know that your needlessly confusing the issue or not...

Hmm... I don't personally own an issue that is needlessly confusing. And what about it if I did own such a needlessly confusing issue? MY needlessly confusing issue?

Sorry to be needlessly confusing. But it always helps to know the difference between "your" and "you're" if you're supposed to know the difference between the "True" and false bits of the Holy Babble.