Posted by Ezekiel 25:17 on July 29, 2001 at 11:16:06:
In Reply to: Re: on god or gods or creator posted by James 5:16 on July 27, 2001 at 19:28:46:
: I have faith that the Bible was divinely inspired. For those of you reading this that were Math majors in college, this became axiomatic. Namely that the belief that the Bible is both perfect and divinely inspired became assumptions. We could assume them to be true.
The basis of most of Christianity is based on assumptions, small bricks in the walls of belief. It continues to my utter amazement, how
the foundation of belief remains so solid, despite the fact many of these bricks are built haphazardly and lacking substance. I guess for some, swallowing small lies make it easier for the big lies to be palatable.
: Given that, the many "mistakes" that I found and seemingly continue to find must be ones of my lack of understanding. I do not have a perfect understanding of the Bible. No one does, save Christ (by our belief system). Anyone who claims to is foolish.
This is a perfect case of what's known as 'Battered Wife's Syndrome'.
This is where the husband beats the wife constantly, yet the wife continuously believes that the beatings are brought about by her actions despite any illogic.
Sometimes its a mistake to overlook the obvious and seek answers to questions which are right in front of you. The Ol' can't see the forest for the trees syndrome. Or if you prefer Ochum's Razor, 'the simplest explanation is usually the correct one'. Thus, if there are mistakes in the bible, than it occurred due to the fallibility of mankind, in its works, its translations and its reprints.
: Many strive their entire lives to understand the entirety of the Word of God and yet it WILL NOT happen.
It WILL NOT happen, because practically speaking, how can we possibly decipher the words of men written thousands of years ago and further warped by numerous reprints, translation from foreign languages and schisms. Even those who study the works of famous authors such as Shakespeare struggle to make sense of the entirety of his work, and that was a mere few centuries ago.
: One thing that I have discovered however, is that when I look for a solution to a problem I have with a passage, or try to understand the universe, this book called the Bible provides a faithful clarity for me.
If you look hard enough in any location, its always possible to interpret a moral or lifestyle suggestion. Although how some can find parallels for queries about the dinosaurs, life in outer space, homosexuality, women priests and so forth in the bible is often beyond my understanding.
: But I assumed from the start that this book was perfect. My understanding and that of others is not, but we should see that fact and continue to try for better understanding.
Humans aren't perfect. The world is not perfect. Why should we assume that therefore something of this world and written by humans is perfect? The first step alone is simply illogical.
However, assuming you're willing to overlook the obvious, then what follows afterwards could theoretically make sense. The capacity to ignore or attempt to explain the fundamental largest flaws makes any subsequent errors seem trivial.
Thus ends the sermon.
Ezekiel
P.S. I have nothing against the Bible per se, and there are many valuable lessons to be learnt from the stories within. However, there are valuable lessons to be learnt from any story, and to claim the divinity of this text above all others despite the 'mistakes' is an issue which I leave in your hands.