Why is it that when passages from the Bible are used as referrence by Atheists to show contradiction or the evil of your God, they are told that those passages are not to be taken literally, that it is meant to be interpreted totally differently (usually nowhere close to the passage). But when Christians use some passage that one is the literal one. Where do I get to sign up for a religion like that, where the holy book is interpreted how the believers want, no matter what the words actually say. That you can pick and choose bits and pieces and ignore the rest or interpret it how you want, and non-believers certainly do not have the skill at reading the holy book. Which actually means that non-believers can not live in the work of make-believe that Christians obviously live in.
2007-06-26 08:12:22 · 20 answers · asked by corona001500 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well said indeed!
That grates my cheese, too. How in the world do Christians get to be the only ones interpreting how the Bible is to be - well - interpreted. It seems that when anyone points out the contradictions and general weirdness of the Bible, Christians get all defensive and puffed up.
Face it, Christians use the Bible as a tool to fuel their agenda, and damn the rest of us to hell. I do wonder what it will be like on "Judgement" day for these folks. I hope I have a beacher seat to watch as they are told that their judgemental, bombastic, and combative approach to others has been noticed and is not appreciated.
Imagine the tongue lashing Falwell will get!!! OOOOh I would buy a ticket for that one.
2007-06-26 08:21:15 · answer #1 · answered by yarn whore 5 · 2⤊ 4⤋
First of all, the original bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin, so most American Christians are interpreting an interpretation. The most common English translation of the bible is the King James Concordance Bible ( also known as the KJV bible) which translated around 1610 A.D.
Since the English language as changed considerably in the last 390 years, it is easy to read new meanings into the translation.
2007-06-26 08:26:15 · answer #2 · answered by Niklaus Pfirsig 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In Catholic tradition, we are not bibliolatrists, in that we do not bow down to scripture, or maintain that the word on the page is God itself. We do not worship the bible per se, we study it, and determine what it means. This process is called exegesis.
The authoritative interpretation of scripture, in our faith, is provided by the magisterium - a kind of progressive revelation in which the true meaning of scripture is discerned by understanding the literary, cultural, historical, and theological touchpoints of the bible.
"But, since Holy Scripture must be read and interpreted in the sacred spirit in which it was written,(9) no less serious attention must be given to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture if the meaning of the sacred texts is to be correctly worked out. The living tradition of the whole Church must be taken into account along with the harmony which exists between elements of the faith. It is the task of exegetes to work according to these rules toward a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture, so that through preparatory study the judgment of the Church may mature. For all of what has been said about the way of interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the Church, which carries out the divine commission and ministry of guarding and interpreting the word of God."
(Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)
2007-06-26 08:18:17 · answer #3 · answered by evolver 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, i'm not a Christian, yet I in some situations use scripture to debunk fundamentalism. Is that an analogous factor? What i'm fairly attempting to do is get them to establish that their interpretation does not jive with genuine good judgment. In different words, i'm only declaring the contradictions. in spite of the incontrovertible fact that, i fairly could not supply a rats pa-tutti what the Bible fairly says.
2016-09-28 12:04:11 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any book that is read will have different interpretations by any group of individuals.
Why would this be any different with the exception that there is a vested interest and true belief in the words of the Bible?
Taking a verse from SK's The Stand: "Please don't make me drink it, please don't make Tom drink the poison..." without knowing what the poison is you can't actually make any judgment on the statement. I think this is often what is done with Bible verses, something seemingly shocking is pasted and that is supposed to tell us something, but it can't.
2007-06-26 08:21:56 · answer #5 · answered by Me 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The linguistic translations used today are quite different from the ones used even a generation ago.
You have to read what happened before, what happened after and understand the action that was intended to be taught.
Anyone can pick a line and make it read what they want. It depends on thought, interpretation and context.
Suffice it to say an Atheist cannot get the same meaning from scripture that a devout theist understands.
Sorry but your point is itself, not literal.
Get A Grip.
2007-06-26 08:22:03 · answer #6 · answered by Get A Grip 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
What does "literally" mean? I see two distinct systems of ethics in the world. 2 Timothy 4:3-5 points to myth and evangelism. Elsewhere, this is termed God or Money, or the table of the Lord versus the table of demons, or that you cannot love the world AND God.
Shechem was the most honourable/ed in his father's household. His father was the ruler of that area. Yet he violated Dinah. Afterward he wanted to marry her. This occurred prior to the Mosaic Law.
Myth positions people for right spiritual action in the future, according to Karen Armstrong in "A Short History of Myth." It is a public liturgy. It is neither true, nor false. It is merely effective. What does "literally" mean to somebody who believes in living life in a society by means of a "public front"? I think it means something like a "code" that other people will get, thereby designating who "agrees" with you. There is a heavy emphasis on morality, especially by means of reference to previous myth with its archetypes, family relationships etc.
The other code of ethics is based on evangelism, repentance, minding your own business, patience, wisdom, and tolerance of mistakes.
At the end of the day, what gets results? Proverbs 29:20 says: "Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
2007-06-26 12:35:00 · answer #7 · answered by MiD 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cafeteria religion is the inevitable result of faith-based thinking. Since the individual has no basis in reality for choosing one interpretation over another, he/she simply picks whatever fits the moment.
Then, if you disagree, they try to kill you over it.
2007-06-26 08:17:44 · answer #8 · answered by Brent Y 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is because you are not qualified. Amazing how that happens, that those Christians are so descriminatory in regards to their Bible. If we are all God's children then we are all qualified. And if not, then God can piss up a rope.
2007-06-26 09:29:48 · answer #9 · answered by freezedried001500 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don' even try, friend. The words of all the villiage's retards will cast over the words of the one scientist in the villiage any day.
2007-06-26 08:22:30 · answer #10 · answered by SameTwo 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋