all of them proclaim to know God's intentions? I would argue the most legitimate opinions about God's intentions are the most radical fundamentalists that interpret their holy texts literally. Think about it. The only basis one would have to know God's will is the holy text, as the religion it has created is based solely on that book. If somebody interprets it in any way other than the literal interpretation, what is there basis for doing so? My point here is to show that if you truly believe in God, it is very arrogant to proclaim that God doesn't really mean what he says. Furthermore, when people do this they are demonstrating that, in terms of morality, we are the judge of what is right and wrong. Our morality is based on our own intuitions of right and wrong, not what God says. If what is right and wrong was based on what God says, that would make murder, rape, and slavery OK if God says it is. Anybody else see a problem with that?
2007-07-25 17:40:18 · 8 answers · asked by RcknRllr 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
your right my booty way to long when all he had to say is
religion is that a good thing or a bad thing
2007-07-25 17:47:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, nobody really interprets the Bible literally. The Bible is inconsistent and occasionally even contradicts itself. People who claim a literal interpretation are often just picking and choosing the verses that reinforce what they already believe. (For instance, Christians will fight to the death for the Ten Commandments but there are actually 613 commandments, so what makes the first ten so special?)
Some believers think that much of the Bible was meant to be interpreted, that it is symbolic or allegorical, or even irrelevant.
Yes, the Bible has been used in the past to justify slavery, genocide, etc. etc. It shows you how easy it is to find whatever you want in it.
Yes, we all have consciences and should trust them more than what someone else tells us about the Bible. Ever read the book Huckleberry Finn? It's about a boy raised in the South during slavery days. He runs away from an abusive father and joins a slave who is also running away. He gets to talking to the slave and realizes that the slave is a real person. He has sympathy for the slave but thinks he's going to hell for stealing the slaveowner's property. In other words his conscience is fighting with his Biblical training. I think we ALL should do this, consult our consciences and make our own moral decisions.
2007-07-25 17:56:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well do you figure then that since God had instilled these same laws that are probably keeping you a live, that you ought to at least be thankful?
Yes you are perfectly right in your assumptions that if God had instilled wrong then it would have been accepted but the fact is that he didn't.
There is a famous quote by St Thomas Aquinas
"Conscience is the dictate of reason..every judgment of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sin"
This excludes the presence of a religion and gives non believers a clear perspective of what is to be good or bad. In this way, even though they may disagree about religion,, they can both inhabit the same moral universe. May i remind you though that this statement is highly subjected though, because even if we become conscientious about things, there are others who have equally choose to ignore these pricking of the conscience until it becomes useless to them. Thus we end up with a Godless, non morale nation.
Which do you fear more then, the person who fears God and is wrong now and then or the one who doesn't.
"To disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemning the the command of God"
God bless You
2007-07-26 03:03:47 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think the bible was ever meant to be taken word for word. I think it was meant for us to base our lifestyle on. Most people tend to twist the bible into saying what they want to hear which is wrong. Take John Hagee he's twisted the bible completely it's fundamentalists there crazy go figure. Just live by the bible not some phony interpretation by these so called men and women of god. No offense intended but they do tend to twist it. You know?
2007-07-25 17:48:49 · answer #4 · answered by Misfit_101 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I think it's moronic to assume you know the supposed creator of the known Universe's thoughts when no one person living or dead have ever actually explored the Universe. Also the gods that people create tend to reflect the views of people in the era they are created. History proves this. I think people just don't want to accept change and new improved ideas.
2007-07-25 17:48:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very good friend...provided that person knows God's voice and the truth of the Scriptures as revealed in the Bible.
I'm also amzed at how many folk call God a liar by not believing what He has said quite clearly in the Scripturwe
2007-07-25 17:44:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
OMG-that was too long-winded...thanks for the 2 points.
2007-07-25 17:42:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok.........?? random much?
2007-07-25 17:45:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋