Is every last bit of dogma, gospel, scripture designed to deflect questions, rather than answer them?

Question

And you're telling me that the Bible advocates love?

Answer 1

I certainly seems that way, doesn't it. Asking questions and expecting to receive a thoughtful and honest answers is a real eye opener on the attitude of religion toward learning.

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Answer 2

Yes and no. Dogma, gospel, and scripture do deflect questions and not answer them. I do not agree that such deceptions were deliberately "designed" into Christian theology. Modern believers are virtually forced to adopt the ancient solipsistic viewpoint and believe their own perceptions are part of reality. This seems utterly incomprehensible to people who know (with mathematical certainty) that the physical realm is the only objective reality and that human brains create the illusion of reality within human minds. It is the obvious disparity between subjective solipsistic beliefs and objective scientific truth which creates the illusion that religious texts were deliberately designed to confuse and obfuscate. All religion makes better sense when approached from a solipsistic perspective.

As a scientist, I find solipsism painfully irrational and I can only "pretend" to understand it. I cannot force myself accept solipsism as truth.

I expect that believers would say much the same thing about the scientific perspective that the physical realm is the only objective reality. No doubt, believers cannot accept science as truth.

I have no idea how the two groups will ever be able to resolve such a fundamental difference. There are a relative few who can flip-flop between the two perspectives (eg., Christians who are also scientists), but I suspect such philosophical hypocrisy comes at a price. Could such dualists ever be more than a mediocre scientist and a doubting Christian? I don't know.

Answer 3

The Scripture says two things in particular along this line.
1. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life" In other words, stay in the Word with study and prayer, allowing God to open your mind more to His intent.
2. "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid; they doth gender strife". Stay away from the questions that you KNOW have been twisted to satisfy the askers morality/interpretation! They only cause trouble! If the Word only "deflects" questions, why was it deemed necessary to be passed from generation to generation?

Answer 4

I think it's designed to be blindly accepted with no questions at all. But the language is usually vague enough to be "spinable" by Christians to whatever they happen to want it to mean at the time. And when it's too specific, they just change the definition of whatever particular words are problematic for them.

Answer 5

We see in the world what we want to see. If we want the Bible to deflect a question, then we can interpret it to do so. If we want to actually use our brains, we can do that too. Unfortunately, there must not be much desire for intelligence in the world. I've completely given up hope for these people.

Answer 6

If that is the goal, they did a rather poor job. A great deal of dogma creates more questions than it attempts to solve.

Answer 7

When the mind becomes totally confused and conflicted, it sometimes gets "blown out of the water" per say. It is the chance to re-organize, to notice stillness. Love is not conflicting. Scripture is the dead letter until it finds LIFE in you!

Answer 8

Absolutely.
Remember that in genesis, the tree that adam and eve were FORBIDDEN to eat from, was the tree of knowledge.
Basically the parable here is; stay dumb or die.

Answer 9

Looks like Bettierage got bit by a different bug today.

Why so confrontational this morning?

(((Bettierage)))

Answer 10

It sure seems that way. I get really frustrated on this forum sometimes because you cannot ask the obvious follow-up questions.