If you 'learn' at a church you are being taught one particular interpretation of the text, cooky cutter style. What do other people think?
2007-12-18 02:02:07 · 10 answers · asked by pete the pirate 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Very very true! As an avid Atheist, I always encourage ones to look into everything for yourself.
It's too hard for a church not to be opinionated because Preachers are men/women just like the rest of us.
2007-12-18 02:05:38 · answer #1 · answered by LS 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
How about this... why not study the Bible itself? Read up on its origins, who wrote it, its history, the controversies and wars and politics that have surrounded it.
KRS-One has this saying "If you don't know the history of the author you don't know what you're reading!"
So I guess my challenge to you would be to go one step further - to not accept interpretations of the Bible blindly, but to also not accept what the Bible actually *is* blindly.
Do you know the differences between the different translations of the Bible? Not what other people have said, but what the actual differences are? What languages were the various parts of the Bible written in? I've heard it said by a biblical scholar that reading the NT in its original Greek was like being able to see a rainbow of color when before it was only black and white, or at best shades of grey. What do you think about learning enough Greek to read Mark?
Do you know about the history of the time of Christ? Do you know anything about the Essenes and the Dead Sea scrolls? Do you know early church history, do you understand the role of politics, Constantine, and pagan religion in the formation of Christianity?
When you understand a little bit more of what the history of your own faith is, you will be able to understand what you read. When you are confident that what you hold in your hands is indeed the truth as revealed to man by God than you will be able to respond to what you read in a truer fashion.
I think that the process of questioning is one that many christians never go through - they stop short of asking the truly faith-shaking, doubt-inducing questions, or they accept the easy answers. If you want to transform your faith, if you want to go to a place of higher understanding and relationship with divinity, sure, do it in your heart and soul, but don't neglect your brain. If God is the sum of all good things, and logic and rational thinking are good things, then God must be supremely logical and supremely rational.
Well, that's my line of reasoning, at least.
PS I may be an atheist, but I'm rooting for you!
Saul
2007-12-18 10:48:28 · answer #2 · answered by Saul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In order to do as you suggest, then you would need to have been taught and have accepted at least the following:
~There is a God.
~This God intervenes in natural laws and alters them at a whim.
~This God has chosen to reveal certain things to ancient peoples.
~People have written this down stories about the actions of this God.
~Those stories have been written down exclusively in the Bible.
~This God has guarded the words in the Bible to allow them to contain the God's message.
If you were to approach the Bible from the standpoint of any other ancient book, learn how it was written, its context, other writings from the era, and the history of its assembly, then I think you could accurately interpret it.
However, since you've been pre-programmed, cookie-cutter style, to have a positive prejudice toward its words, then I don't think you have any more likelihood of gaining anything from it other than your own self-indulgent, superstitious personal projections onto the text.
^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^
2007-12-18 10:15:13 · answer #3 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"When ever two or more of you are gathered in my name, there I am also."
...Jesus.
I have found that small groups provide a more intimate and focused study of scripture.
While the Church is a large body, and provides a thunderous worship, It is too large to study the word. It is more of a lecture hall, as you noted. But to know God, you have to search for him personally. In the end, this is done as one, but having a few friends along can help.
2007-12-18 12:59:19 · answer #4 · answered by Dr weasel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course. But by being in a fellowship of believers you can also encounter other people that have gone through what you may currently be going through, of struggling with. Read Hebrews 10:25
2007-12-18 10:08:40 · answer #5 · answered by Seeno†es™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know about God through what your parents taught you and the gifts God has given you.
I know I don't see my Faith the same way my folks did but they gave me a foundation. And I in turn gave my children a foundation to build on but its really up to them when they are adults to follow through. You can't force faith, you can't make people grow in faith, that is up to them. They have to open their hearts and accept the graces God gives them.
2007-12-18 10:13:51 · answer #6 · answered by Tapestry6 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, reading the Bible is what made it impossible for me to be a Christian. Or believe in an Abrahamic god.
For good reason you aren't required to read the Bible before claiming yourself as a Christian.
2007-12-18 10:05:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
I`ve been saying that all along. You must take responsibility for your own salvation. Studying to show yourself approved.
2007-12-18 10:10:48 · answer #8 · answered by greenstateresearcher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by bible based books and some one that studyed the bible
2007-12-18 10:06:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes
2007-12-18 10:11:55 · answer #10 · answered by gasp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋