Nancy,
You are correct; I question the interpretations of the Bible (by men). I include the interpretation that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. I think all religious texts have a reasonable claim to be divinely inspired. I realize there's a major implicit point to that statement... but I won't address it now... otherwise, I'll be off on a tangent quicker than boiled asparagus. :-)
Consider the following:
1. The Bible was written by men inspired by God... not directly by "the hand of God". Compare this to the Decalogue, which is supposed to be directly written by God. The recording of it in the Bible is, however, made by man.
2. The Bible was edited by men inspired by God. Men decided which books were canonical and which were apocryphal and which were heresy. Dare I say that editions were, in many cases, politically motived?
3. The Bible, in English, is a translation. I don't know Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, so I have to rely on translators. Let's even consider all translations to be inspired by God.
4. Before printing technology, the Bible was laboriously copied by men. Were there mistakes? Divinely inspired copying?
5. The books of the Bible were written in a different culture than ours. Are we even understanding all the subtly and shadows in these writings? Are they correctly propagated through editions and translations?
I do not question God when I question the interpretations of men that the Bible is His inerrant word. I do not question God when I question the claims of men that the Bible should be interpreted literally. I do not question God when I question whether the English translations made by men of a Bible edited by men is without error.
I see a difference between divine inspiration and divine inerrancy. (*)
Once again, I am just questioning - although strongly. I hope people respond to questions as just questions and not attacks. I am not trying to shake anybody's faith. You may question me when I say that it is certainly not my intention to question (or even appear to be questioning) God. I would like to find the best way of communicating this, so if it still doesn't seem clear that I am not questioning God, then please call me on it.
Greg
(*) Within the Judeo/Christian/Islamic religion, there may be only one item that can claim divine inerrancy: The Decalogue. And now they are just supposedly dust in the Ark of the Covenant, hidden somewhere in Ethiopia. |
