To: Krowbar who wrote (79843 ) 5/25/2000 8:03:00 AM From: Neocon Respond to
Del, it started out with a simple declaration that you made, that it says nowhere in the Bible that "God loves any person". That is not so. I was not concerned with other issues. BTW, most discrepancies are minor, and the King James Version, though beautiful, is not the most reliable, from a scholarly standpoint. Also, by the way, I am, in a sense, an Israelite, having been circumcized as a Jew. The understanding of the rabbis was that righteous Gentiles, like Job, were favored. The prophets foresaw a time when all nations will be gathered together under God. So yes, I suppose He did love non- Isrealites too, if not always those that the Israelites came into conflict with. As for understanding, well, I am not sure that the Bible is meant to get your attention. I suppose, for the faithful, it is meant to instruct you, with the help of competent authorities, once your attention has been gotten. Since you have the New American Bible, I take it that you are an ex- Catholic. Are you familiar with the concept of the magisterium? The Church teaches doctrine, which has been handed down both orally and in writing. The chief, but not sole, component of that tradition is the Bible, which cannot be adequately understood apart from the entire magisterium. Additionally, the Church holds to the Theological Inerrancy of the Bible, not the literal inerrancy. Whatever substantial point of doctrine is being taught, such as, for example, that man was made in the image of God, is true; the account of the Creation is in the manner of a folktale, and not to be taken literally. Thus, no one is meant to untie all Biblical knots alone.....
