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Pastimes : Ask God -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IN_GOD_I_TRUST who wrote (24664)	2/23/1999 8:40:00 AM
From: mark silvers	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 39621

Steve, Good morning. <<As far as I'm concerned, the Christian belief is the most easy to understand, makes the most sense and is truly a blessing to us because of its perfect nature.>> << There are concepts that could go different ways and are just not 100% clear to everyone. But they are not real important. They don't regard salvation. The salvation message is crystal clear.>> Two questions, amigo. 1. Do you think the above two statements are somewhat at odds with each other? 2.Do you think it is necessary for ALL of the bible to be crystal clear in order to be taken literally? The reason I ask is that if the entire Bible is to be taken as God's inerrrant message, and some of it is ambiguous enough to be unclear to many(just look at this thread as an example) How could you explain that? It would imply that God either gave us a message we are incapable of understanding(which is always the teachers fault, not the students) Or that the meaning of the words have been changed by translators, or by those that originally transcribed the story. Either scenario would imply that literal translation is an unlikely choice as God's intention for the Bible. Another choice that would fall more in line with your two statments is that the Bible is meant for personal interpretation. That would allow for a question that I have always had in regard to literal translation. It has always perplexed me that in a world of billions of people, people from a dizzying array of cultures and experiences, intellect and personalities, that a single document could have a singular meaning for each and every person. In a world where it is difficult for Democrats and Republicans, as well as african americans, hispanics, and cuacasions from the sam country and culture to understand where each other is coming from, how can a women from Kosovo, a child in Pakistan, teenagers in France, and a retiree from Kissamee, derive the same exact meaning when their is little chance they could derive a singular meaning from a batman comic book. Now throw in a father from a remote village in the rain forest and aborigine from Australia. Given their almost bizaarly different life experiences, their different intellects, different morals, different cultures and upbringing, it is a pshycological certainty that the will derive vastly different meanings, come to different interpretations, than any of the others. Given that it is a cetainty(at least in my mind) that these incredibly different people will come to incredibly different conclusions, are we to assume that these different interpretations are God's intended result? Or are we to assume that it is some sort of cosmic mistake? Mark

To: IN_GOD_I_TRUST who wrote (24664)	2/23/1999 9:15:00 AM
From: Alan Markoff	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39621

Dear Steve I am agreeing that it is not right to put Gods word into a man made theology but I do see some benefit from it. I hope you will look at Arnolds notes. His books are even clearer and reduce issues into more clarity for me. I have realised that most of the punishments God has given or will give are not eternal and therefore takes away the necessity for so many to fix others beliefs as we have here. He is the author and finisher of our faith and we should only share what we do believe and not what we do not believe to reduce friction IMO. You do that so often, I have copied some of your posts to share with friends. I understand what you are saying in the simplicity of the word of God but I do see stumbling blocks from pride all over the Bible. Only with love and delight in God can we see His word and will for us personally. May the Lord Bless you and your family, Nancy Psalm 37 4: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.