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To: donh
"Let 20 years of letting priests put your brain on hold with their wordy, preachy, etherial incantations turn your ability to think critically about what you are reading into vague mush--and then you are ready to understand the bible. "

You don't need priests. You get the Bible and you start reading. It wouldn't hurt if you got a good commentary to go with it, because a commentary will point out things that might not be obvious, like where in earlier scripture God said not to do something.

945 posted on 07/26/2006 7:19:39 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN
You tried to dismiss the argument that not sinning was one path to eternal life, as "drivel", since nobody has or will accomplish that. But it is still relevant because it is still what is expected of you.

This is too funny. Don't you ever attempt to read what you write critically?

947 posted on 07/28/2006 11:20:13 AM PDT by donh
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To: DannyTN
You don't need priests. You get the Bible and you start reading. It wouldn't hurt if you got a good commentary to go with it, because a commentary will point out things that might not be obvious, like where in earlier scripture God said not to do something.

Commentary: ie, priests.

This isn't rocket science. Either the bible is a source of moral instruction, and somewhere in it lurks an actual declarative sentence that, standing all by itself, constitutes a legible claim about what one ought, or ought not do, or it is a miasma of vague notions out of which I am supposed to sniff out what's moral by crystal ball gazing--with, of course, the help of whatever priests are currently profiting from expostulating on this theme.

Let's consider a current example: does "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" mean you should kill witches whenever you find them? Does that not apply to the 14 year old daughter of my neighbor who proclaims she's a wikkan and casts spells? Whereas, it does apply to child murderers? Just how much silly, irrelevant torque do you think you can apply to a phrase from the bible to bend it to your will, without getting called out by the referee?

There's no law that says you can't chase the meaning of quotes from the bible around until they turn into sticky residue on the road you can mold into anything you please--but don't be expecting to impress those who expect actual moral guidance from their lynch-pins of moral guidance. If you need an interpreter, you haven't got a lynch-pin of moral guidance; you have a confidence game that's been highly successful for a long time.

948 posted on 07/28/2006 11:36:30 AM PDT by donh
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