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To: Albion Wilde

Can you explain that please? At what point should one stop believing what the Bible says and why. With all due respect, it sounds to me like a convenient rationalization.


165 posted on 10/04/2009 3:52:05 PM PDT by cerberus
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To: cerberus
At what point should one stop believing what the Bible says and why. With all due respect, it sounds to me like a convenient rationalization.

You asked whether the Bible is the infallible Word of God, after I pointed out that modern translations may use different shades of meaning from the original words (the Old Testament was written in ancient Hebrew, the New Testament in ancient Greek; Christ's original teachings may have been spoken in Aramaic to his disciples).

Even many scholars study the Bible for their entire lives and do not claim to understand it fully, nor do I make that claim. Where scripture may appear to our minds to contradict itself, that is because we are imperfect at understanding the vaster, infinitely greater Mind of God.

I believe the process that formed the Bible is, like all things on earth, subject to God's complete and perfect intention for mankind; but I do not think the average person's ability to understand the intentions of God through His Word is infallible. That's where faith comes in. It is not "rationalization", as you claim. Rather, where some issues in present life demand answers and we may find ourselves with conflicting opinions from other Christians about the meaning of the Word, it is a "suspension of belief or disbelief" until more of our human limitations are broken down, more of His illumination shines through, and we have accomplished more of the "death to self" that He wants of us.

It is His intentions that must guide our behavior and beliefs, not our own, nor overconfidence in our own intellect "Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5). What we do not understand, we lift up to God, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

Faced with a dilemma, we lift it up in faith, prayer and meditation on the Word, and prayerful requests for guidance from the Holy Spirit. This is especially true when we deal with problems in the world, such as whether, as a citizen, we vote for a candidate who says they are pro-choice or pro-life, or one who is for or against the death penalty.

181 posted on 10/05/2009 8:24:22 AM PDT by Albion Wilde ("I apologize to hookers for having associated them with the House of Representatives.--Jim Traficant)
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