Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: HarleyD
in general, Americans are ambivalent to Greeks.

I didn't see the post as criticising Americans. The point is you are way over your head here arguing the Greek language and the interpretation and beliefs of the Greek fathers.

1,269 posted on 12/13/2006 3:06:15 AM PST by D-fendr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1254 | View Replies ]


To: D-fendr; xzins
The point is you are way over your head here arguing the Greek language and the interpretation and beliefs of the Greek fathers.

There are many great Greek scholars that are not Greek. I'm not one of them*. However, their scholarly books are available and many of the references are on the Internet. It's a tad disingenuous to say someone cannot look up the definition and nuances of a word and decipher it's meaning when there are a host of references tools available.

Quite frankly, all this "Your not qualified to express an opinion because you don't know what the fathers said" is a bunch of religious babble and horsepucky in my mind. The "fathers" said many things and in many cases you can read their beliefs on the Internet. Some things we're very good and we're appreciative of them. Some things they said were way off the wall even after many years as a Christian and we wonder where did they get some of their ideas from. And still other things they said was true at that time based upon the environment and surrounding they lived it. While many of the Church fathers felt Mary was a perpetual virgin, I doubt if you would find Ignatius, Augustine or Jerome worshiping Mary.

For the last 1400 years the Church simply develop the doctrines they wanted and then picked and choose the comments to support their doctrine from the fathers and, if lucky, scriptures. On this post you saw an excellent example from xzins who showed Ignatius in the very earliest writings saying Mary gave birth through natural means. But it's ignored because one or two fathers 100 years later had another idea and one or two father 100 years later expanded their corrupted idea. One error leading into another.

Thank you very much but I think that I can handle a Greek dictionary that explains to me all the roots, tenses and usages of various New Testament words. Why I'd go as far as to say that I can handle a Hebrew dictionary. I suspect our Greek friends, not being Hebrews, could do that as well. And I certainly can read a writing and understand it's meaning. This is the 21st century and I like to think of myself as reasonably educated. This isn't the dark ages any longer-at least for some.

* To clarify, I'm neither a "Greek scholar" or a "Greek". It's all Greek to me. (I had to say that. I would say, "The devil made me do it" but that's not true. After all, I am a Calvinist.)

1,275 posted on 12/13/2006 5:21:29 AM PST by HarleyD ("You in Your mercy have led forth the people which You have redeemed." Ex 15:13)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1269 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson