When I was catholic, amongst my family freinds and classmates, the Bible was never mentioned much. It wasn't taught in RCC school. Just the catechism. In fact the nuns strongly implied to us that only the preists could understand the Bible, and when I was a teenager, I just assumed The Bible was written in Latin!!
When I talk about "catholic mindset", I mean vis-a-vis The Bible. And what I find is that catholics have no reverence for the exacting specificty of God's Holy Word. Look at campions response to very specific questions. I asked him when the killer quake hit Jerusalem as God spoke of in revelation, and he goes off on some bizarre convoluted tangent about "general Titus".
It's funny how people believe that Steven King has the power to demand his each and every word, comma, and period be exactly the way he wants them in his books, but they feel that God's Word is just clay for us humans to make pretty allegories out of. Hmmmm...
The historical context in which Revelation was written -- and whether it was written in AD 66 or AD 95 is irrelevant, the historical context is there nevertheless -- is just a "bizarre convoluted tangent" to you. You think this expresses "reverence" for "God's Holy Word".
'nuff said.
When I was catholic, amongst my family freinds and classmates, the Bible was never mentioned much. It wasn't taught in RCC school. Just the catechism. In fact the nuns strongly implied to us that only the preists could understand the Bible, and when I was a teenager, I just assumed The Bible was written in Latin!!
And you never bothered to ask? Didn't take any initiative to read the English language Catholic Bible in your own home, or ask to borrow one? But yet expect us to take your word that the KJV (or whichever you use) is the final authority as 'interpreted' by you?
When I talk about "catholic mindset", I mean vis-a-vis The Bible. And what I find is that catholics have no reverence for the exacting specificty of God's Holy Word.
And it is your interpretation of specificty that keeps so many away from truly participating in Christs teachings. Tell me do you honestly believe that the words of Joshua or Ezekial, or even John (Divinely inspired as they were) hold equal weight to the very real teachings of God Jesus?
Paul was a Great Evangelist for God...but for all his letters and instructions, none can compare to Jesus own "Go...And Sin No More." Because in that one simple phrase, He summed up the true Revelation. Notice He did not spend a great deal of time explaining to the woman what constituted sin and what did not..."Go, and Sin No More." She did not have to refer to a bible; She did not become a desciple, in fact we know nothing of her after her encounter with Christ. Yet according to your beliefs, we are to assume she did not enter into the Kingdom because she wasn't "born again." Oh, but then there's "Saved by Grace." That's the ticket...she was saved by grace... But was she? There's no reference to her "turning" her life over to Jesus. So we can only assume God wrote His Laws on her heart. But, by gum! How could she know what God wanted without a Bible?
One other thing: How do you justify eating pork? That's a serious question. The O.T. bible, specifically denounces the eating of pork. We must reason that Christ fulfilled all the Scriptures within Himself and He relieved of of alligence to the "Old Temple." So why the reliance on the exactitude of the O.T.? God Himself made the changes and the O.T. became OBE (overshaddowed by events).
Do you see what I'm driving at? The Bible is a useful tool... but, the revealed word of God is written on our hearts and we are empowered through the Holy Spirit... not on an interpretation of something recorded thousands of years ago. (Or even on writings recorded after Christ...) The focus must always be on Christ and even the exactitude of the Bible cannot compare to the very real "Holy Spirit" God sent to dwell within us.
Recapping: FOCUS ON CHRIST...Everything else is just semantics.