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To: BroJoeK

Let me ask a different way:

Where is ‘here’ for you? Meaning where can we as Christians and even Hebrews/Jews take the historical record of Scriptures as literally true?


565 posted on 11/28/2014 9:34:20 AM PST by redleghunter (But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.)
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To: redleghunter
redleghunter: "Let me ask a different way:
Where is ‘here’ for you? Meaning where can we as Christians and even Hebrews/Jews take the historical record of Scriptures as literally true?"

Hmmmmm... I answered your question the first time, apparently you didn't like the answer, so you repeat it, hoping to hear something different?

Well, first, by definition of the word "science", there's no possible way to prove scientifically what is or is not "literally true" in the Bible.
But what any reasonable person must conclude is that those who wrote it down did believe every word, and indeed had often themselves experienced it.
A question then, might be: "can we believe what they believed?"

Well, for starters, the Bible is not a "literal" document, period, but requires translations of translations -- i.e., ancient Aramaic to ancient Greek to Latin to modern English, or ancient Hebrew to Greek to English.
Indeed, most of the reason why we now have dozens of modern English translations is that each one hopes to more usefully **paraphrase** for modern readers what was intended by the ancients.
So, what the ancients themselves understood is often lost in translation.

However, since much of the Bible's history can be confirmed by archaeology and other ancient written sources, we know for certain, it's not like Greek mythology, but based in historical facts and real people.
Further, its message has nothing to do with science, but rather with our spiritual lives, and God's role in history, as the Master of nature, as Holy Spirit and even, as a Human.
So confirming the Bible has nothing to do with various branches of science, but rather in our spiritual quests learning how it can speak to, and direct, our searches for higher meaning & better life.
That makes the question not: "did it really happen precisely as described?", because we can't know that answer scientifically, but rather, "does the Bible's message still speak to our souls?" and that we can certainly answer, if we are ready for it.

Bottom line: I believe the ancients wrote down what they experienced, and their messages can be of huge benefit to our souls.
But if we use science to "disprove" the Bible, we do so at risk of losing our souls.
So Matthew 16:26 come to mind...

Now, FRiend, I've answered your question politely, twice.
If you like my answer, that's great, if not that's fine too, you might wish to explain yourself.
But if you go stupid on me, and ask it a third time, the third answer won't be so polite.

889 posted on 11/30/2014 2:04:59 PM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective..)
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