Everything I believe is grounded in the Bible. There was a time when I could quote scripture with the best of them, and wouldn't read anything else. I still try to live my life by the principles I learned, even though I wouldn't necessarily agree anymore. (Like tattoos. Don't have them, don't know why anymore. I don't wear jewelry. Stupid things like that.) I no longer necessarily look at the bible as the sole guideline of my life, even though I'm guided by my grounding in it. If that makes sense.
When I read the Public Letters to the Editors in the paper, I get so sick of people arguing there point with their Bible as their authority. You can be on either side of almost any issue and argue your point from the Bible. Someone thinks their point of view is backed up by God if their interpretation of the Bible backs them up. Too bad most people get their interpretation from
someone else, who gets it from someone else, etc. etc. etc. I read today that one of the Reformed Churches has voted a new statement of faith, which is to be accepted by everyone in their church.
Never mind the politics involved (in accepting gays or not and how strong etc), it's a statement of faith put out by men. Nothing to do with God or the Bible, but dictating beliefs nonetheless. We've literally had centuries of this sort of thing. And yet it's "God's will". Right. So excuse me
for not jumping to your point of view just because you think the Bible backs you up. I've learned enough of what the bible has to teach to know that the teachers don't have a clue, but not enough to consider myself a teacher.
For instance. I might say that the bible is God's Word. But the way you might interpret that is that God literally dictated what was written. NO no no. The bible is God's word in the same way that what I'm writing now is God's word, (sort of). Someone learned from God and wrote about what they learned, in the context of what they knew. I believe I learned a few things from God myself. For instance, the timing of the rapture, whatever that ends up being, isn't in the middle of the tribulation, as is taught by most of the Tribulation Warning preachers. What makes them think they should be spared the battle is beyond me, but that's another discussion.
God has made himself manifest in many people in our societies. God is Love. God is Light. It's not too hard when you get to know God, to spot Him in others. And if he is in someone, that someone might just have something to teach you. And it would be considered God's Word. If you consider the Bible to be God's word, anyway.
YOU can learn directly from God.
If you're religion is confusing to you, there's a reason. Get a red letter Bible, and read the words of Jesus to the priests and preachers of His day. Then understand this: There's no difference between them and the priests and preachers of our day. Why would there be? Just as there was in His day, there are some with good intent, but even they are learning from a corrupted system. Want the truth? Throw out everything you've learned from them, pick up the Bible, and read it for yourself. Not by chapter and verse as you were taught. Particularly in the New Testament, read the way they were written, as letters. And unless you're well versed in Old English, get a modern translation. One you can read and understand. Stick to the New Testament at first, so as not to be overwhelmed. And know this, it isn't the word of God the way you were taught. It's the word of God as understood by those who wrote it. Try to understand it from the point of view of those it was written to...we were taught to read it as if it was written to us!
The problem with that is, those the New Testament was written to were going through the transition from one Covenant to another. They were awaiting an event in their time. To learn about that event, one needs to consult historians, such as Josephus and his account of it in "Wars of the Jews."
The problem with that is, those the New Testament was written to were going through the transition from one Covenant to another. They were awaiting an event in their time. To learn about that event, one needs to consult historians, such as Josephus and his account of it in "Wars of the Jews."
Questioning the established theologies. The church teaches the law, just as it did when Jesus railed against it in His day. A discussion on the freedoms He gave us, and why true followers might want to operate on the outside. The truth is out there, but where?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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