Do I jump into this or not...

Posted by Patterson from gw.wizards.com on February 16, 2000 at 11:12:40:

In Reply to: Re: This site has a lot of crap on it. posted by MK on February 16, 2000 at 09:53:33:

: : : Can you name an authority or document about the ark of God that is more knowable or proven then the Bible?

: I would wish you wouldn't
: : be quite so insistant that I do too.

: I sorry if you felt I was being insistant. I made a statment that you responded to by saying the Bible is unreliable. My second post was to ask you where can you find a more reliable document on the ark. The only ones I know are peoples opinions about what is writen in the Bible. No first hand statments or even second hand for that matter.

: Indy always stayed sceptical.

Walking the line between subjectivity/faith and objectivity/science is something people have struggled with for a very long time. I'm not arrogant enough to think I can accomplish it where others have failed, but here goes.

My Catholic upbringing has always taught me that the Bible is "the inspired word of God". It is not the literal word of God. Here Catholicism and many other Christian faiths disagree. The distinction has always been a useful one for me.

Yes, there are "facts" put forward in the Bible that have likely been compromised for the sake of parable, i.e. communicating a message. That was really the purpose of the writers. There also tend to be wider variations in what we can trust to be factual based on what part we are reading. The Old Testament tends to be more detailed in some parts - read the specifications for building the Ark. The New Testament tends to be more seeped in parable and "code", if you will. A lot of this is based on the times the writers were living in. Revelations is filled with code. It was written in a time where Christians had a lot to be nervous about as far as Roman persecution.

Anyway, I ramble. In summary, theologians across faiths dispute and debate about whether Moses, or Jonah, or a number of other figures were really individuals as purported within the Bible, or really composites of people strung together to communicate a message.

I'm sure I'm walking a very thin line here. But the world is not black and white.

Cheers!

Patterson

Follow Ups:

Re: Do I jump into this or not... Rick 18:01:59 2/16/2000 (1)
- You make my point exactly (nm) Patterson 18:40:31 2/16/2000 (0)

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: : : : Can you name an authority or document about the ark of God that is more knowable or proven then the Bible?

: : I would wish you wouldn't
: : : be quite so insistant that I do too.

: : I sorry if you felt I was being insistant.  I made a statment that you responded to by saying the Bible is unreliable.  My second post was to ask you where can you find a more reliable document on the ark. The only ones I know are peoples opinions about what is writen in the Bible.  No first hand statments or even second hand for that matter.

: : Indy always stayed sceptical.

: Walking the line between subjectivity/faith and objectivity/science is something people have struggled with for a very long time.  I'm not arrogant enough to think I can accomplish it where others have failed, but here goes.

: My Catholic upbringing has always taught me that the Bible is "the inspired word of God".  It is not the literal word of God.  Here Catholicism and many other Christian faiths disagree.  The distinction has always been a useful one for me.

: Yes, there are "facts" put forward in the Bible that have likely been compromised for the sake of parable, i.e. communicating a message.  That was really the purpose of the writers.  There also tend to be wider variations in what we can trust to be factual based on what part we are reading.  The Old Testament tends to be more detailed in some parts - read the specifications for building the Ark.  The New Testament tends to be more seeped in parable and "code", if you will.  A lot of this is based on the times the writers were living in.  Revelations is filled with code.  It was written in a time where Christians had a lot to be nervous about as far as Roman persecution.

: Anyway, I ramble.  In summary, theologians across faiths dispute and debate about whether Moses, or Jonah, or a number of other figures were really individuals as purported within the Bible, or really composites of people strung together to communicate a message.

: I'm sure I'm walking a very thin line here.  But the world is not black and white.

: Cheers!

: Patterson

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