Many paths...one God?

[WelfareQueen]

Religion fascinates me, in part because there are so many common threads in all the faiths. Perhaps we are like the tale of the blind man and tbe elephant, each of us only able to discern a small portion of what is God. For some, we need an intermediary... like a prophet to show us a path. For others, it is a self-paced journey.

For commonalities...we all know the Golden Rule, and all religions seem to have some version of this. It makes sense, if we followed it, we would be a better society.

But another commonality exists that is interesting: the acquisition of forbidden knowledge.

In some, this is represented by the acquisition of fire (which in actuality was a major turning point in human development. The Greek Promethius defied Zeus and stole fire to give to man. Across the world, a continent away, Coyote, Rabbit and Crow stoke the fire.

For the Abrahamic faiths, it was Eve and the Apple...which you have to admit kind of sucks, forever blaming Woman for Man’s inability to control himself.

In all cases though...there is a punishment for loss of innocence and it usually involves a seperation from the divine even as it separates humanity from his fellow animals.

Food for thought.

Personally, I have never understood the animus that has existed between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. We all worship the same God. Kind of stupid really.....

 

[Blues Man]

You are questioning your assigned motives to a religious text of which you have very little understanding. Thus the conversation is more like one of us discussing football while the other is discussing gardening.

Really?

I have read the Bible a couple times, I have also read many works by Christian scholars.

The thing is the Bible is not meant to be read critically because when it is it becomes just another book.

 

[BreezeWood]

Going back to the original language, culture, history prevents the modern Western culture's influence and the later English interpretations.

The interpretation I prefer is the original author's intent for his original audience. There is value in reinterpreting something (for example farm analogies to industrial analogies) which people may relate more readily today. Still, my preference is the original intent to the original audience.

English, a subjective language, evolves and changes whereas Hebrew (a picturesque language) has remained static over time.

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The interpretation I prefer is the original author's intent for his original audience.

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Many paths...one God?​

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that is the issue, placating existing abnormalities, preferences dictated and tarnished by a few or the true means to free one's spirit from its physical constraints - as why what is written in their bible(s), desert religions, is not the reason why the itinerant in the 1st century was crucified ... but a false narrative in perpetuity being their objective. - as proven by recorded history.

such that opposition to slavery would warrant a death sentence, being not found in their "moralized" documents.

 

[Meriweather]

Really?

I have read the Bible a couple times, I have also read many works by Christian scholars.

The thing is the Bible is not meant to be read critically because when it is it becomes just another book.

Seriously, really. Your comment about the first born Egyptians bears this out.

I never had any doubt that you read the Bible and other commentaries and arrived at your own conclusions based on your understanding--which you present as an enlightened, worldly understanding, correct?

"Critically" indicates a desire to express unfavorable judgments, so the critical question is why do you wish to make unfavorable judgments about the Bible?

 

[Coyote]

Personally, I have never understood the animus that has existed between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. We all worship the same God. Kind of stupid really.....

Sibling rivalry? It is always problemaric when folks insist tht theirs is the only and final prophet....

 

[Stann]

No I am merely questioning the motives of the god in a religious text.

Why does an all powerful all knowing being have a need to be worshiped by its creations?

Why does an omnipotent being say that it is a jealous god?

What does an all powerful being have to be jealous of?

The old Jewish gods we're jealous and very very human, I don't think they started worshipping one God until after their time in Egypt.

 

[Blues Man]

Seriously, really. Your comment about the first born Egyptians bears this out.

I never had any doubt that you read the Bible and other commentaries and arrived at your own conclusions based on your understanding--which you present as an enlightened, worldly understanding, correct?

"Critically" indicates a desire to express unfavorable judgments, so the critical question is why do you wish to make unfavorable judgments about the Bible?

I don't present myself in any particular way.

You think I am attacking you because I don't believe what you do and you resort to snide comments.

And critical reading has nothing to do with criticism.

 

[Meriweather]

You think I am attacking you because I don't believe what you do and you resort to snide comments.

Blues Man, I have never seen you as attacking me, nor do I resort to snide comments. Yet you think that is what I am all about. What do you see as an attack? What do you see as snide? Isn't this the same tact you take with the Bible? Isn't it about what you see?

 

[Meriweather]

And critical reading has nothing to do with criticism.

I didn't say it had to do with criticism. I said it had to do with unfavorable. And it does.

 

[Blues Man]

Blues Man, I have never seen you as attacking me, nor do I resort to snide comments. Yet you think that is what I am all about. What do you see as an attack? What do you see as snide? Isn't this the same tact you take with the Bible? Isn't it about what you see?

So the " your view is worldly and enlightened" comment was a compliment?

 

[Blues Man]

I didn't say it had to do with criticism. I said it had to do with unfavorable. And it does.

No it doesn't.

It has to do with enhanced understanding by rigorously applying a system of questions.

What is Critical Reading? | Empire State University

www.esc.edu

Learning how to read critically involves becoming actively engaged in what you read by first developing a clear understanding of the author’s ideas, then questioning and evaluating the arguments and evidence provided to support those arguments, and finally by forming your own opinions.

 

[Meriweather]

So the " your view is worldly and enlightened" comment was a compliment?

Simply neutral fact--and yes, favorable. My interest in science makes a great many of my comments worldly, and even what I consider enlightened. For example, my views on the invalidity of a young earth fall into worldly and enlightened. My views on Noah's Ark, not so much.

Puzzling to me as to why you took that comment as an insult.

 

[Meriweather]

Learning how to read critically involves becoming actively engaged in what you read by first developing a clear understanding of the author’s ideas, then questioning and evaluating the arguments and evidence provided to support those arguments, and finally by forming your own opinions.

Yes, you made my point..."your own opinions" over considering the intent and experiences of the author and the original culture of his day. There is a difference between 'What didn't they know then that we know now' than there is about simply forming an alternate opinion.

 

[Stann]

Yes, you made my point..."your own opinions" over considering the intent and experiences of the author and the original storythe original culture of his day. There is a difference between 'What didn't they know then that we know now' than there is about simply forming an alternate opinion.

Sorry for jumping in here, in the original account of Sodom, the author cited that inhospitality and cruelty towards strangers where's the reason the city was destroyed. I bear witness to that, an Egyptian trade caravan, clearly marked with it's banners, arrived at the city gates shortly after they were closed through no fault of their own, they have been attacked by a band of maraudering thieves. They pleaded with the gatesman to allow them in to seek shelter. They refused and told them they have to wait till morning. During the night everyone in the caravan was murdered, and their goods taken as plunder by the thieves. That did not stop Josephus centuries later from sensationalizing and altering the story. Today everyone knows the Josephus version, few if any know the truth.

 

[Stann]

Sorry for jumping in here, in the original account of Sodom, the author cited that inhospitality and cruelty towards strangers where's the reason the city was destroyed. I bear witness to that, an Egyptian trade caravan, clearly marked with it's banners, arrived at the city gates shortly after they were closed through no fault of their own, they have been attacked by a band of maraudering thieves. They pleaded with the gatesman to allow them in to seek shelter. They refused and told them they have to wait till morning. During the night everyone in the caravan was murdered, and their goods taken as plunder by the thieves. That did not stop Josephus centuries later from sensationalizing and altering the story. Today everyone knows the Josephus version, few if any know the truth.

Sorry again, must of the disclaimer to this, the last words of the statement above should have read; " today everyone knows that you see first version, few if any know the truth of the tale. " The allegory was a lesson on hospitality.

 

[Meriweather]

The allegory was a lesson on hospitality.

Absolutely, a lesson those of the Jewish faith have always acknowledged.

 

[Stann]

Absolutely, a lesson those of the Jewish faith have always acknowledged.

I'm sure that message was reinforced when Senusret threatened to go to war over the incident.

 

[Stann]

Really?

I have read the Bible a couple times, I have also read many works by Christian scholars.

The thing is the Bible is not meant to be read critically because when it is it becomes just another book.

People are progressing, in years past when the church had absolute power over the people and the Nations of Europe the common people weren't even allowed to read the Bible. To challenge the church was to ask for certain death. Look how far we've come, we have twice as much more to go to get where we need to be.

 

[Blues Man]

Yes, you made my point..."your own opinions" over considering the intent and experiences of the author and the original culture of his day. There is a difference between 'What didn't they know then that we know now' than there is about simply forming an alternate opinion.

Not really.

And of course everyone forms their own opinion that's the whole point of researching any subject other than the hard sciences

 

[Blues Man]

People are progressing, in years past when the church had absolute power over the people and the Nations of Europe the common people weren't even allowed to read the Bible. To challenge the church was to ask for certain death. Look how far we've come, we have twice as much more to go to get where we need to be.

IMO religion and gods have little to do with each other.

Religion was invented by men and has been used by those in power as a control on society.