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Are the scriptures a manual or a guideline?

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
The Bible reflects what some previous generations believed and thought.
It is like hand me down ideas from the past

It is no better. And no worse than what men write and think about God and religion today.

Some off it seems to pass the test of time, and some does not.
Like maths and engineering from ancient times, some religious ideas seem to be basic.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
In your understanding, are religious scriptures a manual that must be followed and understood 100% accurate.

Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.
I think it would be nice to hear your opinion on this, seeker.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I think it would be nice to hear your opinion on this, seeker.
My view on it is that scriptures are meant to be used in a practitioners daily life as a guideline to how one should live, and how to better oneself by practice the teaching.

But because each human are a bit different in how we understand the teaching, even the main teaching look the same, one will see differences in how the teaching is practiced.
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
In your understanding, are religious scriptures a manual that must be followed and understood 100% accurate.

Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.

I see scriptures within Hinduism as guidelines. If I had to follow them ‘to the letter,’ there would not be much for me to do regarding worship. It’s not as if I can just walk into a Śiva temple here in Korea, and there are supplies for worship that I just cannot seem to find. Further, scriptures tend to reflect the time and place where they were written while containing some eternal, spiritual truths. So yeah, guidelines. :)

For me, they are a guideline, and occasionally very poor ones. Others are downright astounding, with depth beyond the thinking mind.

I couldn’t agree more.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.

Scriptures in general are made up of moral instruction, analogies, metaphors and in some apparent history. So my answer is "it depends" on the nature of the text.

Do you think intuition play a part too?

Yes, hopefully the major part. The "heart" knows what the mind struggles to understand. Of course, being all too human, we make mistakes but if we do our best to use our intuition when approaching the question, we get better at understanding over time as we learn from our mistakes.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Scriptures are taken as a manual and a system of justice far more than being a guideline for a personal path.

If religion stays out of government and law, then I think that's best for everybody.

Religion when it's a guideline for a personal path is when religion is at its best. All too often that doesn't happen.
 

DKH

Member
In your understanding, are religious scriptures a manual that must be followed and understood 100% accurate.

Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.

Generally, neither…I do not worship a book or its contents, I worship Yahweh. So, a manual and/or guideline doesn't fit my position on the bible (Old/New Testaments). This can be illustrated in the book of Jeremiah chapter 8, verses 8-10 (the teachings of the wise men were faulty). However, that doesn't mean that I can't find benefits in written materials and the statements of others.

Later in Jeremiah 31:31-34, a new covenant is introduced: I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts. Thus, I "review" the bible for this action to come upon me. Which, if it occurs, gives me the confidence that I'm on the right path (in my opinion).
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
The Bible reflects what some previous generations believed and thought.
It is like hand me down ideas from the past

It is no better.
You mean, like the works of Aristotle or the compositions of Beethoven or the Declaration of Independence?

Let me suggest that, while I firmly believe that the Tanakh is a human effort. it is far more than a hand-me-down. Rather, it is the result of a curated effort of a body of people both seeking to comprehend what it meant to be godly and focused on the mandate to be holy.
 

Truth in love

Well-Known Member
In your understanding, are religious scriptures a manual that must be followed and understood 100% accurate.

Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.

Some of both.

One the one had I think God's commandments are very clear cut and not guidelines.

One the other there is a lot of stuff that is cultural which does leave some flexibility.
 

Bree

Active Member
In your understanding, are religious scriptures a manual that must be followed and understood 100% accurate.

Or is it more of a guideline for the seeker to understand gradually and by that a seekers understanding and practice will sometimes diviate somewhat from the scriptures.

The scriptures (bible) are a guide.
Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light on my path.”Ps. 119:105

2Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired of God+ and beneficial for teaching,+ for reproving, for setting things straight,+ for disciplining in righteousness,+ 17 so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work

The scriptures are for our benefit so that we may live a life in harmony with Gods requirements of us. By living in harmony with our creator, we are able to have a relationship with him. So following the scriptures as a tool for life is to our benefit both physically and spiritually.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I have to admit that I use intuition a lot in my practice
You know, it's unfortunate that you don't look into the Society of Friends (Quakers). I have a feeling you might find some satisfaction there, finally.

Quakers seek to experience God directly, within themselves and in their relationships with others and the world around them. Quakerism is a way of life, rather than a set of beliefs. It has roots in Christianity and many Quakers find the life and teachings of Jesus inspirational, but we have no creed.

Meetings for Worship take place in silence, unless anyone feel moved to ‘minister’ and speak to the Meeting. Everyone sits in a circle. There are no sacraments, music or dress code. The only universal belief is that ‘there is that of God in everyone’ ; there is no definition of what the word God means, and many now use the word Spirit or Light. Furthermore, 100 Quakers will probably give you 100 different answers to what this belief means!

In the early years it used to be a Christian-based religion, but that is no longer true in the last 50+ years. Some members of the Society associate themselves exclusively with Quakerism, others combine with other faiths. Probably in the 21st century, it is true to say that a majority come to Quakerism dis-satisfied with other religions.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
You know, it's unfortunate that you don't look into the Society of Friends (Quakers). I have a feeling you might find some satisfaction there, finally.

Quakers seek to experience God directly, within themselves and in their relationships with others and the world around them. Quakerism is a way of life, rather than a set of beliefs. It has roots in Christianity and many Quakers find the life and teachings of Jesus inspirational, but we have no creed.

Meetings for Worship take place in silence, unless anyone feel moved to ‘minister’ and speak to the Meeting. Everyone sits in a circle. There are no sacraments, music or dress code. The only universal belief is that ‘there is that of God in everyone’ ; there is no definition of what the word God means, and many now use the word Spirit or Light. Furthermore, 100 Quakers will probably give you 100 different answers to what this belief means!

In the early years it used to be a Christian-based religion, but that is no longer true in the last 50+ years. Some members of the Society associate themselves exclusively with Quakerism, others combine with other faiths. Probably in the 21st century, it is true to say that a majority come to Quakerism dis-satisfied with other religions.
I have not studied them, but I did look in to them some years ago :)
 

PearlSeeker

Well-Known Member
"Let every man keep to his own good way and include all ways in it, and take up in his way all goodness and all ways. To change one's way makes for instability of mind as well as of way. Whatever you can get from one way you can also obtain from another if it is good and praiseworthy and mindful only of God: but not all men can follow one path. And so it is with imitating the austerities of such saints. You should love this way, and it may well appeal to you, even though you need not follow it. Now you might say, 'Our Lord Jesus Christ always had the highest way, we ought to follow him.' That is true. We certainly should fol low our Lord, but not in all respects. Our Lord fasted for forty days, but no one should take it upon himself to follow that. Christ per formed many works in which he intended that we should follow him spiritually but not physically. And so one should endeavor to follow him sensibly, for he sought our love more than our deeds. We must follow him in our own way. 'Such as?'-Pay attention in all things how, and in what way. As I have often said, I consider a spiritual work more valuable than a physical one. 'How is that?'-Christ fasted for forty days. Follow him this way, by observing whatever you are most inclined to or ready for: concen trate on that and observe yourself closely. Often it is more necessary for you freely to renounce that, than if you were to give up all food. And sometimes it is harder for you to keep silence about a single word than to cease speaking altogether. And sometimes, too, it is harder for a man to endure a single word of reproach, which means nothing, than a fierce blow that he was prepared for; or it is much harder for him to be alone in a crowd than in the desert; or he finds it harder to abandon a small thing than a great, or to do a small task than one which is considered much greater. In this way a man can well follow our Lord (even) in his weakness, without feeling or needing to feel himself far removed."

(from Meister Eckhart - The Complete Mystical Works)
 

Sundance

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
For me, the Scriptures, more than anything, are a firm foundation to live by in a spirit of humility, openness, patience and dedication.
 

Gezellig

Member
... we get better at understanding over time as we learn from our mistakes.

It is better to learn from the mistakes of others than from your own.
There are many different stories in the Bible. In fact, this is a book of life, which describes, among other things, the mistakes of other people on which you can learn.
 
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