How do you decide how to interpret?

[S-word]

Almost every sufficiently detailed piece of writing is ambiguous in some way - what the author really meant isn't perfectly clear. This is especially true in the case of documents from other cultures and time periods. If you rely on a religious document for guidance, how do you decide how to interpret an ambiguous passage?

I don't worry about the food I eat, I simply choose a well balanced assortment of food, and whatever mechanism within me that is in control of my physical growth, separates that which is needed and supplies those areas of my body with whatever is required by those cells and I continue to grow.

And so it is with the spiritual food, I don’t indulge in gluttony of any one particular spiritual food source, I find that I can eat of any and everything and it seems to have done me no harm. I take a little science, a little religion, a little humour, a little eroticisms, and wash em all down with a little of life’s dramas, and whatever formulates my thoughts, mind or spirit, whatever you want to call that which is the “I” that is evolving within this body, files all that incoming information in different compartments.

Then sometimes when a piece of information is placed in a certain compartment, “WHAMO” it’s like a missing piece of a jigsaw that falls into place allowing other pieces to be connected there and then and it’s like a blinding flash, a revelation. But I didn’t have no part in bringing it into existence, the old computer that God created just keeps filing those pieces of spiritual food, where it’s needed and I, the developing potential spiritual Son of God, just keeps on evolving.

 

[Carico]

"Correct" Bible interpretation is the most convoluded mess I have ever seen.

Just look around this forum for proof.
And at all of the many christian denominations.

Honestly, the christian god is wholly inept at communicating simply,
if this collosal mess of a book is the very best he could do.
Even christians can't agree what it means.
Both the scholars and the simple have been at it for years.

Well, first you have to learn to spell. Then you might have a chance to understand the bible.

 

[Father Heathen]

Well, first you have to learn to spell. Then you might have a chance to understand the bible.

Is this the same Carico of "FSTDT" fame?

 

[Carico]

Is this the same Carico of "FSTDT" fame?

Yup. I won't be treated any better than atheists treat Jesus. So I'm in excellent company.

 

[Father Heathen]

Yup. I won't be treated any better than atheists treat Jesus. So I'm in excellent company.

I'm an atheist and I like Jesus. Unfortunately, Christian fundamentalists have very little in common with him.

 

[blackout]

Well, first you have to learn to spell. Then you might have a chance to understand the bible.

Honey, I am a witch.

I "spell" and "cast" in whatever ways I like.

 

[blackout]

Is there a reason Carico, that you are avoiding the substance of all my posts here?

 

[Father Heathen]

Carcio is a famous and legendary creationist/fundamentalist, an internet celebrity of sorts. RF is honored to have him.

 

[Thief]

Thief here...
Interpretation is technique.
First.... place yourself as the character in the story.
Make certain the effect the storyline had on him.
Then decide if that effect is good for you.

Then turn about and see how the rest of the world looks at it.

Story telling is ancient. It is an art form.
So too, is listening.

 

[Buttons*]

Almost every sufficiently detailed piece of writing is ambiguous in some way - what the author really meant isn't perfectly clear. This is especially true in the case of documents from other cultures and time periods. If you rely on a religious document for guidance, how do you decide how to interpret an ambiguous passage?

Probably through inspiration. If that falls flat, research helps. If that doesn't work, I keep coming back to it until something clicks.

 

[Carico]

I'm an atheist and I like Jesus. Unfortunately, Christian fundamentalists have very little in common with him.

So what do you like about Jesus? The fact that you consider him a liar? :sarcastic Or do you just enjoy contradicting yourself?

 

[Storm]

Almost every sufficiently detailed piece of writing is ambiguous in some way - what the author really meant isn't perfectly clear. This is especially true in the case of documents from other cultures and time periods. If you rely on a religious document for guidance, how do you decide how to interpret an ambiguous passage?

Not sure if the poll is only for those who follow a Holy Book.

I go with whatever interpretation makes the most sense.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Taking verses out of context with the rest of the bible is no different than quoting only part of a sentence and not the whole sentence. An example is taking this sentence; "For God sends everyone to hell except those who have accepted Christ's atonement", and only quoting the first part so that it reads; "God sends everyone to hell" is deliberately misquoting the author. So put Colossians 2 together with Christ's words; "I didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it" and it won't be hard to understand Colossians 2. You also need to put Leviticus 18:22 together with: Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. But when you look for loopholes, of course, you always have to neglect verses in the bible that you don't like. But sorry, that again doesn't fool anyone who can read any more than it fools God.

Ah... so you give Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 priority over Colossians 2 and 1 John. And I thought you said you didn't interpret.

So what do you like about Jesus? The fact that you consider him a liar? :sarcastic Or do you just enjoy contradicting yourself?

Maybe he appreciates the fact that Jesus doesn't make baseless assertions about him or present him with fallacious false dilemmas.

 

[Wandered Off]

Future prophecies are supposed to be disguised because man will try to alter them if he knew what they were.

Man could possibly thwart almighty god's prophesy and make god's word into a lie?

 

[Father Heathen]

So what do you like about Jesus? The fact that you consider him a liar? :sarcastic Or do you just enjoy contradicting yourself?

I don't think he's a "liar" per se. He's a fictitious character, but one can still like fictitious characters. So what I do like about Jesus? That he represents love and compassion rather than violence and greed.

 

[Carico]

Ah... so you give Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 priority over Colossians 2 and 1 John. And I thought you said you didn't interpret.


Maybe he appreciates the fact that Jesus doesn't make baseless assertions about him or present him with fallacious false dilemmas.

I see you can't read either. No wonder you contradict the bible! I said put all scripture together, not make one verse more believable than another. So sorry, but twisting words is a habit of yours and doesn't fool anyone who can read any more than it fools God.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I see you can't read either. No wonder you contradict the bible! I said put all scripture together, not make one verse more believable than another.

And when you "put all scripture together", you need to resolve the conflicts. When different passages say contradictory things, you need to pick one over the other (or maybe pick neither, I suppose) for the end result to have a single coherent message. Hence the giving one passage priority over another that I mentioned before.

So sorry, but twisting words is a habit of yours and doesn't fool anyone who can read any more than it fools God.

Thanks, pot.

 

[Carico]

And when you "put all scripture together", you need to resolve the conflicts. When different passages say contradictory things, you need to pick one over the other (or maybe pick neither, I suppose) for the end result to have a single coherent message. Hence the giving one passage priority over another that I mentioned before.


Thanks, pot.

Sorry but they don't say contradictory things. Since Jesus didn't abolish the law but fulfilled it for us, those who have accepted His forgiveness are not saved by obeying the law but by Christ's forgiveness. That's what Colossians 2 is talking about. Thus Christianity takes about as much work as thanking someone for rescuing us from a burning fire because love is the fulfillment of the law since love does no harm to its neighbor as Romans 13:10 explains. The law now simply exists to tell us what sin is as Romans 3:20 tells us.

So when you put the bible together, it's easy to understand. You simply don't believe it. But that's your problem, not mine.

 

[AlsoAnima]

I looked for a few things.
1) Was it a cultural norm?
2) Does it make sense, logically?
3) Does it hinder the spread of love?

1 and 3 are points off of it being true. Where as 2 is points onto it.

 

[sojourner]

One doesn't interpret scripture, he simply believes it. 99% of the words in the bible we all learned in elementary school. So the problem isn't understanding the words, the problem is believing them. Most people don't believe them.

Narrow thinking, at best. It's the context, the syntax, the grammar, the style, the use of literary devices. Those things must be interpreted, or the words, themselves, don't make any sense.