Who would you listen to most?

[Evangelicalhumanist]

When you speak with other religious people, who would you listen to more.

A scholar who only have Academic education, but does not practice the religion.

Or one who actually practice the religion daily, and study the teaching for practice in daily life?

Neither.

It has been my experience (and it has been confirmed in writing my authors such as Bishop John Shelby Spong, Bart D. Ehrman and others) that the more religious education that any scholar acquires, they more they know that what the average believer in that religion actually understands and believes about it, is pretty much wrong.

So why on earth would I pay attention to either? On one side, the liars, and on the others, the gullible?

 

[SalixIncendium]

Neither.

It has been my experience (and it has been confirmed in writing my authors such as Bishop John Shelby Spong, Bart D. Ehrman and others) that the more religious education that any scholar acquires, they more they know that what the average believer in that religion actually understands and believes about it, is pretty much wrong.

So why on earth would I pay attention to either? On one side, the liars, and on the others, the gullible?

Well, I listen to you to understand your worldview based on your experiences. Why are mine any less relevant?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Well, I listen to you to understand your worldview based on your experiences. Why are mine any less relevant?

Did I say they were less relevant?

On the subject of deities, I have told you what my experiences are -- nothing at all, which sort of accounts for why I don't tend to believe in them.

I do not recall you tell me about actual experiences of deities, which experiences have informed your world view.

 

[blü 2]

When you speak with other religious people, who would you listen to more.

A scholar who only have Academic education, but does not practice the religion.

Or one who actually practice the religion daily, and study the teaching for practice in daily life?

Academics, like ministers of religion, like gods indeed, vary greatly in quality.

But the boys and girls at the good end of the academic scale aren't trying to sell you anything as a rule, so I'd likely learn more from them.

 

[Martin]

When you speak with other religious people, who would you listen to more.

A scholar who only have Academic education, but does not practice the religion.

Or one who actually practice the religion daily, and study the teaching for practice in daily life?

I've found both to be useful. Scholars can provide a more objective view, since they they're not personally invested in the religion.

 

[Clara Tea]

When you speak with other religious people, who would you listen to more.

A scholar who only have Academic education, but does not practice the religion.

Or one who actually practice the religion daily, and study the teaching for practice in daily life?

It is far more important to know how religion interacts with our lives today.

We must convince those on Satanic paths to change (even if they think they are serving God). When Reverend John Hagee said that we would be able to win the war in Iraq easier if we were closer to Jesus, I knew that he didn't know what he was talking about. God said "thou shalt not kill" and "turn the other cheek."

It is clear, to me, that war is the antithesis of God's instructions to us.