Sunday, February 24, 2008

Another False Doctrine - Inerrancy of Scripture

STEP 27 ANOTHER FALSE DOCTRINE - THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE

The scripture of the Jewish faith was something in motion and transition. It was not frozen until the first and second century A.D., after many of the newer writings had been used to lead the people to revolt against the hated Roman occupation. The understanding then was that if a writing was used to back a losing cause it could not be a Word of God. However, within the Jewish faith there has continued to be a great variety of life and change because of the custom of debate that has been maintained.
The Christian cannon was establised more for political reasons (of the Roman Empire) and was never blessed with the tradition of debate. For much of its history, until the 1600's or so, most "believers" were illiterate, so little discussion and questioning took place. It was very easy to assume a static and "once is forever" value. Nothing could be farther from what the original writers wanted.
What they passionately desired was to convey/communicate the reality of love/God to the world around them so that others might live in the joy and freedom they were experiencing. They certainly didn't expect or hope that their words were the only and last words on the subject. That would hardly have been good news to them.
Within the Christian cannon of scriptures we have a great variety of writings: private letters, open letters, letters in the name of others (as was the custom), gospels from various communities of faith that are based upon the available sayings and traditions of Jesus of Nazareth but fleshed out in ways that best told the truth in story form. To take these writings most seriously, each has to be looked at on its own. If we are to get the most from them we first ask the questions of who wrote them? Why? Who were they addressed to? What were the assumptions and the conditions of the time? Only when we answer these questions can we begin to answer our own question, "What does it mean for us?" When we don't honour the texts enough to do our homework we make grave errors. When we remain ignorant and unquestioning we are vulnerable to any interpretation of others and often give in to the blatantly stupid.
An easy example of this is that the Jehovah Witnesses place a great deal of importance on an insignifant passage from Revelations where it says that 144,000 will enter heaven. That sounds like a pretty small number. And when you know that those of your sect are at the top of the list, and that there are many millions of Jehovah Witnesses, they you’d better work your butt off getting to the top of the line. You’d better knock on as may doors as possible for every convert you bring in pushes you up the line a bit. Not a happy bunch. Not much love. It’s a double shame when even a few minutes researching the source reminds us that as in all apocolypic writings, (done in times of persecution) symbols and psyduodymns are used to protect the people. In the language of the believers, following the Jewish customs, seven and twelve were perfect and blessed numbers. So what would be more perfect and blessed than twelve twelves (144)? And what was the biggest number in the Roman system? One thousand.
So what would symbolize the biggest, most perfect number immaginable? 144,000. Exactly the opposite meaning that the Witensses have adopted as the one truth upon which to build their house of cards. (And still people join them! Doesn’t say much for our intellegence, does it?)
So, yes, I prioritize scripture. I read all through the lense of LOVE. I believe, as a child of Mother/Father God, I have been given reason and soul that I might find and know the truth. I know that what we call "The Holy Bible" is indeed holy. So are many other writings. Anything is holy if through it true understanding has been found and can be found. But this doesn't mean that all words within these writings are for us as they stand. Some, in fact, might be warnings to us, pointing to how we and others can and have warped and misunderstood God's Will for us.
So you can understand that many say that I am NOT a Christian. But that's all right with me. I don't claim to be one. What I am is one who knows that the WAY of Jesus of Nazareth is the way for me to live, to get the most out of life and to journey toward the Source of All. I call myself a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. That's plenty. All I read, be it from scriptures deemed "holy" or from popular si-fi novels, is read with this in mind and heart. How could it be otherwise?

“Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.” - Buddha

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowned us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.” - Galileo Galilie

“Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half the population is stupider.” - George Carlin

“Artificial intelligence is no match for human stupidity.” - Red Green

No comments: