Jay Willingham, back on July 1, wrote, in part: "When we give man's reason
latitude in deciding what portions of the Bible are legitimately "God
breathed" and which are not, the Bible becomes just another book."
I agree. But "God-breathed" does not mean the specific words are
"God-endorsed." We need to use our brains. God gave us them too.
Each section of scripture needs to be read for what it is -- and not out of
context. Thus, some people read the book of Jonah as literal history, when
the most obvious genre is that of an ironic parable.
There are many sections of scripture which, when read in a naive manner,
return silly ideas to the reader. Teasing out the message God has for us is
a life long exercise; of that I am convinced.
There are falsehoods (lies) in the Bible. There are actions described in the
Bible that no rational adult human can possibly believe are what God wanted
to happen, much less are they actions God wishes us to emulate today.
And there are mysteries enough for two lifetimes!
Best
JB
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