From: Josh Bembenek (jbembe@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Jul 10 2003 - 17:52:42 EDT
Howard:
“You have a right to ask the question your way, but my form of the question
is, Why should we elevate those writings above others? Of course these
writers had first hand experience of events that we know only by their
reports and their interpretations. We, on the other hand, have experience of
events and discoveries that they could not even anticipate. I'm advocating a
level playing field.”
My Reply:
The answer to your question is that I feel that writers of the Bible were
privy to more detail of God’s character through their experiences. Other
religious writings are not devoid of truth nor perhaps accurate depictions
of some of God’s qualities, but they are quite poor in relation to the
bible. My personal experience + 3 interpretive methods confirms this. I
have found interesting concepts in the writings of Bhuddism, Plato or the
Bhagvad Gita, but the most accurate picture can be derived from biblical
writings (and I think Biblical writings more accurately portray all the
truths contained in other writings without the baggage of inaccuracies.) I
also do not know what about morality, spirituality, or God we might have
learned that would overturn their depictions of such issues. Science in my
mind does not deal much with the main themes of the bible, such that
revision is currently necessary.
Howard:
“We will have to agree to disagree here. I have no intention of trashing or
neglecting the biblical text, but I no longer see warrant for isolating that
text as the sole source/authority of my portrait of God. I see no reason to
presume everything in the biblical text to be accurate, and I find
extrabiblical material and post-biblical human experience to be essential.”
Perhaps you can elaborate on what extrabiblical material (perhaps one
example) illuminates your portrait, and how that has shown that the biblical
text to express an inaccurate depiction.
Josh
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