How to embrace God's wisdom?

[Jon Miller]

He may have meant worldwide . And most of those 1/3rd believe the Bible is literally true until they encounter something they can't deal with.

Note that I believe that the Bible is literally true. There is a huge difference between believing that the Bible is literally true and biblical literalism.

Believing that the Bible is literally true doesn't mean believing that the Bible doesn't contain stories and parables and other fictions which teach truth.

JM

[Jon Miller]

You asserted this before, and I showed it was wrong then. Why do you keep saying things like this?

Just among Americans, 1/3 believe the entire Bible is literally true. That may not be a majority, but it is hardly "very few."

They say they do, but they don't mean it the same way that you mean it.

JM

[Boris Godunov]

He may have meant worldwide . And most of those 1/3rd believe the Bible is literally true until they encounter something they can't deal with.

I'd bet it isn't much different worldwide. While it might be less in developed places like Western Europe, that would be balanced by other areas, esp. in South America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Some of the most ardently literalist folks I've met have been Eastern European Catholics.

[Boris Godunov]

They say they do, but they don't mean it the same way that you mean it.

JM

That's amazing that you know what's really in their hearts, despite what they say... almost godlike powers!

Sounds like a variation of "No True Scotsman!" to me.

When people profess that they take the Bible to be the literal word of God, I take them at their word when they say it. Just because they don't live up to what we'd expect if they did so isn't really relevant, since one of the core tenets of Christianity is that mortals can't live up to it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Which is funny because the Catholic Church isn't literalist... not that most Catholics really folow the Church these days.

[Elok]

Anyway, Re:OP, I advise Hera to find a serious priest/preacher or monastic of some denomination to talk things through with. We're pretty crummy substitutes for a seminary graduate.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Quite right. That's one of the reasons priests are there for.

[Boris Godunov]

Which is funny because the Catholic Church isn't literalist... not that most Catholics really folow the Church these days.

In terms of official doctrine, no, but there are surprising numbers of lay Catholics who take a much harder line than the Vatican on such issues. Probably not nearly as many who are more liberal, though.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Truth. How many lean either way it is difficult to tell.

[Jon Miller]

That's amazing that you know what's really in their hearts, despite what they say... almost godlike powers!

Sounds like a variation of "No True Scotsman!" to me.

When people profess that they take the Bible to be the literal word of God, I take them at their word when they say it. Just because they don't live up to what we'd expect if they did so isn't really relevant, since one of the core tenets of Christianity is that mortals can't live up to it.

Because most members of my denomination say that they consider the Bible the literal word of God, and are even often creationists, but still understand that large portions of it are stories or descriptions and not an eye-witness scientific description which is what you think of when you say 'take the Bible to be the literal word of God'.

What most Christians think when you say that is:

'The Bible is truly inspired by God and everything that is in it is meant to be in it from God and that it serves to guide us and bring us to truth.'

This is very different than ' so there is going to be a giant golden statue walking around and this statue is somehow the king of babylon nebekednezer (sp) '.

No one takes it literally (and few try) in the manner that you imply.

JM

[Kidlicious]

That is why the thread title is how to learn to accept God's wisdom isntead of relying on one's own faulty intellect.

Spend a lot of time on your knees praying to God to help you.

[Kidlicious]

Islam is far more internally consistent than Christianity.

More consistently wrong that is.

[Boris Godunov]

Because most members of my denomination say that they consider the Bible the literal word of God, and are even often creationists, but still understand that large portions of it are stories or descriptions and not an eye-witness scientific description which is what you think of when you say 'take the Bible to be the literal word of God'.

What most Christians think when you say that is:

'The Bible is truly inspired by God and everything that is in it is meant to be in it from God and that it serves to guide us and bring us to truth.'

This is very different than ' so there is going to be a giant golden statue walking around and this statue is somehow the king of babylon nebekednezer (sp) '.

No one takes it literally (and few try) in the manner that you imply.

JM

This is bit of a strawman, because nobody asserts that taking the Bible as the "literal word of God" means that those stories within it that are obvious parables are taken literally. That doesn't change the fact that many, many Christians do take things such as your golden statue example literally. I think you're fooling yourself if you think that such people understand that some stories are "not an eye witness scientific description." That's irrelevant to them, because they believe since the Bible is saying it happened, there doesn't NEED to be an eye witness, scientific description! It's God's word after all, and that's good enough for them.

Look, if you're just going to be your usual contrarian self and posit disagreement sans any evidence, just say so right now and we can drop this because it won't go anywhere. You might want to consider the fact that you don't have quite the pulse of overall Christian views as you think you do. Considering you've said yourself you adhere to views that are in a distinct minority among Christians, I don't think you're qualified to speak on behalf of what those with different views do and don't think.

[Jon Miller]

http://greensboring.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6892

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_literalism

My statements are not sans evidence.

Yours sometimes are, often when talking about religion which is something you don't seem to understand well.

What you and others do here is pretty common:

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1332

JM

[Kidlicious]

You might want to consider the fact that you don't have quite the pulse of overall Christian views as you think you do.

You might take your own advice, especially since you aren't a Christian.