What does a person mean when they say, "God made me," or, "God made you?"

[Asher]

It means God ****ed your mother. And he'll **** you, too, if you're not careful.

[rah]

The bible is just like any other source of wisdom. Some of it is very useful and other parts aren't. Anyone that blindly believes 100% isn't using the source properly. They are not using it as a teaching source. AND just because you don't blindly believe 100% doesn't disqualify you from being a christian. Contrary to what Ben likes to spout.

Any source of wisdom must be filtered through your own thought processes. My Grandfather was a good man who passed on some great wisdom to me when I was younger and I treasure him for that. But he was had some bad traits that I wouldn't consider great wisdom. That doesn't make everything that he said bad. One must consider each item and judge for themselves.

Even the bible must be judged by each. There are many ways to look at each chapter. There is no universal right answer. It only matters how the individual views it.
And it's not right for me to tell others how they should read it.

[Ben Kenobi]

The bible is just like any other source of wisdom. Some of it is very useful and other parts aren't.

If wisdom is acquired outside of self - what sense does it make to disregard parts? It would seem to me that if parts of it are considered wisdom - then the other parts that are discarded are parts that I don't fully understand.

Anyone that blindly believes 100% isn't using the source properly. They are not using it as a teaching source. AND just because you don't blindly believe 100% doesn't disqualify you from being a christian. Contrary to what Ben likes to spout.

As a historical source, we have an order of magnitude more copies of the Bible than anything else. And number 2 is the Iliad.

Any source of wisdom must be filtered through your own thought processes. My Grandfather was a good man who passed on some great wisdom to me when I was younger and I treasure him for that. But he was had some bad traits that I wouldn't consider great wisdom. That doesn't make everything that he said bad. One must consider each item and judge for themselves.

Given limited wisdom, how does one distinguish between one's own deficiencies and errors in the text?

Even the bible must be judged by each. There are many ways to look at each chapter. There is no universal right answer. It only matters how the individual views it.
And it's not right for me to tell others how they should read it.

So where do these prepositions come from? There's about five or six here.

1. "There is no universal truth".
2. "Truth is perception - not reality. One's truth is dependent on each individuals concept of the world
3. "Biblical content can only be apprehended by the individual.
4. "Teaching authority does not exist in Christianity"

This is contrary to what Jesus and the bible teaches, btw.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's wrong to ask for a better understanding about God's role in how we're conceived in lieu of our mom's egg and our dad's sperm?

Be honest with yourself. The OP was dismissive, not searching. Intended to provoke rather than intended to gain understanding.

[rah]

If wisdom is acquired outside of self - what sense does it make to disregard parts? It would seem to me that if parts of it are considered wisdom - then the other parts that are discarded are parts that I don't fully understand.

Or it could be that I fully understand it and don't consider it true wisdom.

As a historical source, we have an order of magnitude more copies of the Bible than anything else. And number 2 is the Iliad.

And this proves it 100% true how?

Given limited wisdom, how does one distinguish between one's own deficiencies and errors in the text?

Just because I have limited wisdom doesn't mean that I'm going to blindly believe that it's 100% correct.
Are you trying to say that wisdom doesn't really matter since you have faith?

1. "There is no universal truth". I've never seen one proven and doubt anyone ever will. Faith does not equal universal truth.
2. "Truth is perception - not reality. One's truth is dependent on each individuals concept of the world. Yep
3. "Biblical content can only be apprehended by the individual. Yep, just like religion is really an individual thing and not the cookie cutter thing that you think it is.
4. "Teaching authority does not exist in Christianity" They can teach, but it is my right and responsibility to understand/learn.

This is contrary to what Jesus and the bible teaches, btw.

I really don't care what you think is contrary. You don't get to judge what percentage of it that I believe and judge whether I'm entitled to consider myself a christian.

I know that no matter what I say will convince you otherwise and I'm equally sure that I can't budge your FAITH. So don't expect me to futilely argue it back and forth.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Even the bible must be judged by each. There are many ways to look at each chapter. There is no universal right answer. It only matters how the individual views it.
And it's not right for me to tell others how they should read it.

I'm not sure I'd go that far. This stress on the "it matters how the individual views it" tends to lead to things like the Prosperity Gospel. I think Scripture should be read in a tradition - with all the scholarship that has arisen from that (from the Church and outside of it). These were books and letters written 1900 to 4000 (if not more) years ago. We don't have the proper context, we don't really understand all the references. Just reading it and determining how you view it imposes 21st Century social and cultural mores on a text intended for those in a far, far different society and culture. We have to at least attempt to enter the minds of the intended recipients and we need help for that.

I have been on record as saying that I believe the God, in Scripture, speaks to us as we can comprehend Him. So some of the text will make little to no sense to us, but would make perfect sense to the intended. Some of the text may seem barbaric to us, but would seem perfectly just to the intended (& a corollary, I think the Bible is a history of increased understanding of who God is and what God wants, so as the light is seen more and more, the barbaric acts fade away - but you have to cross those bridges, of what those societies were like and valued, first before you can get to the other side, of Jesus's teachings of agape love). So we need to contextualize it - how did they comprehend this Word? And that requires a community and a tradition.

[MikeH]

Today I have learnt that the Bible is 100% true, like the Iliad.

[rah]

I didn't mean to say that others opinions of what it means in the context that it was written should be ignored. Yes, I can't possible know all the context of that time. I'm just saying that after reading all that I still get to make the final determination and only for me personally. Again I believe religion is a very personal thing. And should stay that way. The easiest way to make me stop listening to someone is when they tell me if I don't believe something exactly like they do, then I must be wrong. (in terms of religious beliefs)

[Imran Siddiqui]

Today I have learnt that the Bible is 100% true, like the Iliad.

I didn't mean to say that others opinions of what it means in the context that it was written should be ignored. Yes, I can't possible know all the context of that time. I'm just saying that after reading all that I still get to make the final determination and only for me personally. Again I believe religion is a very personal thing. And should stay that way. The easiest way to make me stop listening to someone is when they tell me if I don't believe something exactly like they do, then I must be wrong. (in terms of religious beliefs)

That is where we differ. I don't think religion is simply a "personal thing". I think that no one can define what someone personally believes, yes, but religion is not about simply belief. It's about action as well. And a lot of non-Western faiths are more into othopraxis (right action) rather than orthodoxy (right belief). Christianity also has a long history of orthopraxis as well!

[rah]

Well for me, my belief shape my actions so I"m not exactly sure what you're saying. AND i have no idea what orthopraxis means

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well for me, my belief shape my actions so I"m not exactly sure what you're saying. AND i have no idea what orthopraxis means

Actions can also shape beliefs, love can arise if you acting lovingly towards another person regardless of if you liked them to begin with (for one example). They work together, in tandem. I fear we focus way too much on right belief and not enough on right action - or at the very least that is what is demonstrated to work around us.

[rah]

Actually action trumps beliefs for me, but didn't really consider how actions could shape beliefs. I probably will give that more thought going forward.
I've seen too many people where their actions don't match their supposed beliefs. It makes me wonder if they truly believe what they think they do.

[Imran Siddiqui]

To that I'd say their actions match their actual beliefs .

I myself only recently heard about how performing an action can change your belief. I can't remember for sure, but I think C.S. Lewis was the first author who pointed this out for me.

[MikeH]

e.g. going to your girlfriend's church and then converting?

[rah]

To that I'd say their actions match their actual beliefs .

Yeah, you'd think that, but there are so many people like BEN, you wonder. I'm sure he's nowhere near the ass in real life that he acts like here but the amount of examples that we've seen make me wonder.