yoel-
Dave, Christians claim that the Bible is a very important book. That it
gives directions for how to live life. Absolute instructions for EVERYONE.
It seems that this book is your supposedly perfect God's ONLY
communication to man. The Bible supposedly gives direction... 2 Timothy or
whatever says that "ALL scripture is "God breathed" and is good for
teaching, rebuking, correcting...."
Now let's say that I were to give my child a shopping list and send him off
accross town on some errands with only my directions to guide him, a list
which is composed the way my story was... Obviously the child would become
confused... probably lost!
(DAVE 5/6) Yoel: Really? What if the child understood how you wrote? Did
you know that my handwriting is getting so bad that I often have to ask my
office supervisor what I had written down? She has worked for me for so
long that she knows how I write - NO ONE else can read it (usually)!
Amazing how one person can understand something that another can't.
Yoel
Now, if I was an all-knowing (and therefore
literate) father and I sent my child off into a wilderness with such
garbled instructions... what kind of father would I be?
(DAVE 5/6) I think you are giving more value to the Bible then it warrants.
The Bible is just words on paper, brought to "life" through the revelation
and instruction of the God who inspired it. My office supervisor doesn't
understand my writing because it's ink on paper - she understands it because
she KNOWS me and how I write and what I would say. I don't TAKE
instructions from the Bible - the instructions I have received are EXPLAINED
to me through the Bible. Without that prior "inspiration", the words in the
Bible are as they are to you: lifeless.
Yoel
At best
thoughtless, at worst sadistic. The child would be wise to read my
instructions before leaving the safety of his home- and until the
unclarities and discrepancies in my instructions are explained, he should
not venture into the streets.
(DAVE 5/6) Yoel: Ah yes, Yoel, but you have the all too common errantist
view of "I have no choice" - you are assuming that the child TAKES the
instructions, and WISHES to follow them. Many children might not - and they
have a choice. The instructions could be PERFECTLY CLEAR and not be
followed, simply because there was no desire to - wouldn't you agree?
Yoel
Now Christians throw a book in the face of humanity which they claim
contains the divine father's instructions which are needed to get through
life.
(DAVE 5/6) Yoel: Wrong. Christians claim that the love of God and belief
in Jesus the Christ provides us with eternal life. Period. There is no
life to get "through" as we don't believe life ever ends. What the
Christian believes is that the Bible enhances the experience of life here on
earth by helping us to understand what it is we are a part of. The Bible is
not an object of worship. Honestly and respectfully, Yoel, I must question
your understanding of the Christian experience. It seems to be very
paper-oriented.
Yoel
But on face value, it seems that the instructions are faulty, as
faulty as my story which I posted. And I have yet to see any acceptable,
provable answer which will explain the Bible's many mistakes.
(DAVE 5/6) Yoel: If Moserath and Mount Hor are examples of your
"mistakes", then I can understand your dilemna.
Regards.
Dave.
"Instead of wondering why there aren't more ways to God, the appropriate
response would be to marvel that there IS a way, and accept it with humility
and gratitude."
- Michael Horner