Yes, I know I haven’t posted a real blog in months(?), but I just haven’t felt inspired. I feel like I am always writing about the same things and that makes me sad and tired.
You don’t want to read anymore about my unresolved frustrations, do you?
Right, so instead I am going to pose a question to which I hope to receive at least a dozen responses.
What do you think of the phrase “Bible-based”?
I have heard this phrase used and abused and annoyingly championed as the only determiner of whether or not a program will be successful or whether or not something or someone is Godly.
Do other religions propagandize their holy scriptures the way Christians do?
Do they insert random verses (usually taken out of context) into their everyday conversation? Or into their political speeches?
I was watching a special on the History Channel about the Koran and how it developed. Did you know that Mohammed only ever said he was a prophet? He only ever claimed to be a messenger of God – never divine? But the Koran special got me thinking about how I view the Bible – about what I think the Bible is. Is it a story about God? Is it his direct, divine revelation and truly void of errors like evangelical theologians say. Is it “God’s Little Instruction Book?”
I hate how much of what Christians do is defended by someone who champion’s his cause as being biblical. If you have a biblical foundation or reason for doing something, then its okay and you may proceed.
Should we even have to defend our actions if they are right?
I’m still not sure what I think about the Bible. I wasn’t there when all those guys wrote their letters – or when the early church fathers were deciding which of those letters and stories were canonical and which were unnecessary for the spiritual growth of believers. I believe it contains truth, but other books contain truth – truth that is universally accepted.
But how do I know what is true? That is the conflict.
Do you see it?
How can I say something is true or untrue unless I have a rule or measure to determine truth? And what is my rule or measure?
Revealed truth?
Revealed where? You ask. The Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita???
It seems to me that when you accept Christianity, you are putting your faith in a person, not in a book. But then you do have to put your faith in a book, because for every hundred people attesting to the absolute inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, there are a hundred discrediting it and tearing it into small, microscopic pieces. When you accept a religion as true, you are accepting its scriptures (if it has them) as true.
So defending anything by saying it is biblical is just as subjective and biased as saying something is the God’s honest truth. What are you actually saying? Only that the morality you’ve accepted as true and the scriptures you read and believe are true tell you that something is right or wrong.
Maybe it is better to say that something is right or wrong – to stand firm in the truth you accept and live in such a way that others can see it is true for you and can be true for them too.
Or maybe I am going straight to hell for thinking all of this.
You tell me.
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about me
i'm jenn. i'm 30 years old and still trying to figure out what i want to be when i grow up. i'm open to suggestions...
3 comments:
Hey Jenn,
I really want to comment - but I have to think more about what you've written. I have thoughts - but I'll wait. I think I'd just be second guessing where you are coming from, so I will think instead on where i stand with me and the Bible and the insights you've shared.
I miss you Jenn. Would love to hear from you - and would be great to get your address so I can send you a picture or two of being in London - I've got a really good one I'd like to send you! Do you know my email address?
Are you going to get involved in Africa Revolution? I'm really glad to be connected to Allans Blog - I'm going to keep on reading and thinking.
Love to you Jennifer!
Hi Jenn,
I had a thought. I just wrote a blog on Expectations. I know it's near impossible to not have expectations - for so many different things or people or whatever, and even expectations upon God. I know some expectations are probably right also - but if you read what I wrote I think you will probably see the gist of what I'm trying to say when I say I don't want expectations. I write though that with God we can have expectations - not of how we think He should be - but expectations upon who He is. God has declared who He is through creation, through His spirit, through the unvieling of our hearts, which without - God would be a mystery and completely unattainable.
I think a key feature of the Bible is the telling of who God is. The telling of the One we put our trust in. There is much we can put our faith in - people, places, machinary. The early churches put their trust in Paul probably and his letters - but that is not the resting place of our expectations of faith in God. So Pauls letters - are they the infallible word of God - do we put our trust in Pauls style of writing, in his adventures - these are written off? I think - sure there is lots within the Word that is not the building blocks of our true faith, but when it comes to the character and nature of God, in knowing Him, revealed through the Bible, we choose to build our faith.
There are ways to discredit Gods word, there are ways to tear it to pieces. There are ways for people to academically reason away any power in it. There are ways to interperate. A book cannot prove the existance of God or truth - but knowing God can. Through God's Word we can know Him, through His spirit he can quicken us to His truth. My faith is not in the Bible itself, nor in its power as the Word of God (for that power is of God, not in my grasping of the Word and weilding it) - but my faith is in God. I do believe the Bible, because in the Bible I learn of the character of God and I am taught of a way to live - that I could not entirely second guess at. Still that leaves the question of what about the Koran to the Moslem or other scriptures for other faiths - these are their building blocks of character and their knowing of God? Well my response isn't that - "The Bible says its true so it must be" I think the Bible is just letter type and thin paper and literature if its not made alive by the Holy Spirit. And the same can be said for the Koran or other Holy books, and I suppose the real test would be to read them all - and see where the power lies - and my faith would believe that the power lies in the Holy spirits revealtion of truth. The Bible is full of potential for the revealed truth. And maybe that is where the power of the Word lies - for it could be the revealer of truth even to those who would harden their hearts - but ultimatly that is in the power of God. There is need though for the Bible - for the sinner and the saved sinners.
I think this subject is not merely to be written about - but rather discussed indepth in conversation.
I am unconclusive in this discussion - and yet without reason except by faith (and the many historical and theological and literal defenses of the Bible) - I chose to trust in the Bible because of the sovereignty of God, and what is written within it about the character and nature of God and the history of God's people. Closed cannons and other factors are important I think to evaluate and I think this worlds understanding could discredit many things. Without faith it is impossible to trust in the Bible as the revealed truth. Without God revealing His truth we are left uncertain, for of ourselves seperate from God we cannot hold the whole truth.
Oh - Jenn. Thsi could mightily go on.....
Firstly I would like to confirm... Yes you are going straight to hell for saying all this.
Secondly, I hear you. I've always had this point of view that truth (universal truth) exists outside of the Bible. Stupid examples; gravity, murphy's law, republicans are liars, democrats are going to burn, etc. Which sounds heretical when you subscribe to this not-inside-the-bible-morality, which I must point out never contradicts scripture.
I think where it gets sticky for us Christians is that the spoken (rhema) word of God and the written (logos) word of God are so wrapped up in Jesus who is the Word and the TRUTH. SO, this all get's mixed up in logic and we end up worshiping a book and confirming our cause because of a book. But to me there is validity in parts of it because we are told to proclaim truth. We are called to reveal the words and the way and the person of God. But like beth said,
"This could mightily go on..... "
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