Where do the Bible-believers in this forum stand on the Genesis creation? Is it one story told by one author, the same story told twice with different emphasis by the same author, the same story told twice with different emphasis by two different authors, or two different stories told by two different authors, or two different--and conflicting--stories told by two different authors?
Creation Stories
by JosephAlward 25 Replies latest watchtower bible
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RunningMan
Hey, Joe, nice to see you back. If you're looking for Bible beleivers, we've run most of 'em off. The rest are in hiding.
Actually, there are some around. Maybe you need some bait.
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Francois
I stand on Genesis each time I can't reach stuff on top of the refrigerator. I just whip out my NWT which is just high enough for me to reach what I want.
francois
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seedy3
I prefer to stand on revelations my myself, It gets me higher then Genisis, oh wait that was the funny tobacco I was smoking........... but hey John had to have been smoking something when he wrote it so.........yeah I'll stick to his story
Seedy
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A Paduan
If you look up "parable of the eagle" on the net, you'll find variations to the story - you could argue that the historical basis for it can't be proven, and the account appears shoddy because there may not be the one account, and careful investigation may reveal similar stories from 'other' cultures.
Does it matter ?
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drawcad_1
reading the story without any JW guidance, without all of thier books and misc., it seems like it is two stories made by two different authors.
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Abaddon
A Paduan; you asked exactly the same question in the last thread like this. And you ended up acknowledging that literalistic interpretation can cause problems. By examinating passages of the Bible that can be used to show that the Bible cannot be literalistic inspired truth, maybe some pople can be helped to think for themselves, rather than accept whatever literalistic tradition they may have been inculcated in. If their assumptions of literal interpretation and absolute accuracy are not challanged, then these false assumptions can be used to build an exclusive belief structure which condemns others.
So it matters. Why does it matter so much to you to defend any question of the BIble with a blanket question 'does it matter'? That's an interesting question.
I think it's at least couple of bits cobbled together; you can see the join if you read with an open mind. I loved the take on it someone posted the other day, that the two accounts represent a YHWHistic tradition and story of origins seperate from the Elohimist story of origins, and that the entire Old Testament is just a continuation of the YHWH tradition of limited interest to the other people who were created by the Elohim. Still think it's hooey, but it was a fun read.
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A Paduan
Why does it matter so much to you to defend any question of the BIble with a blanket question 'does it matter'?
Because people are encouraged to dismiss the writings as being 'false' when they are shown that the stories are not literally/historically true - then those who never understood in the first place use the same material to discourage another.
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Abaddon
Because people are encouraged to dismiss the writings as being 'false' when they are shown that the stories are not literally/historically true - then those who never understood in the first place use the same material to discourage another.
So, who gets to say what the right non-literal interpretation is? You? Calvanists? Branch Davidians? Jehovah's WItnesses? You are basically implying that despite the fact many of the writings are neither demonstrably true or accurate, that they are 'true' anyway (as distinct from 'false'), but that those who don't understand this hidden special meaning ('those who never understood in the first place') shouldn't 'discourage' others.
Essentially, that is what many religionists do; they imply that if it's not demonstrably true or accurate, then there is a hidden meaning, and that despite the fact there are numerous interpretations of the hidden meaning, normally these same religionists will insist that THEY have the right one, and that those that don't get it and say other things shouldn't be listened to.
Is that really how you feel?
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donkey
Because people are encouraged to dismiss the writings as being 'false' when they are shown that the stories are not literally/historically true
So let me see if I can get my furry ears around this...
If something isn't true then it isn't necessarily false????????
Huh???? Did I miss out on the latest bong round again? Damn you God!!! You have played tricks with my ass for the last time....how dare you keep speaking to me and confusing me...
Jack
...who prefers the Jack Pipe to the Crack Pipe