ME: All-or-part? WHY CAN’T I accept the existence of a historical Jesus, the survival of his teachings to present day, for the most part intact, AND refuse divinity to the bible? I don’t have to accept all to accept a part. I forgot if I mentioned this before. A Christian brought me the good news. I accepted Jesus as my savior. The bible came later. So the bible is not the ROOT or the SOURCE of my faith.
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ME: You have already admitted that you selectively interpret scripture based on context and history.
OSO: Again, this is another deflection. There are standards we use: acceptable rules governing hermeneutics‘, which is the interpretation of scripture. You must study each text and see how scripture itself interprets the text, look at the type of writing it is, who it was written to, who it was written by, ask questions like; is it literally acceptable or do we have a parable or metaphor that speaks of a specific teaching, and so on and so forth. Any first year seminary student learns this and you claim to be able to argue scripture?
ME: So you are saying that my selection of scripture based on the two laws that Jesus said sums up ALL THE LAW OF THE PROPHETS, is inferior to yours? Why should I substitute the divine for a man-made construction?
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OSO: "Side with bible-bashers"…Oh let us see. AlanF and his tirades against belief in God seems to be a fairly recent example…
ME: AlanF by comparison is a compassionate man who includes rather than excludes. He and I may have different beliefs, but at the core there is a rationalism and a desire for justice that I find compelling. I would much rather spend my time, in person, with him, than with you.
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ME: Here is another other bible command that we no longer follow today. Slaves be Obedient to your Masters Eph 6:5 Would Paul have predicted that slavery would be abolished?
OSO: Paul did not condemn it. What Paul 'would have done' is not dealt with in the text or other scripture. Stay within the limits of the scripture in question.
ME: So if Paul is silent about a modern issue, we can do whatever we want? What of the PRINCIPLE, that slaves are to be obedient to their masters? Has this PRINCIPLE weathered the tests of time?
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ME: By what criteria have you decided that obeying these bible commends are evidence of cult-like obedience, yet other bible requirements are mandatory?
OSO: The context, context, context. How many times must you hear it?
ME: So do I. So we are in agreement then.
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OSO: The 'Law of Love' is for us and does not overule any of God's attributes. God is love! It doesn't end there. God is holy, mercy, grace, wisdom, joy, peace, wrath, vengeance, anger, jealousy and the list goes on. Each emotion that we have is ever perfected and magnified in the Godhead. I am pointing out the contextual pillaging that you are guilty of.
ME: I don’t quite get this. Are we to strive to be more like Christ, therefore magnified in wrath, vengeance, anger, and jealousy?
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OSO: You are putting yourself on the throne and standing in judgment of God.
ME: I rest my case. You think the bible is GOD. You will notice I put myself to the side of the foundation, I am not standing on the top
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OSO: The Bible is a weapon, not a defense!
ME: The WORD is a weapon, a two-edged sword, able to cleave a heart in two. The CHRIST is the WORD. Whenever he spoke, people were healed, people were cut to the quick. But always to heal. To make the world right. I have about decided that the bible is NOT THE WORD spoken of in the bible. You have usurped CHRIST’s role.
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ME: We can also challenge our own beliefs, to make sure they stand up to scrutiny. For instance, how different would be the result be for a parent who asks, "Should I shun my child for sin?" On JGnat Foundation vs O-Shinning-One Foundation?
OSO: There you go again, you cannot place JWs in the category of Christianity, they are in the category of 'cult'.
ME: OK, I’ll rephrase, though I suspect it will incite another shrieking tirade. The evangelical parents ask themselves, "Should I shun my adult child who has just admitted to be a practicing homosexual?"
(edited a half-dozen times for readability)