Every year now for umpteen years I pick up a Bible and start reading it.I have read many different versions of 'The Good Book'.I look at this as a very good thing.I view The Bible as the living breathing word of God.It is not the 'only' words from God,but probably the definitive words.
Some of The Bible is a history lesson.Some of it is poetry.More of it is parables of good and bad.Some of it is laws to live by.It is a vast compilation meant to be studied and debated.
Besides the 'Ten Commandments',I don't know any of it that is supposed to be etched in stone.
But,to many people,it is.
Most of these 'etched in stoner's' are not Biblical scholars.Most anyone who has continued to read The Bible know that "Etched In Stone" is too narrow of a definition of the Holy Book.Modern society won't let it be so easily defined.Heck,ideas placed in one point of The Bible are modified in another part.Thus 'The New Testament'.
The laws were made for man,not man for the laws.Of course,what I am publishing here is open to debate....that is the whole point.Choosing to view The Bible in a complete literal way,dooms the book to failure.The idea of finding God is not to pigeon hole yourself and others into neat little compartments.It is not to bury your head into the sand.It is not 'Us' vs.'Them'.It is a glorious journey of self worth and discovery.It is bringing others along with you.It is ultimately realizing what is worth value and what is not.
Church and Ministers can be of great value.Religion is not a self imposed vacuum.In my opinion,it is a journey meant to be taken with others.That is why I have decided to continue to share my views with you.
This year,I am reading'The Message'.It is somewhat different than most other Bibles.You will find out why if you choose to join me.I have linked to it on the right.Click on it.You just may like it.
I start off with Genesis.This is probably the most fought over book in the Old Testament.I have written about the Biblical timeline before,so I won't get too much into it here.Suffice it to say,that I believe that this whole timeline is open to debate.I don't see too many Jewish Rabbi's entering the debate for this timeline.
Of course,that means very little except to point out that when opened up to debate,the very idea of a seven day timeline can be debated both ways to the point that in the grand scheme of things only by the very narrowist of definitions does the straight consecutive seven days stand up completely.
Of course God could have created the world and all things in seven 24 hour consecutive days-with God all things are possible-but why would he?To claim that literalist view on this is to totally miss the point of the rest of the story.The very words of First Genesis through Second Genesis lose most of their power when they can not be discussed piece by piece.The very power of these verses stand up indefinitely when open to dissection and debate.Coming from people that thought that the world was flat,reading these passages(that,by the way come from four different sources-Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly and Deuteronomic)blows my mind away.The direct order of the creation(s) is so directly in view with that of scientists,that I have to believe that God had some influence in this story telling.
But why wouldn't God just tell the whole story to Moses or whomever wrote these books?Why not tell them the world is round?Would you discuss quantum physics with a baby?Remember,The word is supposed to living and breathing...and open to debate.
What do you think?
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