-Caveat Lector-
William Shannon wrote:
>
> You've placed your "trust" in a book, written by men via consensus, that
> purports to be, but certainly isn't,"god's word"...
from:
Peter McWilliams
<http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/aint/403a.htm>
The Bible can be used to praise or condemn practically any human activity,
thought, belief, or practice. As with the works of Shakespeare, if one
looks carefully, one can find a quotation, incident, or story to support or
undermine anything.
Alas, this practice has been used by many people to justify their own
prejudices (by proving that "God thinks this way, too"), as a justification
for grabbing and holding power ("It's not what I want, it's what God
wants!"), or as the perfect excuse for not taking a fearless look at
themselves and making necessary—although admittedly uncomfortable—
personal changes in attitude and behavior.
It's not the Bible itself that condemns... but the misuse of the Bible by
petty, fearful, manipulative, or misguided individuals who deceptively
quote from the Bible not as an illumination of truth, but as a
justification of their own limited point of view. Allow me to quote Alan
Watts at length. He says all I want to say here, and says it much better
than I....In my estimation, he was one of the finest philosophers of this
century. Although he had a master's in theology and a doctorate in
divinity, he seldom had the pretension of calling himself "Dr. Watts"
(although, while an Episcopal priest, he probably tolerated the obligatory
"Father Watts"). As fine as his writing is, I find his recorded lectures
even more delightful. (His tapes and several books are available from his
son, Mark Watts, P.O. Box 938, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956.) Although
Watts died in 1973, his writings and his lectures are as contemporary,
witty, and penetrating as ever.
The Bible is the inerrant word
of the living God.
It is absolutely infallible,
without error in all matters
pertaining to faith and practice,
as well as in areas such as
geography, science, history, etc.
-- JERRY FALWELL
"[The Bible is] an anthology of ancient literature that contains sublime
wisdom along with barbaric histories and the war songs of tribes on the
rampage. All this is taken as the literal Word and counsel of God, as it is
by fundamentalist sects, which—by and large—know nothing of the history of
the Bible, of how it was edited and put together. So we have with us the
social menace of a huge population of intellectually and morally
irresponsible people.
"[The Bible is a] translation of Hebrew and Greek documents composed
between 900 B.C. and A.D. 120. There is no manuscript of the Old Testament;
that is, of the Hebrew Scriptures, written in Hebrew, earlier than the
Ninth Century B.C. But we know that these documents were first put together
and recognized as the Holy Scriptures by a convention of rabbis held at
Jamnia (Yavne) in Palestine shortly before A.D. 100. On their say-so.
Likewise, the composition of the Christian Bible, which documents to
include and which to drop, was decided by a council of the Catholic Church
held in Carthage in the latter part of the Fourth Century.
"The point is that the books translated in the . . . Bible were declared
canonical and divinely inspired by the authority (A) of the Synod of Jamnia
and (B) of the Catholic Church, meeting in Carthage more than 300 years
after the time of Jesus. It is thus that fundamentalist Protestants get the
authority of their Bible from Jews who had rejected Jesus and from
Catholics whom they abominate as the Scarlet Woman mentioned in
Revelation." -- Alan Watts
I could not believe that anyone who had read this book
would be so foolish as to proclaim that the Bible in every
literal word was the divinely inspired, inerrant word of God.
Have these people simply not read the text? Are they hopelessly
uninformed? Is there a different Bible? Are they blinded by a
combination of ego needs and naivete? - BISHOP JOHN SHELBY SPONG
As Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained, When the missionaries came to Africa
they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, "Let us pray." We closed
our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
