No. It's understanding the book. Just as if one were to analyze a piece of fiction, or poetry. I know there are people who manipulate the Bible in a way, like saying "the Bible says not to judge," and leaving out the harsher things they don't like. If I live "according to the Bible," as you say, I wouldn't be in school, I'd be married, barefoot and pregnant, because the Bible says that's what women were supposed to do (the Old Testament, anyway). I would be the property of my nearest male relative. But I know that those kind of things are cultural, not theological. You have to know how to separate the two, and the only way to do that is to actively study the books, in a scholarly way.Originally posted by Georgi:
<STRONG>Not so sure about that, exactly this kind of thing is still used by some people to justify their prejudices. I do get what you're saying... but couldn't that apply just as easily to any other part of the Bible? Isn't that manipulating what the Bible says to fit the way you live, rather than living according to the Bible?</STRONG>
Yes, people frequently use certain passages to justify prejudices; that's exactly my point. It has to be recognized and accepted that many things are specific to societal conditions, and not necessarily the will of God.