GameBanshee Forums

Go ahead, ask away. I'll do my best to answer your questions, comments, and/or concerns as thoroughly as I can, and in simple layman's terms.

Well, that's a surprise. No one has posted a question yet. Could it be that we have the world's biggest religion figured out?

i think the reason is that most of the people on this board are christian or know a lot about it because they either have christian relatives or were raised in a christian society.

Good thread, MM I had actually planned to post a thread concerning this area, but I've been buried in work lately. Now I will post the questions I thought about here instead. It has to do with how to interpret the bible.

How do christians decide whether a certain passage in the bible should be interpreted literally or symbolically? How to select what to follow and not follow?

During the history of christianity, it's obvious that many discretly different interpretations has been used by different groups in different times and cultures. Can we in some way conclude that some interpretations are more valid than others? How?

A familiar example is of course the interpretation of genesis, wheré some groups interpret the creation as being made in 7 24 hour days, whereas others view the Big Bang theory as perfectly fitting into the biblical description.
Some other examples can be found in the marriage thread, posted by Waverly. There are passages in the bible saying you should eat your children and have incestious sexual relationships - why is this not followed as god's word?
Yet another example is the passages that describe the same events as the koran does - I suppose a christain view the biblical version as "more correct" than the koranic one - if so, why?

Examples are of course numerous, and the bible also contains many contradictions, which is of course not surprising for a document that was written down by many different people during different periods. When I studied literature long ago, I learned a little about the hermeneutic method for interpreting historical documents, such as the bible. If I understand things correctly, you then look for internal constistency and discrepances, so that if something is mentioned at many places in a text, it's considered more valid than something that is only mentioned once. What do you think of this method?

And another question, I'm asking CM the same in the islam-thread: Do christians and muslims believe in the same god?
(I know that opinions on this differ)

i think most people have already seen your interpretation of christianity, and you are hardly representative of christianity as a whole.
there's a chance you would answer the questions objectively, but there simply aren't any universal truths that can be answered about christianity as a whole to allow for objective answers.

i take the same stance on this as nael. i am christian but i'm willing to bet anything that i hold much different beliefs than mnm. i think it's important for everyone reading this to understand that all these answers are mnm's veiws on christianity. (that is, if there are any questions)

As for me personally, I've become quite familiar with MM:s views over our discussions here, and @Nael & Aragorn need not worry that I will take everything MM says as representative for a majority of christians. I think this goes for most SYM:ers.
I know many christian people myself, and I know their views differ as much from MM:s as mine do, just in another way. However, I would very much appreciate input from several people on my questions - if this is possible without starting conflicts around differencies in interpretation.

CE
How do christians decide whether a certain passage in the bible should be interpreted literally or symbolically? How to select what to follow and not follow?

my answer to this would be 1.) common sense 2.) through modern revalation 3.) through prayer/personal revalation

i think that through common sense you can tell when they are speaking symbolically or literally, easy example, when jesus tells john to "feed his sheep" he isn't talking about real sheep. Modern revalation is important for particularly confusing, vague, or debatable. the leader of your particular church would come forward with what the church's stance on this particular issue is. you would get an answer through prayer/personal revalation when you want to know about a scripture for yourself. James 1:5 says " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I think questions that deal more with political workins of Christianity are more suitable here, as the bible and faith itself is something that is interpreted differently by mnay people. With this in mind, I'm going to try and stay away from the theological quandries (101 ), and ask a politcal one. DO you,a s a christian, believe that the pope should be considered infallible, even in his waning years, and degradedation of health?

I'm not touching this with a 40 foot pole.

Originally posted by C Elegans


How do christians decide whether a certain passage in the bible should be interpreted literally or symbolically? How to select what to follow and not follow?

During the history of christianity, it's obvious that many discretly different interpretations has been used by different groups in different times and cultures. Can we in some way conclude that some interpretations are more valid than others? How?

A familiar example is of course the interpretation of genesis, wheré some groups interpret the creation as being made in 7 24 hour days, whereas others view the Big Bang theory as perfectly fitting into the biblical description.
Some other examples can be found in the marriage thread, posted by Waverly. There are passages in the bible saying you should eat your children and have incestious sexual relationships - why is this not followed as god's word?
Yet another example is the passages that describe the same events as the koran does - I suppose a christain view the biblical version as "more correct" than the koranic one - if so, why?

Examples are of course numerous, and the bible also contains many contradictions, which is of course not surprising for a document that was written down by many different people during different periods. When I studied literature long ago, I learned a little about the hermeneutic method for interpreting historical documents, such as the bible. If I understand things correctly, you then look for internal constistency and discrepances, so that if something is mentioned at many places in a text, it's considered more valid than something that is only mentioned once. What do you think of this method?

And another question, I'm asking CM the same in the islam-thread: Do christians and muslims believe in the same god?
(I know that opinions on this differ)

islamic, christian, and judaism all worship the same god, they just argue over who s/he is and what s/he did/said.

i believe that the discrepencies between stories helps validate the stories. as you noted, these are accounts of an event which took place a considerable amount of time prior to their being written. by human nature, there are going to be differences. ask any four people about an event that happened that they had heard about form someone else and see if their stories line up exactly. if the stories were an exact match, it would seem like it was all contrived.


@aegis - not catholic, so i can't answer, but i definitely don't think he is infalliable.

aegis - not catholic, but i don't think any human in infallible.

What are some major holidays for? ex Easter, Ash wed, good friday? I am a buddhist american and never grew up knowing what happened these times when my friends would miss school for them

Originally posted by Vinin
What are some major holidays for? ex Easter, Ash wed, good friday? I am a buddhist american and never grew up knowing what happened these times when my friends would miss school for them

ash wednesday is the beginning of lent, a 40 day period that precludes easter. you are supposed to suffer during this time to symbolize the suffering jesus went through for us when he was crucified. i am actually not too sure about the lent reasons, that is more catholic i think. good friday was when jesus was crucified and died on the cross for man's sins. easter sunday was when the stone for his tomb had been rolled away and the body was gone. christ had risen to defeat death and show that the way to heaven is open for anyone.
"the thrid day he rose from the dead to sit at thr right hand of God the Father Almighty. from whence he shall come to judge the quick the dead."

Originally posted by Vinin
What are some major holidays for? ex Easter, Ash wed, good friday? I am a buddhist american and never grew up knowing what happened these times when my friends would miss school for them

and christmas is to celebrate the birth of jesus christ, son of God and son of man, to the virgin Mary.

Originally posted by nael
ash wednesday is the beginning of lent, a 40 day period that precludes easter. you are supposed to suffer during this time to symbolize the suffering jesus went through for us when he was crucified.

I thought Lent represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, and he resisted temptation by the devil - so giving up something for Lent is to resist temptation.

Originally posted by C Elegans
Some other examples can be found in the marriage thread, posted by Waverly. There are passages in the bible saying you should eat your children

I'm sorry to be nitpicky, CE; but if you look in the marriage thread, you'll see I already commented on this. Waverly took things out of context in the most horrid way possible. The example you just listed, was not saying to eat your children. The city was under siege and famine and a lady tricked another desperate lady into killing and cooking her own son by promising that they would eat her son the next day, but then she hid her son. This was not at all portrayed as a good thing. Read the entire passage, which I posted in the marriage thread, IIRC.

@Waverly, I'm still mad at you about that horridly idiotic thing you did in the marriage thread and if you do something like that again, I will go to Buck about it.

@fable, see, I do not single you out...I fuss at everyone equally.

Originally posted by Aegis
DO you,a s a christian, believe that the pope should be considered infallible, even in his waning years, and degradedation of health?

I don't; but I'm protestant.

I've looked at the idea catholics have of apostolic succession and, personally, I think it's a load of BS; thus I don't believe it. One of the main reasons I think that is because of the time when there were two popes, one in france and one in rome. That kinda mixed everything up and ruined any real claim of apostolic succession, imo.

Originally posted by Vinin
What are some major holidays for? ex Easter, Ash wed, good friday? I am a buddhist american and never grew up knowing what happened these times when my friends would miss school for them

I haven't read all the posts, so someone might have answered this, but I'm gonna answer anyway.

Easter was originally a pagan holiday having to do with a fertility goddess(the origin of the eggs at easter, I think). The RCC took it and made it a Christian holiday. Fable knows more about the details here than I do as I don't really care about the details here.

Anyway, now Easter is celebrated, at least by Christians, as the day Christ rose from the dead.

Good Friday, I think, represents the day Christ died. I don't know much about this one, though.

I'll try to answer each of your questions one by one. Those I don't address now, I'll have to do so later.

@Elegans
How do christians decide whether a certain passage in the bible should be interpreted literally or symbolically?

EMINEM:
That depends on the context. The Bible is a big book, after all, consisting of historical narrative, wisdom literature, poetry, proverbs, letters, epistles, biographies, prophecies, and parables. I think Christians need to interpret the Bible literally where it's meant to be taken literally (ie. the Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount) , and figuratively where it's meant to be taken figuratively (.ie. the psalms of David, Ezekiel's prophetic visions).

@Elegans:
How to select what to follow and what not to follow?

EMINEM:
I think 99% of the time the Bible tells you clearly what to do, and what not to do; what to emulate, and what to avoid. Teachings range from general to specific, from laws that govern nations, to instructions for young men and women wrestling with masturbation - but the theme of holiness permeates each one. The hard part lies, not from trying to understand the teaching, but putting the teaching into practice. Furthermore, just as in sports, so it is in Christianity: the best way to learn soccer, for example, is to go out there and PLAY IT. You'll never learn the game just by studying the rule books, or reading about the life of Pele. In the same way, there are things about Biblical Christianity that intellectually make no sense, but once applied, and applied consistently, make all the sense in the world.

@Elegans:
During the history of christianity, it's obvious that many discretly different interpretations has been used by different groups in different times and cultures. Can we in some way conclude that some interpretations are more valid than others? How?

EMINEM:
A tree is known by it's fruit, and wisdom is proved right by her actions. If the interpretation (and subsequent application) of the Scripture produces good fruit (ie. unity, peace, acts of charity and kindness, repentence of sin, transformation of character, spread of the gospel) in the lives of the particular group and their hearers, it's safe bet their interpretation is faithful to the original meaning the Biblical writers intended. Correctly understood and applied, the Bible is a book of love, not a book of hate.

@Elegans:
Examples are of course numerous, and the bible also contains many contradictions, which is of course not surprising for a document that was written down by many different people during different periods.

EMINEM:
What "many contradictions" are you referring to?

@Elegans:
Is the Muslim God the same as the Christian God?

EMINEM:
No. They're not even close. The foundation of Christianity, the central truth upon which the whole structure stands or falls, can be summed up in four words: "Jesus Christ is God." No Muslim can make this confession without betraying the "shema" of Islam: "There is no God but Allah, Mohommed is his prophet." The Qu'ran (and Judaism for that matter) teaches that the Rabbi Yeshua Bar-Joseph from Nazareth was a great prophet, probably even Isreal's greatest, but not God incarnated in a human flesh, as the New Testament authors unambiguously testify.



There. Hope that was objective enough, and helpful.