I'm trying to figure this out. As it has been from the beginning, God's Word has been under attack. From the first, "Did God really say ...?" in Genesis 3 all the way up through modern biblical criticism ("Sure, that's clear, but we're pretty sure it doesn't mean what it clearly says because we know better.") the war continues. From the haughty "biblical scholar" whose biblical scholarship includes all the necessary tools to explain how biblical scholarship is pointless to the casual Christian who couldn't tell you what's in the Book because, "Hey, how important can it be?", God's Word sits in Satan's sights.
There are, however, a relatively few who believe that the Bible is important, practical, reliable, even readable. It can be generally understood without an extensive education while providing a rich depth of truth that can be drawn from repeated imbibing of its texts. Most people hold their own views up as the standard by which they measure all other truths. "If it appears right to me, it is. If not, it isn't." These relative few think in reverse. "God's Word is right and I will correct what I believe is right by it."
So there you have the two basic types. One knows what they know and measure truth by what they know. The other believes they are possibly (likely?) (surely?) mistaken and measure truth by God's Word. Here's my quandary. Which one is more open-minded? The ones that are sure that they are right or the ones that are sure they aren't and God's Word is right? I'm truly having trouble deciding.
3 comments:
I’d vote for the second option.
I would as well, but at the same time, I don't insist that I'm right so much as insist that those who think I'm not need to be more convincing. Indeed, I'd appreciate it if they were because I'd prefer to be corrected than live on wrongly believing I'm right. I try not to be so open minded as to allow my brain to fall out, but I can be persuaded with a good case.
Marshal, I know what you mean. Sometimes I think (is that too mild? "Am convinced that") that those who disagree with me think I've come to this conclusion out of something other than reason and evidence. It's likely stupidity. It's certainly hate. It's probably racism. (I cannot figure out why "God's Word says that we must examine ourselves to see that we're in the faith" elicits a "Racist!" accusation.) All sorts of possibilities, but not reasoned. I believe that they often come to their conclusions by reason; I just disagree with their reasoning. They don't afford me the same recognition.
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