Originally posted by Linda64:
[QB] </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />You didn't answer my question Linda. How does one determine who is actually listening to the Spirit and giving the correct interpretation of Scripture? You first respond by saying "discernment". Well, what if me and my buddy are trying to decide which of two conflicting interpretations is "spirit-led" and we come to different conclusions, both based on our "discernment". What next? How do we determine which of us really has this "discernment", since we each have discerned opposite conclusions from the the other about which is the true "spirit-led" interpretation, without falling into pure subjectivism? Then you say the only standard by which we can check who are "false teachers" is by God's Word (by which I assume you are limiting to Scriptures). But then we're back to square one--"God's Word" interpreted by whom? (The circular reasoning is now complete.... )
Now I know why you have the name Doubting Thomas--you must still be doubting God's Word and having the "magesterium" interpret" the Bible for you!! The Word of God is
"spiritual" and can only be "discerned" spiritually. The
"natural" mind cannot discern "spiritual" things. You cannot "discern" things, like God's Word with the
"natural" mind. God's Word is
"spiritual"-- that's why there are so many "interpretations".</font>[/QUOTE]Once again, you've yet to give me an objective way to determine which interpretation is spirit led--ie interpretations in which proponents of each conflicting interpretation both claim to have the "spiritual" mind as opposed to the "natural" one. So if my buddy and I are listening to these proponents of these contradictory yet both allegedly "spiritually" minded interpretations, and I believe (discern) interpretation A is "spiritual" while my buddy believes interpretation B is the "spiritual" one, how do I know who if I'm right or my friend is right? WE'RE NOWHERE CLOSER TO AN ANSWER.
You Catholics are like "blind guides". You are spiritually hardhearted (and spiritually blind) and unable to discern God's Word, yet you say that everyone else is wrong in using God's Word as the final authority. WOW
I'm not Catholic, but thanks for the presumptive lecture.

I can just as easily return the ad hominem attack and say that it is
you who is spiritually blind and hardhearted, unable to discern God's Word, since it is your interpretation of Scripture that is the incorrect one. You've yet to give me any valid way of determining objectively what is the true Spiritual interpretation of Scripture without collapsing into circular reasoning. WOW. Just throwing out Scripture passages doesn't help your case, because I'm asking how one determines who is right if two (or more) proponents of conflicting interpretations each claim to have "the annointing" and "the spiritual mind" and are "guided by the Holy Spirit". So far, it appears the best you seem to come up with is that those who have "spiritually minded" interpretations are the ones who happen to agree with
your interpretation since you presume that you're "spiritually minded" as well. If that's the case, how are you objectively any different from the Mormon who claims he knows he's correct in
his interpretation of Scripture by the "burning in the bosom"?