When God created

First of all--and I have stated this elsewhere--I do not agree with Joshua on several issues, but I think it is terribly unChristlike to beat someone over the head with the Bible.

Actually, I'll shock Joshua and Russell but also Bob and John when I say I believe Adam and Eve were historical people. Now, that'll teach all of you to pidgeonhole me! On the other hand, I don't think the first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. So, by these two examples you can see that I'm neither fundamentalist nor liberal in my interpretation of scripture.

Now, let me ask you fundamentalists-of-the-right this( oh, BTW, I do believe there are also fundies-of-the-left): If you believe all scripture is inspired, do you believe it is all EQUALLY inspired? If so, how do you account for the passage in Kings where it is said that God sent bears out of the woods to devour children for simply calling the prophet "baldy"? If you consider this inspired, my next question is, who inspired it? Not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I contend; it is a misrepresentation and maligning of the character of God.

The Bible as a whole is the inspired word of God, and it is infallible and inerrant as to purpose. But isn't it just possible that a few things made it in there which come from man and not from God? Before you deny that possibility and call me a raving heretic worthy of damnation and the fires of hell, I shall point out that the apostle Paul specifically stated in one particular case that what he was saying was from him only and not from God.

The Bible should not be used as a club with which to assault other Christians. A Christian may be wrong on some things, but if that person has accepted Christ as his/her personal Savior, he/she is still a Christian. To paraphrase John Wesley: To be mistaken on some things and ignorant on many more is the condition of man. Or, as the Bible puts it, we all "see through a glass darkly." And it doesn't add, "Except for fundamentalists."

 

Did I misunderstand you to say that you do not think God sent a bear out to kill children who called the prophet names? Why would that not be literally true? Especially in the OT, God's wrath is quite in evidence. There are quite a few times in the OT when God struck people dead or meted out "harsh" judgment for speaking against the person He had placed in authority. It wasn't just about children and bears. It was about ridiculing the authority (which the children almost certainly learned from their parents!) God had no tolerance for that in the OT. The issue of authority is particularly one that God takes very seriously, whether in OT or NT or now.

-- Danette

 

Bob,

"Truly a Christian"? Questioning my salvation again, Bob?

 

Bob,

Well, yes, I guess I would say I'm "middle of the road"; I think I have a couple of views which might be considered liberal but also a good many conservative views. I think you're definitely to the right of me, and Joshua is to the left--but the extreme right and extreme left, I don't know. I do know that neither of you are mean-spirited-- unlike some liberals and conservatives I've encountered.

Yeah, God has a way of throwing opposites together sometimes and expecting them to learn how to deal with each other in a Christlike manner, doesn't He?

 

Bob, I've met people well to the right of you and way to the left of me. As I've mentioned before, I'm actually considered conservative in some local clergy circles.

Joshua

 

What circles would that be Josh? you make former President Clinton look conservative.

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: Joey M ]

 

Joey, I'm pretty sure I'm more conservative than President Clinton.

I travel mostly in liberal baptist circles (the Alliance of Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship), but I also visit the congregations of clergymembers who are in the clergy association which I coordinate. Since I am rather conservative on things like the deity of Christ and the resurrection, in those circles I represent the voice for conservativism and orthodoxy.

Joshua