Originally Posted By: ikillbux
Sigh.... frown I'm not sure if there's more Biblical ignorance out there, or just Biblical infidelity? As someone who endeavors in apologetics, I bristle at two common notions:

1) There are LOTS of things that God didn't spell out of for us, or didn't think it was necessary for us to know. That's bullcrap, you just aren't TRYING to understand it. Or you don't possess the skill to do so.
2) The utter casting aside of "authoritorial intent". That it doesn't matter if you understand certain "debated" topics, as long as you just love Jesus. (paraphrased) He had a single intent for every word in scripture--what did the author (God) mean??? That's like saying you love me, when all you know of me is just a few things I type on Aldeer.

99% of the "debated" topics that we supposedly weren't meant to understand, are actually answered. But there's a notion that Christianity isn't academic, that the stupidist of people can understand it. Well there's a difference in the universal effectiveness and graspability of the GOSPEL for salvation (soteriology--how you get saved), and the deep academic study of scriptures. You need the illuminating power of the Spirit for sure, but He will also prod you to use the aide of tools-- language studies, historical studies, cultural studies, advanced grammar and literary style practices, etc., and oftentimes just some fidelity to text/context. Basically everything that is put out there as mysterious or contradictory is just the result of ignorance (often wilful ignorance) and weak study. The messages I hear from pretty much all pulpits today is some of the most horrific butchering of scripture you could imagine. And it's filling the church (well, actually it's not) with folks who don't know jack-shat about what they believe. The most ill-equipped generation that has ever lived, incapable to defend scripture.

I have long decided that few things are more dangerous than a unsmart man reading his Bible at face value. If you do a proper study, there is NO debate about a literal 6-day Creation. The original language used the same word for DAY that is translated into a literal 1-day period of daylight/dark in other parts of scripture. Other references either used a different word, OR was a literary style that wasn't meant to be LITERAL. "I swear this day will never end"...do you literally take that as if this day is eternal??? Then why do you do the same thing when reading the Bible??? Literary style, people! Any other argument is a straw man, or proof of the effectiveness that Satan has in this world that he has been given temporary dominion over. If he can convince you of evolution and "millions of years", then throw your damn Bible away!!!!! You can't trust none of it. I swear when you tell a man long enough that he's a monkey, he'll eventually begin to act like it.


Well, you got me then, go ahead and educate me on where God spells out gravity, momentum, electricity, magnetism, or anything else that we can or can't see but know with full certainty exists. These things would have been considered magic at the time Genesis was written. And if you're going to default to the all encompassing "by His hand are all things created", then you should probably put down your rattlesnake and cyanide before you reply. All encompassing statements are NOT explanations. If everyone had read the Old Testament literally, then Christianity wouldn't have ever taken off because at the time it wasn't in the Bible.