Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00159)

LOL! Still there is something to be learned from almost any encounter. I
would always ask where exactly in the bible does it say that the bible is
the infallible word of God? I can hear the somber warning even today:
"Don't doubt the Word of God!"

lol,
Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry F Kolts" <llkingston2@juno.com>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World "slanders quashed and settled"


> Hi Bill,
>
> The arguement I always thought was interesting goes something like:
>
> The Bible is the infallible word of God
>
> How do you know that?
>
> Why, it says so right in the Bible!
>
> And remember...
>
> He who thinks he has no faults had just found the first one.
>
> Larry
>
> On Thu, 7 Feb 2002 11:49:32 -0500 "Bill Meredith" <bilmer@surfsouth.com>
> writes:
> > Hey Paul,
> > Yes I agree with your assessment below. I am interested methods
> > for
> > reclaiming one's freedom from the rigidity of thought that seems to
> > lurk
> > under every rock.
> >
> > I went to an Uncle's funeral yesterday, and as expected the preacher
> > spent
> > more time trying to save souls for Jesus than he did in a dignified
> > marking
> > of my Uncle' passage. As I listened to this self-proclaimed
> > God-fearing
> > preacher I was struck repeatedly by the tangled web of
> > contradictions that
> > he had come to accept as truth.
> > I will give but one example: He made the following remarks within
> > two
> > minutes of each other:
> > "God is almighty and all knowing."
> > "God does not intend for any man to burn in hell."
> > "Men who die without first accepting the Lord will burn in hell
> > forever."
> > "God loves each of us."
> >
> > How can one not notice the contradictions? Now I am aware of
> > non-literal
> > interpretations of these quotes that render them less contradictory
> > and
> > maybe even esoterically supportive. The preacher was not preaching
> > esoterically. I know that if I start sending in commentary to this
> > list
> > that contains evident contrary conditions, I want someone to point
> > them out
> > to me. Not because I like being proven wrong, but because I want to
> > keep
> > tabs on where my thinking is taking me.
> > Keep up these kinds of posts. They help me to see the process I use
> > to
> > select words and phrases.
> >
> > regards,
> > Bill
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "kpauljohnson" <kpauljohnson@yahoo.com>
> > To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 9:44 AM
> > Subject: Theos-World "slanders quashed and settled"
> >
> >
> > > --- In theos-talk@y..., <dalval14@e...> wrote:
> > > > So far. as I read those posts, they have on the main, repeated
> > > > slanders that were quashed and settled years ago.
> > >
> > > This phrase is telling, and provides an opportunity to discuss
> > > principles without reference to personalities. What Dallas
> > > calls "slanders that were quashed and settled years ago" I and
> > many
> > > others would call "questions that remain unresolved despite a
> > hundred
> > > years of Theosophical and anti-Theosophical polemics, and which
> > are
> > > now receiving long overdue historical examination." Is this a
> > matter
> > > of fact, or of opinion? Are there not objective criteria that
> > would
> > > determine whether an issue has really been settled years ago or
> > not?
> > > Dallas may wish that these "slanders" had been "quashed" but even
> > a
> > > cursory glance at recent writings on HPB shows that the issues in
> > > question remain quite alive.
> > >
> > > The temptation to *pretend* that a controversy had been settled
> > years
> > > ago, even when it is abundantly clear that it had not, is
> > > understandable. It allows believers to file the most hot-button
> > > issues away in a drawer marked "not even worth thinking about."
> > > For example, some Mormons would claim that anyone who says that
> > the
> > > Book of Mormon is not an ancient document but rather a 19th
> > century
> > > production is slandering Joseph Smith. Christian Scientists would
> > > say that anyone who says that Mrs. Eddy got a great deal of her
> > > system from P.P. Quimby is slandering her. And so on down the
> > line.
> > > Some Mormons have written works that purport to prove the
> > historicity
> > > of the Book of Mormon. Some Christian Scientists have written
> > > biographies that attempt to dismiss the influence of Quimby on
> > Eddy.
> > > And some members of these groups would say that any non-Mormon or
> > non-
> > > CS who raises these issues from the POV of historical scholarship
> > is
> > > merely repeating slanders that were quashed and settled years ago.
> > I
> > > think that word "quashed" speaks volumes about the mindset of such
> > > believers. Dallas goes on to say:
> > >
> > > On the basis
> > > > of fairness and accuracy in reporting, I have always understood
> > > > that true scholarship was impersonal. Hence in the service of
> > > > accuracy, such true scholarship reveals every side of a question
> > > > as a matter of course.
> > >
> > > Which means that religious believers who declare the topics
> > explored
> > > by historical researchers "slanders quashed and settled years ago"
> > > (despite abundant evidence to the contrary) lack the impersonality
> > > required for true scholarship.
> > >
> > > If this is not done, then the research is
> > > > either fragmentary and unfinished, or it is opinionated, and as
> > > > such, it does not yet deserve the designation of "history."
> > > >
> > > All historical research is fragmentary and unfinished. All
> > > historical works include opinion. There is not a finite number
> > > of "sides" past which we can say there aren't any more left;
> > people
> > > will keep looking at new sides as long as the subject in question
> > > attracts new historical research.
> > >
> > > PJ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
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