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Forum nameOkay Activist Archives
Topic subjectRight, but
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=22&topic_id=19344&mesg_id=19403
19403, Right, but
Posted by janey, Tue Dec-05-00 06:25 AM
Let's unpack this a little bit. We can't just make that statement and not expect a little opposition from the believers in those religious texts, because it is a part of their belief that the texts were written by men who were divinely inspired. Maybe not automatic writing, but at least under the personal direction of God.

So we need to see that the statement standing alone won't make headway with anyone who is already arguing that a religious text says that gays are damned. We might, on the other hand, be able to explore the openness of that person's mind by talking with them about what divine inspiration means. Does it mean dictation? Not usually. Usually it means that the person doesn't receive the exact words to put down, but receives a spiritual gift of communication skills and a message to relay. But the message isn't necessarily in words, and the person who is struggling to put the divine message into words is hampered by his cultural contexts, by his language and its limitations, by his own grasp of that language, and by the agenda or marketing that he is wrapping the words in.

For example, look at the four Gospels. They all tell the same story, but they tell it from different perspectives and to different audiences. And they have very different impacts. For example, Matthew was writing for a Jewish community and so made a lot of effort to pull in all the prophesies and signs and symbols that would speak to a Jewish audience.

Whoops. Better stop while I'm ahead. Don't get me started on this. I love the way the Gospels differ and the comparison of them. I love how there's this theme in Mark of Christ taking bread, blessing it, BREAKING IT, and distributing it, and what a perfect metaphor that is for anyone who gives him or herself to God, in whatever way. But I'm not teaching a theology class here, and you guys would get bored really fast if I were, so I'll shut up now. ;-)

Peace.

Some days, there's nothing but air. -- Frank Romeo Cockatiel