3 ms·

When you see the loopier parts of American Protestant theology (Dominionism and Dispensationalism, anyone?) the Catholic bishops may have had a point. As I unde

When you see the loopier parts of American Protestant theology (Dominionism and Dispensationalism, anyone?) the Catholic bishops may have had a point. As I understand it, in Judaism you are discouraged from studying the Bible without a study partner, because without one you might easily leave the confines of reason and orthodoxy. So it's not just the Catholics who think you shouldn't make stuff up out out thin air in the name of religion.

tesmar2 6y ago
Dominionism is simply a return to the Puritan ethic that the teachings of the Bible should influence every aspect of the world. I’d agree about dispensationalism, but it’s a stretch to say that people shouldn’t study the Bible by themselves just because an errant doctrine may enter their head. I mean, look at all the errant doctrines of Rome, it hasn’t helped them any.
TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
To outsiders they're no more loopy than anything you'll find in Catholicism, or in any of the tens of thousands of other mainstream and fringe denominations. The Bible has always been more of a political powerplay than a coherent text. It can literally be interpreted convincingly to support any moral position, from slavery and genocide of unbelievers to soup kitchens for the poor. It's the ultimate meta-text - a patchwork of absolute inconsistency, which makes it possible for anyone with a yearning for political power to cherry pick from it for an effective Proof by Authority gambit. And so all Christians invariably believe their own personal interpretation is the correct one and all other interpretations are more or less obviously wrong. And some will literally fight each other violently over this. A moment's thought should suggest there's something a bit strange and unconvincing about this.

3 ms·

When you see the loopier parts of American Protestant theology (Dominionism and Dispensationalism, anyone?) the Catholic bishops may have had a point. As I unde

by HarryHirsch 6y ago

tesmar2 6y ago
Dominionism is simply a return to the Puritan ethic that the teachings of the Bible should influence every aspect of the world. I’d agree about dispensationalism, but it’s a stretch to say that people shouldn’t study the Bible by themselves just because an errant doctrine may enter their head. I mean, look at all the errant doctrines of Rome, it hasn’t helped them any.
TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
To outsiders they're no more loopy than anything you'll find in Catholicism, or in any of the tens of thousands of other mainstream and fringe denominations. The Bible has always been more of a political powerplay than a coherent text. It can literally be interpreted convincingly to support any moral position, from slavery and genocide of unbelievers to soup kitchens for the poor. It's the ultimate meta-text - a patchwork of absolute inconsistency, which makes it possible for anyone with a yearning for political power to cherry pick from it for an effective Proof by Authority gambit. And so all Christians invariably believe their own personal interpretation is the correct one and all other interpretations are more or less obviously wrong. And some will literally fight each other violently over this. A moment's thought should suggest there's something a bit strange and unconvincing about this.