tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post945989753995621636..comments2023-05-21T03:53:49.288-05:00Comments on Icarus Always: Cultural Relativism :Two Way Street?daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09153553633523797522noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-65804012164754822782010-11-03T14:29:31.905-05:002010-11-03T14:29:31.905-05:00@DisputedMutability,
I think you are balancing cu...@DisputedMutability,<br /><br />I think you are balancing cultural sexual norms and doctrines of faith on the same scale. The two don't seem to relate to each other all that much.<br /><br />One is how we relate to the humans around us and the other is how we relate to God himself.<br /><br />The choosing to examine the past with an eye on the present does not seem to be a way of picking and choosing certain things to dismiss as it is the realization that what was thought to be correct 1000's of years ago, is not necessarily so today.<br /><br />The doctrines that apply to salvation have little to do with cultural norms, mores and laws that governed a people that long since ceased to exist and practice as they once did. If we are to keep these "laws" such that they are, then why are we so dismissive of others? <br /><br />Seems to me that each church picks and chooses what they accept and do not accept. There are over 2350 verses that deal with money in the Bible, but only 6 or 7 that (maybe) deal with homosexuality as we know it.<br /><br />The concept of a noble "struggle" with SSA, homosexuality or whatever one wants to call it is not a life I am willing to chose. It seems a rather feeble argument against something that Jesus himself never even bothered addressing.<br /><br />Daemondaemonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09153553633523797522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-42804750742151472322010-11-03T13:35:37.553-05:002010-11-03T13:35:37.553-05:00Hi Daemon,
I dunno, I tried the "hey, maybe ...Hi Daemon,<br /><br />I dunno, I tried the "hey, maybe they were just WRONG" approach a while ago. But it didn't really work for me, because it seemed to me that if I'm going to take that attitude toward the parts of Scripture that I don't like or don't make sense to me, then I shouldn't get to trust the Bible or be comforted by the Bible when it comes to the parts I do like but which don't necessarily proceed from common sense. <br /><br />So, for example, the idea of an afterlife. The idea of heaven. The idea of an omniscient, omnipotent, and loving God. The idea of God Himself becoming man in the person of Jesus and dwelling among us. The idea of Jesus dying for my sins and reconciling me to God. The idea of Christ's resurrection, triumphing over death, crushing Satan underfoot. The idea of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, bearing good fruit in my life. The idea that God is working everything for my good, so that I never need to live in fear. The idea that Jesus has called me to join with Him in the glorious and exciting task of advancing His kingdom, working for the redemption of all things, in love and in service.<br /><br />All of these are happy thoughts for me. :) But in their own way, they're rather wildly crazy and improbable ideas, maybe even crazier than the idea that we shouldn't have sex with people of the same sex. And what authority do I have for these things besides Scripture? None that I can see. <br /><br />I'm sure others have thought about this in different ways, but for me it only seems fair that if I'm going to allow myself to trust and put my faith in the parts I like, I have to be willing to at least wrestle with the texts I don't like, to take them seriously and try to figure out how best to understand them. <br /><br />This doesn't mean I have to accept the most common or accepted or literal interpretation of each and every verse I see. I don't believe I have to be a flat-footed fundamentalist--I think I can take other parts of the Bible and even the past couple of millennia of Christian teaching to try to understand things in a more nuanced way. And I can try to learn about the cultural setting of the time, and try to discern where the Bible is actually endorsing and teaching something, and where it is simply taking for granted the cultural assumptions of the peoples for whom it was originally written. And I don't I have to rush to come to a final conclusion on what my understanding is. I believe I can leave things open for further prayer and study. I believe I can accept some degree of mystery.<br /><br />But I guess in general I don't really see outright dismissal of particular parts of Scripture as an option for me if I'm going to remain a Christian. Maybe that's not the best approach, but I guess that's just where I'm at now?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-16781794013519147402010-11-02T03:05:39.908-05:002010-11-02T03:05:39.908-05:00My good friend is in the midst of reading this boo...My good friend is in the midst of reading this book and it deals exactly with the topic you've mentioned.<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Slaves-Women-Homosexuals-Exploring-Hermeneutics/dp/0830815619<br /><br />From what I've heard I think it'll be really helpful for you as well. Miss you buddy!Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469539133143667628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-33302752531420652112010-10-31T22:28:15.591-05:002010-10-31T22:28:15.591-05:00@Anonymous
I was not aware I had an "agenda&...@Anonymous<br /><br />I was not aware I had an "agenda"? Our versions of "christianity" may be a bit different, but that is neither here nor there.<br /><br />My questions are about Cultural Relativism, not my grasp or comprehension of early church history.<br /><br />Anything relevant to say besides "not" being nitpicking and correcting my perception of historical chronology?<br /><br />Daemondaemonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09153553633523797522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-10885078604261465762010-10-31T15:33:35.947-05:002010-10-31T15:33:35.947-05:00I'm aware that Christians eschewed violence un...I'm aware that Christians eschewed violence until after the Edict of Milan. It wasn't until Christianity became mixed with politics that violence became an acceptable expression of Christianity. You won't find any examples of violence by Christians in the N.T. Sorry if that doesn't support your agenda.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-91386302671910065362010-10-31T14:59:35.252-05:002010-10-31T14:59:35.252-05:00@Anonymous
I understand the narrow scope of your ...@Anonymous<br /><br />I understand the narrow scope of your view, but are you familiar with world history at the time, post J.C.?daemonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09153553633523797522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-9363211835719761972010-10-31T12:11:28.441-05:002010-10-31T12:11:28.441-05:00"Another topic, homicide and genocide. Lookin..."Another topic, homicide and genocide. Looking at the Old and New Testament we find examples of homicide and mass genocide of people simply because of their ethnicity, religious practice, ownership of land and all other kinds of reasons."<br /><br />Not to be nitpicky, but I don't recall any examples of mass genocide in the NT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191814566134809079.post-6993961344920988152010-10-30T20:08:18.557-05:002010-10-30T20:08:18.557-05:00Excellent question and post. The first question I...Excellent question and post. The first question I'd ask in response: are inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness guaranteed in Scripture? Do the Scriptures, in view of their endorsement of the image of God in man, guarantee such human rights as a part of the package of living?<br /><br />Slavery was not endorsed by the Bible; instead it was regulated. And so the second question I'd ask is, are you evaluating slavery in biblical times through the lens of slavery in the US in the 1800s? To do so is as myopic as me saying something like, "Franklin Roosevelt's secretary sent all his emails for him."<br /><br />(I don't, by the way, mean any offense...I'm evaluating your ideas and asking questions in conjunction with your thoughts...and I actually think a lot of you for asking these questions in the first place.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com