Originally posted by Nellinator
😆 I don't think anything like that would happen. I ground myself in the teachings of the whole Bible. I study more on my own with the intent purpose of avoiding being misled. That is why I have recently left my denomination. But you never know...
I am not saying that it will happen to you, but it does happen. When you think that there is a mystery that needs to be revealed to you, and you are outward looking, chances are you will look to another person for guidance. This is were someone with blind faith is at most risk of being controlled by someone with evil intent.
Originally posted by Nellinator
And so the Catholic Church is starting to crumble. They have forsaken their greatest principle and the backbone to their belief.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" John 1:1.
"All scripture is God-breathed" 2 Timothy 3:16.
"My words will never pass away" Matthew 24:35.This Jesuit Father is obviously not a supporter of the idea of divine inspiration and that is his choice. I choose to disagree with him. It is as peejayd said: some verses are figurative, others are literal, some are even both. Sometimes it is clear what is figurative and what is literal. Sometimes it is not and that is why we must study the scripture so that we may uncover the mysteries that it holds.
"But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" Daniel 2:28.
The Catholic Church's greatest principle, or at least what they consider their greatest principle, is tradition. Tradition is what the Catholic Church is centered on, not scripture. If tradition disagrees with some logical interpretation of scripture tradition will win out.
its more logical to take whats WRITTEN in account literally than find some hidden meaning which can only be found by a smart person as compared to the general populace in a book meant for the entire humanity, it might be true that only people with complex minds TRY to find something hidden in the bible but that doesnt make them any better or righter{in the relegious sense} than people who take it literally.
Originally posted by leonheartmm
its more logical to take whats WRITTEN in account literally than find some hidden meaning which can only be found by a smart person as compared to the general populace in a book meant for the entire humanity, it might be true that only people with complex minds TRY to find something hidden in the bible but that doesnt make them any better or righter{in the relegious sense} than people who take it literally.
Christ spoke in parables often. They were not meant to be taken literally. Revelations should be considered to possibly hold similar type as the parables. No one should claim they are "any better or righter" than another. It goes against the Biblical teachings of humility.
Matthew 13:10-13
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
I think that Revelations is given for some specific people to allow them to document the events appropriately as they occur. I also believe that I am not one of these. I also think Revelations can give a person insight into events as they occur and should not be dismissed because it is difficult to understand. Also, one should appreciate other individual's perception of the text as possibly edifying as to the content, while taking it with a grain of salt.
Edit: I just looked at that, and sorry for the horrible overuse of the term "also".
Originally posted by leonheartmm
its more logical to take whats WRITTEN in account literally than find some hidden meaning which can only be found by a smart person as compared to the general populace in a book meant for the entire humanity, it might be true that only people with complex minds TRY to find something hidden in the bible but that doesnt make them any better or righter{in the relegious sense} than people who take it literally.
1 Corinthians 13:2 says, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. Both the greatest of these is love."
God wants us to love each other more than he wants faith and knowledge of scripture.
Originally posted by The Disagreer
1 Corinthians 13:2 says, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. Both the greatest of these is love."
God wants us to love each other more than he wants faith and knowledge of scripture.
Very nice.
To answer the thread title, no.
I'm reading The Stand right now, and there is an old woman--Mother Abagail--who is the most religious person of a group of survivors of an epidemic. She quotes scripture to herself and others, she compares herself to people in the Old Testament, and here is what exemplifies my point exactly:
Originally written by Stephen King
"Oh, Nick," Mother Abagail said, "I have harbored hate of the Lord in my heart. Every man or woman who loves Him, they hate Him too, because He's a hard God, a jealous God, He Is, what He Is, and in this world He's apt to repay service with pain while those who do evil ride over the roads in Cadillac cars. Even the joy of serving Him is a bitter joy. I do His will, but the human part o me has cursed Him in my heart. 'Abby,' the Lord says to me, 'there's work for you far up ahead. So I'll let you live an live, until your flesh is bitter on your bones. I'll let you see all your children die ahead of you and still you'll walk the earth. I'll let you see your daddy's lan taken away piece by piece. And in the end, your reward will be to go away with strangers from all the things you love the best and you'll die in a strange land with the work not yet finished. That's My will, Abby,' says He, and 'Yes, Lord,' says I, 'Thy will be done,' and in my heart I curse Him and ask, 'Why, why, why?' and the only answer I get is 'Where were you when I made the world?'"
[That's copied accurately, by the way.]