A conservative scholar is conversing in a public dialogue with Marcus Borg, and the conversation goes as follows:
Conservative Scholar: "In addition to all [the] historical arguments for being confident that Jesus rose physically and bodily from the dead, there is one more reason I know these stores are true -- and that's because I walk with Jesus every day."
Marcus Borg responded: "I accept completely the truth of your statement that you walk with Jesus every day. Now, if I were to follow you around with a camera, would there be a time during the day when I could get a picture of the two of you?" Borg continued, "Of course, that's silly. But my point is: I think your statement is really true, even though I don't for a moment imagine that it's literally true."
This is possibly one of, if not the best, depictions of how the Bible can be a truth for the Christian religion and faith as a whole, yet not necessarily be a mandatory literal read. Truth exists on so many levels, beyond interpreting anything written down in a word-for-word fashion. Taking away the overall meaning of subject-matter, interpreting metaphor or other literary devices, or understanding that something was relevant to a particular time-frame in history and perhaps does not apply quite as directly (or at all) in the modern world, are only a few ways in which we determine truth from ... not "lies" per-se, but "mis-information" perhaps is the best word.
Information and knowledge are amazing things.. but knowledge in the hands of an unthinking uncritical mind can be a dangerous weapon.
Conservative Scholar: "In addition to all [the] historical arguments for being confident that Jesus rose physically and bodily from the dead, there is one more reason I know these stores are true -- and that's because I walk with Jesus every day."
Marcus Borg responded: "I accept completely the truth of your statement that you walk with Jesus every day. Now, if I were to follow you around with a camera, would there be a time during the day when I could get a picture of the two of you?" Borg continued, "Of course, that's silly. But my point is: I think your statement is really true, even though I don't for a moment imagine that it's literally true."
This is possibly one of, if not the best, depictions of how the Bible can be a truth for the Christian religion and faith as a whole, yet not necessarily be a mandatory literal read. Truth exists on so many levels, beyond interpreting anything written down in a word-for-word fashion. Taking away the overall meaning of subject-matter, interpreting metaphor or other literary devices, or understanding that something was relevant to a particular time-frame in history and perhaps does not apply quite as directly (or at all) in the modern world, are only a few ways in which we determine truth from ... not "lies" per-se, but "mis-information" perhaps is the best word.
Information and knowledge are amazing things.. but knowledge in the hands of an unthinking uncritical mind can be a dangerous weapon.
