John 1

[Steve Consilvio]

Is it fair to say there are those who read the scripture, go to their place of worship, pray, and still lead a faulty life? Not in the generic sense of being a sinner, but turn the scripture on its head in how they interpret it?


For example, the Commandments say "do not kill.' This becomes reinterpreted to 'do not kill until you see the whites of their eyes' (The battlecry of the American Revolution at Bunker Hill.) While the Minutemen did not claim to be speaking about religion, they were encouraged by religious leaders to overthrow the King. Which gets back to my point: The most educated and scholarly are fully capable of turning the message completely on its head, even though they themselves are leaders occupying a role of prominence.


Is it fair to say that this human error is not limited to any particular religion or denomination? While Christianity has a hierarchical schism with the Pope, don't all religions have the same schisms, and each schism has its favored scholars that reinforce their interpretation?


You wrote

But it is very easy to investigate his words and come up with your own conclusion.

Aren't we then back to where we began, placing limits on God.


For example, earlier you objected to the Holy Spirit, but Jesus describes the Holy Spirit, as does the Koran:

171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the holy Spirit,

There is a world of difference between saying the Spirit and the trinity doesn't exist, and saying that people should pray to God, not the trinity.


Doesn't it seem odd (it does to me) that a religion that prays five times a day based around a great many minute details, should object to how others pray? The 'traditions' of all religions are embellished with habits that are not scripturally sound. The worst offense, of course, being that we pray separately. We have churches across the street from synagogues across the street from mosques and multitudes of each in the same town, if not on the same street. We all seem willing to tolerate our own bigotry, are we not?


Christ's complaint was that the Pharisees were not on track. Muhammad in the quote above suggests the Christians are off track. Luther suggested that the Pope was off track. It would seem that everybody is sure they are on the right track.


If the truth is so obvious, then why is it so hard to see, for everyone? What makes knowledge superior to understanding? It seems to me that the scholars have the same potential to mislead everyone as they do to lead them.


My point being that I am more interested in your opinion than what scholars say. They are a dime a dozen. As you said, we can decide for ourselves. Our relationship to God is through one another.