The Bishop is trying to give old company a make-over, rebadged it and sell it to a modern audience.
Spong: "Why We Must Reclaim The Bible From Fundamentalists"
by leavingwt 87 Replies latest jw friends
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botchtowersociety
McD's brought back the McRib.
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PSacramento
I like the Mcrib, Ihave no idea why, but I do !
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PSacramento
The issue really isn't fundamentalisim ( very few people see the Amish as a thread for example and are there any that are more fundamentalist than them?), the issue is the very vocal and seemingly intolerant minority that resorts to taking the bible literally and at times out of context, to push their own social-political agendas.
That is what the rest of christianity should have issues with.
The issue that people have with Christianity is NOT the Christ did miracles or was ressurected, the issues are gay bashing (sometimes violent), abortion clinic bombings and protesting, shunning, suicide in the name of "god" ( blood ban), etc.
Lets be honest, most people couldn't care less if other people believe the earth was created in 6 days, just as most people that deny evolution couldn't care less if people believe we all evolved from some common ancestor, n one really cares all that much because those things don't really effect pur daily lives to a great degree ( it at all), BUT we all care about hate, intolerance, violence and death.
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leavingwt
I thought that the portion below was interesting.
I know because in my life as a priest and a bishop I have both served typical congregations and been privileged to study and to teach in some of the best known Christian academic centers in the world. In academia I discovered that issues and insights, commonplace among the scholars, are viewed as highly controversial and even as "heresy" in the churches.
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PSacramento
Yeah, but he doesn't say whether thsoe views are held by SOME or MOSt scholars.
Have read Ehrman's, Metzger's, Wright's and som any others works I cna say that YES some scholard have "heretical views", but that doesn't make them right nor the majority or even "commonplace".
That said, most academic scholars do tend to view soem doctrines of the various churchs in different ways.
While the vast majority agree with the trinitarian doctrine, as an example, not all agree with bible inerrency or even the literal interpretation of Genesis and this is NOTHINg new since even in the early stages of Christianity those things were not agreed on 100% by All.
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ProdigalSon
Thanks leavingWT. I agree with every word Spong writes here. I will put this book into my reading queue.
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leavingwt
Ding: Do you view Spong as a dangerous man?
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sir82
couldn't care less if people believe we all evolved from some common ancestor, n one really cares all that much because those things don't really effect pur daily lives to a great degree
I think it affects our lives to an enormous degree.
Thanks to "evolutionist" scientists, more & better medications can be developed from studying how genetic information changes over time.
If all scientists accepted the fundamentalist view that all creation came into existence "as is" a few thousand years ago, no one would have studied such genetic information, and we'd still be dying by the millions from TB, the plague, smallpox, etc.
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onemore
When it comes to a balance view and take on Christiany, I feel that N.T Wright (Bishop of Durham, Anglican Church of England) is one of the most pragmatic and balance Christian scholar out there. I have read some of his books, and I find myself feeling more comfortable with the ideas and perspectives that he proposes in in writtings.
I highly recomend these books
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to read the Bible today-..http://www.amazon.com/Scripture-Authority-God-Bible-Today/dp/0062011952/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319828712&sr=1-6
Surprised by Hope and Evil and the Justice of God.