It sounds to me as though you believe that any reading of xtian texts that does not jibe with your own is childish. It is quite possible to read the texts and come to the conclusion that they are not what they purport to be, nor what xtian dogma holds them out to be. That is not a childish conclusion, nor is it a misapprehension. It is simply a position that is not based on credulity. Indeed, one could even say that it is the person deriding others as being immature who is in fact behaving childishly.
“It sounds to me as though you believe that any reading of xtian texts that does not jibe with your own is childish.”
No, it doesn’t sound like that to you at all. You are merely reaching for something uncomplimentary to say.
“It is quite possible to read the texts and come to the conclusion that they are not what they purport to be, nor what xtian dogma holds them out to be.”
Now there’s a revelation: People can be mistaken. Stop the presses.
“That is not a childish conclusion, nor is it a misapprehension.”
You fail to understand the argument I made about a child’s understanding of theology. As for misapprehension, yes, it is.
“It is simply a position that is not based on credulity.”
It is a position based on a level of cynicism that is completely unjustified.
“Indeed, one could even say that it is the person deriding others as being immature who is in fact behaving childishly.”
It would be more accurate to say that a person who misunderstands an argument, then mischaracterizes it as “deriding,” who is in fact behaving childishly.
You wrote: “It sounds to me as though you believe that any reading of xtian texts that does not jibe with your own is childish. It is quite possible to read the texts and come to the conclusion that they are not what they purport to be, nor what xtian dogma holds them out to be. That is not a childish conclusion, nor is it a misapprehension. It is simply a position that is not based on credulity. Indeed, one could even say that it is the person deriding others as being immature who is in fact behaving childishly.”
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My response:
What exactly is your point? That any interpretation of the Bible (or any other ancient writing, for that matter) is as good as another, or that it is “childish” to deride someone’s beliefs just because they cloak them with the title “religious belief”? Are all religious views beyond scrutiny, no matter how ridiculous? If I say, my belief is that the universe was created by the sugar plum fairies that dance in my backyard on Tuesday evenings, is it childish for someone to say I have no rational basis for my belief? If I say, all people who believe in a supernatural deity are credulous, is that childish? Or are the childish people the ones who believe their “souls” fly off to “heaven” when their hearts stop beating?