Grass flourishes in warmer Antarctic

The Sunday Times - Britain ^ | December 26, 2004 | Jonathan Leake, Science Editor

[Finny]

Oh -- humbly ask you to excuse my reply -- I see that you're saying that one sin and we're destined for hell except via the Redeemer. I misread and misreplied.

You still have really said nothing to convince me of anything but the idea that you are contorting your mind, closing yourself off to alternative possibilities, and denying many things, in order to accommodate your narrow interpretation of the Bible. Again, the Bible is very, very confusing and contradictory and hard to understand, and for every person who reads it, there is a different interpretation of it. The printing press gave mankind the freedom and the option to read the Word each for himself, as opposed to days prior when those in power in the church interpreted it -- and enforced said interpretation -- on everyone. You are acting as if it's all very clear, cut and dried, when it is not. The only thing that, to me, is cut and dried in the bible is its advice on how to behave to each other and behave within a moral framework. That I feel confident that I understand fairly well, and I also know that anyone who, like yourself, claims to understand all of the Bible, is leading himself on.

[editor-surveyor]

"You still have really said nothing to convince me of anything but the idea that you are contorting your mind, closing yourself off to alternative possibilities, and denying many things, in order to accommodate your narrow interpretation of the Bible."

Could it be possible that you are simply a Gnostic?

God's word is not difficult to understand if you are willing to accept it God's way. It only becomes difficult when you wish to stretch it to conform to what you wish it to say. My understanding is in conformance with the basic orthodox Christian belief system commonly known as protestant fundamentalism. We accept his word as inerrant, fully inspired, and sufficient for all aspects of life.

"The printing press gave mankind the freedom and the option to read the Word each for himself, as opposed to days prior when those in power in the church interpreted it -- and enforced said interpretation -- on everyone."

While that statement is essentially true for those of us fortunate enough to live in the western world, it doesn't mean that just any interpretation is equally correct. The Bible has a specific message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, sent to his elect, and intended only for their understanding. The Lord made it plain during his stay here on earth that his elect was only a small 'remnant' of the population of the earth, and it was to them that he was speaking. That was the reason for the parables; he was definately hiding his message from the serpant's seed, although he said also that they would reject it anyway.

I've never met anyone who claims to understand all of the Bible, and parts of it may be deliberately obscured until specific points in time, as Daniels prophecies were 'sealed' from Israel at the time they were written yet are readily understandable today, but you are wrong to assume that the word is so difficult to understand. Pray and read with faith that understanding will be given to you, and you will have greater satisfaction. The Bible is one work, and no part of it contradicts another. If you perceive a contradiction, pray and read again, it's not real.