When has religion irked you personally and why?

Yes, they can be wrong. If they say God created the universe in 7 days when this is not true they are wrong.

I claim (well... the true specialists on these issues - the ones you've obviously not read) that foundational poetic myths and other forms of human expression of basic realities (literature, art) can have multiple layers of meaning. And multiple layers of meaning cannot be simply reduced to "right" or "wrong" statements (as the univocal natural sciences try to do). That's why we have whole fields devoted to interpretation (exegesis, hermeneutics).

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

maliager has claimed that the catholic church is the only 'true' church chosen by god.

we continue to wonder where maliagar gets his beliefs, because they are not consistent with church dogma.

he interprets things in ways that confounds most people...

including christians, egnostics, and atheists.

As a representative of the catholic church, he has declared nothing.

Craven de Kere wrote:

Yes, they can be wrong. If they say God created the universe in 7 days when this is not true they are wrong.

You are the one who is very wrong.

For those chapters to be "wrong" in the sense you imply (empirical, purely descriptive, univocal), they would have had to be written with a similar purpose by an author with a similar mindset. But if you try to read in them an intent that was alien to their author, then you're missing the whole point he was trying to convey (which, I must say, is what you keep on doing). A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF TEXT INTERPRETATION IS: LOOK FOR THE AUTHOR'S INTENT. AND TO DO IT, YOU NEED TO PLACE YOURSELF IN HIS CULTURAL MILIEU.

If you're unable to do this, and keep reading a 4000 year old text with the eyes of a post-scientific revolution fundamentalist-influenced mindset, you will miss the point (as you so evidently do).

No wonder Christianity is so alien to you. You cannot even understand its basic texts. You think you're by default equipped to interpret them (reminds me of the pontiff). A class in literary interpretation would help you a lot. Then you could move into the interpretation of religious texts.

This went past you, eh?

Quote:

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

We are not discussing my own beliefs, but what the Bible is and how it ought to be read. You can pose that question a thousand times if you like. It just proofs how off the mark you are.

:wink:

He does know how to repeat questions, but answers seem to escape him.

Maliagar, I asked you a simple question about your beliefs. You continue to substitute volume for substance and evade.

...the lengths you are willing to go to to avoid a simple question.

Forget the buddhist riddles, maliagar. Just answer the simple question posed by Craven, "Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?" Your attempts at evasion of simple questions will not get a free pass. A simple "yes" or "no" will do.

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

And I'm enlightening you and all the others who do not have the terminology to understand these discussions.

And I'm doing it free of charge.

Craven de Kere wrote:

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

I just showed that "right" and "wrong" are not applicable to Genesis.

Do you now see it?

Answer the question please:

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

We are not discussing my own beliefs, but what the Bible is and how it ought to be read. You can pose that question a thousand times if you like. It just proofs how off the mark you are.

Craven de Kere wrote:

Answer the question please:

Again, the Bible says that God created the world in 7 days. Do you believe that?

maliagar wrote:

We are not discussing my own beliefs, but what the Bible is and how it ought to be read. You can pose that question a thousand times if you like. It just proofs how off the mark you are.

We may talk about my beliefs or your religion later. But now, we're talking about Genesis, whether you like it or not.

maliagar wrote:

We are not discussing my own beliefs, but what the Bible is and how it ought to be read. You can pose that question a thousand times if you like. It just proofs how off the mark you are.

We may talk about my beliefs or your religion later. But now, we're talking about Genesis, whether you like it or not.

We? Maliagar, please note that I am asking you a question about your beliefs

"Once upon a time there was a man who was so fearful of answering a question that he contructed eleborate defenses against it.."