Why you don't "just believe what the Bible says".

Let's start off with one clear truth. I believe the Bible.

I believe it is true.

I believe it is sent by God to man to reveal God to us.

I believe it was sent to be understood by men because God wants us to know Him.

I believe parts of the Bible are very easy to understand.

I don't believe anyone "just believes what the Bible says". The Bible is a 2000 year old book. You are most likely reading a translation of the Bible. Even if you have a perfectly translated Bible (which is something I personally think is impossible, but setting that aside) you still have to understand what kind of writing you are reading.

Reading a letter is different than reading apocalyptic literature. Reading wisdom literature is different than reading a historical narrative. Reading an English translation of a Greek text translated from spoken Aramaic is different than getting a story spoken by a native speaker of a language in a language that you've known from birth.

That is a rambling pre-amble so let's get to the meat of what I'm talking about here. Sometimes when arguing with certain people about a particular topic (generally theological in nature) the phrase "Well I just believe what the Bible says" will come up. It is usually a response to an assertion that the speaker disagrees with.

An example would be something like abortion or homosexual marriage. I'm not weighing in on either subject right now (as that would take a lot of space) so I'm just using them as an example of a conversation. Many people will ignore Scriptural arguments for or against either and respond "Well I just believe what the Bible says".

I'm not arguing with you about ignoring what the Bible says. I'm arguing whether or not what you think the Bible says is what the Bible says. Frequently though disagreeing with them is never seen as "I think the Bible means something different than what you mean". It is always seen as disagreeing with the authority of Scripture.

I try to not be rude, but it's hard to communicate this idea without resorting to "Well, you're an idiot who doesn't understand the Bible." So, let me convey this idea clearly. Just because you and the people you know think the Bible clearly states something doesn't mean that anyone who disagrees with your position is ignoring the Bible. They are just ignoring your interpretation of the Bible. As long as you hold to the view that disagreeing with you is the same as disagreeing with the Bible then discourse is at a stand still.

Just understand that it is possible for you (and me!) to be wrong about what the Bible says. Just because you think that is what the Bible says doesn't make it true. People (including me!) take verses out of context. People (including me!) fall into logical fallacies regarding doctrine.

When I disagree with you on something it doesn't mean I hate God. It doesn't mean I disagree with God. It doesn't mean I'm ignoring God. It doesn't mean I think God is wrong.

It means I think you are wrong.

Let's take an example.

The Bible states clearly that we are not to bear false witness. Many people equate this to "Thou shalt not lie". They say this is a clear Biblical teaching.

Then why was Rahab praised for lying and hiding the Israelite scouts? Is God praising someone for sin? For committing a grave moral crime?

The next time someone asks if it is okay to lie to Nazi's to hide Jews, you respond with a yes, and they say "You evil moral relavitist!" just point out Rahab and how God seems to be a moral relativist as well.

How about murder? Is murder wrong? "Thou shalt not kill" seems pretty clear. Of course then God orders Israel to do some exterminating. Immoral? Only immoral if directed by man instead of God? Only immoral if done by someone who isn't a soldier? Is killing someone in war a sin? What if you catch them unaware? Do you have to give them a chance to fight back? What if you shoot someone who would've given up, but sometimes their compatriots do that only to pull out an explosive under the white flag?

So yeah. Since you just believe what the Bible says, what does it say about those situations?

To conclude, you don't believe just what the Bible says. You believe what you've been taught the Bible says and that comes through a huge filter of cultural understanding and assumptions. You're probably wrong (and so am I!) about plenty of the stuff you think the Bible teaches clearly on.

So how about some civility in our discourse about what the Bible says? Instead of accusing people who disagree with you of being terrible back-sliding sinners who are going after teachers with itching ears just take a breath. Maybe that person is trying just as hard to obey God as you and just has some different ideas about what Scripture says.

Maybe that person hasn't read every verse in the Bible and hasn't completely thought through their doctrine.

Maybe that person has a different perspective that lets them see part of the truth of scripture that you overlook when emphasizing different parts of verses.

Maybe, just maybe that person is right and you are wrong.

As long as you maintain that you just believe the Bible and anyone who disagres has impure motives or a hidden agenda you'll never know.

Let's all work on finding out the truth instead of defending our assumptions and preconceived notions. Instead of looking just for verses that back up your argument try to find everything the Bible has to say about a subject.

There are some difficult parts of Scripture. Some are hard to understand because they are confusing. Some are hard to accept because they show us how bad we can be. Some are hard to accept just because we've vocally declared the opposite and our pride gets in the way.

Humbling ourselves before these difficult passages and topics and saying "I don't know. I could be wrong." is a great first step.

Table Top War Games

I'm a big fan of the game Warmachines (and Hordes). I like the setup and the style. I've put a good bit of time and money into building up an army of two.

I like skeleton and undead armies. I'm not sure why I like them so much. My first 40k army was the Necrons. They are in essence a version of undead terminators. That is probably the best job I've ever done on an army.

When I started playing Warmachine I went straight for Cryx. They are tricksy, fast, and more of a glass cannon type class. In RPG's I tend to go with glass cannon types. I like'em. Being fast and maneuverable gives you a pretty big advantage in most tabletop games.

So yeah with 40k I tried the Eldar. I got murdered. A lot. They are a lot more squishy than the Necrons (who I learned to play with).

I've posted stuff about 40k in the past, but I imagine for now I'll pass on playing anymore and just stick with Warmachine.

Then again Wyrd Miniatures has a cool looking skirmish game called Malifaux out. It looks pretty awesome. It's difficult to concentrate on one game at a time.