Interpretation of the Bible

Also, just to clarify a bit about this statement I made above:

Do you think perhaps that there is some room for error and that certain events (like the 10 plagues of egypt) could have natural explanations that still played out in accordance with God's will?

To put it in more secular terminology, is it not possible that synchronicity occurs, and sometimes these events are natural and explainable, yet occur in perfect timing with other events, or in some cases "The Will of God"?

Consider the article below:

link

Researchers believe they have found evidence of real natural disasters on which the ten plagues of Egypt, which led to Moses freeing the Israelites from slavery in the Book of Exodus in the Bible, were based.

But rather than explaining them as the wrathful act of a vengeful God, the scientists claim the plagues can be attributed to a chain of natural phenomena triggered by changes in the climate and environmental disasters that happened hundreds of miles away.

They have compiled compelling evidence that offers new explanations for the Biblical plagues, which will be outlined in a new series to be broadcast on the National Geographical Channel on Easter Sunday.

Archaeologists now widely believe the plagues occurred at an ancient city of Pi-Rameses on the Nile Delta, which was the capital of Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Rameses the Second, who ruled between 1279BC and 1213BC.

The city appears to have been abandoned around 3,000 years ago and scientists claim the plagues could offer an explanation.

Here we have what appears to be archaeological evidence of the 10 plagues of egypt and scientifically credible theories about how they happened that corroborate the account given in Exodus. Does this mean that God was not involved? Of course not. If we are dealing with an omnipotent creator who is capable of forging the known universe and everything in it, surely He can impose his will through supernatural OR natural means?

Yet we have one person claiming it never happened and there is no evidence for it, and on the other side of the spectrum Christians who will reject the information because it presents a natural explanation (and they interpret that as removing God from the equation).

Both extremes are rather silly in my opinion, and one doesn't have to choose between one or the other. Like most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

a reply to: DeadSeraph

Like most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Such as there was a historical event, later picked up on by Jewish scholars researching in the Great Library of Alexandria, and inserting it into their own writing on their mythical character, Moses.

originally posted by: jmdewey60
a reply to: DeadSeraph

Like most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Such as there was a historical event, later picked up on by Jewish scholars researching in the Great Library of Alexandria, and inserting it into their own writing on their mythical character, Moses.

That is one way to look at it. The other is that it was oral tradition passed down for generations, and is based on true events. We do have fragmentary manuscripts of Exodus which date to the 3rd century BC (roughly coinciding with when the library of alexandria was built but hard to pin down if the manuscript was copied before or after the libraries construction).

Although the events in question now seem to have a natural explanation, to the people there it must have seemed like a series of miracles. Given these events matched up with the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, it could very well be seen as a miracle (even by modern interpretation) in the sense that these natural events coincided perfectly with what God is said to have promised he would do for the Hebrew people. The extent and size of the exodus is equally open to debate, but certainly there is good evidence to suggest there was an influx of semitic peoples to modern Israel that coincides with this period (with egyptian artifacts interspersed among some of their settlements).

originally posted by: SpaceGoatFarts

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
They were created to destroy Protestantism but couldn't do it from the outside and so they infiltrated it . That is the simple fact of the matter .

I don't understand this point. Seems a bit paranoid to me. Protestantism is quite modern, does that mean that Christianity before 1500 was basically wrong? Because they weren't protestant that's for sure.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
To me the bible is the word of God and I have my personal reasons for believing that .

You don't really help me understand why

You just say you believe it is because...

Great comments. An answer to the question.... No way, the world has Our Lord's promise. He is God, Jesus knows the future.

Protestantism amounts to the rejection of the faith, Roman Catholicism. Some men instead of reforming revolted, said no. How can it be, Protestants call Holy Scripture, their authority instead of the Church. Kinda nuts, the Church gave the world the Bible.

Protestants pick and choose a few verses to newly interpret with no authority. They do not see Jesus' promise to Peter...'the gates of Hell will not prevail against My Church." See Matt 16:18.

Jesus is coming soon (imminent) to unite Christianity, bring the Orthodox and Protestantism home to the faith.

Remember, say "yes!"

originally posted by: colbe

originally posted by: SpaceGoatFarts

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
They were created to destroy Protestantism but couldn't do it from the outside and so they infiltrated it . That is the simple fact of the matter .

I don't understand this point. Seems a bit paranoid to me. Protestantism is quite modern, does that mean that Christianity before 1500 was basically wrong? Because they weren't protestant that's for sure.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
To me the bible is the word of God and I have my personal reasons for believing that .

You don't really help me understand why

You just say you believe it is because...

Great comments. An answer to the question.... No way, the world has Our Lord's promise. He is God, Jesus knows the future.

Protestantism amounts to the rejection of the faith, Roman Catholicism. Some men instead of reforming revolted, said no. How can it be, Protestants call Holy Scripture, their authority instead of the Church. Kinda nuts, the Church gave the world the Bible.

Protestants pick and choose a few verses to newly interpret with no authority. They do not see Jesus' promise to Peter...'the gates of Hell will not prevail against My Church." See Matt 16:18.

Jesus is coming soon (imminent) to unite Christianity, bring the Orthodox and Protestantism home to the faith.

Remember, say "yes!"

I for one can't wait for a great reconciling and better understanding of the Christian traditions (and ever more, of all Abrahamic traditions).

Religions all promote peace in the world and yet they can't help but to reject those who don't think as them.

Many popes called for more dialog between the Churches, I hope the protestants will hear the call and that their most extreme members will lay down the fundamentalism a bit. Of course ATS is mainly American and protestant so it's those we hear the most, but they are not representative of the world.

Fundamentalism in religion always brought nothing but tears and blood and misery.

Religion is not about how you read a book. It's about how you let God shine in the world through you and your actions.

You need no church and no bible and no rituals for that. Only infinite love, and a great deal of patience and wisdom.

originally posted by: colbe

originally posted by: SpaceGoatFarts

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
They were created to destroy Protestantism but couldn't do it from the outside and so they infiltrated it . That is the simple fact of the matter .

I don't understand this point. Seems a bit paranoid to me. Protestantism is quite modern, does that mean that Christianity before 1500 was basically wrong? Because they weren't protestant that's for sure.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
To me the bible is the word of God and I have my personal reasons for believing that .

You don't really help me understand why

You just say you believe it is because...

Great comments. An answer to the question.... No way, the world has Our Lord's promise. He is God, Jesus knows the future.

Protestantism amounts to the rejection of the faith, Roman Catholicism. Some men instead of reforming revolted, said no. How can it be, Protestants call Holy Scripture, their authority instead of the Church. Kinda nuts, the Church gave the world the Bible.

Protestants pick and choose a few verses to newly interpret with no authority. They do not see Jesus' promise to Peter...'the gates of Hell will not prevail against My Church." See Matt 16:18.

Jesus is coming soon (imminent) to unite Christianity, bring the Orthodox and Protestantism home to the faith.

Remember, say "yes!"

Wow, so Catholics believe Protestants are not Christian? We all need to be under servitude to the Pope?
We all should pray to Mary and the saints?

I cant find fault in Catholic Christology, the rest of their beliefs sound a little like scientology to me.

I will never return to Roman Catholicism. The arrogance of its teaching and some of its believers is enough on its own.

Catholicism is not the faith, Jesus is.
Jesus is the Christians Priest, not some man in a frock on Sunday, Jesus is the High priest, not a fallible man called infallible (Pope) by the church who voted for him

Where is the Catholics authority to choose verses

Western Protestantism is recent, yet many non European churches kept the truth and had the holy scriptures before the Catholics

Its true, the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church, not a church built by humanity but a church of humanity