Conservative Christian theologians tend to accept English translations of the Bible, such as the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version (KJV) as authoritative. They generally accept the inerrancy of the Bible. They interpret passages literally, unless there is a good reason not to. They consider all Bible passages as instructive in today's society. When they see any same-sex activity condemned, they believe that this applies to all homosexual activities. All homosexual behavior is sinful, regardless of the nature of the relationship. Homosexuality is a chosen, unnatural, abnormal, changeable, and perverted lifestyle, which is hated by God.
Liberal Christian theologians tend to follow a wider variety of translations, and to be more concerned with instances of copying errors in the original Hebrew or Greek, of forgery, and of biases among the translators. They consider some passages (e.g. those referring to slavery, burning some hookers alive, raping female prisoners of war, etc.) as not being valid today, as immoral, and against the will of God. They differentiate among various homosexual and heterosexual sex practices, treating some (rape, prostitution, temple sex rituals) as immoral and some (within committed relationships) as positive. Homosexual orientation and behavior is seen as a normal human sexual expression among a minority of adults. It is not changeable or chosen. Like all sexual behavior, it can be a sin if it is exploitive or manipulative or not carried out safely within a committed relationship.
I'm guessing you can figure out on which side of the divide each of us is on here.
Thank you for bringing this up. I actually get into heated discussion in Bible Studies over this very topic. For instance, there are some Christians that believe only the King James Version is an accurate translation and that he was a "Bible Believing" Christian (as opposed to other Christians that I guess are not) - but I asked him, since he was a "Bible Believing" Christian to please find that passage that supported that the KJV was authoritive. As you could guess, the sound of crickets is what followed.
I am always more concerned with finding the deeper meaning of passages instead of accepting the English translations. With the small bit of Greek and Hebrew that I've learned, I, like you, see the weaknesses in the English translations. For instance, my actually username (Aeon) is from the Latin version of the Greek word "aion". I actually took it from U2's (Until the End of the World) - which is from Jesus saying to His disciples in Matthew 28:18 "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus said, or what He is quoted as saying, in the Greek, is until the end of the "Aion" - which could also mean "age" or "and indiscernible amount of time" - it is also the word used to describe the length of Hell, which English translators insert "forever" when in fact, it could also mean - for an "age" or "and indiscernible amount of time"(and it can also mean "forever). Unlike my "fundamentalist" brothers - I do not feel an eternity in Hell is just - the punishment doesn't fit the crime. How can infinite torture equal even a whole human lifetime of sin? When Jesus is speaking of Hell (Gahenna), I believe He is quite often talking about being in a spiritual trash heap - which is what Gahenna was in ancient Jerusalem (and unfortunately, this word gets translated into Hell - which is more influence by Dante and Milton than actual biblical passages). This is just one example where I stray from the Fundamentalists. Trust me, there are others...
I quite often disagree with Conservative Christian theology on a great many topics. For instance, I think that astrophysics has demonstrated that the known, visible universe is around 12 to 13 billion years old. I accept that, and I see no contradiction with Genesis. Even an elementary understanding of ancient Hebrew would clearly show that the Hebrew words have multiple meanings. What is important, and why the Bible is not a science book, is that God created the universe and placed Man in it for a relationship with him. The rest of the Bible is about that relationship.
If you had to pinpoint my actual theology - I would probably more in line with Narrative (or Post-Liberal) Theology (read about it here).
Postliberal theology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
With all that being said - can anyone agree on anything in the Bible? To a certain degree - no. You will rarely find universal consensus on any passage either on the original intent or in the translation. For instance, in Luke 17: 21, the NIV states "nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." While the NASB version of the same passage reads "For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst" and others read "the kingdom of God is amongst you". Are all of these wrong? The Greek phrase
entos humon literally means "inside you" but was also a common way of saying "within reach" So, as it turns out, the different translations are both right and wrong at the same time.
So how can we discern anything from the Bible? That is what Narrative Theology addresses. By the stories, the word pictures, the parables, the examples - we can get to the root of the teachings, to the real gemstone. Jesus, and other rabbis of the time, used parables because their audience could relate to them. We don't need to a be a wealthy prince that ran off and squandered a fortune or a rich father to understand the parable of the Prodigal Son. When you take the Bible as a whole, there are certain themes that reoccur and are emphasized. The importance of the family is there. The fact that God chose to come into this world by way of a family and not a lightning bolt from the sky is not a small point. Of course, we can debate forever on the what the Greek and Hebrew words used for family mean - but I think it is evident that Bible uses examples of relationships to help us understand - examples of father, son, mother, brother, sister, bride, groom...etc. And it is through these examples, through this narrative, that the Bible instructs us on how God wishes us to live.
