AEON said:
You mock when I say the Holy Spirit is required – then take credit for the Spirit’s help in “whipping” my ass.
While I concede that the whole "ass whipping" comment was meant to be witty, it is just quite apparent that you cannot wrap around your head the idea that you can, indeed, be a devoted liberal Christian who wants nothing to do with fundamentalist Christianity.
When I posted that chart of all the various Christian denominations, you told me you understood them. Well, in practice, it seems that you don't, because you'd realize that liberal Christians are as much a part of that as yourself.
I never really thought of this as a competition of quoting the footnotes from a Study Bible. If you feel you “whipped my ass” you’re certainly entitled to feel as such. I guess I could probably type out more responses from my textbooks but I really don't have that much time - so I do tend to summarize.
To use a very trite smilie here...
Where did I say that my usage of a study Bible was meant to be a petty competition? If I have a choice between believing a Catholic study Bible, whose scholarship are generally acclaimed not only within Catholicism, but from the outside too, and believing study that only conservative Christians believe, who am I going to believe,
especially considering my faith tradition?
I do wonder what victory you feel you achieved.
What did I achieve? That the only consistency that your arguments have is that the status quo is always the ideal.
Of course – I don’t think too many in the other forums I tend to visit would think your “victory” so resounding. It does seem clear, and you have admitted such, you’re only real thirst for Biblical knowledge is to try and ridicule those that claim your sexual behavior is a sin.
I've responded to this nonsense before. Dreadsox has responded to this before. At this point, it's a lost cause. Believe what you'd like.
I am not surprised you’ve found some scholars that agree with you. As I can probably find some scholars that will agree that it is okay for me to look at Internet porn because Jesus never addressed it – especially if I’m not married. The truth is – most Biblical scholarship DOES NOT agree with you Melon.
When you only read Biblical scholarship written by fundamentalist Protestants, I wouldn't be surprised if they all say the same thing. Where do you think the pseudoscience we call "intelligent design" came from? When you're in an environment, where all scholarship is expected to adhere to rigid conservative ideology, it's no wonder that all the "different" voices you hear sound exactly the same.
But go right ahead and tell yourself that I'm just some isolated wacko, if it makes you feel better at night.
If you feel you are close with the Spirit, then I say Amen! But if you are lying in order to be witty – well – I truly feel sad for you. More so than before.
Then scream "Amen!" because it is true. Not that I think that you believe it anymore than anything else I've written here.
Rest assured, I truly feel sorry for you, as well. You shall be in my prayers.