And the gene-pool gets a wee bit cleaner...

homeagain wrote: JMO.....I tend to be open minded about a number of things......BUT, the warped and wrong-minded interpretation of the Bible (after multiple translations thru the centuries/eons) is something I can NOT wrap my mind around. THIS is an example of that.

I watched the interview with an associate that was in this church or one like it and his "take"
on this issue was pretty solid, it is IN THE BIBLE for this practice to be acceptable/common and
the belief that "it's God's word" is unshakeable.....he also stated that in the Appalachia area
this sect of religion is quite common....(Pentacostal?) and there are many who practice this
form of "God's word".

That seems arrogant to me. How are you the arbitrator of unwarped or right minded interpretations of the bible.

"God split himself into a myriad parts that he might have friends. This may not be true, but it sounds good, and is no sillier than any other theology. [Lazarus Long, _Time Enough for Love_ by Robert Heinlein]

http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes ... inlein.htm

Now to continue by broken record imitation the link takes you to a page of RAH quotes on religion. It is not all inclusive as I did not find the one I was looking for but covers a lot of ground.

homeagain wrote: JMO.....I tend to be open minded about a number of things......BUT, the warped and wrong-minded interpretation of the Bible (after multiple translations thru the centuries/eons) is something I can NOT wrap my mind around. THIS is an example of that.

I watched the interview with an associate that was in this church or one like it and his "take"
on this issue was pretty solid, it is IN THE BIBLE for this practice to be acceptable/common and
the belief that "it's God's word" is unshakeable.....he also stated that in the Appalachia area
this sect of religion is quite common....(Pentacostal?) and there are many who practice this
form of "God's word".

Wow... you know poop about bible translations, denominational dogmas and theology. You can't wrap you mind around something you don't understand.

Not quite, but close enough for government work.

“Come Judgment Day, we may find that Mumbo Jumbo the God of the Congo was the Big Boss all along.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

AGAIN, JMO......translations of the Bible (thru eons/centuries of time) WILL change the content.
Shall we discuss the obvious OMISSION OF various Gospels (with the discover at Nag Hammadi)
Shall we discuss an interesting read by Elain Pagels THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS.......I DO NOT
believe the Bible's TRUE intent is in it's PRESENT FORM....it has been revised/deviated/denigrated

homeagain wrote: AGAIN, JMO......translations of the Bible (thru eons/centuries of time) WILL change the content.
Shall we discuss the obvious OMISSION OF various Gospels (with the discover at Nag Hammadi)
Shall we discuss an interesting read by Elain Pagels THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS.......I DO NOT
believe the Bible's TRUE intent is in it's PRESENT FORM....it has been revised/deviated/denigrated

Are you sure you want to go toe to toe with me on biblical history, textual criticism, theology and denominational beliefs and practices.

Because if you do... you will not be able to use IMO and JMO to make your points. You had better be factual and precise.

Ready. A simple yes/no will suffice.

I do NOT profess to be an "expert".....what I do believe is there is a SERIOUS QUESTION of
the Bible's true intent and THAT is NOT reflected in it's present form.....SHALL WE DISCUSS
The Gnostic Gospels omission??? I did NOT see that issue in your previous post....???

homeagain wrote: I do NOT profess to be an "expert".....what I do believe is there is a SERIOUS QUESTION of
the Bible's true intent and THAT is NOT reflected in it's present form.....SHALL WE DISCUSS
The Gnostic Gospels omission??? I did NOT see that issue in your previous post....???

Let's see... the subject here was snake handling, not the Gnostic Gospels. Do you want to discuss why certain Holiness sects handle snakes and the how they find validation for that practice in the earliest extant copies of the Greek scriptures.

If you want to discuss the Gnostic Gospels and why that material is not included in the received Hebrew and Greek testaments, then start a thread on that and I'll be happy to discuss it. I'll get my stacks of scholarly books on the various Gnostic, apocryphal and pseudo usufructo testamentariol scriptures ready.

ACTUALLY, the topic is how the Bible is interpreted...and the GNOSTIC GOSPELS are part of
that discussion (also).....BB seems to concur with a MIS interpretation,perhaps I am in error.

bailey bud wrote: I think it's sad people mis-handle the Bible the way he did ---- not glad he died, though ---

The Bible tells us to pray for people like that - not celebrate their death.

Perhaps BB
can relate to us what the underlined means.

I DON'T CARE that one nut-job took one phrase out of a book that I personally believe to be nothing more than proof that the people who wrote it were ignorant savages, and used it to justify his stupid behavior.

I stand by my statement that the world is a slightly better place when someone that stupid removes himself from it.

Any sentence started with "The Bible tells us ...." is ridiculous in the first place. Apparently, the "Bible told HIM" that he should let poisonous snakes bite him. No one else is responsible for his interpretation of such a book but himself.