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I was tagged by arulba. She was tagged by tagged by Kay. Thanks! Summarize the Bible in five statements (fifteen words). The first statement – one word long, the second two, the third three, the fourth four and the last five words long. Or possibly you could do this in descending order. Tag five people. Comprehensive (The book is comprehensive in content and form. There are so many nooks and crannies full of meaning. Most of the literary forms are represented in the Bible.) Human made. (This cannot be emphasized enough. Despite what many have said about Divine inspiration, the Bible was written and assembled by humans, specifically men. Imperfect human beings make imperfect writings and books, and the Bible is no exception.) Remember the metaphor. (The Bible is an imperfect book written in many literary forms for many different audiences. To read it as literal truth is to ignore these realities, which is dishonest to both the book and to the person reading it. Metaphor can help us make the book relevant for our particular time, though this requires work and thought. And whenever one interprets a dream [think Revelation], metaphor is the best tool one can use to pull meaning.) Read the Gospels first. (This helps set one’s mind in a Christian sense, providing one is reading the book in that framework. Then, read the entire Old Testament straight through before reading the rest of the New Testament, starting with the book of Acts.) Paul writes letters to others. (What many Bible readers and believers should to realize is that Paul’s letters are written to a particular group of people in a particular time and place. It is important to not take these letters out of context. Many Christians believe Paul provides a practical application of the Gospel. However, Paul is actually providing his own interpretation and application of the Gospel for groups like the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, etc. One is actually reading a one-sided conversation. For a universal message, turn back to the Gospels. Jesus’ message is simple and universal enough for one to apply without clinging to Paul’s [or anyone else's] ancient interpretation.)
I follow the Christian Post on Twitter because I like to keep up with the ideas and thinking of many Christians. Today they tweeted the following:
The amount of work in graduate school is shocking. I fancied myself as a seasoned academician and the shear volume of reading and writing has taken me by surprise. My blogging and extracurricular reading life ground to a halt. My classes end in early December and I do not have to return until February, so I’ll have plenty of time to catch up. I also learned about the Upaya Institute, a place in New Mexico that teaches caregivers and healers how to deal with death and dying. I have a belief that many people suffer from a fear of death, which then causes great suffering in their lives. I feel that some of my life’s work will be helping people work through their fear of death. I have an assignment for a foundations course that is asking me to come up with ten ways that I am going to integrate the course themes into my practice.
If you were going to write a book, what would you write about?
I would write about how viewing religions as divine languages can be helpful for people without developed spiritual frameworks. It would be an attempt to show people that it is okay to speak multiple religious languages while maintaining their unique perspective of not having a native religious language.
Why do we use our beliefs to excuse bad behavior instead of as inspiration to do better?
Not all people make this choice. For those that do, I believe it has a lot to do with fear of what is within their own being. Rather than look inward and take responsibility for what they have done, many instead look for an external scapegoat to avoid responsibility for their actions. While there are certain environmental and external factors that contribute to scapegoating, it is ultimately one's own decision in succumbing to bad behavior and then deflecting responsibility externally. The belief system is inconsequential because it is just a guise to cover up responsibility.
What do your Vox tags say about you? (Add tags to the end of your Vox blog address, and have a look.)
Submitted by Jack Yan.
- I like to answer the QOTD and the gone but not forgotten Vox Hunt.
- Religion is important to me, especially Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
- I like book reviews.
- I write a fair number of posts that I tag personal.
What is the best purchase you've ever made?
I would say all of the education I have purchased (and still paying for) so far in my life would qualify as the best purchase I have ever made. Not only does this include my current enrollment, but this also includes four years of undergraduate study and three false starts at other institutions.
If you woke up one morning and realized you were all-powerful, what is the first thing you would do?
Submitted by loveless.
Every morning that I wake up, I realize that I am all-powerful.
This power is not the ability to do anything I can imagine, like commanding my
physical body fly to the moon and it actually happening. Rather, this power is
knowledge—of the surrounding world and of my being. This knowledge power can be
applied in many different ways. •
In any given
situation, I have a number of choices and viewpoints to consider and I am free
to make whatever choice I desire. •
I can choose to not
have regret about the past and worry about the future. I am free to live here
and now, where life can be fully enjoyed. •
I can be in balance
in terms of the emotional and logical continuum. Emotions do not run my life,
and I am not paralyzed by logic. •
Negative situations
can be turned into positive learning experiences when I change how I think and
see them. The power gained from knowledge helps make me a free being. No
longer am helpless in situations (often created in part by me). I know what to
choose and if I do not know, I can find out. For me, this power is cultivated in meditation, prayer,
and study. These three help me see and become awake in the present reality.
I'm having a hard time with this whole Patrick Swayze thing. I forgot he was a singer.
What is your dream job? Do you think you’ll ever have it?
Sponsored by Monster.
I know I am on the right path (holistic medicine) when I open my textbooks and see all of the writers and thinkers I read on a regular basis.
