This is http://www.essayz.com/a9412302.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %RELIGIOUS LITERALIST FUNDAMENTALIST SCRIPTURE+941230 %TEXT WRITING LANGUAGE INTERPRET ASSUMPTION ADDICT 941230 Religious people often find themselves trapped in double binds relating to their interpretations and their understandings of scriptures, texts and writings which are central to their patterns of belief and life. Often religious people believe that their scriptures are to be believed as being literally true and/or literally the words of God. This way of regarding scriptures tempts religious people to worship their chosen scriptures, rather than God. How can religious people know that they have chosen rightly? Their whole lives can hang on the initial choice of which scriptures, texts, writings and/or prophets to believe. Such choices are often made at a very low point in the life of the believer. Are the convictions arrived at in the low points of lives to be long trusted the firm foundation upon which the whole of life is to be based? Are all parts of the chosen scriptures to be regarded as being of equal reliability, truth and importance? If so, then how are religious people to deal with internal inconsistencies and/or contradictions in the chosen scriptures? Should they dishonestly pretend that there are no internal inconsistencies and/or contradictions? Is such dishonesty to serve as a foundation for the building of personal and communal integrity within the community of faith? Are chosen parts of chosen scriptures to be regarded as of more importance, reliability and accuracy than other parts of the chosen scriptures? If so, then how are religious people to know how to discriminate between portions of their chosen scriptures? Are they to trust religious experts in whom they vest great power and potential for religious corruption? Are they to please themselves in their choices of which scriptures to favor? Are they to pretend that they are sure of themselves, when in fact they are insecure and defensive? What if the religious people do not know and cannot read with understanding the scriptures in the language in which they were originally written? What experts in foreign languages and scriptures are they to choose to trust? Non-experts in scriptures, languages, and cultural contexts must then put their ultimate trust in the experts whom they choose to believe! How are non-experts to know which experts are most reliable, trustworthy and closest to the heart/mind of God? Scriptures, texts and writings speak to us within the context of the assumptions, beliefs and convictions with which we approach scriptures, texts and writings. What they say to us is not determined only by the words found therein. What they say to us depends critically upon within what community and how we approach them and treat them. How can we be sure that we have approached our chosen scriptures, texts and writings wisely? How can we be sure we are not fooling ourselves in what we believe? Many religious texts originated in one time, place and culture with meanings embedded in that time, place and culture. If the texts spoke truly to people in the time, place and culture in which the texts were first presented; how can the same texts speak truly to other people in other times, places and cultures if people are unaware of or ignorant of the time, place and culture of the texts' origin? Are we to pretend that some texts can mean the same thing to all people of all times, places and cultures---without the people being knowledgeable about the time, place and culture to which the text was first presented? Who should be entrusted with the requisite educational process which will shape the interpretation of the religious texts? How should such people be chosen? People have demonstrated great skill in beginning and dishonestly playing collusive games of mutual self deception within secular, political, scientific and religious organizations. How are we to know that we are not dishonestly playing collusive games of mutual self deception in our approaches to and interpretations of the scriptures which we regard as most reliable? How can we be sure that we are not addicted to our choice of scriptures? deal with these dilemmas of religious life. If we are dishonest with ourselves and each other about our own experiences, attitudes, perceptions, fears, desires, hopes, and aspirations---we are bound to be dishonest with ourselves and each other about whatever scriptures we choose to focus our attention upon. If we are persistently dishonest with ourselves and each other about the ambiguities and uncertainties which attend us and our religious behaviors relating to scriptures, texts and writings---how can we with integrity hope that they will speak to us in ways which transcend our persistent dishonesty. How is that hope, if it persists, to be fulfilled---except by giving up our dishonesty; and honestly searching for integrity and honesty in being true to ourselves and each other, whole and healthy? (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================