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%COMMANDMENTS PROHIBITIONS PRESCRIPTIONS UNDERSTAND+961226
  %CULTURAL CONTEXT LITERAL UNDERSTAND FUNDAMENTALS 961226

     People   who  come  from  different  cultures  and/or
otherwise  live  their lives  within contrasting paradigms
are likely to have difficulties  agreeing  with each other
regarding  literal    interpretations   of   scriptures---
especially as  regards the implications  of human failures
to  abide  by  what the scriptures presumably  say.    The
meanings and implications which are  found  in texts often
depend  critically  upon the  cultural  background  and/or
paradigm which serves as the background for  understanding
a  text.    People who believe that they  are  "correctly"
interpreting   a  text literally,  often   disagree   with
each  other  in  major ways---because   they   have   made
different  unrecognized  and/or unarticulated  assumptions
under     the    guidance   of   their   differing    home
cultures/paradigms.

     Only   people   who  share  a   homogeneous  cultural
background  and/or  home paradigm can hope to agree  fully
with each other about the "correct" literal interpretation
of   all  scriptural  texts---especially  as  regards  the
implications  of human failures to honor and abide by what
the   scriptures   presumably  say.     This  means   that
literalist cannot honestly hope to  promote  personal  and
communal   integrity   on  an   international   scale---by
encouraging other  people  world-wide  to  adopt their own
provincial  interpretation of their scriptures.   They are
bound to encounter  other  people  in the world who cannot
with personal and communal integrity  agree  about literal
interpretations.   Thus literalism does not merit  respect
as  a basis for promoting personal and communal  integrity
world wide in all of God's world.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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