Divine Inspiration or Divine Dictation?

[Valmy]

Leaving only pure faith in God.

So why bother reading the Bible at all then?  Just have faith in God.  No reason to strain your pretty little head with any thoughts or reflections of your own.  I mean how arrogant is it to be a human and think for yourself?  Clearly God did not design humans to do so.

[Valmy]

This study group must have been Protestant. 

Evangelical or very conservative protestant.  A more mainstream group would have been more responsive to his views.  Instead they just got all outraged.

[Valmy]

How come so many Asian-Americans are devout Christians?

Like 90% of the ones I've known have been hardcore Protestants of some flavor.

I suspect because they want to fit into American society so they convert to Christianity.  It is the most rabid fundamentalist groups that recruit the most aggressively and thus more likely to be the ones to grab them up.  But that is just a guess.

[Valmy]

You already mentioned Leviticus, which in many fields makes Talibans look positively modern and tolerant in comparison.

Remember everytime a woman finishes her period for the month she needs to kill two birds.

[Darth Wagtaros]

This study group must have been Protestant. 

Evangelical or very conservative protestant.  A more mainstream group would have been more responsive to his views.  Instead they just got all outraged.

Yeah.  Evangelicals are big on the outrage and groupthink.

[Magnus]

Leaving only pure faith in God.

So why bother reading the Bible at all then?  Just have faith in God.  No reason to strain your pretty little head with any thoughts or reflections of your own.  I mean how arrogant is it to be a human and think for yourself?  Clearly God did not design humans to do so.

What reason is there to read the bible unless you are going to become a priest. You need to learn from the priest, not learn to teach to a flock.
If you truely wish to learn of the full majesty of gods works, then your first step should be full dedication to him, the Jesuits and Franciscans are ofcourse always looking for new members. I'd recomend the Jesuits, well known for thier 'frontier' ministry, they focus on spreading the Word, social justice, and human rights, and even to some degree interfaith relations, so you can hear what others have to say, prehaps in part God may talk through them.

[Caliga]

I suspect because they want to fit into American society so they convert to Christianity.  It is the most rabid fundamentalist groups that recruit the most aggressively and thus more likely to be the ones to grab them up.  But that is just a guess.

So it's kind of like being a wigger?

[Neil]

Well exactly who are you to be decided which parts are important and which parts are not? Are you a theologian?

Depends.  If he's a protestant, chances are that he's just as competant as anybody.  If he's a Catholic, then the Bible isn't the end-all be-all of his spiritual life.  If he's Orthodox, then he's a freak who needs to be purged with fire.

When I faked my conversion to Southern Baptist Protestantism and got married, I got a great spiel about how I was the priest and theologian for my house.  Of course, I immediately reinterpreted the first commandment to mean that I shall have no other god before Myself.

[Valmy]

Of course, I immediately reinterpreted the first commandment to mean that I shall have no other god before Myself.

Neil is truly a righteous man.

[Valmy]

What reason is there to read the bible unless you are going to become a priest. You need to learn from the priest, not learn to teach to a flock.
If you truely wish to learn of the full majesty of gods works, then your first step should be full dedication to him, the Jesuits and Franciscans are ofcourse always looking for new members. I'd recomend the Jesuits, well known for thier 'frontier' ministry, they focus on spreading the Word, social justice, and human rights, and even to some degree interfaith relations, so you can hear what others have to say, prehaps in part God may talk through them.

Ah ok I think we understand each other.  But even with this interpretation, and presuming he is a Catholic, he should be allowed and encouraged to voice his thoughts to his priest and have his questions answered.

However his church does not sound like a Catholic church, more like a evangelical or fundy protestant congregation.

[Caliga]

When I faked my conversion to Southern Baptist Protestantism

Why the fuck did you do that?  Princesca's family is Southern Baptist but at no time have I ever pretended to convert to their insane, hateful religion.

[Magnus]

What reason is there to read the bible unless you are going to become a priest. You need to learn from the priest, not learn to teach to a flock.
If you truely wish to learn of the full majesty of gods works, then your first step should be full dedication to him, the Jesuits and Franciscans are ofcourse always looking for new members. I'd recomend the Jesuits, well known for thier 'frontier' ministry, they focus on spreading the Word, social justice, and human rights, and even to some degree interfaith relations, so you can hear what others have to say, prehaps in part God may talk through them.

Ah ok I think we understand each other.  But even with this interpretation, and presuming he is a Catholic, he should be allowed and encouraged to voice his thoughts to his priest and have his questions answered.

However his church does not sound like a Catholic church, more like a evangelical or fundy protestant congregation.

He is in a bible study class, so of course it sounds proty. He is east asian though, so I'll assume he has been raised proper, and will go to church to have his questions answered correctly, I of course can't answer them.
Primarily I was arguing against the concept that a layman could answer the questions.

[Neil]

When I faked my conversion to Southern Baptist Protestantism

Why the fuck did you do that?  Princesca's family is Southern Baptist but at no time have I ever pretended to convert to their insane, hateful religion.

Her grandfather was high priest of the entire universe.  There was no choice.

[Sheilbh]

Why not?  Scholasticism has been discredited as an intellectual process for centuries now.

This may be true in general terms but theologically I think it's still very much alive.  The basis of all Catholic theology is either Thomism or Scotism.

However his church does not sound like a Catholic church, more like a evangelical or fundy protestant congregation.

Indeed.

Anyway the idea of a Catholic Bible Study group seems like a ridiculous attempt at conformity to a Protestant mindset.  Though I imagine 'Church Fathers Study' would be less popular.  This week: the monophysite heresy!

[Valmy]

Though I imagine 'Church Fathers Study' would be less popular.  This week: the monophysite heresy!

Actually I would find that pretty cool.