My Struggle with the Bible
If the prophet Ezekiel and many others had visions, where does that place Sitting Bull and Joseph Smith? This is likely a very stupid question, but it is driven by the spiritual position of many who believe that there is but one God. This is a concept I have often entertained, partly because it offers so many answers, and partly because I agonize over the lost 'good souls' over the history of this planet. If a person in China 3,000 years ago lived a decent kind and loving life, but never did hear of the Bible, it seems cruel for that soul to be condemned.
I suppose this sort of naive question is deftly handled in the initial study of most religions, and I am exposing my ignorance by not having settled it here in my 62nd year of existence, but the few answers I have had presented to me have been very unsatisfactory. I recall one pastor stating his belief that all souls before Christ were lost...another felt there is a salvation loophole for those who never did hear the word...and several have fallen back on "We can never understand all the ways of the Lord, so don't you worry your pretty little head about it."
But back to the Bible and its interpreters.
My recent dilemma has been prompted by the Song of Songs, with all it's overt sexual tone. Recognizing that the Bible has been subject to considerable editing over the course of time, I wonder how this chapter has survived? I have read several metaphoric interpretations...it is a metaphor for God and the Church...it is God and his people...even that it is simply the romantic musings of a poor shepherd boy imagining himself as King and his lover as Queen. But it most definitely speaks of meeting at night to make love, with no mention of marriage vows having been exchanged. Is it a sideways reference to the purity of David and Bathsheeba's illicit affair? Hmm, was Solomon a bastard child? I must look that up.
I guess I do not understand how in a book which promotes a celibate single life, chaste courting and fidelity in marriage, why is this young couple' sexual fantasy still in between the covers, so to speak?
Oh, my idle mind...
I suppose this sort of naive question is deftly handled in the initial study of most religions, and I am exposing my ignorance by not having settled it here in my 62nd year of existence, but the few answers I have had presented to me have been very unsatisfactory. I recall one pastor stating his belief that all souls before Christ were lost...another felt there is a salvation loophole for those who never did hear the word...and several have fallen back on "We can never understand all the ways of the Lord, so don't you worry your pretty little head about it."
But back to the Bible and its interpreters.
My recent dilemma has been prompted by the Song of Songs, with all it's overt sexual tone. Recognizing that the Bible has been subject to considerable editing over the course of time, I wonder how this chapter has survived? I have read several metaphoric interpretations...it is a metaphor for God and the Church...it is God and his people...even that it is simply the romantic musings of a poor shepherd boy imagining himself as King and his lover as Queen. But it most definitely speaks of meeting at night to make love, with no mention of marriage vows having been exchanged. Is it a sideways reference to the purity of David and Bathsheeba's illicit affair? Hmm, was Solomon a bastard child? I must look that up.
I guess I do not understand how in a book which promotes a celibate single life, chaste courting and fidelity in marriage, why is this young couple' sexual fantasy still in between the covers, so to speak?
Oh, my idle mind...
posted by Byron | 6:05 AM
2 Comments:
Very good question, B. I've always had questions about the Bible ever since I was little and I'm a preacher's kid. Guess that's why I believe it was written for sheer entertainment instead of a guide book for life. *shrugs*
I think the bible IS a guidebook for life but we 'Christians' have made the huge mistake of making it a textbook, creating entire doctrines based on what we think it means. A lot of this is mere extrapolation from our own life experience. I think God's message to us is one of love AND grace. These are concepts only grasped by the heart, not from an intellectual assumption that we can 'get it', write it down and then live by it. And insist that it's the only way.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home