Dec 07 2008
Am I Smart Enough To Know God’s Intentions?
In politics, there seems to be a lot of Bible knowledge in the general electorate.
Some people say the Bible was intended to be our guide, others believe it to be literal truth, and still others believe it to be a great historical record and not much else. For as many people as there are participating in religion and politics, there are that many interpretations of what the Bible says about certain issues.
This was demonstrated with the Prop. 8 issue. Many people said the Bible says no to marriage between same-sex couples (I am one of them). They cite explicit language in the Old Testament (and if I followed all those rules, I would be stoned today for wearing “the clothing of men” - pants). Still others cite that the New Testament refers to marriage as “man and wife,” or with the pronouns “he and she.” Still others cite the use of marriage to protect procreation as a reason to keep marriage between a man and a woman.
Then there was the group who said that the Bible says nothing about the issue. Or who believe that Jesus would allow the marriage of a same-sex couple because he wasn’t “a hater.”
So there are all these interpretations floating out there.
Many politicians claim that their religion helps shape their morals, ethics, and choices. But which religion? And which version of the Bible are they using? And which interpretation of the Bible are they using?
I wonder if we, as humans, are smart enough to know God’s intentions. He gave us the Bible - but what else did he give us?
He gave us common sense, and the ability to ask him ourselves. When people start claiming the Bible as a reason for legislation - you move into territory that I think is dicey. We simply cannot be smart enough to understand all His words and intentions - and to claim to do so is huberis and arrogance in the exteme.
So let’s all use common sense when we work together. Religion has a large role in our lives - it helps us form ethics and morals. These then shape our views on everything and every issue.
But let’s use some common sense and acknowledge that we are not even close to smart enough to interpret His words in full without His help.
