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Stealing is taking anything that was not given to you.
Not me.
Buddha.
I have simple guide.
1. I listen to my voice of conscience. It will ALWAYS tell
2. If in doubt - I leave it where it was.
Well, yeah, that's kind of a Captain Obvious statement. I wasn't asking a general question about theft.
I asked a specific question about a specific item to a person who was an adherent of the religion connected with that item.
With the ubiquitous Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms, they are there for the visitors and not expected to be taken, and you may request a copy of your own from the Gideons, but if someone takes the Bible, the organization will simply replace it.
A good article about how to respect scripture came in my inbox this morning. It's about the Bible, but can apply to other scriptures as well. It addresses the common claim that "the Bible clearly says..."
A good article about how to respect scripture came in my inbox this morning. It's about the Bible, but can apply to other scriptures as well. It addresses the common claim that "the Bible clearly says..."
Yes, the bible does say quite a few things very clearly. The problem is that many of things that it clearly says, clearly contradict other things that the bible clearly says.
Not that I disagree with the points the article raises, kmom.
I wouldn't look at how a person behaved, or what they said 20 years ago, and assume that they have the same beliefs or behave in the same way currently. People change. I would also not assume that the people who authored the bible, or those whom they wrote about, if living today, would believe the same things they believed then or behave in the same way. Likely even in their lifetime, they changed, became more informed, and, hopefully, matured. And, very clearly, the beliefs and behaviors of people were in a constant sate of flux over the centuries in which the bible was penned and put together. It could be no other way. Thus the contradictions.
Yes, the bible does say quite a few things very clearly. The problem is that many of things that it clearly says, clearly contradict other things that the bible clearly says.
Not that I disagree with the points the article raises, kmom.
I wouldn't look at how a person behaved, or what they said 20 years ago, and assume that they have the same beliefs or behave in the same way currently. People change. I would also not assume that the people who authored the bible, or those whom they wrote about, if living today, would believe the same things they believed then or behave in the same way. Likely even in their lifetime, they changed, became more informed, and, hopefully, matured. And, very clearly, the beliefs and behaviors of people were in a constant sate of flux over the centuries in which the bible was penned and put together. It could be no other way. Thus the contradictions.
Very insightful. It applies equally to a species' evolution and maturation as well. As evidence of the difference such societal maturation provides, simply watch some old silent movies that were considered mature and serious by their audiences and gauge your reaction to them.
Yes, the bible does say quite a few things very clearly. The problem is that many of things that it clearly says, clearly contradict other things that the bible clearly says.
Not that I disagree with the points the article raises, kmom.
I wouldn't look at how a person behaved, or what they said 20 years ago, and assume that they have the same beliefs or behave in the same way currently. People change. I would also not assume that the people who authored the bible, or those whom they wrote about, if living today, would believe the same things they believed then or behave in the same way. Likely even in their lifetime, they changed, became more informed, and, hopefully, matured. And, very clearly, the beliefs and behaviors of people were in a constant sate of flux over the centuries in which the bible was penned and put together. It could be no other way. Thus the contradictions.
That's a good point, Pieroo! The people who tend to say "the Bible clearly says..." usually really mean "My interpretation of the Bible is the right one."
I agree with you about the evolution of the people writing it. I think one issue is lack of clarity about what it means for something to be 'divinely inspired.' What conclusions can be drawn from believing something is divinely inspired? This next part isn't necessarily directed at you, Pieroo, but just thinking out loud for those who believe in divine inspiration of sacred literature:
Does it mean that because they were inspired at the time of writing it, that if they were alive today, they could be inspired differently based on the evolution of their consciousness/culture and how that interacts with the divine?
Does it mean that it is free of error?
...that it is immune to cultural differences?
...that it is unchanging?
I would say that divine inspiration isn't something set in stone. It can change as a person changes because it is about relationship. It is subject to error just like any other written text or human endeavor. It also has within it cultural baggage.
Then, one is left with the question of what makes something inspired at all, if it isn't inerrant and unchangeable? My answer is that it contains wisdom that uniquely addresses the transcendent aspect of experience, and leads toward a greater knowledge/experience of that which we call 'divine.'
Of course, many don't believe in any kind of inspiration, which is fine, but for those who do, these are interesting questions.
That's a good point, Pieroo! The people who tend to say "the Bible clearly says..." usually really mean "My interpretation of the Bible is the right one."
I agree with you about the evolution of the people writing it. I think one issue is lack of clarity about what it means for something to be 'divinely inspired.' What conclusions can be drawn from believing something is divinely inspired? This next part isn't necessarily directed at you, Pieroo, but just thinking out loud for those who believe in divine inspiration of sacred literature:
Does it mean that because they were inspired at the time of writing it, that if they were alive today, they could be inspired differently based on the evolution of their consciousness/culture and how that interacts with the divine?
Does it mean that it is free of error?
...that it is immune to cultural differences?
...that it is unchanging?
I would say that divine inspiration isn't something set in stone. It can change as a person changes because it is about relationship. It is subject to error just like any other written text or human endeavor. It also has within it cultural baggage.
Then, one is left with the question of what makes something inspired at all, if it isn't inerrant and unchangeable? My answer is that it contains wisdom that uniquely addresses the transcendent aspect of experience, and leads toward a greater knowledge/experience of that which we call 'divine.'
Of course, many don't believe in any kind of inspiration, which is fine, but for those who do, these are interesting questions.
I'd say that the bible itself alludes to such a thing in the story of the manna falling from heaven. The people were to eat it all in the day that they gathered it. If they tried to hang onto it in case they needed it in the future, it was spoiled by the following morning. It's a matter of trust, in my opinion. Do we have faith that God is in constant communication with us, giving us what we need as we need it? If not, we're going to hang onto whatever we believe God communicated to us, or to others, in the past, unaware that it's become spoiled by the passage of time. Probably, we all do that a lot of the time, even if we don't think it's wise. But religions that camp on a set of teachings formed centuries ago actually take pride in it.
I'd say that the bible itself alludes to such a thing in the story of the manna falling from heaven. The people were to eat it all in the day that they gathered it. If they tried to hang onto it in case they needed it in the future, it was spoiled by the following morning. It's a matter of trust, in my opinion. Do we have faith that God is in constant communication with us, giving us what we need as we need it? If not, we're going to hang onto whatever we believe God communicated to us, or to others, in the past, unaware that it's become spoiled by the passage of time. Probably, we all do that a lot of the time, even if we don't think it's wise. But religions that camp on a set of teachings formed centuries ago actually take pride in it.
You seem to have overlooked the jar of manna contained within the Ark of the Covenant. The food from heaven that did not spoil.
A new twist on the old "God works in mysterious ways" rationalization.
That's oversimplifying what was said.
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It applies equally to a species' evolution and maturation as well. As evidence of the difference such societal maturation provides, simply watch some old silent movies that were considered mature and serious by their audiences and gauge your reaction to them.
