Faith - Bad Theology Rewrites the Bible
Joe Carter has an interesting post over at the Evangelical Outpost. I'm not quite sure what it is on, as he meaders off topic a fair bit. (Good to see anyone can be a bit scatter brained sometimes...Okay, so I am scatter brained all the time, but thats just a matter of degree ;)

One great point Joe does make though is on what the important question of christianity is. The post addresses the real issue of eigesis versus exegesis and shows how we have to rewrite the bible when we bring our own ideas into the bible rather than getting our ideas out of the bible.

Along with his writing talent and good story, RLP adds a liberal dose of ... the epistemology of a French Deconstructionist. One of the most telling examples ... can be found in his view of faith:

"Likewise, we think having faith means being convinced God exists in the same way we are convinced a chair exists. People who cannot be completely convinced of God’s existence think faith is impossible for them.

Not so. People who doubt can have great faith because faith is something you do, not something you think. In fact, the greater your doubt the more heroic your faith.

I learned that it doesn’t matter in the least that I be convinced of God’s existence. Whether or not God exists is none of my business, really. What do I know of existence? I don’t even know how the VCR works. [emphasis in original]"

This mix of fideism and heroic existentialism probably appeals to the same immature crowd that appreciates a preacher who cusses. ... Personally, I find such dumbing-down morally repugnant. When did Jesus say that we should leave our brains at the church door? Did I misunderstand that part about loving God with the whole mind? RLP's view of faith certainly seems peculiar. Perhaps I'm using an old translation of the Bible and the real conversation went something like this:

Jesus (to Simon Peter): “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter: “That question isn’t really important since I don’t even know if you exist. In fact, I don’t really think its any of my business who you are, is it? Now, what should I do. That’s the question you should be asking…”

Indeed. Much of peoples theology these days forces us to rewrite the bible. Of course, another popular example of rewriting the bible is the belief that Noah's flood was not worldwide. if you look at Genesis 7:19-21 you might just be able to squeeze in an alternative, local interpretation by saying that references to the scope relate to only what was on the continent, or in the local area of man.

And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.

The real rewriting comes when you have to look at other verses relating to the scope of the flood, which are God himself commenting

Gen 6:13 "And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Gen 6:17 "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die."
I guess we need to rewrite these as
"And God said to Noaj, "The end of all flesh that you know of has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence in your local region; and behold I will destroy them with the earth"
"And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh which you can see in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth in your local area shall die"

Is God a liar? When he says that he is destroying all flesh, and everything on the earth is he misleading us?

Gen 9:11 "Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
We have certain had local floods that covered as far as the eye can see again. Has God gone back on his promise?

I guess we need to rewrite this one to say
"Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all human flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth at every place where humans are."
- posted by Alan Grey @ Friday, May 13, 2005