Part 194. A ramble (1)

Contrary to what some of my critics assert I consider the bible to be of utmost importance as it records part of humanity's quest to understand the world and universe.  It is an ongoing quest and did not end in the first century AD. The bible is the work of humans, it is not the literal word of God, nor is it inspired by God. It is inspired by our searching and seeking to understand the cause and purpose of our existence. Our answer may well be that on the evidence, the engagement of reason, our belief leads us to the conclusion that indeed we have faith: that there is a god.

The author of Hebrews defines faith thus

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV). 

The Message states it is the bible in contemporary language and gives this as the meaning of Hebrews 11:1  

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.

There is no one meaning of a passage of literature.  We read through the lens of our experiences, our opinions, our expectations which may be so ingrained we not realise they determine our conclusions as to the meaning of a passage. Why should we read scripture in a different way to other documents?  The short answer is we shouldn't.  We should bring our critical faculties to bear, not hide behind claims of biblical inerrancy.  Then there is the issue of literal or metaphorical reading. The issue of context adds to the list of variables. Beware the purveyors of claims that only their idea of the meaning of a passage of scripture is correct. Beware the gatekeepers of biblical 'truth'.