----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark A. Foster" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Baha'i Studies" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 2:33 PM Subject: Terms vs. Concepts
> I just posted the following to an evolution vs. creationism list: > > > > As I see it, the problem is not "accepting vs. not accepting the Bible." The root of religious literalism (Christian, Muslim, etc.) is what I regard as a failure to recognize the distinction between terms and concepts. It is when terms, or words, are treated as "real" and not as indicants pointing to whatever meaning was in the mind of the writer that the various literalisms and fundamentalisms are produced. > Literalism, however, can function as a security blanket. I cannot remember all the times that, after raising the above point, a fundamentalist or neo-evangelical Christian objected with something like, "But that way, we can't believe anything. You are merely trying to 'spiritualize' the Bible. I would rather take it for what it says." Hence the view that literalism is synonymous with taking the Bible for what it says. Mark, that is probably a valid analysis of the situation. On the other hand, not everyone would analyse the situation that way. Some individuals recognize important sayings only as concepts. The word stimulates the production of the concept in the mind and heart of the hearer or reader. However, one must begin with a literal understanding of a word (one may even find it necessary to repair to a dictionary). One must also begin with fundamental principles. It is, I think, better to adhere to plain meanings, dictionary definitions and fundamental principles rather than step into the unknown world of the concepts of another human being who will be judged by the same God. > One further illustration of the above are "word studies." There are entire reference works which direct Christians to take a word and look at it throughout the Bible - as if the various writers of the books of the Bible did not place ideas into their own words or did not, in many cases, use the same word to refer to an entirely different concept. > > I long ago gave up trying to persuade anyone that this approach is misguided. It is, of course, just my point of view, and I have found that literalists are rarely receptive to alternative hermeneutic strategies. Fundamentalists and more moderate religionists do not think in terms of strategies available for interpretation. They believe that the only guide to understanding anything is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or the promptings of the Holy Spirit. "How shall we attain the reality of knowledge? By the breaths and promptings of the Holy Spirit which is light and knowledge itself. Through it the human mind is quickened and fortified into true conclusions and perfect knowledge." (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 46) > Mark A. Foster * Portal: http://MarkFoster.net > CompuServe: http://boards.M.Foster.name > > > __________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st > News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) > http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public) > __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
