Richard, At 06:46 PM 3/9/2004, you wrote: >>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.<<
IMO, there is no such thing as a "plain" meaning. The meaning only exists in the mind of the speaker, writer, listener, or reader. If the meaning in the mind of a reader does not coincide with the meaning (or meanings) in the mind of the writer, no real understanding is produced. Meaning is not the same as word definition. Obviously, in approaching the Sacred Texts, one needs to begin with definitions, preferably in the original languages. Subsequently, one explores issues of literary, historical, social, and cultural context. In addition, one meditates on the passages, hopefully in light of their contexts. Following this process, one might obtain some limited understanding of the concepts which underlie the words. >>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.<< Personally, I would not want to put fundamentalists and moderates into the same category, but, perhaps, you are not using these terms as I do. In terms of fundamentalist Christians, my observation is that they rely mostly on the dogmas developed by the various church councils, the formulations contained in the so-called Apostle's Creed, and the statements made by their ministers. These fundamentalists may believe that they are only following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, but so do Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Unificationists, and many, many others. 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)
