What authority do holy scriptures really hold? Are we just supposed to believe these people a few thousand years ago had some sort of holy vision rather than just believe they ate some wild mushroom? Religion is so man-made I do not think that in the debate over whether or not God exists that scripture should be used
Narrative generally holds exactly that amount of authority which recipients invest in it.
Which is obvious enough. But coming to the conclusion that therefore that no scriptures should be used is a few leaps too far.
The thing is, debates about whether or not God exists are only rarely only about that–through both conversational drift and sometimes right from the get-go, they tend to most be about experiences, and interpretations and how to narrate those experiences. Scriptures and commentary and whatnot are all very much part of that overall discussion.
I would tend to agree with CuriousWildcat. Scriptures are hardly a verification of any significance. Drastic, you raise a very interesting point, but I think the Scriptures can be removed from one’s “experiences, and interpretations and how to narrate those experiences”. Many times the scriptures probably come into play only after someone has experienced an “enlightening” into their particular theology.
Lot of new people on the boards lately. Welcome to you all, I hope you’ll find the SDMB a comfortable place. Do be aware, however, that you should search the archives before starting a new thread. We’ve discussed this issue many times in the past, and you may find the opinions from past discussions to be worth looking into.
UnuMondo
Worth anything? That depends- to whom are you speaking, and what are you trying to convince them of?
If I’m trying to convince an atheist scientist that the Earth was created in three days, I won’t get anywhere by pointing to the relevant passages in Genesis and saying,’ There! Q.E.D."
On the other hand, if I’m discussing a moral issue with a fellow Christian, pointing to a specific passage in the Gospel that illustrates Jesus’ thinking on the subject SHOULD score me some points.
Oops… make that SIX days. Even the fundamentalists don’t think God made everything in just THREE days.
But if he’s onmipotent, surely he could have?