My friend attended Bible Study sessions of 18 different denominations, a variety of Book Club study groups, and listened to a diverse group of friends over cups of coffee, which led to different conclusions about the Bible:
The above YouTube music video expresses One Man’s Belief in God
My friend’s Conclusions:
- The Bible is the “Word of God”
- Thousands of different “Christian Denominations” interpret the Bible differently, but each believes that their interpretation is the ONLY CORRECT interpretation.
- There are 7 Billion people on Earth, each with a different DNA Molecule, which makes each person distinctly different from each other.
- Most people have experienced vastly different influences as they grew up, also shaping the way they process information.
- As a result of their different genetic composition and environmental influences, each person processes information differently.
- The EXACT SAME MESSAGE said to a thousand people will be interpreted differently, meaning a thousand different things, to different people.
- That explains why the Bible means different things to different people.
- Humanity is like blind men trying to define an elephant:
The 1st grabs the tail and says, “An elephant is like a snake.”
The 2nd grabs a leg and says, “An elephant is like a tree.
The 3rd touches the side and says, “An elephant is like a wall.”
- Humans have Finite minds.
- God’s wisdom is Infinite.
- It is impossible for the “Finite” to understand the “Infinite”.
- Again, by analogy, it’s like a gallon jug trying to contain the contents of a 55-gallon drum, only a trillion, trillion, trillion, etc. times more impossible.
- That may explain the genius of the Bible’s construction:
The Bible’s primary message is for each person to have a loving relationship with God, and with each other, as God loves them.
The Above YouTube Music Video Applies to Our Relationship with One Another. Love also Applies to Our Relationship with God
- The 40 authors, over 1,600 years, wrote that same message in different ways, to be understood by ALL different people.
- ONE MESSAGE ABOUT LOVING GOD & EACH OTHER UNDERSTOOD BY 7 BILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENTLY.
- It’s God speaking in “Tongues” to His creation.
- God created everyone to experience His companionship of Peace & Joy, now & forever.
Thus, everyone may have a different interpretation of the Bible, and it’s O K, if the result is loving God, and each other, as God loves us.
Hence, my friend’s “Creed” will be different from another’s “Creed”, but it’s O K. if each person genuinely loves God with his/her whole mind, heart, and soul, and loves one another as God loves him/her.
It’s a shame that each religion limits God to their finite understanding of an Infinite God. That statement is an absurd oxymoron. Yet, wars were fought defending that absurdity.
The Above YouTube Music Video Lyrics Provide Glimpse Of the Futility of the Finite Mind to Grasp the Infinite
It obviously takes:
- The humility of a creature to the Creator,
- The gratitude of a sinner to his/her Savior,
- The surrender of the finite mind to infinite wisdom,
- The trust that God is sovereign over all things
To allow for the diversity of beliefs, all sharing the common denominator of love of God, and each other.
Anything else is arrogant folly.