Seeing no one claiming to have infallible understanding of GW, denying that open-minded truthseekers should be pre-disposed to hope they might go to heaven via God's Way, or objecting to the hermeneutical method of Jesus and Paul, I will continue sharing a few more details for your consideration.
The Bible says God’s Spirit is love and truth (1JN 4:8 & 5:6), which means all love (agape, RM 6:5-8) in all people is God’s operation, and all truth in all cultures is God’s revelation. Thus, becoming a Christian theist does not mean rejecting what is good and true in one’s pre-Christian experience or culture.
As the philosopher Hegel taught: when considering two different understandings (thesis A versus antithesis B), the truth may not be either one or the other but rather the proper harmonization of the two. (Both A and B = synthesis C.) [BTW, this is about the only tenet of Hegel I understand and affirm ;^]
The Bible teaches (GN 1:3, JN 1:1-3) that both the world and inspired words are expressions of God’s Word/Logos, and thus scientific and spiritual truths must be compatible or else God would be tricky. So, while belief that God is love and Jesus is Lord is based upon the biblical revelation, knowledge also is gleaned from the natural sciences and common sense. While my interpretation of reality is influenced by the Bible, I utilize logical thinking, especially where the Bible seems silent, hoping that I am guided by the Spirit of Truth (JN 14:17).
I believe everyone ought to embrace this ecumenical hermeneutic. Logic is a way every sane soul can have access to the supreme Mind or Logos (1CR 2:11-16). Right logic is the glue that binds all individual truths together in one catholic or universal faith.
Logic provides the rationale for believing that the history of humanity is not a farce, and it sustains the hope of experiencing love and joy in a future heavenly existence. The beauty of this hermeneutic is the harmonization of whatever is good and true in all religions or isms.
However, I realize that—just as frequently happens when a person shares favorite musical or scenic beauty with someone else—it may not move your soul like mine (MT 11:16-17).
The Bible says God’s Spirit is love and truth (1JN 4:8 & 5:6), which means all love (agape, RM 6:5-8) in all people is God’s operation, and all truth in all cultures is God’s revelation. Thus, becoming a Christian theist does not mean rejecting what is good and true in one’s pre-Christian experience or culture.
As the philosopher Hegel taught: when considering two different understandings (thesis A versus antithesis B), the truth may not be either one or the other but rather the proper harmonization of the two. (Both A and B = synthesis C.) [BTW, this is about the only tenet of Hegel I understand and affirm ;^]
The Bible teaches (GN 1:3, JN 1:1-3) that both the world and inspired words are expressions of God’s Word/Logos, and thus scientific and spiritual truths must be compatible or else God would be tricky. So, while belief that God is love and Jesus is Lord is based upon the biblical revelation, knowledge also is gleaned from the natural sciences and common sense. While my interpretation of reality is influenced by the Bible, I utilize logical thinking, especially where the Bible seems silent, hoping that I am guided by the Spirit of Truth (JN 14:17).
I believe everyone ought to embrace this ecumenical hermeneutic. Logic is a way every sane soul can have access to the supreme Mind or Logos (1CR 2:11-16). Right logic is the glue that binds all individual truths together in one catholic or universal faith.
Logic provides the rationale for believing that the history of humanity is not a farce, and it sustains the hope of experiencing love and joy in a future heavenly existence. The beauty of this hermeneutic is the harmonization of whatever is good and true in all religions or isms.
However, I realize that—just as frequently happens when a person shares favorite musical or scenic beauty with someone else—it may not move your soul like mine (MT 11:16-17).
1. All love (agape, RM 6:5-8) in all people is God’s operation, and all truth in all cultures is God’s revelation. Thus, becoming a Christian theist does not mean rejecting what is good and true in one’s pre-Christian experience or culture.
2. Hegel's doctrine of synthesis is often true: When considering two different understandings (thesis A versus antithesis B), the truth may not be either one or the other but rather the proper harmonization of the two (both A and B = synthesis C.)
3. Because both the world and inspired words are expressions of God’s Word/Logos, scientific and spiritual truths must be compatible or else God would be tricky, so while interpretation of reality is influenced by the Bible, one may also utilize logical thinking guided by the Spirit of Truth.
4. This biblical and ecumenical hermeneutic is a way every sane soul can have access to the supreme Mind or Logos by means of right logic that binds all truths together in one catholic faith, providing the rationale for believing that the history of humanity is not a farce because of a rational hope of experiencing love and joy in a future heavenly existence.
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