Originally posted by KellyJay
I agree we can use the same words and say different things even
though we are using the same words, but truth is what it is, no matter
what I or you think.
Kelly[/b]
Yes. Most of the time I don’t think we are arguing about what spiritual truth
is, but what it looks like from our perspective.
I was trying to get some sleep, when I had a crazy thought. I’m not sure I can get it out right. But I thought of it in terms of a spiritual exercise, a spiritual
askesis that is indirectly, like psychological ju jitsu, an exercise in self-confrontation. And the exercise is this—
___________________________________
Make every theological, doctrinal, scriptural argument that you make and have made on here—and make it to God, in just exactly the same way and the same terms as you make it to others on here. (That is a general “you”, and I am not aiming this at you, KJ; it’s for anyone/everyone, including myself. I’m also being very serious and in earnest.)
Tell God precisely what conditions you expect him to adhere to, and why. Quote scripture to God. If you think the Bible is inerrant, for example, tell God that if it isn’t you can’t trust him—or whatever. If you think your reading of a particular part of scripture must be correct because your reading is inspired by the Holy Spirit, tell God that it darned well had better be that way. Tell God how salvation works. If you adhere to certain church authorities as well as scripture, tell God he had better, too. Insist to God exactly the same way you insist to others. Tell God how it is, how it must be. With every single theological, scriptural, moral, soteriological position you argue on here, in exactly the same way. Write it down just that way—but addressed to God—and read it out to God.
This goes, I think, a bit beyond something like Abraham’s arguing with God over Sodom. It actually goes to telling God who he is, who he’d darn well better be. If you have argued to others that God must be X, Y or Z—tell God that he must be that. Not just your opinion, but the truth—tell God what the truth is, and he’d better stick to it. Don’t ask, tell.
Etc., etc. Again, exactly the way you do with others, including but not limited to co-religionists with whom you disagree and are trying to enlighten.
______________________________________
The point is that I suspect a great deal of what we argue on here has that very flavor. We act as if God is out of earshot, so to speak. Or we assume that God is in our corner, must be in our corner (well, tell him that, too). When, in fact, I think we are often subconsciously doing what that exercise is intended to make conscious. That’s why it is ultimately a hard exercise in self-confrontation. And sometimes that’s when we best learn things about ourselves.
I have my own biases, of course, and it would be easy for me to sit back and imagine someone telling God how and why the slaughtering of innocents is righteous, and that he darned well better have done it exactly like the book says. But that’s not fair. I can’t make the suggestion, and then let myself off the hook. So I’ll have a hard day tomorrow; since I have argued both from within and from without the Judeo-Christian paradigm, I’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
We’ll see how it goes...