09-25-2007, 06:59 PM | #1 |
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I recently referred a friend to one of Ehrman's books
"Lost Christianities" which is about the myriad of Christian groups that were around in the very early days of Christianity and how different they were from each other, as well as from what emerged as the "orthodox" Christianity we have today. It also covers a lot of the issues he addresses in his more famous book, "Misquoting Jesus." She loved it. She is an LDS convert who grew up in an evangelical family having been taught that the Bible was infallible. This gave her some intellectual support for what she already had accepted by faith. Sometimes I wish more members had interest in these kinds of things or that we at least weren't so quick to follow in step with our evangelical friends in automatically condemning anything academic. I'm in no way downplaying the importance of spiritual conversion. But there is a place for understanding the history that led to why there was a restoration in the first place.
Last edited by BlueK; 09-25-2007 at 07:01 PM. |
09-25-2007, 07:01 PM | #2 |
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do you think most Mormons would consider the BoM to be "infallible?"
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09-25-2007, 07:04 PM | #3 |
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Probably. Even though Moroni himself says there are errors. It passed through human hands in its production, as did the Bible, therefore it might not be 100% perfect. But that's ok. It's scripture. Joseph Smith said it was the "most" correct book, not that it was infallible or perfect.
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09-25-2007, 07:05 PM | #4 |
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09-25-2007, 07:06 PM | #5 |
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Well said, BlueK. Lost Scriptures, the companion volume to Lost Christianities is great too (but then, I'm sure you knew that).
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"Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; " 1 Thess. 5:21 (NRSV) We all trust our own unorthodoxies. |
09-25-2007, 07:11 PM | #6 |
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I haven't read that one yet but it's definitely on my list of things to do. I'm thinking there has to be a place in sunday school for bringing in some of this stuff for the purpose of historical context. I don't know why we don't.
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09-25-2007, 07:12 PM | #7 |
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Have you considered the possibility that the "most correct book" might be less correct than, for example, an average sculpture or painting? Certainly at some point as books get smaller they become "booklets," and then just "documents", but that the "most correct book" might be less correct, say, than a sunbeam showing his love for his dad by drawing one of those pictures with huge heads and hands never seems worthy of consideration.
And in what sense is it correct? In its descriptions of historical objects? In the truths it contains? The bookness--the medium itself--is rarely examined. I'm not picking on you Indy. I'm just throwing out some food for thought.
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"Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; " 1 Thess. 5:21 (NRSV) We all trust our own unorthodoxies. Last edited by Sleeping in EQ; 09-25-2007 at 07:17 PM. |
09-25-2007, 07:15 PM | #8 |
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doctrinally not factually.
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09-25-2007, 07:20 PM | #9 |
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