Eric Muhr - Latest comments

In response to: A Rock in the Owyhees

Nancy [Visitor] — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:50:58 +0000

Thank you, Eric. You express well the ache so many of us have for an authentic life with Jesus and his people. And I, too, have a special place than I now can only go to in my imagination. But I go there regularly.

In response to: When Words Fail

Emily Neeson [Member] — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:08:11 +0000

"What then can I do when my experience of God — of the very source of love, truth and life — transcends language? What dare I try when words fail me?"

This is my cue to give a big hug. :-)

In response to: Religious Crazy

Jim Teeters [Visitor] — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:21:18 +0000

Therefore: Gal 5:1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. (i.e. dogma!)

In response to: Religious Crazy

Ed [Visitor] — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:01:39 +0000

I guess that fringe groups are one of the prices we must pay for decentralizing church power and leaving the catholic church.

In response to: Backwards Bible

Jim Teeters [Visitor] — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:46:00 +0000

Wow!!

In response to: Morality and Mythology

J. Hibbs [Visitor] — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:40:36 +0000

In response to your previous entry, I say we erase the stupid Pauline Epistles instead. They are mostly superfluous and mostly rehash what was said several centuries before.

I agree with this entry. Life without mythos is a life without imagination or essential self. Each of us has our own mythos that defines who we are.

In response to: Interpreting Scripture

Nate Swift [Visitor] — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:04:34 +0000

Well done, Eric. I would point out that rather than do away with the "rest of Leviticus" we should understand the purpose and context of the proscriptions so that we can fulfil purpose as appropriate instead of letter. It's a little tougher to do, but it's not "picking and choosing."

In response to: Interpreting Scripture

David Ross [Visitor] — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:53:11 +0000

Eric,

I find it interesting that the supervisor approached you asking if you believe that the Bible is true. It's interesting because you have to step back and ask yourself what he meant by "true" (which I'm sure you did). We have a demand for facts in the world today. We need things to be factual in order for them to be true. This approach is used both by fundamentalists (the Bible IS fact) and those who wish to prove the Bible to be "untrue." Both approaches are irrelevant because they are modern approaches to an ancient text. You can't examine and criticize an ancient text with in a completely Western state of mind.

This brings me back to your supervisor asking whether or not you believe the Bible is true. What do you think he meant by this? What do you think he meant when asking if you thought the Bible was "true?"

Also, I entirely agree with you that taking the Bible literally is a hindrance to Christianity in the modern world (especially America). I recently started reading a book that deals with interpreting scripture. I like it so far, but I haven't gotten through even half of it yet, so that may change. (Though, it doesn't seem likely.) The book is called Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but not Literally. You may have already heard of it or read it. I've been writing a series of short essays (reflections) on the book for a class I'm taking called History of the New Testament.