Interpreting the Bible . . .

"What is reasonable?"

How the Bible should be interpreted is the most important question we face when dealing with scripture. Fundamentalists like to claim that the Word of God never changes. What they fail to understand, however, is the fact that our interpretation of what we think scripture says most certainly does change based upon the specifics of our modern culture. Read this verse, for example:

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched." (Mark 9:43)

The words above, which were spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, plainly and directly instruct us to cut off our hand if it causes us to sin. But no one, not even fundamentalists, take this verse literally.

Why is this verse not taken literally?

Mark 9:43 is not taken literally because the literal interpretation (that we should indeed cut off our hand when it enables us to sin) is seen as being unreasonable by intelligent, thoughtful people.

These days, as our society increasingly accepts the worthiness of gay and lesbian people, it is becoming increasingly unreasonable to use the Bible as a tool of intolerance against gays and lesbians.

It is becoming increasingly unreasonable to reject gay and lesbian people using scripture, just as it is now seen as completely unreasonable to interpret Mark 9:43 as indicating that Jesus Christ actually wanted Christians to cut their hands off.

And that is how what is considered reasonable or unreasonable by modern cultural norms directly impacts upon our understanding of scripture.

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