Moderate Muslims and Catholics-Nice But Dumb?

[fretelöo]

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That doesn't preclude that there's divine truth in those writings, but that truth isn't there with no single missing dot to the "i". The bible is normative, for sure, but not in every single of its 613 comandments as they are written there, as those were written in a certain sociological-historical environment and relate to that environment. That doesn't make the bible arbitrary, but definitely open to debate.

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Sounds arbitrary. If there some definitive meaning surely the 500 -1800 years of debate would have found it. They solved Fermat.
If the debate is not resolvable ( which seems obvious), then any conclusions one comes to are arbitrary. You produce the salve that soothes your wounds.

luckyme

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If you want God to be the worlds biggest biggest policeman, then, I guess, you're right. In that case, the bible should be viewed as his divine code of law and indeed, a few years of study should let me know all I need to know.

Problem is, I don't view God as a policeman.

On the other hand, reading a biography of Ghandy probably teaches you something about the things he believed in and valued. While it is open to debate what finer points he believed in etc., general conclusions should be far from "arbitrary".

While I realize that every analogy has it's bondaries (and comparing the bible to a biography of Ghandy is stretching it pretty good), the general distinction is my point and the reason why I, respectfully, disagree.

*bows down and throws a smile in the general direction