That is your interpretation. But it is my opinion that your interpreation of the bible is about as good as a psycotics interpretation of a Rorschach.
At least I can read the words that are written on the pages, I leave the "interpretation" to the folks like you who have been fine tuning the book for 2000 years and still haven't got it right.
You like to say that as if it has any significance. But the reality is that there are only about 8 sects of Christianity.
Roman Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodoxy,
Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Churches,
Protestantism
Restorationists
Anglican Communion
Pentecostals
Others
Well I guess that "Others" is quite a large group then, isn't it? Mormons, Santeria, White Supremicists, Christian Scientists, Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints, etc. You can claim to agree, but the fact is that you can't pray together in the same building.
And they are in agreement in the vast majority of their teachings. The differences tend to be minor and does not interfere with them cooperating with each other in the persuit of common goals.
Among the "Other" category I suppose there are many many different groups. Again, so what?
So what? Some Christians accept gay and transgendered people, in fact churches are breaking into new branches around the world on this issue. To the millions of people who have been shunned, persecuted, or killed in the last few hundred years--like Joan of Arc--it makes a LOT of difference.
And yes different people make difernent interpretations. I woujd go beyond your statement and say that every individual makes his own unique interpretation that differes from others in at least one part. There is still a lot of agreement on the fundamentals and it is still pretty easy to see who the whackos are. btw, when it comes to interpretation yours are some of the most "out there".
Actually, if you had a better education in the history of Christianity you'd know that I'm not so far out as you seem to think. I largely parted ways with Christianity philosophically when Saint Francis and Friars Minor left the mainstream--or perhaps more accurately the mainstream left them.
I encourage everyone to get several different versions and read them in light of several different trustworthy major interpretations. With wisdom and common sense most people can arrive at a good interpretation that will lead to salvation. Trustworthy evalutations are much more likely to come from a self-identified Christian who appears to be well versed as opposed to a fringe element that posts anti-theist hate sites on the internet.
I would say the same thing if they were reading a newspaper or a scientific journal. It is wise to read several different sources and to evalutate them in light of several interpretatons. The existence of different "sects" exist in all branches of thinking.
The cosmologists have their steady state theorists and their big bang theorists, the evolutionists have their gradual change theorists and their punctuated equalibrium theorists and when they "argue" they refine their interpretations to arrive at a better understanding of the information they are studying.
The interpretation is the most important part, you have to listen to other people because it's well known that God never talks to individuals, you can't have a relationship with God unless you go through an approved church that has all the proper "interpretations". You need to be sure to give money too, because God is always a little short on funds. Don't think! Have faith! Obey!
Yeah, right, that's why you get called a "sheeple" because you have to be lead around. Wake up, people, you don't need the churches to mediate your relationship with your Creator, He's there waiting, look in your heart. Remember the two most important commandments according to Jesus: Love God and Love others as yourself. Ask yourself why those two commandments aren't plastered on billboards at every Christian church, why they aren't on the lips of every Christian, ask Dr. Who why he's never posted them, talked about them, or advocated them while instead implying on a public discussion site that I'm a psychotic. And why does he think so? Because I disagree with the insanely violent characterization of God in the Bible. That's it, I advocate the good teachings of Jesus, I advocate non-violence, and somehow that makes me psychotic.
Dr. Who is not alone in such characterizations of people who don't wish to commit violence, an interesting note here is that in the history of the United States of America NO ONE has ever been arrested for protesting IN FAVOR of war, only anti-war protestors have been arrested.
