Originally posted by divegeester
What motivates you?
Truth and compassion.
Books are virtually worshipped in numerous religions as the direct infallible "Word of God". Despite protestations, this is truly a form of idolatry, wherein "God" is replaced by an object, that stands literally for God.
You cannot question it, according to idolators as it is equated directly as coming from the mouth of God. It is not a human book, it is God speaking. That is idolatry.
Any rational question for idolaters is not met by objective reason and argument, but instead a quotation form the Bible as if, "God" has spoken and that's it. That is idolatry.
Why is this not a good thing? Why do those with compassion seek constantly to encourage idolaters to look at what they are doing - the very same thing they preach against!
It causes violent and separating reactions. It encourages insightless clinging to texts and words instead of any open movement of the heart and mind, the principal evidence that the spirit of man has been bettered and changed.
Some people think that being able to repeat words and texts is the same as faith and spirituality, when what they are doing is closing off the many ways that truth of the spirit comes to us, not just from one book. Ignorance is bliss but it is also quite sad.
All reference to Christian scriptures - as with all literature- needs to be interpreted and understood not just absorbed like an unthinking sponge. Where is the ever sought "authority" of "God's Word" if it is subject to human intrepreation (which it is), and some interpretations have supported the most foul deeds of human history? But the interpretations are put forth full of idoaltrous power as "GOD'S WORD". Wrong. It is an interpretation of the scriptures and bad interpretation only be clarified with reason and debate, not announced as a fait accompli. This motivates me.
Idolatry. And it is a very primitive form, going right back to tribal gods. My GOD-BOOK-IDOL is bigger and more powerful than your GOD-BOOK-IDOL.
And so we have the BIG THREE book worshippers, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, slugging it out nastily without end. That's a reasonable motivation also I think.
It is an undeveloped view of the ways of the sacred and somewhat childish.