Reasonable Concepts: Nature vs. Scripture

     John Wesley’s Quadrilateral suggests the application of four elements for testing or formulating new material which could or should be included in a theology. Each of the four considerations are worthy of merit, but they are not always applied equally when considering new thoughts or ideas. They are given different priority weights depending upon the authority using this method to validate the subject under consideration. Very conservative orders tend apply a heavier weight of Scripture as the test for acceptance of any new material, whereas a very progressive order will apply the heavier weight of Reason as the main consideration of developing theology.

QUADRILATERAL DRILL WEIGHTING CHART
	Fundamentalist Evangelical	Orthodox Evangelical	Mainline Christian	Progressive Christianity	Possibilian	Agnostic	Atheist
Scripture	100%	40%	20%	15%	0%	0%	0%
Tradition	0%	40%	60%	15%	20%	0%	0%
Experience	0%	10%	10%	35%	40%	30%	0%
Reason	0%	10%	10%	35%	40%	70%	100%
	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

     During our life time, incredibly more strides have been made in the accumulation of knowledge about the universe we live in than during any time in the last 100,000 years. We have also learned more about the basic structure of organic and inorganic matter not only of this planet, but throughout the universe. Our developing scientific disciplines have begun answering questions about our past, present and future that our ancestors could not even imagine asking. These disciplines have amassed a universe of verifiable facts and evidence to continue building upon this ever growing mountain of knowledge. None of this evidence has been kept secret from anyone, but is made public for any and everyone to examine and evaluate for themselves. Neither does this scientific evidence and knowledge require a “Belief system of Faith” to understand or accept.

     I, like almost every one whose religious education was based on the Old and/or New Testament, has since the age of reasoning, harbored questions concerning almost every story and book in the Bible. Answers provided during our early years by our religious educators included the real fact that we may never know the answers, but were encouraged to continue to have Faith in the stories and Believe that they were either true or important to our lives. Eventually these answers ceased to satisfy our questions and curiosities and reason began to stifle blind Belief.

     One question which has solicited a variety of answers from church members is, “What is the origin of Sin?” Although this question will generally fill the room with definitions of what Sin is, the origin of Sin most commonly expressed is either the; (1) Tempting and Talking Snake; (2) the forbidden fruit; or, (3) the disobedience of Adam and Eve of eating fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. These answers are given only by cultures whose religious education includes what we call “The Old Testament.” Many cultures that base their religious education on other sources of information, have a different set of answers about the origins of unacceptable human behavior. This obviously invokes the question, “where is the truth?”

     Questions can be, and are, endless when it comes to cultural practices. We will never know what the truth is when we base our truths on cultural differences. Scientific evidence, on the other hand, is not affected by culturalism. The study of, and accrued knowledge about our universe has no cultural borders, it is universal.

     The following are only a few more questions I have pondered and attempted to apply the Wesley Quadrilateral in search of answers.

      In the year 1800 BCE, the world’s population was estimated by credible anthropologists and archeologists to be approximately 35 million people scattered around the planet. These peoples lived in tribes, villages, dynasties, and had developed a variety of thriving cultures everywhere on the planet. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population)

2000–1500 BCE:

Hyksos invaders drive Egyptians from Lower Egypt (17th century BC). Amosis I frees Egypt from Hyksos (c. 1600 BC). Assyrians rise to power—cities of Ashur and Nineveh. Twenty-four-character alphabet in Egypt. Cuneiform inscriptions used by Hittites. Peak of Minoan culture on Isle of Crete—earliest form of written Greek. Hammurabi, king of Babylon, develops oldest existing code of laws (18th century BC). Abraham becomes patriarch of Jewish Nation (c. 1800 BCE).  The Chinese Shang Dynasty (c. 1700–1046 BC).(http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001198.html#ixzz1DtZTuZ3Z)

     Question #1: Why is it reasonable to accept a story that the God who created the universe, the world, all of the people in it, and pronounced them, “good,” would reveal himself to a single Bedouin herder from a semi-nomadic tribe of the Mesopotamia area to announce that “he would become the father of a great nation of people more numerous than the stars in the sky, and become His chosen people?”

      The stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc., come to us from a long oral tradition before they were ever written in any form by unknown people who had no firsthand experience or witness of events they wrote about, the originals of which no longer exist. These stories and a lineage of oral stories, myths, and legends have come to form the basis of Christianity without any archeological or historical support from any other sources. The only authority of truth it purports to possess is the claim that because this story is included in the Bible which is the inspired, if not dictated, words of a God who should be feared without question. There is no other evidence to support this story.

1000–900 BCE:

Solomon succeeds King David, builds Jerusalem temple. After Solomon's death, kingdom divided into Israel and Judah.Hebrew elders begin to write Old Testament books of Bible. Phoenicians colonize Spain with settlement at Cadiz.(http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001198.html#ixzz1DtZTuZ3Z)

400–300 BCE:

Pentateuch—first five books of the Old Testament evolve in final form. Philip of Macedon, who believed himself to be a descendant of the Greek people, assassinated (336 BC) after subduing the Greek city-states; succeeded by son, Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), who destroys Thebes(335 BC), conquers Tyre and Jerusalem (332 BC), occupies Babylon (330 BC), invades India, and dies in Babylon. His empire is divided among his generals; one of them, Seleucis I, establishes Middle East empire with capitals at Antioch (Syria) and Seleucia (in Iraq). Trial and execution of Greek philosopher Socrates (399 BC). Dialogues recorded by his student, Plato (c. 427–348 or 347 BC). Euclid's work on geometry (323 BC). Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384–322 BC).Demosthenes, Greek orator (384–322 BC). Praxiteles, Greek sculptor (400–330 BC).

      Pontius Pilate was the 5th Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. Rome occupied many Mediterranean countries and had learned the art of managing a foreign occupation. The secret was to allow the occupied cultures to continue to observe their own religious and social practices as long as they did not conflict with paying a monetary tribute to Rome or threaten Roman occupation. Under this practice, the Jewish Sanhedrin, with Roman approval of the appointment of the Chief Priest, was allowed to rule over Jewish practices. It was easier to maintain rule over conquered lands when some leniencies were allowed. It was a matter of convenience with a minimal force of occupying Roman soldiers.

      Constantine I was Roman Emperor from AD 306 to 337. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed tolerance of all religions throughout the empire. Like the Roman rulers before him, he practiced a limited benevolent style of ruling occupied countries.

       Most of the religions and cultural groups living under the occupational rule of the Roman Empire had central authorities which were responsible to the Emperor for control of activities of their members. This made it easier for Rome to control large numbers of occupied people. However, Christian sects scattered throughout the Roman Empire had a very loose connection with each other and had no central authority. Frequently they were at odds with each other over the authenticity and authority of written texts each possessed for teaching and converting new members. When the threat of disputes among the Christian churches was brought to Constantine’s attention, he ordered a meeting of the various church leaders to settle their disputes and create a central authority before they became a domestic problem for Rome.

        This mandatory meeting of the church leaders in AD 325 was known as the first Council of Nicea and was the first ecumenical council of the catholic Church. This meeting was commissioned by Constantine to settle disputes between religious groups and come to an agreement not only on the materials submitted for consideration and inclusion into a common written authority, but to elect an order of Bishops that would preside over future Council meetings and subsequently over all Christian churches. This meeting, as well as later Council of Bishops meetings, would make decisions about; “Was Jesus a God or a Man,” “Powers of the Holy Spirit,” “Elements of the Trinity,” “the date to celebrate Easter,” etc.

      Not surprisingly, the largest delegations won not only positioning the Church of Rome as the central authority over all Christendom, but also ruled over the selection of written materials that would support this authority, hence the establishment of the Roman catholic Church. The selection of letters and texts were voted on by the Ruling Bishops and canonized as the final authority of God’s word for all of Christendom. This authority for ruling over all of the churches in the Christian world was backed up by the insistence and authority of the Roman Emperor and everyone attending the Council meetings knew it.

       The doctrine of Biblical inerrancy was developed by a group of quasi military Bishops who were more politically motivated toward establishing rule over a loosely organized and growing religious group, than establishing any truth of God. They used the power of the Roman Empire and the ancient stories handed down through Jewish traditions as leverage to their success.

     Although Constantine has been credited for assisting the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, in reality he was just trying to avert an internal conflict between differing religious sects by the establishment of one central ruling agency he could more easily deal with directly and hold responsible for any anti-Roman activity.

      The story of Christianity began in Judea about a Jewish Nazarene who died in Jerusalem, but the story ended up in Rome as a document edited to support a claimed authority to rule over all Christendom in the Roman Empire.

Question #2: How can a Christian world, base any authority of truth on results of events such as these?

For too long, my God has been held hostage by the ancient myths and legends cloaked in unquestioning religious fervor which has blinded us to the marvels of creation all around us. Every single speck of this planet, flora, fauna, and terra firma is composed of common atoms that were created in the death of stars in a universe billions of years ago. These creation atoms are eternal, they never die or expire. Molecules, on the other hand, are composed of eternal atoms, and are used to create all biological life forms which are mortal. Our bodies, our minds, our intelligence, our thoughts are all ultimate products of the stars. This is a much more beautiful and enlightening understanding of the nature of God and the creation of our world than ancient stories of a man made from dust, a woman made from a rib, a talking snake presenting temptations, or a son of God produced by a young Jewish virgin. These may have been acceptable answers for the prevailing knowledge and intelligence of 8, 6, or 2 thousand years ago, but they are not answers for anything today.

     We have been conditioned by superstitions and fears for 200,000 years to wear blinders and never venture past our herd culture in search of truth. Ancient myths and legends have been the only acceptable and daily answers to everything we have been allowed to explore. The practices of today’s worship reflect only ancient perceptions of a knowledge of God, and none of the accumulated knowledge of the nature of God during the past 100 years.

Question #3: When are we going to break free from the dark ages and begin shedding the light of truth on our current knowledge of God and the world we live in today?