E-N: Study shows Texas high school Bible courses as sectarian, not academic

[Phenomanul]

"the Bible. They use the same one."

false, the Bible-thumping "Christians" would insist on literal 6-day Creationism/ID which is not Catholic doctrine.

False... that is left up for the reader to decide whether or not the book was poetic..... The doctrine is not propagated from the top.

Now, now.... Don't overstep your bounds.

[boutons_]

"left up for the reader to decide whether or not the book was poetic"

What sect let's, encourages?, the Bible reader come up with his own personal interpretation?

[johnsmith]

"left up for the reader to decide whether or not the book was poetic"

What sect let's, encourages?, the Bible reader come up with his own personal interpretation?

Boutons is realizing that he knows nothing and now is just coming up with petty questions in response to everyone knowing more then him.........Quick Boutons, post an article.

[velik_m]

(nor do I see Catholics, Hindus, Jews, etc fighting to install their specific doctrines in public schools).

maybe not in your country...

[Spurminator]

Ummm... actually, they don't. The Catholic Bible includes the Apocryphal books.

I should have phrased it better (I'd call "The Stand" and "The Stand: Unabridged" the same book)... any academic course on the Bible would likely include a discussion of both. I had friends at UT who took a Bible course and the Apocryphal books were a part of the course.

[Spurminator]

"the Bible. They use the same one."

false, the Bible-thumping "Christians" would insist on literal 6-day Creationism/ID which is not Catholic doctrine.

Any academic course on the Bible would include a discussion of the 6-Day Creation. There's no getting around that.

And I think you'll find that far fewer Protestants subscribe to a literal interpretation of Creation than you would like to believe.

[Phenomanul]

"left up for the reader to decide whether or not the book was poetic"

What sect let's, encourages?, the Bible reader come up with his own personal interpretation?

Sect implies lead by a person or small group... I don't deal with them.

In my denomination, The Southern Baptists, leaders are elected; but they are nothing more than the administrative faces of the denomination. Every now and then they convene to determine their stance on certain issues, and yet the Southern Baptist Creed has been around and unchanged for quite some time...

And last time I looked it didn't claim to prescribe whether or not the Creation passages are to be interpreted as being poetic or literal. Either way, Creation is attributed to GOD. That would then follow that the choice was left up to the reader.

I for one am undecided but tend not to belittle the grandeur of Creation itself by sticking it into a box that is bound to naturalistic constraints. If Creation was supernatural, which I believe it was; then a 6 day model would not be bound by our logic. And if that was the case, so be it; if not... it wouldn't be a faith breaker.

[boutons_]

sect: a separate group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or way of thinking or to a particular leader

Of course, US "Christian" sects will claim authenticity as well as separateness from and superiority to other Christian sects, fundamental to their political games and fund raising.

Since most US "Christian" sects have been invented by a leader or small group, and invented quite recently, their credibility as being authentic Christian groups is suspect, compared with the Apostolic succession of the original, authentic Christian religion, Catholicism.

[Extra Stout]

Since most US "Christian" sects have been invented by a leader or small group, and invented quite recently, their credibility as being authentic Christian groups is suspect, compared with the Apostolic succession of the original, authentic Christian religion, Catholicism.

Wow, boutons, you are so well-informed.

[Extra Stout]

Little did anybody realize that Martin Luther's endgame was political games and fundraising in the New World five centuries in the future! Thank you boutons for pointing this out! You know a lot about Christian history!

[Phenomanul]

sect: a separate group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or way of thinking or to a particular leader

Of course, US "Christian" sects will claim authenticity as well as separateness from and superiority to other Christian sects, fundamental to their political games and fund raising.

Since most US "Christian" sects have been invented by a leader or small group, and invented quite recently, their credibility as being authentic Christian groups is suspect, compared with the Apostolic succession of the original, authentic Christian religion, Catholicism.

For clarification.... think David Koresh.

[smeagol]

Since most US "Christian" sects have been invented by a leader or small group, and invented quite recently, their credibility as being authentic Christian groups is suspect, compared with the Apostolic succession of the original, authentic Christian religion, Catholicism.

Although I partially agree with you, especially with your statement of Catholicism, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that most US Christian denominations are sects.

When I think about sects, neither Methodists, Southern Baptists nor Lutherans come to mind. I would say Mormons, Seven Day Adventists, Jehova’s Witnesses, Scientologists, etc fit the bill better.