THE BIBLE IS NOT PERFECT -- LA BIBLIA NO EST PERFECTA

The other day I heard someone tell me with a straight face that the Bible is perfect.  I told him that the Bible is not perfect.  I also told him, Bible Christian that he is, that he would be a long time searching for the Bible verse which said that the Bible is perfect.

Since this was in an adult faith formation session, we let the discussion end there and he left saying that he would research my position and be ready with an answer for the next session, fourteen days henceforward.

I suppose that there are many cute, chapter and verse ways that I could employ to prove that the Bible is not perfect. But since I abhor proof texting I will dive right into the philosophical explanation of why the Bible is not perfect.

First, I am stipulating that the only perfect being is God Himself.

Second, since that is true, then no other being can be perfect.

Third, since the Bible is a being separate from God, then the Bible cannot be perfect.

Fourth, if the Bible cannot be perfect since it is not God, the Bible is therefore not perfect.

Some may say, “The Bible is the Word of God.  Since it is the Word of God and God is perfect then the Word of God is perfect.”

The Word of God, even if not captured in the Bible script, is not God.

The Word of God is from God, but is not God Himself.

Since the Word of God is separate from God, it cannot be perfect.

So, the Word of God is not perfect.

Therefore the Bible is not perfect.

  

El otro día escuché que alguien me diga con toda seriedad que la Biblia es perfecta.  Le dije que la Biblia no es perfecta.  También le dije, cristiano Biblico que es él, que iba a ser una larga estancia buscando el versículo de la Biblia que dice que la Biblia es perfecta.

Como se trataba de una sesión de formación en la fe de adultos, dejamos la discusión terminarse ahí y él se fue diciendo que iba a investigar mi posición y estar listo con una respuesta para la próxima sesión, catorce días a partir de ahora.

Supongo que hay muchas maneras, buscando capítulos y versículos que podía emplear para probar que la Biblia no es perfecta. Pero como yo aborrezco "proof texting" como una prueba fiable, voy a bucear inmediatamente en la explicación filosófica del porqué la Biblia no es perfecta.

En primer lugar, tengo que establecer que el único ser perfecto es Dios mismo.

En segundo lugar, ya que eso es cierto, entonces ningún otro ser puede ser perfecto.

En tercer lugar, puesto que la Biblia es un ser separado de Dios, entonces la Biblia no puede ser perfecta.

En cuarto lugar, si la Biblia no puede ser perfecta ya que no es Dios, la Biblia, por lo tanto no es perfecta.

Algunos pueden decir: "La Biblia es la Palabra de Dios.  Dado que es la Palabra de Dios y Dios es perfecto, entonces la Palabra de Dios es perfecta”.

La Palabra de Dios, aunque no sea capturada en el guion de la Biblia, no es Dios.

La Palabra de Dios es de Dios, pero no es Dios mismo.

Dado que la Palabra de Dios está separado de Dios, no puede ser perfecta.

Así, la Palabra de Dios no es perfecta.

Entonces, la Biblia NO es perfecta

DEFEND MY FAITH? I DON'T HAVE TO

I have arrived at a point in my life that has me thinking that people who are looking for ways to defend their faith don’t know what that attitude means.  I certainly have no need to defend my faith.  In the first place, there is no one in the world who can make a serious enough attack against my faith to make me need to defend it.  The only attack against my faith is an attack on my very life. 

My faith is not something that I have that can be taken from me.  It is not something that is separate from my being.  It is so deeply woven into me that it is not a possession, a process, a relationship or a blood type.  It is life itself.

For as long as I can remember, and, I am convinced, even before some of my memories, I have lived faith together with God the Trinity and with the Holy Mother of Jesus, begotten Son of God and birthed Son of Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit.  I was baptized nine days after birth.  Never a day of my existence did I survive outside of the presence of God thanks to the shared faith of my mother, father and the rest of the family.  I have never known another life than that of a credulous son of God.  I have nothing to defend.

I can talk about God all day and all night.  Never once will I get defensive.  Aggressive, yes.  Defensive? Never.  My life of faith is a life in community.  My life is within the Communion of Saints.  My life is within the communion of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  It has always been thus.  I feel no need to defend this.  It cannot be taken from me except through physical death.  Nothing can threaten my faith.  Nobody can threaten my faith.  I know that because I have experienced threats to my life along the way.  Faith and I never wavered.  I have listened to overtures from several distinct types of “missionaries” who were aiming their non-Catholic wiles at me.  I didn’t need to defend my faith.  It was, and still is, my faith that sent them packing with their tails between their legs and their Bibles, still closed, under their arms.

I don’t need a Bible to talk about God and my life with and in God.  I don’t spend my time looking for the right chapter and verse for the right answer.  I proclaim my faith from the heart and soul of my being.  I live with my Bible in the comfort of our home shrine or in a corner pew in the chapel, alone with my Eucharistic God.  God is on my mind a lot and He is my life all the time. What is there to defend?  My Bible?  Not mine.  You can have it if you want.  All the pages are still nice and white.  No highlighter colors, underlines nor marginal notes.  All those things are not necessary.  I don’t have to memorize the page number, the chapter, the verse or any other material thing.  All I need is to enrich my life in and with God.  I don’t live my life in chapters and verses.  I live my life with the Person who comes to life from the pages and fills my soul with a deeper understanding of who He is.  It is He who created me, who saved me and who is sanctifying me.  I don’t have to defend my faith, it is my faith that defends me.  So I leave my Bible at home and speak from the heart and soul about my life in God.  So what’s to defend?

Where do I spend my life in God?  In the Communion of Saints as defined by the Catholic Church.  That includes getting familiar with God and with His friends the angels, the saints in heaven and suffering souls of purgatory and the militant priests, prophets and kings living in time on earth.  I get to know a lot about Him every day.  Every day we talk is enriching for me.  Every day we spend together even without talking much is still a good and enriching day.  Do I have to defend that?

On a good day I get to spend some time with Him at His special abode.  I get to celebrate the Sacrifice of our Salvation in His memory.  I don’t get to enjoy that grace every day because of my work schedule.  However, some two or three days a week I can find time to offer the Divine Sacrifice side by side with the Lamb of God and in the presence of His Chosen People gathered around the altar of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.  It is a profound experience at every instance.  It is a dynamic, grace-filled moment being together with God among his living saints; with God through His Sacred Word and with God in the Divine presence of the Eucharist.  The shared faith of the gathering of the righteous around the altar doesn’t need any defending because it is the protection of the faithful not the weakness. 

I don’t have to defend my faith.  I certainly don’t have to use a disfigured Bible to help me defend it.  My faith is my life.  You have permission to attack my faith to your heart’s content.  Have at it.  I don’t need to defend my faith, God does it for me. 

That’s why there will be no need for you to cry at my funeral.

COMMUNION OF SAINTS - COMMUNION DES SAINTS - COMUNIO DE LOS SANTOS

It is the beginning of the end of the year.  It is the month during which we thank God for giving us the grace of faith in the Communion of Saints.  Yes, it is the month of the dearly departed.  It is the month when we remember that the universal call to perfection includes the call to make of our death a holy moment.  It is the month when we, as Catholics, saints in the making, live in the contemplation of this challenge.
A famous existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Death is a continuation of my life without me..."
If you don't believe it, think of the loved ones that you have "lost."  Aren't they still alive?  Don't you still profit from their example?  If you had the privilege to accompany them during their last moments, aren't you convinced that their whole life as you knew it was defined by how they died?  That's only the visible part.  If  we can see that, imagine what we can't see.
I have accompanied many people to the grave.  I have even been able to make some of them smile on the way out of the time dimension. I pray for all the people who have gone before me, even if they died at a younger age then I have presently attained.  Why not?  If they do not need my prayer any more because they are already in God's personal presence, they can nudge Him with their left elbow (I believe that all MY loved ones are at His right!) and remind Him to take care of me so that I can join them someday.
Yes, brothers and sisters, November is a great Catholic Month.  It is very Human and Very Divine at the same time.  I will do my best to accompany you on your way through life with some more daring thoughts about life and death in the coming days and weeks.  Keep in mind, NO CRYING AT MY FUNERAL.

C'est le début de la fin de l'année.  C'est le mois au cours duquel nous remercions Dieu de nous avoir donne la grâce de la foi dans la communion des saints.  Oui, c'est le mois de nos chers defunts.  C'est le mois où nous nous souvenons que l'appel universel à la perfection comprend l'appel à faire de notre mort un moment sacré.  C'est le mois où nous, en tant que catholiques, des saints en plein développement, vivons dans la contemplation de ce défi. 

Un existentialiste célèbre, Jean-Paul Sartre a dit: «La mort est la continuation de ma vie sans moi ..."

Si vous ne le croyez pas, pensez aux proches que vous avez "perdus".  Ne sont-ils pas encore en vie?  N'est-il pas vrai que vous bénéficiez toujours de leur exemple?  Si vous aviez le privilège de les accompagner lors de leurs derniers moments, n'êtes-vous pas convaincus que durant toute leur vie vous saviez qu'elle était définie par la façon dont ils sont morts?  Et ce n'est la que la partie visible.  Si nous pouvons constater cela, imaginez-vous ce que nous ne pouvons pas voir.

Quant a moi, j'ai accompagné plusieures personnes à la tombe.  J'ai même pu faire sourire certains d'entre eux sur le seuil de leur sortie de la dimension temporelle. Je prie pour tous les gens qui sont passés avant moi, même s'ils sont morts à un âge plus jeune que j'ai actuellement atteint.  Pourquoi pas?  Si elles n'ont pas besoin de ma prière parce qu'elles sont déjà dans la présence personnelle de Dieu, ils peuvent lui donner un petit coup du coude gauche (je crois que tous mes proches sont à sa droite!) pour lui rappeler de prendre soin de moi pour que je puisse les rejoindre un jour.

Oui, frères et sœurs, novembre est un mois catholique majestueux.  Il est très humain et très divin en même temps.  Je ferai de mon mieux pour vous accompagner sur votre chemin à travers la vie du mois de novembre avec des pensées un peu audacieuses quant a la vie et la mort dans les jours et semaines à venir.  Remarquez bien, PAS DE LARMES A MES FUNERAILLES.

Es el principio del fin del año.  Es el mes en el cual damos gracias a Dios por darnos la gracia de la fe en la Comunión de los Santos.  Sí, es el mes de los difuntos.  Es el mes cuando recordamos que la llamada universal a la perfección incluye la llamada a hacer de nuestra muerte un momento sagrado.  Es el mes en que nosotros, como católicos, santos en camino verso el paraiso, vivimos en la contemplación de este desafío. 

Un famoso existencialista, Jean-Paul Sartre dijo: "La muerte es la continuación de mi vida sin mí ..."

Si usted no lo cree, piensa en los seres queridos que se han "perdido".  ¿No son todavía vivos?  ¿No es verdadero que aún en este momento se beneficia de su ejemplo?  Si usted tuvo el privilegio de acompañarlos en sus últimos momentos, no está convencido de que toda su vida como usted la conocía fue definida por la manera en que se murieron?  Eso es sólo la parte visible.  Si podemos ver eso, imaginase lo que no podemos constatar.

He acompañado a muchas personas a la tumba.  Incluso he sido capaz de hacer que algunos de ellos sonria en la salida de la dimensión temporal. Rezo por todas las personas que han pasado antes de mi, incluso si morían a una edad más joven que yo he alcanzado actualmente.  ¿Por qué no?  Si no ocupan mi oracion porque ya están en la presencia personal de Dios, pueden empujarlo gentilmente con el codo izquierdo (creo que todos mis seres queridos están en su derecho!) para que El  recordará de cuidarse de mí para que yo pueda unirme a ellos.

Sí, hermanos y hermanas, Noviembre es un gran mes Católico.  Es muy humano y muy divino, al mismo tiempo.  Yo haré todo lo posible para que lo acompañe en su camino durante la vida con algunas ideas más atrevidas sobre la vida y la muerte en los próximos días y semanas.  Tenga en cuenta, NO SE LLORA EN MI FUNERAL.