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I received this email from Glen this morning: ( you can read my comment in post # 2 )
Glen B Smith
To:lou newton
Nov 23 at 10:43 AM
Columbus the misjudged
I was pleased to read the WallBuilders article on the Columbus expeditions. From my earliest days at college, I had forgotten about reading some of the original source material concerning the savagery in pre-Columbian America.
David Barton (WallBuilders) is often too extreme, in my opinion, in his Christianizing American history. The founding fathers were not so much followers of Jesus as they were benefactors of the influence of Christianity on western culture. However, David Barton is no more extreme than those who deny America was or is a Christian nation. It depends on what is meant by Christian or Christianity's influence. There is nothing in the world today, that has not been altered by "the man from Galilee." That is not to say that all societies have been made Christian, but to say that all societies have become less satanic. Observe, who it is that winning the strategic war while not winning every tactical battle? If you cannot see this, then just read this prediction in the Bible.
What is most pertinent about the article is that it points out the error in judging or doing history from a modern perspective or a foreign perspective. Examples: (1) Everybody on the ship Mayflower drank beer – even children and babies. Water could not be stored safely on extended sea voyages but beer was safe. The first colony of Pilgrims landed in America at the time and place when and where they ran out of beer. (2) George Washington was the distiller of the most desired whiskey in America. How would those forcing the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition think of such things? And we should not condemn prohibition without fully understanding the problems with alcholic consumption before the 18th admendment.
Interpreting historical slave owners or the institution of slavery based upon modern American law and practices is a wrong interpretation of history and morality and law. Suggesting this generation should pay reparations to descendants of slaves would be the same as suggesting reparations from today's native Americans for any of their ancestors acts of savagery or slavery before the year 1492 or 1900.
Any argument supporting reparations is as ill proposed as any other argument that current generations pay for acts performed legally by their ancestors. Just as with USA law, where slavery was legal before the Civil War, social norms were different for previous other cultures.
I rant about this for a different purpose so to make comments to serve biblical interpretations. The issues with reinterpreting history through the ideas of a society's current generation applies to biblical interpretations. The better Bible student seeks to learn to think like an ancient Hebrew, to absorb that ancient worldview with their presuppositions and perceptions of reality – their beliefs including their knowledge of their world – not ours. Failure to distinguish a modern set of presuppositions from those of the ancient Hebrew will result in bias biblical interpretations.
Every text in the Bible was penned by a person with an ancient worldview – nearly all were ancient Hebrews. If the Bible student cannot run down a list where he is contrasting his own modern worldview with that of the ancient Hebrew, he is at a disadvantage in understanding the Bible correctly.
Disclaimer:
Salvation in the Lord Jesus has never required anyone to be a competent Bible student. The opposite is factual and necessary for all sinners to be carried by the Lord into eternity. Being a competent Bible student does not equate with salvation or biblical faith. However, few ought to be teachers, the Apostle James wrote, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1).
The Apostle Paul added, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions," (2 Timothy 4:3).
The justly earned description of Bible scholar is not a star in any Christian's crown even though it is a proudly presented adornment in this modern worldview. "Bible Scholar" is not a label on the Lord's yardstick, but "HEART" is.
23 November 2019 the old scribe
To:lou newton
Nov 23 at 10:43 AM
Columbus the misjudged
I was pleased to read the WallBuilders article on the Columbus expeditions. From my earliest days at college, I had forgotten about reading some of the original source material concerning the savagery in pre-Columbian America.
David Barton (WallBuilders) is often too extreme, in my opinion, in his Christianizing American history. The founding fathers were not so much followers of Jesus as they were benefactors of the influence of Christianity on western culture. However, David Barton is no more extreme than those who deny America was or is a Christian nation. It depends on what is meant by Christian or Christianity's influence. There is nothing in the world today, that has not been altered by "the man from Galilee." That is not to say that all societies have been made Christian, but to say that all societies have become less satanic. Observe, who it is that winning the strategic war while not winning every tactical battle? If you cannot see this, then just read this prediction in the Bible.
What is most pertinent about the article is that it points out the error in judging or doing history from a modern perspective or a foreign perspective. Examples: (1) Everybody on the ship Mayflower drank beer – even children and babies. Water could not be stored safely on extended sea voyages but beer was safe. The first colony of Pilgrims landed in America at the time and place when and where they ran out of beer. (2) George Washington was the distiller of the most desired whiskey in America. How would those forcing the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition think of such things? And we should not condemn prohibition without fully understanding the problems with alcholic consumption before the 18th admendment.
Interpreting historical slave owners or the institution of slavery based upon modern American law and practices is a wrong interpretation of history and morality and law. Suggesting this generation should pay reparations to descendants of slaves would be the same as suggesting reparations from today's native Americans for any of their ancestors acts of savagery or slavery before the year 1492 or 1900.
Any argument supporting reparations is as ill proposed as any other argument that current generations pay for acts performed legally by their ancestors. Just as with USA law, where slavery was legal before the Civil War, social norms were different for previous other cultures.
I rant about this for a different purpose so to make comments to serve biblical interpretations. The issues with reinterpreting history through the ideas of a society's current generation applies to biblical interpretations. The better Bible student seeks to learn to think like an ancient Hebrew, to absorb that ancient worldview with their presuppositions and perceptions of reality – their beliefs including their knowledge of their world – not ours. Failure to distinguish a modern set of presuppositions from those of the ancient Hebrew will result in bias biblical interpretations.
Every text in the Bible was penned by a person with an ancient worldview – nearly all were ancient Hebrews. If the Bible student cannot run down a list where he is contrasting his own modern worldview with that of the ancient Hebrew, he is at a disadvantage in understanding the Bible correctly.
Disclaimer:
Salvation in the Lord Jesus has never required anyone to be a competent Bible student. The opposite is factual and necessary for all sinners to be carried by the Lord into eternity. Being a competent Bible student does not equate with salvation or biblical faith. However, few ought to be teachers, the Apostle James wrote, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1).
The Apostle Paul added, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions," (2 Timothy 4:3).
The justly earned description of Bible scholar is not a star in any Christian's crown even though it is a proudly presented adornment in this modern worldview. "Bible Scholar" is not a label on the Lord's yardstick, but "HEART" is.
23 November 2019 the old scribe