A Tale of Two Interpretations

I encourage my readers to read and compare two blogs from my lists below.  Just posted on "Winging It" is a look at a passage from Acts that is often used to justify communist/socialist economic policies.  At the same time, the most recent post at "A Payne Hollow Visit", aka "Through the Woods" has another entry in the host's ongoing series of posts looking at the Bible and economics.  I would hope it is easy to see how one is reasoned and logical, taking cues from the actual words of the text...you know...what it is actually saying, and the other...well...doesn't.  One draws conclusions from the text and the other injects meaning into it.

I can't knock anyone's desire to understand Scripture, to uncover meaning and learn what God wants us to know about Him and His will and intentions for us.  But it seems to me that there is only so much that is there, only so much that is intended to be drawn that at some point we can say, "I get it." and from that point, further study simply cements the message into our skulls.

But then there are those who seem determined to find some secrets, or perhaps regard themselves as more able to divine deeper meanings.  I think these people get themselves in trouble by supposing they are smarter than the average believer, have a better grasp that is beyond the common man and thus are no more than complete frauds on the order of a Pharisee.  I can think of two in particular who visit here.

And then there are those who want the Bible to mean something that is more appealing to them than a stark reading reveals.  We see this in the commonplace expression "God is love" that is put forth as the bottom line of Biblical teaching and all one needs to know.  In the above example, we have a clear case of one's economic preference being injected into anyplace the blogger feels he can stick the hypodermic needle.  It is clear that he feels any place will do.

There is plenty we can learn from Scripture that Scripture intends us to learn without forcing meaning upon it.  If one wants to say that It warns us against greed and the lust for money, I can deal with that, because it does.  But it says so in clear terms without pretending there are underlying messages of this type in every other verse.  Worse, the message that is so imagined by this particular blogger is used to support economic policy proposals that do not conform with the true message charitable giving and caring for the poor.

I cannot help but regard this type of interpretation as every bit heretical as any other unBiblical teaching.  It doesn't matter if the heresy is something that is actually taught elsewhere in Scripture (assuming it is).  But injecting meaning that the text itself isn't providing interferes with the message it intends to provide.  One might even ignore the intended message in favor of the "underlying" message not truly intended.  That can't be good.

What A BABE!!!

My informal poll includes only about a dozen confirmed respondents, a couple of which suggested they, in kind, polled others.  I can't count them as there are no numbers by which I can measure.  But thus far, no woman asked has expressed a negative response as regards being referred to as "a babe".  There was one who, despite my attempt to be specific, answered as if the question referred to being called "Babe", as one might use "Sweetheart", "Honey" or some other familiarity.  Another seemed to take it the same way, but had no problem personally.  Unfortunate.  But I will endeavor to poll more women as to get a better idea of how this horrible, horrible gaffe of mine is actually received.

I recall my oldest recounting how she overheard a student refer to her as "the hot teacher".  I don't recall her taking offense.  The idea is absurd.  I submit that unless a woman is some lefty man-hating feminist wackjob, I won't come across one who would seriously object to being regarded as "a babe", which, as anyone who is not some lefty man-hating feminist wackjob would tell you, is no different than being regarded as "attractive".

What woman, indeed what human being, would bristle at such a suggestion?  Geoffrey seeks whatever he can to have me regarded in a bad light, and hoped this would be another way.  I still haven't heard from him as to whether his own womenfolk would find the description degrading.  I'm certain that any woman who would so claim is being incredibly dishonest, or sadly worse, deflecting the implication that they have not, to their knowledge, been so regarded.

The poll continues.  I'll update here.

One For The Road

Having a bit of time before we leave for SC, I decided to spend it on a new post.  I read this excellent piece at Neil's blog, so I decided to steal it.  It's that good.

So much of what can be found in the article has been at least touched on in past posts here, as well as elsewhere.  Walter Hudson put it all together. 

For instance, points 6 & 5 touche on the goofy notion of our collective responsibility certain people feel whites must assume for past transgressions.  And point 3 has this:

"Prejudice is not inherently racist, and loose accusations of racism based on isolated perceptions of prejudice are premature. Words have meaning, and we have different words to describe distinct concepts. Prejudice, bigotry, and racism are not interchangeable. While prejudice can be innocent and even reasonable in certain contexts, bigotry is the irrational maintenance of a prejudice in light of evidence to the contrary. Bigotry can be informed by a multitude of factors, of which race is only one. Racism is what we call bigotry informed by race."

He then goes on to rightly conclude...

"These distinctions are important in any intellectually honest discussion of race relations. When prejudice, bigotry, and racism are used interchangeably, it is evidence that the discussion is not honest."

How often do we see our leftist visitors confuse these terms, using them as bludgeons rather than to clarify truths?  But then, intellectual honesty is foreign to our leftist visitors, so desperate as they are to demonize instead defending their position on their merits or demonstrating how they believe ours has none.

West & Wewaxation At Wast!

...as Elmer Fudd would say.  Leaving for a long awaited vacation to Charleston, SC.  Internet access unknown and not particularly a concern, though opportunity might present itself.  I'm sure Parkie will stop by and poop himself like always, so watch where you sit if you decide to visit.  He never cleans up.