Pat Robertson: Other Religions Are “Demonic Powers”

The way I describe this:

1) The scriptures contain, in the ancient languages in which they were written, the revealed truths, about what God wants us to understand about God, and what God expects of us; God is what he is, has explained to us what God is, in scriptures that are what they are, regardless of what any of us say think or about them.

2) There are always cultural ways we attempt to explain God and scriptures. Every denomination has grown in a specific society, over a specific period of time, and is an expression of that culture at that time. The Greek Orthodox Church reflects the Ancient Greek culture. The Roman Catholic Church reflects the culture of the Roman Empire. The Lutheran Church reflects the German culture in the colonial time period. The Anglican Church reflects the English culture in the colonial time period. The Baptist Church reflects the culture of the US, in post colonial times. In fact, there are thousands of cultures in the world, which have scriptures in their language, and a church that reflects their culture. The Churches I listed by name, are all orthodox expressions of Christianity. They have their own cultural ways to explain God and the scriptures, and are an expression of the culture and time, in which they grew. They tend to only notice the things about God and scriptures, which are important to their culture. They are all limited, in their ways of explaining God and scriptures, by the culture and time, in which they grew. If they have been in a theological battle, against other Christians, they will tend to only notice and emphasize the scriptures, which support their side of the battle. The growth of that denomination tends to be limited, to the culture in which it grew. Also, there have been movements within these churches, at various times in history, the caused them to emphasize different things.

3) Also, each person has a personal perspective, within the culture. This effects the way leaders explain, and the way individuals understand, God and the scriptures.

While reading theology is an enjoyable academic pursuit, it is not the way to understand, God or the scripture. We must attempt understand, the original cultures to which the scriptures were written, and what the scriptures meant to those people to whom they were written. Then we must communicate this message, to our own culture in a culturally meaningful way, which they can understand. Just be warned, that everyone who is attempting to discredit and diminish God and the scriptures, is also doing this, and intentionally twisting the meaning of scriptures, to achieve their agendas.

The problem we are experiencing is one of definition of terms. Talking cross purposes, as it were.

There may indeed be only one meaning for the Scriptures, but there are many interpretations. Determining which is correct is between you and God.

The problem we are experiencing is one of definition of terms. Talking cross purposes, as it were.

There may indeed be only one meaning for the Scriptures, but there are many interpretations. Determining which is correct is between you and God.

Will Maven wrote:

“…there is only one valid interpretation.”

Oh really, and which one is that? The one that the Southern Baptists claim, or is it the one that the Catholic Church proclaims? Maybe it is the predestination of the Calvinists, or perhaps it is the Bible beating evangelicals who are correct (if so, please tell me which it is).

As I explained in my post, if you believe in God, and if you believe the Bible is the word of God, then there is only one valid interpretation (God’s). Determining how close your perception is to God’s meaning is every believer’s task. Yet multiple people will have multiple interpretations. Therefore, since there is only one valid interpretation and multiple differing interpretations, a LOT of people are going to be wrong at some point or another. The whole idea behind your question daring me to identify which humans have the correct interpretation disregards the Christian belief that there is one God, and therefore one meaning behind the scriptures that God wrote (again, assuming that you believe that God is the author of scripture).

According to the Bible itself, there is no valid private interpretation of scripture:

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 1:21)

Assuming you believe in God, only God’s interpretation matters. What is God’s interpretation? You do your best to identify what God means, and live by that. But all along you assume that there is only one valid interpretation, that being God’s.

John Dias

John,

“…there is only one valid interpretation.”

Oh really, and which one is that? The one that the Southern Baptists claim, or is it the one that the Catholic Church proclaims? Maybe it is the predestination of the Calvinists, or perhaps it is the Bible beating evangelicals who are correct (if so, please tell me which it is).

Your claim is absurd. Outside of a few central precepts, that Christ is the Son of God, that He was crucified, that He has arisen, that He brought us a new Covenant, the taking of Communion, there is very little that Christians agree upon, but all are still Christians.