For Smoke Em

[therealUT]

To read with understanding, is to educate yourself, Smoke Em. This is my final attempt at conversing with you.

The Pentateuch, which consists of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), enjoys particular prestige among the Jews as the "Law," or "Torah," the concrete expression of God's will in their regard. It is more than a body of legal doctrine, even though such material occupies many chapters, for it contains the story of the formation of the People of God: Abraham and the patriarchs, Moses and the oppressed Hebrews in Egypt, ,the birth of Israel in the Sinai covenant, the journey to the threshold of the Promised Land, and the "discourses" of Moses.
The grandeur of this historic sweep is the result of a careful and complex joining of several historical traditions, or sources. These are primarily four: the so-called Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly and Deuteronomic strands that run through the Pentateuch. (They are conveniently abbreviated as J, E, P and D.) Each brings to the Torah its own characteristics, its own theological viewpoint--a rich variety of interpretation that the sensitive reader will take pains to appreciate. A superficial difference between the two of these sources is responsible for their names: the Yahwist prefers the name Yahweh (represented in translation as Lord) by which God revealed himself to Israel; the Elohist prefers the generic name for God, Elohim. The Yahwist is concrete, imaginative, using many anthropomorphisms in its theological approach, as seen, e.g., in the narrative of creation in Gn 2, compared with the Priestly version in Gn 1. The elohist is more sober, moralistic. The Priestly strand, which emphasizes genealogies, is more severly theological in tone. The Deuteronomic approach is characterized by the intense hortatory style of Dt 5-11, and by certain principles from which it works, such as the centralization of worship in the Jerusalem temple.
However, even this analysis of the Pentateuch is an over-simplification, for it is not always possible to distinguish with certainty among the various sources. The fact is that each of these individual traditions incorporates much older material. The Yahwist was himself a collector and adapter. His narrative is made up of many disparate stories that have been reoriented, and given a meaning within the context in which they now stand; e.g., the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gn 22. Within the J and P traditions one has to reckon with many individual units; these had their own history and life-setting before they were brought together into the present more or less connected narrative.
This is not to deny the role of Moses in the development of the Pentateuch. It is true we do not conceive of him as the author of the books in the modern sense. But there is no reason to doubt that, in the events described in these traditions, he had a uniquely important role, especially as lawgiver. Even the later laws which have been added in P and D are presented as a Mosaic heritage. Moses is the lawgiver par excellence, and all later legislation is conceived in his spirit, and therefore attributed to him. Hence, the reader is not held to undeviating literalness in interpreting the words, "the Lord said to Moses." One must keep in mind that the Pentateuch is the crystallization of Israel's age-old relationship with God.

NAB

 

[smoke_em06]

To read with understanding, is to educate yourself, Smoke Em. This is my final attempt at conversing with you.

Thanks for the insightful info, but the fact remains that there is only one creation story. It took seven days. I don't know who you think you are trying to educate me, but I don't think anyone needs their education from you. By the way, I still don't think your a conservative. As far as conversing with me, I am very easy to talk to. For some reason you just can't stand my rockhard unmoveable beliefs. If eats at you when someone just doesn't see you way. Sorry

 

[Lexvol]

I never thought I would read anything about the JEPD theory on the Volnation board.

UT you better not mention Utnapishni and his quest for immortality.

 

[therealUT]

Thanks for the insightful info, but the fact remains that there is only one creation story. It took seven days. I don't know who you think you are trying to educate me, but I don't think anyone needs their education from you. By the way, I still don't think your a conservative. As far as conversing with me, I am very easy to talk to. For some reason you just can't stand my rockhard unmoveable beliefs. If eats at you when someone just doesn't see you way. Sorry

No, I just can't stand your ignorance and it eats at me when someone chooses to remain in the dark instead of furthering their education, and in doing so their becomes less virtuous.

 

[smoke_em06]

No, I just can't stand your ignorance and it eats at me when someone chooses to remain in the dark instead of furthering their education, and in doing so their becomes less virtuous.

Thank you for those inspirational words real. You just can't stand it when someone won't say your right. As for furthering my education, I will create a deeper understanding from my Bible readings and personal time with God until the day that I die. I don't need you to tell me to educate myself. Thanks for your ignorance though.

 

[therealUT]

Thank you for those inspirational words real. You just can't stand it when someone won't say your right. As for furthering my education, I will create a deeper understanding from my Bible readings and personal time with God until the day that I die. I don't need you to tell me to educate myself. Thanks for your ignorance though.

Virtue--the art of living derived from education--which, of all the soul's goods, is the highest. Where virtue is lacking, no number of other goods are really any good to one who has them and, therefore, cannot really be called his goods, since they cannot profit one who uses them badly.

Varro

 

[vader]

 

[OWB]

:lol:

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I saw something about the JEPD theory several years ago. It's a fascinating study.

 

[utvolpj]

Thanks for the insightful info, but the fact remains that there is only one creation story. It took seven days. I don't know who you think you are trying to educate me, but I don't think anyone needs their education from you. By the way, I still don't think your a conservative. As far as conversing with me, I am very easy to talk to. For some reason you just can't stand my rockhard unmoveable beliefs. If eats at you when someone just doesn't see you way. Sorry

It depends on how you quantify a "day". If you mean 24 hours then I can't agree. If you mean it in a cosmic sense then maybe. The bible is not meant to be taken literally but rather interpreted and understood.

I believe in a God created evolution. He allows the human mind to evolve over the course of a lifetime but didn't allow their physical form over millions of years? The ability to think and reason was one of the gifts God gave humans yet many choose not to use it.