I think this is missing the point: they believe that, but they’re wrong.
...and they can say exactly the same thing about you. It’s exactly that symmetry that defines No True Scotsman. You think you are reading and applying the text correctly, they think they are. It doesn’t help to insist that you’re really right and they’re really wrong, because they can do the same thing.
...and they can say exactly the same thing about you. It’s exactly that symmetry that defines No True Scotsman.
No, No True Scotsman is characterized by moveable goalposts. If you actually do have a definition of True Scotsman that you can point to and won’t change, then you’re not going to fall under this fallacy.
Okay, I’m confused here. Do you believe there are potentially correct and incorrect answers to the question “what does the Bible say that Jesus taught while alive?”
IMO, most Christians unconsciously concentrate on the passages that match their preconceptions, and ignore or explain away the rest. This behavior is ridiculously easy to notice in others, and equally difficult to notice in oneself.
For example, I expect you to ignore or explain away Matthew 10:34: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
I expect you find Mark 11:12-14 rather bewildering: “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.””
I still think Luke 14:26 has a moderately good explanation behind it, but there’s also a good chance that this is a verse I’m still explaining away, even though I’m not a Christian any more and don’t need to: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
The bible was authored by different individuals over the course of time. That’s pretty well established. Those individuals had different motives and goals. IMO, this causes there to actually be competing strains of thought in the bible. People pick out the strains of thought that speak to their preconceived notions. For one last example, I expect you’ll explain James in light of Ephesians, arguing that grace is the main theme. But I think it’s equally valid for someone to explain Ephesians in light of James, arguing that changed behavior is the main theme. These are both valid approaches, in my mind, because contrary to the expectations of Christians (who believe that deep down, James and Ephesians must be saying the same thing), James and Ephesians are actually opposing view points.
Finally, I’ll answer your question: probably not. Not every collection of words has an objective meaning. Restricting yourself to the gospels helps a lot, but I still think they are ambiguous enough to support multiple interpretations.
...and they can say exactly the same thing about you. It’s exactly that symmetry that defines No True Scotsman. You think you are reading and applying the text correctly, they think they are. It doesn’t help to insist that you’re really right and they’re really wrong, because they can do the same thing.
No, No True Scotsman is characterized by moveable goalposts. If you actually do have a definition of True Scotsman that you can point to and won’t change, then you’re not going to fall under this fallacy.
Okay, I’m confused here. Do you believe there are potentially correct and incorrect answers to the question “what does the Bible say that Jesus taught while alive?”
IMO, most Christians unconsciously concentrate on the passages that match their preconceptions, and ignore or explain away the rest. This behavior is ridiculously easy to notice in others, and equally difficult to notice in oneself.
For example, I expect you to ignore or explain away Matthew 10:34: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
I expect you find Mark 11:12-14 rather bewildering: “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.””
I still think Luke 14:26 has a moderately good explanation behind it, but there’s also a good chance that this is a verse I’m still explaining away, even though I’m not a Christian any more and don’t need to: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
The bible was authored by different individuals over the course of time. That’s pretty well established. Those individuals had different motives and goals. IMO, this causes there to actually be competing strains of thought in the bible. People pick out the strains of thought that speak to their preconceived notions. For one last example, I expect you’ll explain James in light of Ephesians, arguing that grace is the main theme. But I think it’s equally valid for someone to explain Ephesians in light of James, arguing that changed behavior is the main theme. These are both valid approaches, in my mind, because contrary to the expectations of Christians (who believe that deep down, James and Ephesians must be saying the same thing), James and Ephesians are actually opposing view points.
Finally, I’ll answer your question: probably not. Not every collection of words has an objective meaning. Restricting yourself to the gospels helps a lot, but I still think they are ambiguous enough to support multiple interpretations.