Validate by Experience

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by noeticknight

Your thoughts are appreciated!

I contend, however, that experience can only get you so far. And at times, it may be easier to travel the road of skepticism, for it is a downhill incline. I know, because at times, I have been guilty myself. I have also found, through experience, that confusion can be a result of doubt. If faith waxes weak, then oft times, our mind becomes capable of distorting our perspective.

Case in point, consider the Old Testament example in your post regarding the cultural differences. Can we truly sit back and judge righteously from our generation those things that took place hundreds of years ago in another part of the world? Until you have witnessed (Deuteronomy 12:30-31) in the same manner as the Israelites, you may find yourself in an awkward place condemning other cultures for their reactions or interventions. And I will point out, that even today, certain societies don't evenly match the same experiences, or push for the same ideals as observed in our nation. I concede that sin is sin, but I do not believe that a seamless, perfect humanity should have existed in the Bible to make it more believable. My friend, the opposite is what makes it believable! The mistakes and shortcomings of individuals and entire nations is embarrassingly honest at times. In its most truest sense, we can find ourselves in the passages of scripture, which transcends time to relate and combine with our humanity.

If I could mention the experience of one of my favorite writers. C.S. Lewis writes of the Bible, and the Gospels in particular:

"I have been reading poems, romances, vision literature, legends, and myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know none of them are like this. Of this [gospel] text there are only two possible views. Either this is reportage...or else, some unknown [ancient] writer...without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern novelistic narrative..."

In times when my own experience fails me, I find myself crawling back to the words of Jesus. They always comfort me when nothing else can. (Luke 24:38-39)

I agree. Experience will only take us so far. We do need to rely on the accounts of History to confirm our ultimatums in life. I do appreciate historical accounts that share the rise and fall of humanity. This one thing is for certain, though; Man is basically the same as he has been since the beginning. There is nothing new under the sun. Killing is killing, no matter what time frame you live in. Adultery is adultery. Love is love. Hate is hate.

We complicate our lives with the technicalities of presumption, not experience. Experience reveals the flaws of what we read about in the past. Experience unlocks the door to those who've lied to us on pages of a book. Experience shows the truth about who we are, and what makes us tick.

In my Bible study last night, I gave this example; Marriage. Newlyweds make claims, have ideas, and devote to promises. But, only experience reveals the truth. Only experience crushes the fantasy.

When my wife engaged in vows 29 years ago, we had ideas, but no experience. My wife became so ill during her first pregnancy she almost had to be hospitalized. She weighed less after the baby was born than before she got pregnant. 3 months later, our son died of Crib Death. This was not in the plan. We never expected this. But, it became our experience, our reality. Watching my wife crumble under her emotion of losing that baby is beyond words. Going to the crib, reaching down to feel our son not breathing scarred her mind for years. We still cry when we talk about our little boy. Touching death revealed much about who we were. The joy of our vows was gone. Our house was still, the cry of our baby gone forever. Only the tears of my wife did I feel, and her moans of grief were daily.

We went on to have 3 more children, who are all adults today and have their own children. Failure, sickness, and much more have caused me to see life through a different lens. What I used to say, I don't say anymore, because of experience. When mothers cry from losing their son, I don’t need a text book. I hear their moan and feel their pain.

When the Israelites went into Amalek to slaughter children, I’m sorry, but I have a hard time with God condoning this. Unless we are willing to kill children ourselves, we have no business telling this story with authority. My own experience see’s the mothers of these homes, screaming for mercy as these men went from place to place with blood in their eyes. This was done in the name of the Lord, according to Scripture. My question is: Who validates this??? Those with no experience? Those who won’t kill the baby?

I also expressed to the church, in the beginning God created a man and a woman to build the Family. This was before Bibles, religion, war, hunger, and everything else we deal with on this Planet. Through experience, I see as Adam saw. We created children, going on to love the imperfect. I don't cast my children out because they fail, sin, or they go into faraway places of ignoring me. I love my children and would never cast them into flames of Hell. I cry when they hurt me, and lose sleep when they lose their way. But never would I do to them what we tell others God is going to do to them.

If God made the Family first, this tells me that the experience learned by being devoted to this initial plan was God’s intention to teach us about Him. This relational marvel called the Family, requiring mercy, love, patience, forgiveness, and utter devotion will build a healthy concept of our Creator. Unless we revolutionize our theory, we will continue to plunge our enemies over the cliff and into the abyss of Eternal Fire. This is Religions Revenge, not God’s love for imperfect people.

The Bible is just a Book, built by men who expressed what “God told them”, just like men today say, “God told me”. It’s a book of History, full of error. It’s a Book that confuses the World about God. Like I’ve stated numerous times, if the Bible was simple, and God expressed in the Bible was pure, we would have unity by it, not WAR.


Experience is the only thing that really gets me past this, because experience is REAL.