Scripture Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scripture Interpretation - Essay Example In addition, verses like Job 9:6 suggest that the earth is flat which has already been proven to be incorrect. Hence, this illustrates that scriptures can be better understood by culmination of processes which involve understanding the history of interpretation of the bible as well as the times during which the interpretation was made. This paper will illustrate the history of scriptures and how they were written and interpreted over the years. In addition, there will also be an assessment on the different views that are taken by different religions and how the interpretations vary. Authors such as Karen Armstrong (2007) suggest that interpreting texts too literally is dangerous for society and has led to the rise of religious extremists in different beliefs. Armstrong (2007), states that there is a large amount of criticism by atheists accusing Christianity of many unethical acts whilst extremists that perform acts of terror quote the Quran. Historically there was no orthodoxy in the scripture from the beginning was never written in a monolithic voice, hence making it impossible to interpret literally. For example, the Quran is written in the form of parables as it is the only which can be used to describe God and likewise Jesus in the bible was such a significant figure that it was impossible to describe him with a single definition. This shows that the scriptures were never meant to be interpreted literally, as many individuals can create contrasting arguments both using scriptures in the bible. An example, of this is the argument for and against slavery. Sl ave owners were capable of providing a well supported argument using texts from the bible whilst slaves could use the same bible to oppose slavery. This point illustrates the issue of interpretation in the bible, in addition, the book was written by numerous authors who were all using the voice of God and at times did not