Meine Freund! Wir stehen hier vor Gottes Angesicht, und so ist die Stunde der anbrechenden Nacht uns ein Gleichnis, das er uns aufgegeben hat, daß wir inne werden seiner Majestät und Macht, unserer Ohnmacht und Kleinheit. — Rudolf Bultmann
Zwingli copied out the letters of Paul by hand, in Greek of course, and then proceeded to make marginal notations. Most of these marginal notes were citations from the Greek and Latin Fathers but a number of them are from Erasmus. And the notes, rather than being in Greek, were in Latin. For example, at Hebrews 6:1, in the margin of his text he notes “E[rasmus:] Quapropter omisso qui in Christo rudes inchoate sermone – [over καταβαλλόμενοι:] iacientes.“
This procedure is followed as well in Zwingli’s annotations of his printed Bibles – including his LXX, his Masoretic Text, his Vulgate, and his Greek New Testament. Zwingli was a Bible marker. When he read, he scribbled in the margins and made notes to himself. If he had owned a highlighter he would have warn it out.
Zwingli was, above all else that he was, a student of the text.
When he writes, in a bit about ‘Expelled’-
It is a reality of PC liberalism: There is only one credible side to an issue, and any dissent is not only rejected, it is scorned. Global warming. Gay “rights.” Abortion “rights.” On these and so many other issues there is enlightenment, and then there is the Idiotic Other Side. PC liberalism’s power centers are the news media, the entertainment industry and academia, and all are in the clutches of an unmistakable hypocrisy: Theirs is an ideology that preaches the freedom of thought and expression at every opportunity, yet practices absolute intolerance toward dissension.
No matter how you slice it, that’s just a fact, Jack.
He continues
Evolution is another one of those one-sided debates. We know the concept of Intelligent Design is stifled in academic circles. An entire documentary to state the obvious? You can see my reluctance to view it. I went into the screening bored. I came out of it stunned. Ben Stein’s extraordinary presentation documents how the worlds of science and academia not only crush debate on the origins of life, but also crush the careers of professors who dare to question the Darwinian hypothesis of evolution and natural selection.
I’ve not seen the movie. I don’t care to. It’s not a topic that interests me, and as I’ve said before, I think “Intelligent Design” is cowardice. If you believe God created the heavens and the earth just say so. Don’t hide behind the slick cover of attempting to appear ’scientific’ in a dialogue that doesn’t make sense. What interests me here is the simple, observable, and therefore ’scientific’ fact that all the banter on the biblioblogs these days damning Stein all take the same tack, don’t they? Tolerance and dissension are only offered to those with whom so many find themselves in agreement. Disagree, and lo and behold, prepare to be mocked and derided. It’s inevitable.
So much, then, for the vaunted and frequently claimed ’scientific openness’. It doesn’t exist. Science is as closed a system as 15th century Catholic Dogmatism ever was- with as little interest in dissent or contrary viepoints.
UPDATE: Drew has understood my point better than any other here.
UPDATE II: There’s another review on the side of ‘Expelled’ here. I’m posting such so that those really interested can hear both sides instead of just one. You know, in the spirit of the authentic ’scientific’ search for truth.
1- Apathetic
2- Indifferent
3- Lazy
4- Lack of aptitude
The first three kinds of folk have the time (if they would make the time)- just as they have the time to surf the web, play video games, read comic books, go to the mall to walk for hours, and play sports. But they have been, strangely, taught that reading the bible in a translation is as valuable as reading the original. That’s bollocks, of course, but in something of a sense of denial and defensiveness they tend to repudiate the previously stated excuses and lull themselves into a false sense of pride- in ignorance!
It’s an authentically odd thing, isn’t it, when ignorance becomes a source of pride.
To the fourth group, there are actually people who have no ability or aptitude to learn languages. Fair enough. Rely on a translation- it’s the next best thing. But don’t imagine for half a second that you have some sort of advantage in understanding the biblical message. That’s just delusional. Admit it boldly, dear friends: ‘I rely on what others say the bible says’. There’s no shame in admitting the truth. What’s shameful is pretending that a lie (that translations are superior or more valuable than the originals) is the truth.
Melancthon died on this day in 1560. Lest we forget…
