Pilgrim,<br><br>You ask <blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>And so, I shall do so now. Given, according to your view, that the Bible, being written by human hands is thus errant in it's content and design, <br><br>how does one as yourself determine what is "truth"; truth as from God, inerrant and necessary to embrace and what is not? <br><br>Put another way, what criteria do you use to discern that which is the husk of error and that which is the kernel of truth?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>What we need to do first is to clarify what we mean by inspiration, do we mean by that that God completely takes over the mind / will / abilities of the inspired one so that the words recorded are truly God's, ie, is it God's voice we hear when the inspired person speaks, God's voice without any "taint" of human weakness or foible<br><br>Or<br><br>Is it that God inspires a person to speak with the knowledge (on God's part) that the inspiration will at best be like Seeing darkly as in a mirror because the cultural matrix of the person, the questions that weigh most heavily on their minds, their education or lack of it, their prejudices will all come through.<br><br>It is the second example that I believe is closest to the truth of this matter. Indeed, I would go further, for when you or I come to read the words that this weak, bruised reed has said or written, it gets diluted further because it is then interpreted through the various filters of our individual minds and upbringings<br><br>So I how do I ascertain for myself the truth of a proposition?, For me there are a number of ways (all of which are trammeled by having to be filtered through my own personal cultural / education matrix.<br><br>Firstly, what is the sense of the whole of scripture?, How does the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants speak to me about whatever it is I am attempting to find a place whereon to stand.<br><br>How does that accord with my sense of God's leading in my own life?, What does my conscience have to say?, Deep down inside where my life intersects with the life of the trinity what is the response?<br><br>By these methods I take a leap of faith & place myself firmly in God's hands, knowing that where I end up tomorrow might well be different. This "changeableness", which occurs because I am mortal and limited & always learning, does not frighten me, rather it speaks to me of the true wondrousness of God, who is found in the margins of uncertainty, as of old, fellowshipping with the outcast, the heretic and the sinner.<br><br>Kiwimac
