Objectivity is standardized subjectivity.

Perspective. Is there such a thing as a perspective-less perspective? Is there such a thing as a Truth that exists beyond the realm of human understanding? The short answer is "no," and even if there were realities beyond human interpretation, by definition, such realities would be beyond the domain of human comprehension and therefore could not be articulated through human thought, human speech, or through any other means of human communication. In other words, reality exists as a function of human perspective -- of each person's own unique perspective on the world. No person can rightly claim to see the "Truth Beyond Truth" -- to have God's perspective on life, the universe, and everything else.

God's word is mediated through human interaction; God's word has been translated into the human tongue; God's story has been told by human beings and passed down through generations before being written down. The Truths of religion have come into focus through human teachers, through human reflection, and through human thought. It is not as if God visits each person and bestows insight to them individually. I wish this were the case! If God did visit each person individually and taught each person the same material in such a manner that each person would walk away with similar understandings, then there would be no contradictions among those claiming to do God's will! But this is not the world we find ourselves in. Each person and indeed each religious branch of Christianity seems to contradict the teachings found in other branches and sects of Christianity. Is it God who plants the seeds of division among His flock?

Back to the point at hand; so often, in so many speeches and teachings about "God" people reference the Bible. People LOVE referencing the Bible when finding evidence for just about any position imaginable. But missing from the equation is the act of interpretation! Human beings -- sinful and "fallen" human beings -- are the ones who interpret the teachings found in the Bible. And at times it seems that two people can read the same passage and walk away with different and even contradictory meanings. Therefore, quoting the Bible and relying on the Bible to justify a particular point of view seems to suggest that such behavior is more of an indicator of the one doing the quoting rather than on the "Truth" of the particular quoted material.

The lesson here is that our subjectivity influences our perception of the Truths found in Biblical teachings. There is no such thing as a pure objective reality, and the person who claims that there is a pure objective reality must know such a concept as a function of their subjective perspective on the objective reality. Unless someone can demonstrate to me (in my subjective reality) from their subjective reality the proof of an objective reality that exists beyond both of our subjective points of view, then I must assert that "Bible Thumping" or rather "Bible throwing" is more about bending God's word to meet the demands of a particular situation rather than to illuminate a "Truth Beyond Truth."

We thank God with Golden Cows: the frailty of the human heart

Both the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) in the New Testament and the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament provide direct teaching about the human heart. The Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament can also be said to teach about the human condition, however, because this particular book holds such a special place in the landscape of my interior world, I will dedicate more to it in later entries.

What Luke 16:19-31 and the Book of Exodus hold in common is that direct demonstration of the supernatural cannot change the human heart from its imperfect and fallen intention. While priests, ministers, and pastors frequently draw lessons about life after death from this passage in Luke, and while it can be said that Exodus establishes and communicates God's favor upon the Hebrews, few have concluded that each Biblical segment teaches how humanity's heart has the potential reject all things and truths, even when delivered from supernatural hands.

Luke 16:19-31[19] "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. [20] At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores [21] and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. [24] So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' [25] "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' [27] "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' [29] "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' [30] " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' [31] "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Imagine someone you knew has died and has been dead for several days. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that this person was deceased. Now imagine their deceased body reanimates in order to deliver a warning message to you after a few days. Aside from the initial shock and terror from such an event, doubt and discredit will fill your mind shortly thereafter. "This can't be real -- I must be imagining things!" No matter how profound their message, no matter how convincing their message, it is destined to be dismissed. Such conclusions can be drawn about the person or the people who were impervious to hearing Truth in the first place; doubt, discredit, and dismissal is not fertile soil for the seed of Truth to grow. In this parable, Jesus taught that those who cannot or who will not hear the Truth in the word of God expressed through the Bible or expressed through the Prophets (Luke 16:29) will also not hear the expression of this Truth even if it comes from the mouth of someone who was known to be deceased (Luke 16:31). A supernatural phenomenon does not help those who are unwilling or unable to hear Truth in the first place. For those who are willing to hear it, a supernatural phenomenon is not necessary in the first place.

The story of Exodus is the story of how Moses led the Hebrew people from slavery in ancient Egypt. In this Old Testament account, Moses used supernatural phenomena to convince Pharaoh to free the Hebrews. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and did not relent his position even in the face of plagues until the last one had passed (Exodus 7-11).

Plagues of the Old Testament

1. The Plague of Blood
2. The Plague of Frogs
3. The Plague of Gnats
4. The Plague of Flies
5. The Plague on Livestock
6. The Plague of Boils
7. The Plague of Hail
8. The Plague of Locusts
9. The Plague of Darkness
10. The Plague on the Firstborn

While we know that these supernatural events had little to no effect on Pharaoh's heart, we also know that the Hebrews witnessed these events too. The Hebrews saw how God moved against Egypt. The Hebrews also witnessed the miracle of the pillar that stood between them and Pharaoh's pursuing army. In addition, the Hebrews participated in the Crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-29). In other words, the Hebrews themselves both witnessed and were involved in God's miracles that set them free. There could be no doubt in anyone's mind that something supernatural was happening.

And how did the Hebrews thank their God? Exodus 32:4. Even in the face of miracles, humanity's fail heart moves against God. How much farther shall we fall having not seen the grandeur of these miracles and supernatural events? Sometimes, even knowing Truth and being a part of that Truth cannot save us from ourselves.