There is very little 'level of continuity' in the bible when read literally and refusing to SEE the continuity
Who told you it's supposed to be red what you call "literally"? The Bible is a liturgical text and it's part of a tradition that instructs how it's to be interpreted. It doesn't interpret itself, neither it can be interpreted correctly outside of that tradition.
There is no 'true UNCHANGED Church tradition except for the common source of all religion.
There is in the face of the Orthodox Christian Church. What is the common source of all religion, how do you have knowledge of it and what is religion for that matter? How do you classify a certain set of beliefs and traditions as religion and what's the common ground between such contradictory worldviews (like Hinduism and Christianity for example)?
Are you up to the challenge?
I've red a lot of gnostic texts doing free interpretation of scripture. Even if I'm willing to suspend my belief and be open about it, what would convince me this take is the correct one?
Such comparative religion arguments go like this: Christian theology has a lot of similarities with ancient Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Babylonian theology therefore it is connected, influenced and borrows from those. This is called a genetic fallacy - assuming things that appear to be related to be related based on the superficial similarity. The truth is people who interpret Christianity like this don't do an internal critique because they either are not well versed in the Christian theology or because it serves them better to take things out of the proper context distorting the actual belief system and cherry pick the superficial similarities to other religions.
Comparative religion Arguments are for people who don't know what they are comparing with, to, or from without this understanding of source.
Actual comparitive religion will discover similarities leading to ultimate truths they share but don't own. I've done it my whole life. I don't suggest it lightly.
Until the true source is found, It becomes 'wise men in the dark' trying to describe an elephant.
Or as the sufic sage might say, "Like spittle from the mouths of fish on dry land."
Creation is made from Ideation first. All things.
Symbols are ideation.
To mistake the symbol for the ideation behind is 'looking at the finger pointing at the moon.'
You know what an argument between the true gnostics of every religion would sound like? Me either because there would be nothing to argue about. There would be a glorious silence instead.
Many paths, one source/destination. Many boats, one shoreline.
Once the shore is reached, one needs to get out of the boat.
See Christ calming The Storm while disciples ride it out in a boat.
Only Divine Inspiration can explain one's attempt to find the highest truths
and the proof is in the pudding itself. Not its symbol.
Another proposition. What's the source of ideation? How do you have knowledge of the ultimate truth behind the interpretations and various takes? What makes universal metaphysical concepts like knowledge and truth at all possible in your worldview and where are they located?
Who told you it's supposed to be red what you call "literally"? The Bible is a liturgical text and it's part of a tradition that instructs how it's to be interpreted. It doesn't interpret itself, neither it can be interpreted correctly outside of that tradition.
There is in the face of the Orthodox Christian Church. What is the common source of all religion, how do you have knowledge of it and what is religion for that matter? How do you classify a certain set of beliefs and traditions as religion and what's the common ground between such contradictory worldviews (like Hinduism and Christianity for example)?
I've red a lot of gnostic texts doing free interpretation of scripture. Even if I'm willing to suspend my belief and be open about it, what would convince me this take is the correct one?
Such comparative religion arguments go like this: Christian theology has a lot of similarities with ancient Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Babylonian theology therefore it is connected, influenced and borrows from those. This is called a genetic fallacy - assuming things that appear to be related to be related based on the superficial similarity. The truth is people who interpret Christianity like this don't do an internal critique because they either are not well versed in the Christian theology or because it serves them better to take things out of the proper context distorting the actual belief system and cherry pick the superficial similarities to other religions.
Comparative religion Arguments are for people who don't know what they are comparing with, to, or from without this understanding of source.
Actual comparitive religion will discover similarities leading to ultimate truths they share but don't own. I've done it my whole life. I don't suggest it lightly.
Until the true source is found, It becomes 'wise men in the dark' trying to describe an elephant.
Or as the sufic sage might say, "Like spittle from the mouths of fish on dry land."
Creation is made from Ideation first. All things.
Symbols are ideation.
To mistake the symbol for the ideation behind is 'looking at the finger pointing at the moon.'
You know what an argument between the true gnostics of every religion would sound like? Me either because there would be nothing to argue about. There would be a glorious silence instead.
Many paths, one source/destination. Many boats, one shoreline.
Once the shore is reached, one needs to get out of the boat.
See Christ calming The Storm while disciples ride it out in a boat.
Only Divine Inspiration can explain one's attempt to find the highest truths and the proof is in the pudding itself. Not its symbol.
Another proposition. What's the source of ideation? How do you have knowledge of the ultimate truth behind the interpretations and various takes? What makes universal metaphysical concepts like knowledge and truth at all possible in your worldview and where are they located?
In which system would you like your answer?
The elohim represent Ideation in pure form, while angels and daemons represent the forces when in dualistic natural/material form.
The source of all is what we'll term God.
Where are worldviews and truths located? That's an irrational question, sorry.
The 'birds in the air' quote suggests they aren't 'in the air' as the orthodox 'heaven' presupposes.
Ideation is like a completed circuit......or a short circuit.......one's 'free will of choice'.
Involution/evolution as returning the charge to the source to complete the circuit.