http://geoffreport.disqus.com/enMon, 08 May 2006 06:38:48 -0000http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-4119159I know what you mean... These questions frustrate me, and not being able to resolve them bugs me even moreChristinaMon, 08 May 2006 06:38:48 -0000http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-4119158No, I like it - if you're just ranting then you're certainly not alone! :)<br><br>I guess it's all part of the journey, there could almost be something freeing in not being able to know everything - if only it didn't bug me so much.....geofforiusMon, 08 May 2006 05:21:16 -0000http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-4119157You are asking some great questions here Geoff, and ones that I wrestle with too. I don't really understand why God asked the Israelites to purge the land by killing and destroying etc. I see some of it as a way of the Israelites being a "set apart" people. I thought that part of it was to help them at having a bash at purity - less temptation and modelling of ungodly lifestyles. The interesting thing about this is that it never stopped them from falling into sin, false gods etcetera. This little bit of it may be useful for us - shunning things outside of us that we call "of the world, or worldly" may not really help us in our personal purity all that much. Of course throwing out CDs, only watching G rated things, not going to parties etc is somewhat less radical than genocide, but maybe the motivation underneath is similar. And perhaps the relative fruitfulness is similarly ineffective. Holiness is much more about internal than external postures and places. Maybe I am just ranting.ChristinaMon, 08 May 2006 03:39:27 -0000