Foundational assumptions

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A prayer is a request. Some prayers include assertions. Some contain political and social change statements (and not requests).

A creed is a statement of faith as to what is believed.
An oath is a promise to do or not do something.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says not to make oaths (or creeds). Aristotle explains why.

It is possible for leaders to have their followers (i.e., congregation) recite oaths disguised as a creed. It is worse when those oaths appear to be the opposite of what is stated by Jesus in the Bible. Such deception is similar in spirit to mixing leaven into the bread as in the fourth kingdom parable.

More: Matthew 13:33 KP4 Parable of the leaven

More: Oaths hidden in a creed

Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: [kjv]

5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: [kjv]

5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. [kjv]

5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [kjv]

Some problems with oaths:

deceived

"swearing"

"oath"

deceptive

"oath"

breaking

In making decisions, one should take into consideration what one does not know. That is, a deception.

Discuss: Has any church throughout history ever required followers to go against what Jesus said? If so, provide some examples.

More: Matthew 5:33-37 Reasoning about oaths - yes no

More: Oaths and vows and wells

More: Oaths hidden in a creed

Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? [kjv]

οτι α κατηρτισω καθειλον ο δε δικαιος τι εποιησεν [lxx]

Some ways to destroy foundations:

Let them decay. Self-deception or neglect can help.
Attack them from outside. Deception is easier than force.
Attack them from inside. Deception is easier than force.

More: Belief issues and reader response

Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? [kjv]

οτι α κατηρτισω καθειλον ο δε δικαιος τι εποιησεν [lxx]

Is it deceptive to classify "assumptions" as "foundations"?
Which view do you assume?

There is an absolute reality that we should attempt to find (traditional science, Bible exegesis, etc.).
Everyone determines their own reality and that is reality. Many like this self-centered viewpoint.
Something else.

1 2 3 4 5 6 + - ▶

The resulting collection of "opinion" "rules" are then applied to everyone, but not reflexively.

[Judges, Serpent and Eve Examinations of Jesus by devil]
[Separation of church and state]

1910: Bertrand Russell and Whitehead attempt to use set theory to define math and logic. Principia Mathematica. Influenced the "new math" of the 1970's.
Russell paradox, fix-ups attempted with typed sets.
1924: Gödel (math logic), then Turing (computation), then Chaitin (information) prove it cannot be done.
Wittgenstein (student of Russell): I am my world .

Results:

You can have consistent but not complete logic.
You can have complete but not consistent logic.
Typed sets is complete, with rules, but indistinguishable from opinion.

Everything, as desired, can be proven true.
Everything, as desired, can be proven false.

Let us put together the above concepts into a diagram.
Philosophers are people who know less and less about more and more, until they know nothing about everything. Scientists are people who know more and more about less and less, until they know everything about nothing. Konrad Lorenz (Austrian zoologist)

More: Konrad Lorenz

More: Logic: consistent and complete

People can define rules and call it logic but it is not consistent.
Many other fields start using these ideas.
1960's: Reader decides the meaning of (fictional) literature. Reader/observer response.
Reader decides meaning of other areas, including theology and the Bible.
The meaning decided by a reader becomes (indistinguishable from) reality.
Modern theology: Reader decides the meaning and reality of the Bible.
As such, modern theology is "I am" centered, "It's all about me".

In many cases, people are made to think they are determining the meaning and reality of the Bible. Leaders will influence (as in be deceptive) to have the reader arrive at the ideas the leader wants them to reach.

This is similar to an English literature class where one tries to write what the teacher wants to hear (to get a decent grade).

"That's your opinion. No opinion is right or wrong".
Inerrancy reasoning fallacy: You cannot know that the Bible has an error unless you know what the Bible is supposed to say (and mean).
"When did ignorance become a point of view?". (Dilbert cartoon and book)
"Everyone did what was right (good) in their own eyes". (Judges)
"You can be as a god". (serpent to Eve)