The courts are embroiled in censorship of every sort, but one of the most bizarre has to be the distinctions between hard porn and soft porn. The internet is raising all sorts of issues over freedom of speech and the right to protect the young, etc. I imagine that the differences are much like those that we find between HARD & SOFT Biblical authority paradigms.
While I do not ascribe to the “belief-oriented” approach (found primarily in the Bible Belt) to God and the Bible; rather, the transformational-oriented approach, I am going to focus only on the two versions (hard-soft) of the “belief-oriented” approach of which I toast-credit Marcus Borg for making the distinctions so clear.
Hard Core Belief System:
1-The Bible is to be interpreted LITERALLY
2-The Bible is totally FACTUAL and ABSOLUTE
3-What the Bible says is WRONG is wrong regardless of “era-time”
4-The Bible is inerrant-infallible in all respects, direct from the mouth of God
Soft Core Belief System:
1-The Bible must be interpreted both literally and metaphorically
2-The Biblical language is SYMBOLIC in many ways
3-Some Biblical ethics are for a specific time in history only
4-The Holy Spirit guided the authors but not in every word
The “belief-oriented” paradigm was as a result of the Enlightenment (1600′s) and therein is of recent vintage: the soft version was offered 400 years ago and the hard version offered with the advent of fundamentalism 100 years ago. Talk about being NEW AGE! 
Thankfully the transformation-oriented approach is gaining adherents in exponential numbers and as Marcus Borg wrote in his book, The Emerging Christian Way, “The belief-oriented paradigm is the single biggest reason for the decline of mainline denominations over the last 40 years. The “belief-oriented” positions ceased to make sense to people and made Christianity unattractive and indeed incredible.”
After all, who can take Biblical texts LITERALLY that accepted slavery, subordinates women, offers capital punishment for a child cursing their parents, and orders the slaughter of innocent children- to name a few. And, is God really such a micro-manager that he doesn’t want you to wear any garments made of two blends? If so, we’re ALL SINNERS and going to HELL! NOT!
So, for whatever distinctions there might be between hard and soft porn- it’s still PORN.
And whatever distinctions there might be between hard and soft born again BELIEFS- it’s still a BELIEF SYSTEM .
And therein, GRACE is cheapened. As for me and my house, it’s the INNER journey, the INNER transformation from Ernie (and his ego) to the I AM that IS!
That’s right. I had forgotten none of the new testament writers freed the slaves. Debs on Cindy and Paulette. Come on, I’ll take you ladies to lunch…Then you’re free. That’s all.
As far as the Bible being interpreted metaphorically and symbolically in places, I do agree with that, although my life has been so supernatural I have no problem believing God could make a fish big enough to swallow Jonah! Pertaining to the Holy Spirit not giving every word to the authors, about 80% of what the Holy Spirit says to me is in Strong’s concordance numbers, so I know the specific words I receive from God are exactly what He wants to say.
I’d really like to zone in on your comment about the Bible subordinating women. That subject is close to my heart. There are certainly passages in the Bible where women were taken advantage of by men, like Dinah’s rape in Genesis 34. It goes without saying this is contrary to God’s heart regarding His daughters. Although the subject of submission is a constant theme throughout all of scripture, God shows He honors His ladies with several examples of highly respected females.
Deborah was greatly revered as a judge of Israel (Judges 4 and 5). Esther was promoted from obscurity to become the powerful queen whom God used to free His people. We know Paul said, “there is neither male nor female in Christ” (Gal. 3:18). Paul has been credited as hating woman due to the wrong translation of I Timothy 2:12, which commonly states woman aren’t allow to teach. The truth is this verse should be translated as “a wife is not allowed to constantly teach her husband”. Today’s version would probably read, “Ladies, you don’t get to nag!” Paul highly honors women. He was taught by Priscilla as well as her husband Aquila (Acts 18:26)
Hear! Hear! I’ll toast to that! LOVE the title (cheeky works for me)!
LOVE the message even more! Old wine skin (white) = old paradigms. New wine skin (red) = the inner journey. I’ll have another glass of red please. 
Sojourner- Unfortunately women are still not allowed to LEAD or hold various offices in American churches. But, since women were only allowed to vote in the last 100 years, what can one expect? Maybe one day the CHURCH will be LIKE the historical JESUS and treat ALL people rightly- maybe even accept lesbians as real humans!
I know I definitely need to be taught by my wife! I have learned so much through her example and consistent love. Actually, I have come to learn that God’s voice often sounds just like hers!
Willie…I love what God’s put in your heart! If we collectively saw our spouses, children, friends, AND enemies this way—what an experience that would be! =)
Jesus did not search out for all the misfits/social downcasts because they where misfits, but because they were God’s. In essence His actions towards them may have stated ‘Why are you worried about Ceaser and his games when you were/are/shall ever be, the Fathers first.’
I have many homeless friends one of which is named Chicago, who actually started following myself around somewhat. He knows a little about Jesus and kind of looks like him I would suppose. But the reason this man wears shoes to big for his feet, a shoelace for a belt for his oversized pants, his teeth falling out of his head and has skin like shoeleather is as he stated ‘It’s a shame they killed Jesus, then the world wouldn’t be the way it is now.’ To some extent he is walking around in the baptism of John the baptist and not that of the Holy Spirit, so to speak. He is probably close to his 60s and has spent countless nights in places most of us wouldn’t wish to look at nor smell, in weather conditions we would consider people crazy for being in, in which through our discourse I wouldn’t consider him crazy. All because he feels the only chance we had, came and went over 2000 years ago. Chicago wants no part in Ceasers game, but does not understand what Jesus was doing on that cross and so makes himself as an social outcast, as according to most would consider. I have asked myself however many times throughout my life are those as Chicago is, missing the mark or are we. Social equality will not ever come from us and our attempts to issue forth or fulfill the roles we percieve to be ours or others, but from knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and what he alone has done for us. In all things be blessed.
Ernie, like you, I feel many women who have been called to the ministry have been denied the opportunity to share what God has put in their hearts. Allowing women like Lyn and in times past, Eileen Vincent to speak, is to your credit.
Jeremy, I love your comments especially what you summed up in the last line. In addition to that, render to Caesar’s what Caesar’s but render to God what’s God’s. We are ALL his children regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual preference, etc. IT DOES NOT MATTER! It’s like Walter Starcke said “The good terrible news is that our lives are a self fulfilling prophecy.” Guess who’s in the driver’s seat? We are. We can choose to be part of the doom & gloom of this world’s system or we can choose to be part of psalms 91:7. It’s what you decide to lend yourself to. You can have dominion of a thing or it can have dominion of you. We’re our own worst enemy when we don’t know who we are because we are MORE than the color of our skin, the religious beliefs we hail from, our gender or our sexual preferences. Thus the journey to render to God what’s God’s – your inner self. God is LOVE. Can we get to the place where we see the I AM in everyone? Stop the labeling? Stop the excuses? Just stop and simply LOVE across all illusional barriers? That’s what Jesus did and Christos still is. Love & peace to ALL!
I can choose to love everyone, knowing that God made them in His image. Those who receive Jesus (and everyone has that opportunity) have the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
I don’t choose because He Is the I Am and I Am! Always and Forever!
No choices to be made!!!
Barbara- The CHOICES that we have, being FREE WILL agents, are about the karmic results that we receive here on earth. And you are right, as to our spiritual nature, we are His creation, we belong to our Maker, and that Creator didn’t create us for an eternal fire-laden dung pile. We’re ALL going home because the other dimension is nothing like what we’ve experienced in this one. Forever and for always- with no GOODBYES! That’s why it’s called GOOD NEWS!
Thank you, Ernie, You put it in the right perspective!
Ernie, your words directly contradict Jesus’ in Matthew 12:31,32 when He said, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but whoever shall speak against the Holy
Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.” There is a sin of resisting God’s goodness which will ultimately result in eternal separation from the Lord.
I don’t think so…..