Why do some Americans believe weird things?

[Cow Poke]

As in broad or wide-ranging in tastes and/or or broadminded/liberal/universal? That would make two of us.

The universal catholic church - all of the saints through all of the ages.

[rogue06]

The Septuagint [mis]translates "almah" in Isaiah 7.14 into παρθένος [parthenos]. There is a Hebrew word for "virgin" but the author of Isaiah does not use it.

That's nice, but what about Luke 1:34? Where Mary says "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (although several translations do have "since I am a virgin" -- ESV, NIT, NLT, NASB -- and others used different terms for the same thing).

[rogue06]

The universal catholic church - all of the saints through all of the ages.

Knew a minister in Maryland that called himself a "small c catholic" and meant the Christian church as a whole.

[Cow Poke]

Knew a minister in Maryland that called himself a "small c catholic" and meant the Christian church as a whole.

EGGzackly!

[seer]

That's nice, but what about Luke 1:34? Where Mary says "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (although several translations do have "since I am a virgin" -- ESV, NIT, NLT, NASB -- and others used different terms for the same thing).

They use virgin as short hand, but virgin is not in the text... https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/.../t_conc_974034

εἶπεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

I gave you a reasonable possibility. That is all that is needed.

For something that was going to affect my life including a belief in demonic influences I would want something more than a "reasonable possibility". I would demand hard evidence.

You are truly one of most dishonest persons on this board, and a hypocrite. You demand and demand others to answer you yet deceptively refuse to answer a question now asked a number of times. So try to exercise some honestly and answer the question - remember you claimed that belief in a spiritual realm was not rational. You need to back that up: what law of logic does belief in the spiritual realm violate - be specific please.

I am holding you to what you originally wrote.

You wrote at post #7 "Well I would say that the majority of Christians, here and in the rest of the world, believe in some degree of demonic influence."

When I asked at post # 9 "Why and on what basis?"

You replied at post # 13 "The teachings of Christ and the New Testament in general. We are Christian after all"

To which I replied at post # 16 "That does not explain why you believe in cosmic Dualism."

I also wrote to you at post # 6 "Only weird Americans and those who rely on the comforts of unreason" which was in direct reference to those who believe the things cited in the article.

You then asked at post # 15 "What is "unreason?"

To which I replied at post # 17 "The opposite of reason. The rational versus the irrational" I have therefore answered you. However, you are clearly not prepared to address my question regarding a rational basis for your belief in demonic influences.

If anyone is being duplicitous it is you trying to shoehorn your own little side issue on to this thread.

However, you are free to desist making any more replies.

[seer]

For something that was going to affect my life including a belief in demonic influences I would want something more than a "reasonable possibility". I would demand hard evidence.

I am holding you to what you originally wrote.

You wrote at post #7 "Well I would say that the majority of Christians, here and in the rest of the world, believe in some degree of demonic influence."

When I asked at post # 9 "Why and on what basis?"

You replied at post # 13 "The teachings of Christ and the New Testament in general. We are Christian after all"

To which I replied at post # 16 "That does not explain why you believe in cosmic Dualism."

I also wrote to you at post # 6 "Only weird Americans and those who rely on the comforts of unreason" which was in direct reference to those who believe the things cited in the article.

You then asked at post # 15 "What is "unreason?"

To which I replied at post # 17 "The opposite of reason. The rational versus the irrational" I have therefore answered you. However, you are clearly not prepared to address my question regarding a rational basis for your belief in demonic influences.

If anyone is being duplicitous it is you trying to shoehorn your own little side issue on to this thread.

However, you are free to desist making any more replies.

No, you are completely dishonest. I made no claim as to what was rational or not (because what one considers rational is often subjective). You how ever did make the claim that our beliefs are not rational, and since such claims are subjective I asked you to back up your assertion by showing us all what law of logic our beliefs violated (violating a law of logic would demonstrate irrationality). You have refused countless times now, which just proves that what you consider irrational is no more that a personal preference or an unsupported opinion.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

They use virgin as short hand, but virgin is not in the text... https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/.../t_conc_974034

εἶπεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω

I'd also point out that your link gives the Textus Receptus text which was not based not on the oldest and best manuscripts, but on the form of text originally published by Erasmus.

It is in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 7.14 διὰ τοῦτο δώσει κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῗν σημεῗον ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Εμμανουηλ

And it is in Jerome's Vulgate translation of Isaiah 7.14. Propter hoc dabit Dominus ipse vobis signum. Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet filium, et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

The universal catholic church - all of the saints through all of the ages.

As in the original meaning - the church universal.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

No, you are completely dishonest. I made no claim as to what was rational or not (because what one considers rational is often subjective). You how ever did make the claim that our beliefs are not rational, and since such claims are subjective I asked you to back up your assertion by showing us all what law of logic our beliefs violated (violating a law of logic would demonstrate irrationality). You have refused countless times now, which just proves that what you consider irrational is no more that a personal preference or an unsupported opinion.

I am waiting for you to provide a logical explanation for believing in supernatural forces like demonic influence.

You have yet to do so.

[Cow Poke]

As in the original meaning - the church universal.

Why are you like this?

[RumTumTugger]

They use virgin as short hand, but virgin is not in the text... https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/.../t_conc_974034

εἶπεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω

plus the fact that the septuagant is the old testament if I recall the new testament orginally written in aramaic and Greek. CP, and others who have done the proper study please correct me if I am wrong.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

plus the fact that the septuagant is the old testament

Nothing like stating the blindingly obvious.

if I recall the new testament orginally written in aramaic and Greek.

It is the other way around. The NT texts were written Greek. One or two of those texts contain some isolated Aramaic.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Why are you like this?

Like what?

[seer]

I am waiting for you to provide a logical explanation for believing in supernatural forces like demonic influence.

You have yet to do so.

There you go again, you are the one who claimed my beliefs were not rational - offering no violation of any law of logic. Just admit that you are merely stating your personal opinion. And you do this all the time, when backed into a corner you try and turn the argument around without answer questions put to you. Bad form at best, dishonest as worse.