> When my father was alive I  used to play one off the others: "If mother
> agrees can I...." and so forth.
> I could get away with murder with my father, in whose eyes I could do no
> wrong.
> But my mother was say No and that was the end of the discussion.

Not in my house -- we each tried this. . .ONCE.

Normally if we askedsome thing of one, they'd reply, "What does [other parent]  say?" & we knoew if one said no, it was no, firm, & trying to elicit a yes from
 
the other was a Bad Thing.

>> But this is, I admit, more about human decisions as to what was God-inspired
> specific to their homiletic interests.
> Scripture is made of several types of books: history, poetry, ethics,
> ritual, religion in general.
> Sometimes two or more writers will have a different take on something.
> Its like taking a report from two or three witnesses to an event.  Each
> witness will describe the event in general, with a few different slants:
> He was driving a red car, she was in a blue.
> He was driving a red Ford Explorer, she in a blue Chevy Tahoe, etc.

Exactly. Both are giving honest testimony from their own perspective.

People whgine about "contradictions." I point out how tghe Bible is varous  authors & books. & how even in one book of "sayings" you'll have both: "Look before you leap" &
"He who hesitates is lost"

Nopt a contradiction, as both have their own application.

To the whingers about geographical & cosmology evidences, I point out that the  Bible was not written to be a sciece textbook following modern rules of  scxientific method. It's a handbook providing a basic Constitution & law codes,
& guidance useful for any moral question/situation for one who cares to 
understabd it as such.

I never preess the issue.  Not my job to FORCE anyone to be what thewy're not.  Who am I to say that God didn't make them to be a different religion, or even  an athiest for a reason I don't see?

I don't speak for God. I don't fight His battles, either.

None of my business, unless I'm invited to chime in.

I'm happy where I'm at, & that's as far as my beliefs should go.

Because I'm a happy person, I speak freely about that which elates me, hoping  to share so even one other person might get a taste of it for themselves, if  needing it.

That was the key problem with imperialistic religions: they broke away from the original "invitation" model & switched to "Obey or suffer & die at our hands"  model.

A simple misunderstanding of the early mistranslation "make disciples of  nations" that clearly should've been rendered, "Accept seeking students without concern for their nationality."


--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-5