A being who by its nature would defy simple labels means we can either apply none of them or struggle to interpret what we do know through the filter of our own philosophies and, by necessity, assign values that relate positively.

Let's look at the Bible. Even if it is the unerring word of God, it was written down by human beings, sometimes after the fact of what inspired it. Human beings will color what they write, even if they don't mean to. Which word do you choose to convey a specific emotion or action? Connotations have *always* been an issue. Take a local meaning to a particular turn of phrase and translate it through 2,000 years and three languages and it loses something. The words may be the same, but the meaning that is supposed to be behind them has changed.

We put our own biases on top of something as concrete as the written word.

It is impossible for someone to put all of that aside when considering abstract ideas.

I believe that the Bible, and other religious texts, tell the exact message someone expects to find.

This does not mean there is no God, it just means that you can't write a book about God or Godly stuff and have it be properly understood by anyone else, or perhaps even yourself after a few years or a few drinks.

A being who by its nature would defy simple labels means we can either apply none of them or struggle to interpret what we do know through the filter of our own philosophies and, by necessity, assign values that relate positively.

Let’s look at the Bible. Even if it is the unerring word of God, it was written down by human beings, sometimes after the fact of what inspired it. Human beings will color what they write, even if they don’t mean to. Which word do you choose to convey a specific emotion or action? Connotations have *always* been an issue. Take a local meaning to a particular turn of phrase and translate it through 2,000 years and three languages and it loses something. The words may be the same, but the meaning that is supposed to be behind them has changed.

We put our own biases on top of something as concrete as the written word.

It is impossible for someone to put all of that aside when considering abstract ideas.

I believe that the Bible, and other religious texts, tell the exact message someone expects to find.

This does not mean there is no God, it just means that you can’t write a book about God or Godly stuff and have it be properly understood by anyone else, or perhaps even yourself after a few years or a few drinks.