"Quanto alla prima domanda generica di Madama Serenissima, parmi che prudentissimamente fusse proposto da quella e conceduto e stabilito dalla Paternità Vostra, non poter mai la Scrittura Sacra mentire o errare, ma essere i suoi decreti d'assoluta ed inviolabile verità. Solo avrei aggiunto, che, se bene la Scrittura non può errare, potrebbe nondimeno talvolta errare alcuno de' suoi interpreti ed espositori, in varii modi: tra i quali uno sarebbe gravissimo e frequentissimo, quando volessero fermarsi sempre nel puro significato delle parole, [...]" -- Galileo Galilei (b. 1564-02-15, d. 1642-01-08) letter to Benedetto Castelli, 1613-12-21
The English translation I found says "edited by Antonio Favaro" but does not explicitly say who translated it: "In regard to the first general point of the Most Serene Ladyship, it seems to me very prudent of her to propose and of you to concede and to agree that the Holy Scripture can never lie or err, and that its declarations are absolutely and inviolably true. I should have added only that, through the Scripture cannot err, nevertheless some of its interpreters and expositors can sometimes err in various ways. One of these would be very serious and very frequent, namely to want to limit oneself always to the literal meaning of the words, [...]"
(no subject)
(no subject)
The thing to note is that "God" has never told me the "scriptures" "...never lie or err, and that its declarations are absolutely and inviolably true."
It's just been men (generic term, inclusive) who have tried to claim that.
Then, when reading the text, i notice contradictions which rather suggest that not only the original writers, but they who assembled the book, where operating with some sort of agenda. Which doesn't amaze me in the least.
Once one steps outside the box of belief in the Authoritarian leadership of organized(?) religion, it's hard to put faith into believing that any man made collection should get more than a minor veneer of special consideration. I've been lied to time and time again. Ok.. i'm being lied to daily, hourly, minutely, time and time again, both by "state" and "church."