Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in higher education

[MechAg94]

There's not much confusion as to what the Bible "literally" says. The problem is that it's "literally" in a language that only a handful of people in the world can read at all, and there's not a true consensus as to what the original words (or as close to them as archeologists have been able to find) mean when translated into any of the modern, western languages.

I should say the confusion is regarding what people think the Bible literally says.  It isn't just a translation issue, but that is a big part of it. 

[lee n. field]

There's not much confusion as to what the Bible "literally" says. The problem is that it's "literally" in a language that only a handful of people in the world can read at all, and there's not a true consensus as to what the original words (or as close to them as archeologists have been able to find) mean when translated into any of the modern, western languages.

Ummm, no.   The text we have is very good.   And there are lots and lots and lots of people who read the original languages (ancient Hebrew, Koine Greek).  

[Perd Hapley]

Ummm, no.   The text we have is very good.   And there are lots and lots and lots of people who read the original languages (ancient Hebrew, Koine Greek).  

That was my first reaction, but on re-reading, he appears to only be saying that folk disagree on what the translated Bible really means.

Of course, the real problem is our discomfort with those things it says most clearly...

[MechAg94]

That was my first reaction, but on re-reading, he appears to only be saying that folk disagree on what the translated Bible really means.

Of course, the real problem is our discomfort with those things it says most clearly...

And that is a big part of what I was thinking, but better said. 

The other side of that is people who think they understand what it says, but never study and their beliefs end up being based on the bits and pieces they remember mixed with other stuff that creeps in.