"Huh? Do you mean to say that even after the 9th circuit is reversed on some decision that they ignore the reversal?"

Huh.  So, if they know they are going to be reversed anyway, how is that not ignoring SCOTUS?  Clearly, not every case is like that.  But the 9th (and others on occasion, too) are often going against SCOTUS precedent.

"Besides being absolutely false that's kind of a nutty statement."

I think you're ignorant and stubborn.

"Um, that's kind of the point there, snt. There is not an official interpretation of the bible that applies to ALL CHRISTIANS."

Umm, but that's kind of the point.  We are talking about a body of individuals that numbers some 2,000,000,000 individuals.  (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html)  Of that, the RCC constitutes a full billion all on their own.  http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity

The fact that there is an organization of Christians that is larger than our own country's population and the EU combined doesn't qualify for objectivity shows that you are biased out your monoas.

The Constitution is something that we agree to have as our standard.  Even within that, there are plenty of people of different minds.  Some interpetations are better than others.  Your argument is sending you on your way to affirming that the Dred Scot decision, merely because it was 'law,' was the right interpretation.  That's just nuts.  But in the US you have the structure of government and a rule of law enforced by people with guns to help make that 'objectivity' real.

Unless you want the RCC to have its own army so it can go out and compell any literate person from deciding for themselves what a text means, you're a long way from having a consistent position.  For example, the numbers above at adherents.com counts people who self-identify themselves as Christians.  I've met ATHEISTS who considered themselves Christians.  What do you want the Pope to do?  Send over the Vatican ATF and put the smack down on them?  Should the RCC restrict all the copies of their text only to their readers?  They should go on a book burning tour, is that it?

Despite a complete lack of any meaningful enforcement, 1 billion people submit to the intrepretation of a single man (or his designated authorities).  Take away the power of enforcement and we'll see just how 'objective' SCOTUS remains.

Don't you know anything?  "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it"  Ring any bells?

"I'm not ignoring anything."

I really thought sticking your finger in your ears was ignoring.  My bad.

"The point is, there are just as many (or more) who do not."


"We know what the US constitution, for example, says about abortion."

Oh, we do?  Can you point me to where in the constitution it directly mentions abortion?

I'm so excited.  I've always wondered what the Constitution says about abortion.  I'll pay you $10 dollars if you can show me where in the Constitution it says anything about abortion.  You send me $5.00 if it doesn't say anything.  Deal?

"We have NO earthly idea about what the bible says about it."

The Catholics have a uniform view on it.  I wonder where they got that information.

"So if by the use of standard literary interpretation theory I understand a particular biblical passage to mean one thing but then the Good Lord inspires me to understand that same passage in a different way, then I am to ignore the Good Lord's inspiration and instead to go with the meaning derived through literary interpretation techniques???"

Absolutely.  Because if you did apply these basic literary techniques to the documents collected in the Scriptures, you'd know that you'd be skating on thin ice.  Those same methods would point you quickly to be warned.  Ask JustLiz.  "Test Everything" is found in the Scriptures, long before it was put in place as a hallmark of genuine empirical inquiry.

"Serious question here: Are you an agent of Satan?"

I have my own serious question:  Have you ever read the Christian Scriptures?  If so, have you tried to be impartial?  If so, did you take any time to actually study them?