A basic understanding of the limitations of language shows that a belief in the constancy of words is the fundamental problem of all religions, fundamentalist or otherwise.
As every writer knows, his intended meaning shifts slightly, or perhaps slips a lot, when transcribing his thoughts to letters on a page. Then there’s a certain level of difficulty involved in reversing the process and trying to extract the “real” meaning of written words by the reader, during which the writer’s original ideas can be slightly misconstrued or completely misplaced. That is, language being a human endeavor, is plagued by inaccuracy, inefficiency, and possible fraud, so at least part, and possibly all of the truth that any combination of words might have been attempting to express is diminished or destroyed in the translation from person to person, or while passing from language to language.
Put simply, much, if not all can be lost in the processes of communication, thus the Bible is called “non-fiction” not only to differentiate it from pure fantasy or “fiction” but because we do not have a category of books that can rightfully be called “absolute reality” or “conclusive truth”.
Further, and given that words are not the things they describe, the concept of accessing irrefutable truth through language or books is like thinking that one can can gain knowledge and achieve wisdom by eating an encyclopedia.
As the BeeGee’s sang about hundreds of years ago, “It’s Only Words”……
