Snap! (Deist, evolution, creation, genesis, atheist)

[d.]

Originally Posted by Mick in England

Much of the Bible's not really supposed be taken absolutely literally,

can we settle this once and for all : what, if anything, in the bible suggests its writers did not intend for it to be taken 'absolutely literally'?



EDIT : ...except for the fact that many of its accounts and teachings doesn't match our current worldview?

[fantôme profane]

Originally Posted by Mick in England

You know those "magic pictures" that look like jumbled wallpaper patterns that are supposed to spring into glorious 3D if we stare at them long enough? Some people can see the 3D image straight away,while others need time ,whereas some can never see the pic no matter how long they stare at it.
I've heard that the trick is NOT TO STARE TOO HARD,but to relax your eyes,which is a neat analogy for trying to "see" Christianity!

Um, interesting analogy. I really hate to be the one to point this out, but those 3D pictures are illusions.

I am just saying that analogies can be dangerous things. Never turn your back on an analogy, they always come back to bite you in the butt.

[waacman]

Originally Posted by fantôme profane

Um, interesting analogy. I really hate to be the one to point this out, but those 3D pictures are illusions.

but the pictures that represent them are really there, the perception of those pictures is just changed

[fantôme profane]

Originally Posted by il divino

can we settle this once and for all : what, if anything, in the bible suggests its writers did not intend for it to be taken 'absolutely literally'?



EDIT : ...except for the fact that many of its accounts and teachings doesn't match our current worldview?

Any reasonably intelligent person when reading a book (any book) can come to reasonable conclusions about the intent of the author.

If I were to hand you a copy of Aesops fables, what would suggest to you that the author did not intend it to be taken literally (other than the title of course)?

Well you might suggest that in your experience rabbits rarely make boastful claims when talking to turtles. In fact rabbits don’t tend to have conversations with turtles on any topic. And they have never been known to organize inter-species athletic events.

Some people might decide that the author did mean all this to be interpreted literally, and they might then decide to believe on faith that such a race did actually take place. Others might come to the conclusion that science tells us that rabbits do not talk, so therefore the story is absolute rubbish. I think that it is more reasonable to conclude that the story was never intended to be taken literally.

Just like I do not believe that the story about a talking rabbits and turtle having a footrace was intended to be a scientific depiction of animal behaviour, I do not think that a story about snake telling people about magical fruit was intended to be taken literally either.

Others will disagree, and I could be wrong. But given the nature of this story and other stories in the Bible I think it is reasonable to conclude that some of them were never intended to be taken absolutely literally.

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

Really? Where? Or was the comment intended as nothing other than petty and baseless ad hominem?

My comments were no more or less ad hominem than your own.

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

Then you should have no difficulty showing that my interpretation is nonstandard. Nor should you have difficulty referencing the congruent interpretation(s).

You stated the claim. The burden is on you.

[d.]

Originally Posted by fantôme profane

given the nature of this story and other stories in the Bible I think it is reasonable to conclude that some of them were never intended to be taken absolutely literally.

i don't know, 200 years ago 'common folk' in scandinavia believed in trolls, wights, witches, giants, nix and god knows what. they believed satan would come around the house and steal eggs. they not only believed this, they also saw these creatures. they were as real as, say, a wolf is to me.

my point is, i think these people would have no problem accepting a story about a talking snake, in fact i don't think any of them, if they read the bible, read it as allegory and metaphor. so i don't think the fantastical nature of the stories themselves is enough to suggest that their authors did not intend for a literal interpretation, since people historically have believed all kinds of fantasy.

[Mick in England]

Originally Posted by il divino

can we settle this once and for all : what, if anything, in the bible suggests its writers did not intend for it to be taken 'absolutely literally'?
EDIT : ...except for the fact that many of its accounts and teachings doesn't match our current worldview?

God wants real, thinking people, not mindless robots who slavishly take every word in the Bible literally ;)

[d.]

Originally Posted by Mick in England

God wants real, thinking people, not mindless robots who slavishly take every word in the Bible literally

and where does the bible say this?

[Real Sorceror]

Originally Posted by il divino

i don't know, 200 years ago 'common folk' in scandinavia believed in trolls, wights, witches, giants, nix and god knows what. they believed satan would come around the house and steal eggs. they not only believed this, they also saw these creatures. they were as real as, say, a wolf is to me.

my point is, i think these people would have no problem accepting a story about a talking snake, in fact i don't think any of them, if they read the bible, read it as allegory and metaphor. so i don't think the fantastical nature of the stories themselves is enough to suggest that their authors did not intend for a literal interpretation, since people historically have believed all kinds of fantasy.

I gotta agree with il divino here. America has a huge Christian population and studies show that around 50% of the country does not accept evolution. Coincidence? Nope.

[Mick in England]

Originally Posted by il divino

and where does the bible say this?

If people want to literally follow the Bible, can we expect to see them going out to kill witches and stone adulteresses etc?
Or does God want us to follow the enlightened teachings of Jesus instead?