I'll try to respond to these one at a time:
How do you know if God meant it literally or figuratively? I think for myself in what I quote and if I believe it. I don't think from what I was taught about it. I think from what I believe about it. You didn't finish my quote. Seek God and He'll let you know if you need to. God is the only thing our minds can not comprehend, except comprehending the human mind with itself. Just listen to what God says about how everything to be...after that it's quite simple. Why would God wait until we die before telling us about other beings? Does it destroy His plan if we know? It might drive fear into some peoples' hearts, but it can be dispelled by thinking of God's protection. How else can the creation story be taken? If figuratively, how? Please explain, for this is, like you say, beyond my comprehension.
LilChrist.. darlin.. now I'm in my 12th year of Catholic schooling. So I'm pretty well versed in Bible interpretation. I am hoping to God that you know that much of it, like the creation story, is not meant literally. you may want to try thinking for yourself and not just quoting the bible. I see where your coming from with the whole seek God and He'll let you know. But what if he does not want us to know? There could be things in this universe we cannot possibly imagine because our mind does not have ht capability to comprehend them. It's like trying to understand time, or how everything came to be. We mostly likely haven't found an answer because we can't understand. There could be beings that are completely unlike us in that they share no similar qualities. Made of something other than matter. Just because we can't comprehend it, and because God has yet to fill us in, doesn't mean it does not exist.
How do you know if God meant it literally or figuratively? I think for myself in what I quote and if I believe it. I don't think from what I was taught about it. I think from what I believe about it. You didn't finish my quote. Seek God and He'll let you know if you need to. God is the only thing our minds can not comprehend, except comprehending the human mind with itself. Just listen to what God says about how everything to be...after that it's quite simple. Why would God wait until we die before telling us about other beings? Does it destroy His plan if we know? It might drive fear into some peoples' hearts, but it can be dispelled by thinking of God's protection. How else can the creation story be taken? If figuratively, how? Please explain, for this is, like you say, beyond my comprehension.