This thread is for listing and discussing all those many things in Genesis which hint that it should not be taken literally by most people. I am not interested in a debate about Evolution vs. Creation. Anyone is welcome to make suggestions or objections, so I am putting this into the Biblical Debates zone.
No jokes, please, no politics, and no venting about how you feel about religion, church, atheism etc. Please no tangential topics about nephilim, racism, aliens etc. I will consider these to be off topic and request other posters to treat them as off topic. Vent elsewhere, and keep your conspiracies in your toilets.
Here is a starting list of things which hint at a non-literal Genesis, but I have certainly missed at least one:
Primarily the problem with taking Genesis literally is that the lessons therein are disguised as mere stories. The learning stops at the stories. Take Noah, a story about non-violence. To children its about animals and rainbows, but what if those children never go beyond that? What if they learn these stories only to become cruel inventive soldiers? Thats what has too often happened.
Apostle Pauls statements about there being a difference between the 'Milk' of the word and the 'Meat' implying that there ought to be more than one way of viewing it.
Fruit that gives knowledge. Honestly, people. Genesis does not even describe what the fruit looks or tastes like. Maybe that does not seem a strong evidence to some.
Strong similarity between the layout of the tabernacle and the Garden of Eden - really strong.
Complete absence of the Garden, geographically nowhere.
Euphemisms for sex (knew, nakedness, known). Its as is supposed to be one thing for children, another for adults.
Speech of the serpent biting the heel and seed of the woman.
Christian comments equating: serpent=satan=devil=sin.
Sin crouches. How can sin literally crouch by your door? Snakes can though.
Mark of Cain. Cain kills Abel. The mark says that anyone who avenges Abel will create seven times greater vengeance against themselves. The story says Cain will not be killed because of the mark, but the meaning is much more: dont be vengeful which is the most common theme in Genesis yet all the literal Bible teachers never once pount this out. I am probably the first person in forever to point it out, because I have never heard it from any pro-literal-genesis teacher. Its because literalism robs the meaning.
Jesus further comments upon
Intertextuality between stories and laws
Prophecies of Jacob in G49
Noah
Terms such as righteous which could better be called 'Verticalness' whose essence is lost to most readers. Other such words: holy, pray, satan, sacrifice. These are all variables and left undefined, yet people are fine with transliterations or old crusty misleading English, rarely even caring! These are hot coals demonstrating that just about everyone already reads Genesis non-literally even if unknowingly.
Connections with Egyptian stories older than Genesis.
The plagues of Exodus which mimick and spoof Egyptian beliefs in the Nile.
No jokes, please, no politics, and no venting about how you feel about religion, church, atheism etc. Please no tangential topics about nephilim, racism, aliens etc. I will consider these to be off topic and request other posters to treat them as off topic. Vent elsewhere, and keep your conspiracies in your toilets.
Here is a starting list of things which hint at a non-literal Genesis, but I have certainly missed at least one:
Primarily the problem with taking Genesis literally is that the lessons therein are disguised as mere stories. The learning stops at the stories. Take Noah, a story about non-violence. To children its about animals and rainbows, but what if those children never go beyond that? What if they learn these stories only to become cruel inventive soldiers? Thats what has too often happened.
Apostle Pauls statements about there being a difference between the 'Milk' of the word and the 'Meat' implying that there ought to be more than one way of viewing it.
Fruit that gives knowledge. Honestly, people. Genesis does not even describe what the fruit looks or tastes like. Maybe that does not seem a strong evidence to some.
Strong similarity between the layout of the tabernacle and the Garden of Eden - really strong.
Complete absence of the Garden, geographically nowhere.
Euphemisms for sex (knew, nakedness, known). Its as is supposed to be one thing for children, another for adults.
Speech of the serpent biting the heel and seed of the woman.
Christian comments equating: serpent=satan=devil=sin.
Sin crouches. How can sin literally crouch by your door? Snakes can though.
Mark of Cain. Cain kills Abel. The mark says that anyone who avenges Abel will create seven times greater vengeance against themselves. The story says Cain will not be killed because of the mark, but the meaning is much more: dont be vengeful which is the most common theme in Genesis yet all the literal Bible teachers never once pount this out. I am probably the first person in forever to point it out, because I have never heard it from any pro-literal-genesis teacher. Its because literalism robs the meaning.
Jesus further comments upon
Intertextuality between stories and laws
Prophecies of Jacob in G49
Noah
Terms such as righteous which could better be called 'Verticalness' whose essence is lost to most readers. Other such words: holy, pray, satan, sacrifice. These are all variables and left undefined, yet people are fine with transliterations or old crusty misleading English, rarely even caring! These are hot coals demonstrating that just about everyone already reads Genesis non-literally even if unknowingly.
Connections with Egyptian stories older than Genesis.
The plagues of Exodus which mimick and spoof Egyptian beliefs in the Nile.