Non-literal interpretations of the Bible

[robocop (actually)]

Oh hi Burl! Once, after 9-11 by the way, I stumbled upon intense geometric metaphors (http://www.meru.org/Posters/Gen1-1Shushon.html) in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 and was deeply impressed with the first chapter . I tried copying the basic situation later in Genesis and found two things: that there were way more of these patterns than could be attributed to chance and that they were less common the further out you went into the Bible.

This, Raelism, and my own thinking have led me to the following belief. At the beginning of the Bible, all of the most important topics (like death) get covered the most and the most broadly. Later in the Bible, switching back and forth into narrower rivers that don't specify as much happens I think.

Anyway, if its an important topic, both nonliteral and literal interpretations can be found in places. Sodom and Gomorrah is where it belongs in the Bible. Eventually the writer has to amaze less and tell the story more.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Oh and I think Sodom and Gomorrah was about trying to get back at E.T.s for taking their technology from them when they were trying to build the Tower of Babel. Oh and I get now that you want me to answer about the opening statement so I will do that.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Again, I think the important question is not whether a text lends itself to allegorical interpretation but whether or not it was intended as such.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Sorry Jayhawker I was trying to answer Burl's question before reading the thread. I think all interpretations are possible. The Bible might have originally had no spaces and based on how things played out the letters got separated to describe our world. I've heard that from many a Jew.

Please read my full response.

So anyway I read the Original Post. Some of the Bible is backwards and some of it is mystical and we can look at the progress in religions of accepting gays. I understand how you want to change it but you have to be careful. There is lots of it non-understood and if you changed stuff like in post# 61 (1st paragraph) it wouldn't work as well. Raelism claims that it will be the true religion until at least 2025-2035. It is very pro-gay and very into getting the good detail out of the Bible. Sodom and Gomorrah, like I said, was mostly about trying to get back at the E.T.s for destroying their tower of Babel to get to heaven (the tower was a rocket ship; they got advanced in technology by living so much longer). They had to live primitively as punishment for a while, but Gaybraham (just kidding) showed with almost sacrificing his son that he had when his wife was like 90 he properly respected the E.T.s without even knowing who they were.

So don't change the Bible but fight for rights anyway. For instance, the Bible says homosexuality is "detestable" as a reason for it being a sin. To the Israelites it was so what could "God" do? Nowadays, it is widely accepted in America so it is not detestable so there's no reason to punish. Of course, if you do it in public you run the risk of angering a shooter; that might be a lesson to come away with; enjoy it but don't freak the homophobes out.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Here is a useful post I presume. The Bible has to work or not. Its goal should be providing the most information in the least amount of space. Do you realize that you can lie and in that lie still transmit lots of information? The same could be true of the Bible. Not only could it prod people to look for different interpretations, it could even lie on purpose, all for getting the right information to the right people. We should be careful about "faint praise" to the world's most popular book and take editing very, very seriously if editing is not forbidden.

 

[savagewind]

I think those for whom I posted this, where I said "This is for those who don't interpret the Bible literally" will not have a problem with that. If they do, they can of course say so. This is in Comparative Religion and not Christian DIR for a reason.

I can't talk to that poster. What does he MEAN? His post makes no sense at all to me.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Sorry Jayhawker I was trying to answer Burl's question before reading the thread. I think all interpretations are possible.

And I think that such a position is absolutely bankrupt.

 

[Orbit]

And I think that such a position is absolutely bankrupt.

Then why are you posting to this thread? Go away.

 

[savagewind]

This could be an interesting thread. I think it is a very good question. @Jayhawker Soule 's way leaves the book open for only a very few people to understand.

I do not believe the book literally. I think it contains true history. How can it not? Of course, I do not know what accounts are true history and what accounts are stories and I think to know does not matter much. I think to know the writers as real people matters most. Why did they write? Some people say God made them write. They go so far as to think that all the writers were as slaves to God writing EXACTLY what God was thinking to say.

The NT, or the Greek scriptures (as the people in the know* call them) call the people of the OT, or the Hebrew scriptures, a cloud of witnesses. Not secretaries, or slaves, or servants. WITNESSES. They all saw something. I believe in what they saw. Why? Because I want to. I do not know
which sights were visible and which were spiritual. Must I know?

The one called Jesus spoke in parables. They seem to be riddles. So it goes that before him people wrote riddles. Some things we read are riddles. Why not?

If they are riddles it would be very important for the deciphering of them to know what was actually written. I think it would be the only way to answer the riddle correctly. I will get crazy and admit I think that there is a part of the brain that extents forward and backwards in time. There is a way to know what they really were communicating.

Scripture? Matthew 22:32 Mark 12:27
Luke 20:38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.

I think the sacred secret is that we are all alive at the same time. But the only way to enjoy it is to be holy.



*their claim

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Then why are you posting to this thread? Go away.

 

[savagewind]

That we are exist at the same time would answer the questions.

Why speak in tongues?
Why are some people called dead though they are alive?
Why is trying to contact dead people a sin?
How is mankind in God's image?
How does knowing the truth set a person free?
How is Abraham everyone's father?
Why is it important to believe Christ? He is the avenue to the past and to the future.

 

[savagewind]

It is hard for me to know if my posts can't be seen by anyone or if I haven't said anything stupid to insult.

Or if I am not even worth insulting. I suppose I can't get any lower than that.

 

[robocop (actually)]

And I think that such a position is absolutely bankrupt.

Well, if it was written by a greater enough power, you ought to be able to search letter by letter for meaning if you want. What's bankrupt about that?

 

[savagewind]

Well, if it was written by a greater enough power, you ought to be able to search letter by letter for meaning if you want. What's bankrupt about that?

I think he might mean that if all interpretations are possible then it doesn't really mean anything.

 

[Demonslayer]

The one called Jesus spoke in parables. They seem to be riddles

That's a fun version of Jesus. Jesus the Riddler. Although if you go to hell for failing to answer the riddles, I'm not sure I want to play the game.

 

[savagewind]

That's a fun version of Jesus. Jesus the Riddler. Although if you go to hell for failing to answer the riddles, I'm not sure I want to play the game.

If it is hell to you to not go to dinner with father Abraham then you are right or wrong.......it's so confusing to me that people can't listen.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Didn't the Torah spacing get unfolded with events? Isn't there PaRDeS, four levels to reading the Torah anyway?

 

[savagewind]

I think I might have broke the riddle of 666. Or the other number, which I forget.

The Bible is the only way to Abraham imo. Everyone may have a Bible sooner or later. It is numbered. Some of the numbers are wrong. It was organized by the ANTICHRIST. You know, the one who MUST COME FIRST. How else is it possible for EVERYONE to receive the number? Tell me!

 

[Demonslayer]

go to dinner with father Abraham

Sounds a little creepy.

 

[savagewind]

I think it might feel like hell to find out that you might have gone to dinner with father Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel but you refused, and then you found out you were just too late. How would you feel? Glad? Then no hell for you. OK?