I am often told two conflicting things about the way I should read the bible. Some say that the entire thing is undeniable, historical and scientific fact, while others say that it is largly a metephorical work and should not be taken "literaly." Some say it is a bit of both, but everyone I talk to has differant openions on which parts are fact and which parts are metephor. Is Noah's ark fact or metaphor? Is God killing every first born in Egypt fact or metaphor? I'm really confused.
2006-08-18 05:37:15 · 15 answers · asked by Girl Wonder 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Just to clarify, I'm not a Christian, I'm an Agnostic. Every time I ask a question about Christianity, I keep getting told that I should read the bible (even though I have, more than once) in order to understand. I'm just trying to find out what I am, apparently, reading wrong, that I still don't understand.
2006-08-18 05:43:53 · update #1
Simple.
If you read something that conflicts with your preferred way of living, it's "obviously" a metaphor.
If you read something else you can find in yourself to manage to live by, to some extent, it can then be considered "fact".
I wonder why we ALL are not xtians...
2006-08-18 05:45:29 · answer #1 · answered by googlywotsit 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's a good guide line, well parts of it any way. It isn't wise to take anything too literally; forgive me yee Christians; but even the Bible. God is, that's it. No matter how it gets all jazzed up with the rituals and rules it remains that God is beyond our understanding. This is why man has tried to humanize God, so we have something to work with. Worship, don't worship; understand it or be baffled; in the end it boils down to living a decent life. A lot of the stuff in the Bible pre dates the Hebrew civilization by thousands of years, it's more a history come legend. You can observe a real shift in sentiment as it's evolved through the passages. Those old Biblical Kings were pretty blood thristy Cats! I like Jesus's softer stance on humanity. If you follow the Golden Rule your there, don't do anything to anyone that you wouldn't want done to yourself; it's in us. Well most of us. The rest is window dressing. I like the mask by the way, you sort of look like someone I know with it on, if that's you. If it is you I want my guitar back! Ah what the heck, if you've learned to play it; keep it! Probably isn't you anyway. Good luck figuring out the Bible thing, but be careful with it; it can drive folks insane!
2006-08-18 05:59:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of it is obviously plain and simple folklore, passed down over generations and generations. Generations before anything was scratched in stones without vowels, the Jewish bible was alive through tales passed from parents to children. Much of it was borrowed from other, older cultures - the creation story for example. Judaism at that time was a pagan religion. Thousands of years later the tales were organized into stories presented as factual when in fact they never were. But like all ancient folklore, there are occasional truths here and there as well as a small amount of actual history.
2006-08-18 05:45:11 · answer #3 · answered by Sweetchild Danielle 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Noah's ark is a fact. In the qur'an Allah said that he left the ark on Mt Judi, and that he would preserve it there as a sign for mankind. In the 20th century they found the ark on Mt Judi, it has been dated thousands of years. The remains of the ark had the same measurements of that given in the Torah/Old Testament.
Unfortunately the biblical scribes changed parts of the text. This fact is stated by one of the prophets in the bible. it is therefore hard to know what is true and what is not. As a muslim I would obviously advice you to read the qur'an as it was revealed to clear up all these uncertainties. The book memorised today is the same as that memorised by the prophets companions.
However unlike popular belief the choice is always yours. As Allah says in the qur'an there is no compulsion in religion. The truth has been sent down, and we will all stand before our creator
2006-08-18 05:44:01 · answer #4 · answered by abdulaziiz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure what everyone else thinks, but myself. I read the bible, enjoy the reading. I believe it all to be the word of God. Whether or not Noah's ark was fact or metaphor has no bearing on the way I live my life. I believe it to be fact, but that is just my opinion. I think you should form your own opinion on certain things. The things I think you should truly concentrate your attention on is that Jesus Christ is the son of God, He died for your sins. If you accept him as your savior and live according to his words you will have a home reserved in heaven. God Bless You.
2006-08-18 05:49:42 · answer #5 · answered by Blessed 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Exactly! This is the proof that there must be some Oral Law that was passed down from mount sinai to the Jews becasue otherwise the Bible is impossible to understand. Christians deny this, of course, but you've just proven it! Congratulations!
2006-08-18 05:43:51 · answer #6 · answered by youngest1000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Metaphor is a literary device. Therefore you should look at the context grammatically and historically. For instance, like or as or indicative of a simile, i.e. doing this paper is like pulling teeth or your lips are as a rose. All a metaphor is, is a simile without the like or as indicator, i.e. your lips are a rose. The writer would know that you wouldn't take it literally that the persons lips are roses but that they share physical and emotion similarities that are useful for literary purposes. The historical context would be has people historically taken this as literal and not metaphorical. That is for you to study and decide.
2006-08-18 05:48:15 · answer #7 · answered by Paul 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
alot of things are natural with spiritual meaning..like the tabernacle that was built in the wilderness was not actually how the tabernacle in heaven looks but just something for down here,but there are some things that are true and literal,like when the bible says that mark 16:17 you will speak with new tounges you actually do speak in a new tounge that you have never spoken before
2006-08-18 05:46:35 · answer #8 · answered by holyghost130 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I don't believe the bible is non-fiction. If it is, I don't really care for that God. He is not nice.
However, ask any hyprocritcal bible banger and they will pick and choose so they can transform the God of the bible into someone they like. They will also pick & choose which commandments are important to follow.
2006-08-18 05:45:22 · answer #9 · answered by Nunya 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is what the Holy Spirit is for . John 16:13 . To receive the Holy Spirit you must believe in Jesus . John 14:6 . God bless you and Peace to you ...
If you want to know more , just ask ...
2006-08-18 05:49:15 · answer #10 · answered by robinhoodcb 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋