The Bible says the Earth is between 6,000 and 8,000 years old, that it was created in 7 days, and that Man is made of dirt and Woman a piece of Man. Most churches today say that this is allegory. What passages of the Bible support it all being just allegory?
Or are you trying your hardest to incorperate human logic into your fairy tale book?
2006-09-28 04:56:27 · 22 answers · asked by Spookshow Baby 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
*Bangs head on desk*
*Bangs head on desk*
*Bangs hesd on desk*
Casy M: It is not my duty to disprove it. The burden of proof falls on those that claim an existance or claim something to be truth. It is YOUR duty to PROVE it.
2006-09-28 05:00:55 · update #1
By admitting it's allegory, it shows that certain religions are finally coming to terms with the fact that books such as the Bible are SPIRITUAL manuals, and not SCIENCE manuals. It's a great step in the right direction. Those who resist reason and logic due to fear of "offending God" will always insist everything in the Bible is to be taken as de facto irrefutable and infallible proof that science is wrong, but these are the same people who probably have no interest or aptitude for science in the first place. It doesn't hurt the rest of the world much if we silently tolerate their blissful ignorance.
Peace
2006-09-28 05:05:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
these scriptures are from the hebrew scriptures and have been adopted by christianity. that said Judaism, takes no issue with science or evolution. If you read the "story of creation" the 6 "days" are metaphorical in meaning and each of the days corresponds to evolution, ie. big bang theory. Also there are two parts where humans are created, the first man and woman are created at the same time, from the dust of the four corners of the earth. Which if you take science and deduce that we are all compose of elements of the universe and that we evolved after primates, then with a metaphorical understanding, one could say that the ideas written in the hebrew scriptures surrounding creation are not necessarily false ideas. The earth is much older that 5767 (the date that just began last saturday in the hebrew calendar).
one guy I know thought that the dinosaur bones were put on earth already in the ground and didn't believe in carbon testing as an accurate form of gaging time. trippy I thought. I think people take the scriptures, oftentimes, way too literally.
What DuckPhup says isn't necessarily true. The scriptures in their original language are often metaphorical and are not always easily translated into ENGLISH. i.e the fruit in the garden of eden was not an apple, that is christian allegory. and a common misconception. among others.
2006-09-28 12:04:23 · answer #2 · answered by tharedhead ((debajo del ombú)) 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
From Wikipedia,
"The etymological meaning of the word is broader than the common use of the word. Though it is similar to other rhetorical comparisons, an allegory is sustained longer and more fully in its details than a metaphor, and appeals to imagination, while an analogy appeals to reason or logic. The fable or parable is a short allegory with one definite moral."
By this definition, Genesis is allegory. You cannot apply reason and logic because science has shown the history of earth and the life lived and currently living on it to be very different from this fable - better known as a creation myth.
Given the Wikipedia definition of the word, my next question would be, "What is the Definite Moral of Genesis that must be held or hidden in the way it describes how the earth came into being and the life herein?"
What is the moral of this story? Is it simply temptation and sin before the eyes of this particular god? If this god is in fact, as advertised, "The One," then why would it deliberately create flawed creatures that were destined to sin before its eyes? Is this not passive-aggressive behavior? Or worse, psychopathic? First creating the flawed creature than punishing it for not doing better than it is capable of doing? With the greatest punishment being exacted upon women as they must now suffer the pain of childbirth?
Can you find some positive moral here? I can't.
2006-09-28 12:14:53 · answer #3 · answered by gjstoryteller 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Even though a lot of the Bible is allegory, I disagree with the statement that this is. All of the building blocks for life are in out Earth. For God to effect chemical change and create life from his elements seem totally sound to me.
The Earth was created in 6 days, God rested on the 7th day. These days are called evening mornings, that would make them literal.I don't know where you got 6 to 8 thousand from. If it were literal , by using the begets , which I did 27 years ago would make the Earth 13 thousand years old if it were literal. The world would have been destroyed by water around 4990 BC.
I really don't know if that is literal or not. I do struggle with that information. I pray that God will reveal it at the proper time, within his will.
2006-09-28 12:09:34 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe that the bible is truth, because it has proven itself to me many times. I don't think that anyone can ever prove the truth of the bible, that is the job for the Holy Spirit. How can I give you my faith? I don't believe that the bible is an allegory, but it does use allegory, parables, in teaching.
I do believe that God created man from dust, and breathed (rhema) life into him, and that woman was created from the side of man.
I think that is just as believable as me coming from primordial soup or from a monkey, that had to come from somewhere....to me as a Christian, I bang my head on a desk, when I hear people believe those things.
Nothing mean intended, I just feel as strongly as atheists or evolutionists.
As far as the earth is 6000 years old.... I am not sure that God was bound by 6 days being 6 of our days, He is the Almighty Creator. His time is infinite. The bible says he spoke and it happened that is enough for me. Maybe days came later, maybe it was a week as we know it.
2006-09-28 12:13:27 · answer #5 · answered by 2ndchhapteracts 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An allegory (from Greek allos, "other" ) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than (and in addition to) the literal. Bible was written at the times when the science was very limited and who knows maybe writers indeed believed that it was possible to create world in 7 days. We know now that it took billions years for the world as we know to be created, therefore we have to treat stories in Bible as an allegory. But seven steps of creation might be considered more literally.
2006-09-28 12:05:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Given some of the answers you got, I too find myself somewhat aghast, in my case rolling my eyes.
The Tau-Biblia or Talmud was written by men as an allegory to explain in the simplest of terms and to create within that allegory the construct of what we now call Judeo-Christian Faith. To take these writings as completely literal is to deny simple basic common sense, let alone empirical and scientific fact.
Except for some historical cities, most events and persons in the Bible, may or may not have even existed.
You're also quite correct in your statement regarding proof, those who declare it to be factual must bear the responsibility of proof not those who don't. Remember boys and girls, the basic rule of evidence, prove beyond reasonable doubt. Using this basic principle, believers in Genesis have not yet made their case beyond REASONABLE doubt. Screaming that it is fact over and over again, is not proof, just so much defencive noise.
2006-09-28 12:11:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
fairy tale and scary tale..the bible and the creation myth is filled with symbolism..as are the epics and tales of a myriad of spiritual belief systems, cultures and religions...read between the lines..often scripture of a spiritual nature as in the doctrine of the bible has parallels with other doctrines..investigate them..they may prove enlightening...such as David and Goliath..Thor a Norse Deity captured a giant sea monster that was terrorizing the waters of his people..not unlike Goliath..Thor took a giant hook and slung it over the waters and captured and slew the great beast...floods...as in Noah,,,tales of such abound in the myth of a plethora of peoples....fairy tail scary tail...the river Styx so soon to sail....poor boy Jonah...to feed a whale..
2006-09-28 12:10:50 · answer #8 · answered by David H, Raiser 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most Churches are trying to fit in-- to get more members.
No Bible passage supports it as allegory.
""Or are you trying your hardest to incorperate human logic into your fairy tale book?""
Who says I am a believer in anything== You are jumping to conclusions and pointing fingers!
2006-09-28 12:00:08 · answer #9 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
*takes out ball gag*
The bible is totally metaphorical, except for the some of the historical bits. Only the Fundies take this stuff literally. Even most "normal" middle-of-the-road Christians know this.
2006-09-28 12:10:20 · answer #10 · answered by Ana 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋