Why is it so difficult for some people to view portions of their Bible as metaphoric while they have no problem viewing other portions of their Bible as metaphoric.
Who says which scriptures are to be taken as a literal value and which are not to be taken as a literal value.
2006-10-03 07:10:17 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Why take any of it literally when it has been re-written so many times?
2006-10-03 07:12:52 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I love your question. And it is one I have asked myself too, exactly the same way you are asking it!! Interesting. I would add who has the authority to say this part is leteral and this one is not. What has happened is that an erudite of the Bible understands a passage in certain way and interprets it that way and gets a bunch of people who like his view to believe that certain passage is literal and this other one is not eg. baptism with fire and water, where is the fire?? How come the fire is metaphoric but the water not?
Great question. I hope we can get some of our christian friends to clarify this for us, if it is possible!
2006-10-03 14:16:51 · answer #2 · answered by Incredula c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't know. There are definitely parts that are literal, and definitely parts that are metaphoric. I can't pretend to know which is which for every single verse, I guess that's because I'm not familiar with all the figures of speech, and common day events of the authors of the Bible 2,000 + years ago.
2006-10-03 14:24:14 · answer #3 · answered by daisyk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on which argument you are trying to support. If you are trying to convince people of one thing, you pick that part of the bible, then make it literal, but be certain that you point out that the part that doesn't agree with you is merely parable and the part that agrees with you is the literal part, unless you change your mind, then you can play the re interpret card, and change which part you want to be literal and which is parable. It's a con, I tell you it's all a con...well, except for the part that supports my argument, that part's real.
2006-10-03 14:17:13 · answer #4 · answered by Ice 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the bible is literal. I've seen metaphors in revelation book though. I don't know. People tend to take the bible and then follow what is convenient for them. Jesus was radical though and wasn't into comfort zones. People gotta take their Christianity to another level and stop playing Jesus.
2006-10-03 14:13:38 · answer #5 · answered by Light 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A better question: Who gets to decide which parts are metaphorical and must be "read with the Holy Spirit dwelling within you" in order to make sense, and which parts are literal (and that we get to laugh you out of the room for because they're so patently absurd)?
Is there a "teacher's edition" that we skeptics can have a look at?
2006-10-03 14:13:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Many people believe the word of the bible is absolute truth. They were not educated to question it's authority. People with more analytical minds are capable of distinguishing its true source and purpose.
2006-10-03 14:15:41 · answer #7 · answered by The Gadfly 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They can take a verse and use it literally and then turn around and use the same verse "interpret" it and use it as something completely different. It just depends on what they are using it foe or who they are using it against.
2006-10-03 14:17:26 · answer #8 · answered by wilchy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, I see a evolution right here on my pc screen, a monkey tries to think his first thought
2006-10-03 14:18:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Look at the context.
2006-10-03 14:17:49 · answer #10 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋