why would St.Patrick who was a man inspired by God drive snakes out of Ireland,arn't snakes God's creatures too,wouldn't God have been quite angry at this
Express your opinion please
2007-01-03 08:57:48 · 7 answers · asked by jimmythebullstromboni 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First of all you need to have an understanding of myth. Myth are literary devices that point to a truth. Granted the details are symbolic, but are necessary that they be clear enough to make the truth understandable. So when St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, the poetic truth that the legend is saying is, "Christianity [Christ being evangelized by St. Patrick] drove out sin and death out of Ireland [the snakes].
2007-01-03 09:17:50 · answer #1 · answered by som 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a story expressed as a metaphor, because there has never been any historical record of snakes in Ireland.
Snakes, being the symbol of evil in nature (a la Garden of Eden) are used as a symbol to show how Catholicism (St. Patrick) drove the evil of nature (Pagans) out of Ireland. So St. Patrick's day is actually despised by Wiccans because it celebrates organized religion destroying their culture.
2007-01-03 17:02:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a metaphor for the Druids. Druids-Snakes.. Patrick evangelized.. make more sense?
There's no scientific evidence that Ireland ever had snakes.
2007-01-03 17:03:32 · answer #3 · answered by Kallan 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The answer lies more in geography than in theology. There are no snakes in Ireland.
2007-01-03 17:04:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I killed 13 copperheads this summer and I don't think God minded after a girl got bitten by one.
2007-01-03 17:00:34 · answer #5 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
St. Patrick was a wonderful man, and he did wonderful, wonderful things.
2007-01-03 17:14:09 · answer #6 · answered by jinenglish68 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Old Pat got rid of the NON Catholics -- the SWINE called us all
SNAKES just because we are/were True Christians!
2007-01-03 17:01:30 · answer #7 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋