What do fundamentalists mean, when they use the word 'literal'.?

Question

I've heard the word tossed around alot, and I don't think it's a relevent word anymore. There was a day, when people believed just about everything in print, because printed words were rare.

I think this ambiguity is the source of much confusion in discussions about the Bible, and other sacred texts.

The ambiguity is in our language.

Answer 1

Hey Dragon, I think what they mean is that they are not prepared to deviate one iota from rigid scripture, in other words they are like the Pharisee`s in that they rigidly stick to the letter of the law and cannot accept that there can be a different or alternative meaning to a particular scripture passage.

Answer 2

It is used to state that you mean it exactly the way the text reads. For example: When I say "I wouldn't trade my relationship with Jesus for the world." I mean that literally. Not just figuratively.
There is no ambiguity in the Bible that was not put there by a fallen world.

Hope that helps.
May the Lord richly bless you.

Answer 3

Of course you are much to clever for me to have a conversation with. I do bandy words about in my limited understanding of their meaning my self and I am a fundi Christian. I think you must know the person you are talking to to get a true indication of how their own particular communication works. This needs other expressive clues apart from words and intellect. I can tell you what literal means and you may or may not agree that it's a correct interpretation. When related to the Bible I think a person with your excellent use of words knows it's simple.

Answer 4

In a "literal" sense, spiritual sense is unseen and the seed of endless confusion is sown.
It is as a person talking will expect their words to be interpreted in a figurative manner, and not literal, and many times it is the best or only way to communicate a thought. But the untrained "mind" misses the point, due to blindness or ignorance. A material thought is not prone to part with itself to venture into new waters.

Answer 5

----I am not a fundamentalist, but when I look at the Bible text I can distinguish what is literal and what is not from what other parts of the Bible interpret them to be!

FOR INSTANCE this rule of thumb is made:

(2 Timothy 3:16-17) “16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”

--AN EXAMPLE OF other Bible texts being used as a plumb line can be had in the following texts:

(Revelation 13:1-2) “13 And it stood still upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. 2 Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to [the beast] its power and its throne and great authority.”

--THE BEASTS in the Bible can be interpreted literally as representing --nations, governments and their rulers---
--Note a general reference:

(Daniel 7:23-24) “23 “This is what he said, ‘As for the fourth beast, there is a fourth kingdom that will come to be on the earth, that will be different from all the [other] kingdoms; and it will devour all the earth and will trample it down and crush it. 24 And as for the ten horns, out of that kingdom there are ten kings that will rise up; and still another one will rise up after them, and he himself will be different from the first ones, and three kings he will humiliate.”

--THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES in the Bible where a symbolizing can be interpreted clearly. Since the book of Revelation in a great part is made up of signify things , one could if careful find the interpretation in other parts of the Bible:

(Revelation 1:1) “1 A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place. And he sent forth his angel and presented [it] in SIGNS (my caps) through him to his slave John,”

--THUS we do not have the authority to put on our own interpretation of these signs as many religious leaders have done:

(2 Peter 1:20-21) “20 For YOU know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21 For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.”

--THE HISTORIAN Jerome coined the Bible as "The Divine Library"--which means then that it can be cross-referenced much better than any library in the world since its 66 little books(from where the idea and expression "bibliography" comes from)do not contradict themselves as in every library in the world!
--BUT the Scriptures present an accurate interpretation in a 1600 year spanse in the writings from Moses to John--SIMPLY AMAZING!

Answer 6

They mean, when it says for example that God turned the Nile River into blood, he actually did it; no puzy-footing around, the river flowed with actual blood.

And where it says Jesus got up after being dead three days, and started walking around like nothing ever happened, then rose into the sky and became a god, that is what actually happened -- no academic bullcrap.

And where it says Adam and Eve had a talking snake, they actually had a talking snake dammit.

Answer 7

It means literal as the pastor interprets the conflicting and ambiguous passages for them. This is the basis for Biblical Young-Earth Creationism. If the first chapter is allegorical, the whole doctrine unravels and the parishioners start to think for themselves.

Answer 8

They cannot mean what my dictionary does, as there are just too many contradictions to explain away in that case. I think they mean "I am obligated to believe it is all true."

Have compassion for them; they are in a very tight spot logically, and tend to get pretty stressed out by the cognitive dissonance.

Answer 9

Interesting observation.

Answer 10

I'm not scared to see the bible for what it is, it's an astrology book.