So how do they decide which passages should be taken literally and which should be taken in context? And of the passages that they believe should be taken in context, how do they decide how to interpret them?
2007-05-27 13:44:33 · 15 answers · asked by Joy R 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
O.o
I'm suprised there are people who are saying that they believe that every word of the Bible should be taken literally... Shouldn't you guys be in prison? I mean, there are a lot of things that the Bible says to do that would land you there if you actually did them... which means you're either not taking those passages literally or disobeying them.
2007-05-27 13:53:54 · update #1
:D
I guess I could add a little background... I grew up in an extremely strict Baptist family. I was sheltered from all outside influences and went to nine different church services or Bible classes every week.
I began to question what I had been programed to believe when I was a teenager and made some Penticostal friends. I knew that they truly believed that they were following God's teachings, and I couldn't understand how anyone could choose between two sets of doctrines who were both doing their best to know what God intended for them to know. According to the Pentacostal doctrine, most of the people in my church who very much loved God and Jesus and the Bible were going to Hell. It didn't make sense.
It's taken me years to sort it all out, but at this point I recognize that humans see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe, and the same applies to their interpretation of religious documents.
2007-05-27 14:00:33 · update #2
Ah now that is the million dollar question now isnt it.
The fact is that if their was a hard and fast rule on how to interperate Biblical passages you would not have thousands of Christian denominations now would you. =P
2007-05-27 13:49:23 · answer #1 · answered by Gamla Joe 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know for sure how those who don't take every word literally decide which to take as literal and which to take as figurative, though I imagine that it tends to be whichever's either most convenient for them or which they think makes most sense.
Some, however, do take the Bible literelly, or at least that's what some say until you try to offer an altertanive explanation for what a passage reads. For example, I'm Mormon, and often when I see someone of the Mormon Church offer up an explanation on sites like this (using Bible quotes from the King James Version) to explain our beliefs, we're often accused of either taking the passage out of context or citing something that (according to the person responding) was supposed to be taken figuratively and not literally.
2007-05-27 16:20:46 · answer #2 · answered by Rynok 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Joy, no one can take every word of anything they read literally because we all "interpret" what we read from our personal bias and experiences.
When it comes to the Bible you have to use all your senses, and both sides of your brain, and listen to your heart all at the same time. And it helps if you invite God along to help out too.
You have to study about how the Bible came to be, who wrote it, who compiled it, and how it came to be interpreted. Study the history of the time, and other religious texts, whether Judeo-Christian or other beliefs. Know scientific principles and theories.
Its not easy and for many people it takes years to come to understand even parts of the Bible (I think maybe this was meant to be). That may be why a lot of people take the easy way and just say, oh yeah, that is exactly how it happened or just listen to what someone else believes and goes with that.
When you come to a truth, you will know it. Just as when an algebraic formula suddenly makes sense...you will have that "ahaa" feeling.
Good luck.
The Ol' Hippie Jesus Freak
Grace, Peace and Love in Christ
Peg
2007-05-27 13:54:38 · answer #3 · answered by Dust in the Wind 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
100% should be taken in context, but taken literally. One passage alone often does not make sense. Surrounding passages help clarify the meaning. How to interpret? Read ALL of the related passages and see how they fit together. An interpretation cannot be true if it is contradicted elsewhere in the Bible.
2007-05-27 13:54:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL, you've never met up with a Southern Baptist then. I've heard them taking the Bible word for word.
My own personal belief s it's all not to be taken literally but more so metaphorically. I am a minister but not a preacher. This is just like the word hell. The original Bible were written letters and poems and they were in Hebrew. The word hell in Hebrew means to cover like you hell a roof or you hell potatoes and there is a bottomless pit out side of Jerusalem by the name of Hell. It's where they would throw the bodies of people stoned to death thus throwing them into the pits of Hell.
2007-05-27 13:53:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 2 main ways to understand the Bible.
Literal - the meaning that was intended by the author
Literalist - each word means exactly what it says.
eg. It's raining cats and dogs
Literal - It's raining heavily
Literalist - Cats and dogs are falling from the sky
The Bible is meant to be interpreted in the literal sense. We have the teaching authority of the Church to help us determine the true meaning.
Cheers :-)
2007-05-27 13:49:46 · answer #6 · answered by chekeir 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
if you read it you would understand what to take literally. People do take the Bible out of context but when you read it all the way through then you know what is what, just like any thing else we take out of context you have to get the whole story to know what the understanding of certain verses are
2007-05-27 13:51:32 · answer #7 · answered by truely human 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sorry, Joy, you're mistaken. There are a number of bible thumping Jesus freaks out there who take every word of that comic book quite literally.
2007-05-27 13:53:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is God breathed. I believe that every scripture should be taken as though God himself said it. Or was that verse one of those that should be taken in context.
In Jesus Name
2007-05-27 13:49:23 · answer #9 · answered by Joel 2 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
today, it would seem that the only ones they really want to take literally are the ones that give them the right to hate gays.
because there are scriptures right next to the anti-gay scriptures in romans and leviticus that xians ignore all the time -- they say "oh, these aren't meant to be taken literally today" or "these were meant specifically for these certain people during this specific time in history" etc etc.
then come the gay laws and xians go nuts and start screeching and shrieking -- "these must be taken word for word. it's clear what the bible is saying here!" blah blah blah
they are such hypocritical, hateful frauds. they just want license to hate gay people, nothing more. it's a sick, hateful cult.
2007-05-27 13:48:00 · answer #10 · answered by Phyllis 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋