If Catholics reject the literalness of Genesis, then do they also reject the literalness of Hell, Revelations?

Question

Fireball226 -- I am just asking this question based upon the ever popular writer 'ImaCatholic'. He may have more best answers than any other answerer in this entire forum.

He wrote that the Catholic Church no longer accepts Genesis as a factual book. To them it is a collection of fables with a spiritual truth.

Answer 1

i have not seen anywhere in the cathchism or the New American Bible where they discount the teaching of Genesis or call it "fables". on the contrary they explain that :
"On the subject of creation, the sacred text teaches the truths revealev by God for our salvation, permitting us to "recognize the inner nature, the value, and the ordering of the whole of creation tothe praise of God". NOTIHNG EXISTS THAT DOES NOT OWE ITS EXISSTENCE TO GOD THE CREATOR. (this won't allow the italics like in the catechism so really i'm not shouting)

my pastor has never rejected any part of the bible. for the one that wrote we disavow the bible - he's never been to a Catholic mass where the bible is quoted, prayed and taught every day. in fact the reading throughout the year are based so that if you were to attend daily or read the prescrubed scripture daily - you would have a clear understnding and hae read the entire bible - from Genesis to Revelations.

Answer 2

Actually, all this stuff is being examined by both Catholics and others. Christianity has already gone through a reformation, and has comes to terms with exploring the truth and limitations of their holy book.

Islam has yet to do so.
At the same time, a true understanding of the Aramaic idioms of the Bible are leading to a BETTER understanding of the Bible, as understood by the people of those times.

At the same time, just because someone uses idioms/figures of speech, doesn't mean everything they say is an idiom. A greater understanding usually means knowing the difference.

Answer 3

The church does not reject the reality of hell. We believe God created man. Although how he did that is not reavealed totally in Scripture.

Here is a little bit of what the Catechism says:

289 Among all the Scriptural texts about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. The inspired authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their solemn language the truths of creation - its origin and its end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of sin and the hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the unity of Sacred Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the principal source for catechesis on the mysteries of the "beginning": creation, fall, and promise of salvation.

388 With the progress of Revelation, the reality of sin is also illuminated. Although to some extent the People of God in the Old Testament had tried to understand the pathos of the human condition in the light of the history of the fall narrated in Genesis, they could not grasp this story's ultimate meaning, which is revealed only in the light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must know Christ as the source of grace in order to know Adam as the source of sin. The Spirit-Paraclete, sent by the risen Christ, came to "convict the world concerning sin",by revealing him who is its Redeemer.

Answer 4

Catholics have different teachings on scripture.

Yes, Catholics believe in Genesis, and Evolution. God created evolution. I read Genesis today, and OMG, it seems as if it is telling Darwin's' story of Evolution ... God created the sun & stars ... God created the oceans, separated oceans to make land ... God created sea creatures, birds, and then wild animals ... Isn't that what Darwin says in his evolution story?

Catholics teach about Revelations, but being fooled more than once, the Church doesn't teach that Rapture will happend like the Baptist's teach. Both are founded on the Bible, Catholic's hear God's word much different in these points.

Answer 5

Catholics reject many parts of the Bible. Not only does the Catholic Church contend that the Bible is a "dead letter" and the New Testament is uninspired, but it maintains that the apostles appointed a "divine, infallible apostolate" to direct us. That is essentially the way the Catholic Church endeavors to make room in the realm of religion for papal edicts and the decrees of the Romanist councils. But consider this: "For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken unto us through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard" (Hebrews 2:2, 3). Those who heard the word were the ones to confirm it, and that is in keeping with the following statement of Peter, "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." This was said in regard to one ". . . to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell" (Acts 1:21, 22, 25). Can this so-called "divine, infallible apostolate" qualify? And after the word has been spoken and confirmed, what purpose could such an office serve?

Answer 6

Catholics and most mainline protestant theologians do not accept a literal interpretation of the Revelation. I do not believe that you accept a literal interpretation of the Revelation either. For example do you literally believe that a woman will ride the beast? or do you believe that this is allegorically symbolic of something?

Catholics do believe in a literal hell.

Answer 7

No. Hell is real.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21460090-2,00.html

Revelation, on the other hand, you have to be very, very careful with. Much of what John is talking about is his own era, according to serious bible scholars. "The beast" is Nero, for instance.

http://ecclesia.org/truth/beast.html

What Revelation describes for the future, the wedding of the bride (the church) to the bridegroom (Christ) we hold to be real.

Answer 8

yes they reject the literalness of revelations. do you believe that a half-killed lamb will overcome evil? or do you believe Christ will?

Answer 9

Literalness of the resurection?

Answer 10

Revelation, yes. But not Hell. That's described too well by Jesus.