Does anyone interpret the bible literally?

Question

Are there some bits that you think are symbolic.
Do you think God asked people to sacrifice there child on an altar, or asked for the sacking of citys because they didnt believe in him. (old testament)

If you do, who decides which parts really happened.

I am a Roman Catholic, and I do not take the bible literally, I just want to know if any one does.

How can it be the word of God, if it was written by man.

And in responce to differing society, why did God change from wanting us to burn citys to the ground in the old testament and performing genocide. Why does he now say that we should forgive, and turn the other cheek.

If it is gods words why doesnt he implant it in our brains when we are born.

In responce to someone saying that it is all literal except revelation, how can you decide what is and isnt literal, you just said it was gods word but you dont think revelation is his word. So if that isnt gods word maybe the rest isnt.

CAN YOU PROVE DRAGONS DID NOT EXIST, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE DODO AND EXTINCTION.

Answer 1

There are lots of people that do.

But there are lots of people that believe the Koran and other religious texts.

They can't all be right.

At the end of the day religion is a personal thing.

My personal belief is that there are some good things that can be taken from all of the religions in the world but there are also things which are misinterpreted and twisted to serve and excuse evil acts.

We can argue about what is and isn't the right thing to believe, we can even fight about it, but at the end of the day we all come into this world in exactly the same way and we all die, so what the hell is the point in arguing about who's way is right or wrong.

So long as we can live our lives without encroaching on anyone elses rights why does it matter?

Live and let live.

Answer 2

Adamantly both. Obviously we are not salt. Or at least, I don't think so...?(hmmm, mayhaps research should be done on the subject- lol) But there were parables and other forms of metaphors. I believe that most of the new testament is literal. At least, say, the letters from Paul to the churchs, but Revelations and the parables can be interpreted in a wide variety. I think the decision to take it as literal or metaphorical is based person-to-person. I've known some people who thought the entire old testament was parables, but I do not believe that... Reflectively, I think it is a matter of your mental perception and your standing with God as to how you interpret literal verses metaphorical. Hope this helped?

Answer 3

I believe if it is to be believed, then it is personal, once it becomes open for debate, it becomes literal and can easily be disbelieved. I mean living for 900 odd years cannot literally mean thay unless we were giant tortoises at the time.
I take the comfort and try to ingonre the rest or else I completley question everything written. I am currently trying to find the real God of the earth in the scripture as I do not think it is all about mankind, although they are the leaders of the pack. Often when I think too deeply, I tend to draw the same conclusion that the God of the scripture is fictional, and the one we can see everyday is the one that is true, though there are many useful lessons in the scripture.

Answer 4

I believe that everything in the new testament happened literally.

As for the old testament, i believe that it is meant to teach us more about human nature and the nature of God. I believe that God is all-powerful and thus could have done everything the Bible says He does, but whether He actually did or not doesn't have much impact on my beliefs.

Why do you believe that some parts should not be taken literally? Do you not believe that God is capable of all the miracles in the Bible? Just curious, like you.

God bless.

Answer 5

I think you should unless you have reason not to. The Bible is basically a book of history. The events recorded in it have been proven to have happened or can't be disproved. There really was a person called Abraham, there really was a King David, there really was a person called Jesus who really did die on a cross and really did rise on the third day. If you go to Jerusalem today you can go and look at the empty tomb (and yes, it is really empty).
I do think you would be better taking the Bible more literally and the RC churches teaching on Mary less literally. In fact, if you read the Bible you will notice that not one single miracle is attributed to Mary. No offense intended, but Jesus is the one who died because of our sins and not Mary. Jesus is the one who was given all authority in Heaven and Earth, not Mary, and so he is the one you should be praying to.

Answer 6

Some parts are literal like John 6:51

. Jn 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My Flesh."
The Jews knew that He was speaking literally. Jn 6:52 "How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?
. But when Jesus insisted, Jn 6:53 "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life." The Jews who heard this said, Jn 6:60 "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" They remembered God's command to Noah and all mankind, Gn 9:4 "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." God spoke more forcefully to His chosen people. Lv 17:10 "I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people." It was only after Christ's redemptive sacrifice and the Holy Spirit's enlightenment that the Apostles saw the full meaning of our Father's next words. Lv 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life."

Some parts are metaphors such as,

When our Lord spoke of Himself as a Jn 10:9 "door" or a Jn 15:1 "vine," nobody said, "How can this man be made of wood?" or "How can this man be a plant?" They recognized these as metaphors.




Iam a Roman Catholic also

Answer 7

Christ did - If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

That is that every word was inspired by God, therefore it cannot be broken but must be true.

When you read it you will need the understanding to be given to you from God - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Answer 8

I am also catholic and I take most of the Bible literally. This is what the Church tells us to do. Only if the literal interpretation goes against something else we know to be true is it supposed to be taken symbolically. For instance much of John's Apocalypse is symbolic. We know that there are no such things as dragons, so the dragon must stand for some other truth or reality.

This doesn't mean that a text that is hard to believe is to be taken symbolically. When Jesus told his followers that he would give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink, most of them said, "this saying is very difficult". And after that they no longer followed him. Being recipients of the Eucharist we know that he was speaking literally.

St. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologian in Church history, tells us that the literal interpretation is usually the best. Also, in scripture, a single passage can have several meanings on different levels. Like the woman in John's Apocalypse who gives birth to a son. She represents Mary in some ways and the Church in other ways.

Answer 9

Dear Mark J: I am glad that someone finally wrote an intelligent question. As a general rule, the Bible says what it means and it means what it says. You must also keep in mind that in Old Testament times society was quite different from today--there was no police department, no countries (only small towns), and people actually sacrificed to idols to obtain favor and forgiveness of sin. God did actually ask Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar as a test of his obedience for him. He never intended to have Isaac killed.
I invite you to e-mail me with more questions. I also grew up Catholic and attended Catholic school for most of my life.
Please e-mail me and allow me to answer your questions further.
Cheers,
Mr. M on "bible literally."

Answer 10

Except the prophetic books (including Revelation) it is all literal.

Much of the law of the old testament applied specifically to the Nation of Israel which no longer exists. The punishments are no longer set by the law but the sin is still condemned.