For example the Abrahamic scriptures say that the world was created in 7 days, but we now know it took billions or years and the followers say it is just a metaphore to illustrate that a supernatural being created the earth.
How do they know that statements such as that are metaphors and not just lies written by men to control other men?
2007-09-04 08:58:05 · 12 answers · asked by tanjaneeka 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That is in outstanding question. Sometimes Christians say its a figure of speech, or a misinterpretation or a metaphor...other times they say its fact and absolute. Who gave them the right to disect the bible and treat it like a food buffet table?
2007-09-04 09:06:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would dispute that it took billions of years. This is what evolutionists "believe".....it is 'unproven' and simply a hypothesis with a LOT of holes in it. If evolution was true the bible would make no sense. The genelogy of Jesus goes back to Adam and it's easy to calculate the time scale to thousands of years rather than billions of years.
People are quite happy to accept evolution as a fact but that is not the truth and not all scientists accept it as such.
Christians have to accept the bible as fully from God or their faith can't make sense. Clearly, metaphors are used in the bible and are presented as parables usually these things are fairly obvious to spot.
One or two things are of interest though. The bible was written by many people in many different locations and over a period of a few thousand years. Either time or distance prevented collaboration but there was the same theme that ran thoughout all their writings that agreed with each other and that was about God. The other note worthy point, historically, is that nothing in the bible has been proved wrong. In fact on a regular basis things are turning up which varify it's validity.
2007-09-05 08:26:01 · answer #2 · answered by Andy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As said above, if they believe that part then it's 'the truth' if not then its a 'metaphor'.
Generally, the bible is said to be entirely literal until it is questioned by someone in which case the part in question becomes 'metaphorical'.
The truth is they have no way of telling but, considering the Bible is supposedly written by God, it should all be taken literally as no perfect being would include metaphors as they could only distort the book's meaning and split the religion's followers.
2007-09-04 16:17:01 · answer #3 · answered by thomasgilboy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uhh, the Bible says the world was created in 6 days, not seven. I firmly believe it was 6, 24 hour days. It isn't a metaphor. You "know" it took billions of years for the earth to be formed or created? What is your unbiased, irrefutable, verifiable evidence to support this assertion?
2007-09-04 16:05:50 · answer #4 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's pretty simple. Get e-sword. It goes back to the original Hebrew (for the Bible), and it clears a LOT of things up.
At least, that's what I've done. And even apart from that, it's pretty easy to tell what's a metaphor and what's not. One just has to read, and study.
2007-09-04 16:04:08 · answer #5 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's all true, or all metaphor, depending on which perspective they choose to use when trying to make a point.
The whole thing was written by men in order to control other men. It's just another mythology, no different from others. It's just the current one, that's all.
2007-09-04 16:04:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
If You open your heart and Ask,its there.How many times through history has this been said ? If you want favours join a club, But if you Search Truth then walk Alone. <><
2007-09-04 18:22:39 · answer #7 · answered by marco f 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uhh, it was 6 days, and how can it possibly be considered controlling others by telling them of how long the earth was created. What would the liars get out of it. Nothing. The bible is all true. If you think of the bible as a bunch of lies, you obviously haven't read it.
2007-09-04 16:07:47 · answer #8 · answered by Julia 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Nobody's been able to figure that out and that is why the christian community is divided into thousnads of pieces. Jesus told us in The Apocryphon of John but they don't want to believe Jesus.
2007-09-04 16:16:35 · answer #9 · answered by single eye 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple for a christian:
Truth- anything I wish to believe is truth and follow.
Metaphor-anything I choose NOT to believe in and follow.
2007-09-04 16:05:15 · answer #10 · answered by honshu01 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋