2007-10-18 02:05:28 · 12 answers · asked by Gray 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thank you all for the answers. The reason I asked this question was actually more for the viewers of this question and answers. It proves that there are varying degrees to which such an item is taken literally, or shrugged off as a story and nothing more, or a mixture of the two. Naturally, it also showed that some individuals haven't the slightest clue what it's meant to be except "the word of God."
While it may or may not be true, I'm not here to argue that fact, however to truly understand what a story implies, you must look beyond the text and view what reasons there were for writing it. Believe it or not, history has been altered in the past by writers (Paul Revere for instance.) At this point, to take it as a literal text would be foolish. Understand the point of the tale, be it tall or otherwise, and forgive the possibility of inevitable fibs to enhance a story.
2007-10-18 02:39:02 · update #1
The Bible is a collection of books (biblios = library), and those books are of different genres. We have mythology (Genesis, Job, Jonah), legend (Exodus, Joshua), poetry (Song of Solomons), song (Psalms), prophets (Micah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, etc), gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), John & Acts, epistles (Romans, Hebrews, Galatians, etc), apocalypses (Daniel, Revelation), and, yes, history (Judges, Kings).
Each of these kinds of books has to be read differently in the same way you can't expect Greek mythology, a newspaper, a history text, a pamphlet for a new drug, and the driver's manual in your car to be read the same way. I don't know why people ever starting reading the Bible only as a newspaper and then judging it true or false on those merits, that's not what it is in the first place!
Thanks for the question, this one is on my mind a lot.
2007-10-18 02:14:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A mixture in my opinion. My Dad always says the Bible should be named 'The myths and stories of ancient Israel'. I find it disturbing that people these days take the Bible at face value when so little scientific knowledge was around back then. I don't mean this in a way that discounts all the 'big ticket items' in the Bible, but stuff like the virgin birth? It was only a while ago that people even found out how babies were really made. To think that the experiences that people had back then would be interpreted the same way by the most devout Christian in this day and age seems preposterous.
2007-10-18 02:14:06 · answer #2 · answered by sticky 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This has been performed because the begining. The Bible become cannonized less than Emper Constantine of Rome 1000's OF YEARS AFTER CHRIST. be conscious that Jesus, if he become, in truth, someone, wrote no longer something down. It become all ORAL practise. by technique of the time the Bible become cannonized on the council of Nicaea, there have been many, many gospels. in basic terms a small share of those made it into the Christian Bible. something are both Gnostic or considered apocraphal. that is exciting that the churchmen on the council approved or disapproved what might want to pass into the Bible, in each and every case, by technique of UNANAMOUS VOTE. Does that sound organic to you? perchance the potential for torture and death by technique of a fanatical Emperor had something to do with it.
2016-10-21 08:50:15 · answer #3 · answered by aeschlimann 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible is the word of God, inspired by God. Men were moved by God to write exactly what He wanted to be written.
The bible has history, poetry, parables, accounts of visions, dreams,chronologies, and eye witness accounts.
So, yes, many of the events recorded were true, literal events. But there are parts of the bible that are meant to be taken as symbolic of other things.
It is far far more than a collection of morality tales. Read it and see.
god bless
2007-10-18 02:14:53 · answer #4 · answered by happy pilgrim 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any such religious book, be it bible,gita or any one else, should not be taken at it's face value. You don't get anything out of it by labelling it.
Just think, the book has been read by millions over hundreds of years. Had it been just a set of stories, it would have lost it's charm. The holy books are read with love & devotion so there has to be something in it. Try to catch that "something".
2007-10-18 02:24:37 · answer #5 · answered by JJ SHROFF 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is more a collection of morality tales. Some are literal events, some are allegory, some are poems, some are fables.
It is all the Word of God and all true. Truth can be learned from historical events and from fables.
I think some people are so hung up on arguing whether a specific event was historical or not that they completly miss the truth that is being conveyed.
2007-10-18 02:10:56 · answer #6 · answered by Sldgman 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Bible clearly includes both, and the first prerequisite to valid exegesis is being able to tell the difference.
2007-10-18 02:23:21 · answer #7 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible is God's word, plan and simple.
2007-10-18 02:09:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
the events in the Bible have been corroborated with other texts and archaelogical findings.
2007-10-18 02:11:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Morality? What morality? Mass murder isn't a good moral.
2007-10-18 02:08:44 · answer #10 · answered by Keltasia 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋